The 12 Best Paint Brands of 2023
Are you thinking about updating interior or exterior spaces with a fresh coat of paint this year? Check out these best paint brands to help spruce up a living space.
Photo: depositphotos.com
Painting can be a time-consuming job, but it can become unnecessarily frustrating when using inferior products instead of finishes from the best paint brands. Paints that don’t provide excellent coverage and hiding capability, leave a clumpy finish, or have an overall poor quality can cost you lots of time and money if you have to do the job over again.
When it comes to painting a home, look for the best interior paints or exterior paints on the market to make the project easier. Read on to discover some of the best paint brands for your next interior or exterior paint project.
1. Sherwin-Williams
Photo: sherwin-williams.com
Price Range: $$ to $$$
Top Products: Sherwin-Williams Emerald Interior Acrylic Latex Paint ($85.49+ at Sherwin-Williams) and Sherwin-Williams Latitude Exterior Acrylic Latex ($86.99+ at Sherwin-Williams)
Founded in 1866, this Cleveland, Ohio–based company is viewed by many as the best interior paint brand. Sherwin-Williams offers a wide variety of paints and coatings to individuals and companies all around the globe through its company-operated stores. For over 150 years, this trusted brand has developed a portfolio of quality household name brands, such as Valspar, Minwax, Krylon, and Thompson’s WaterSeal.
Some of Sherwin-Williams’ most popular paint colors include Alabaster, Pure White, Agreeable Gray, Sea Salt, and Drift of Mist. Its product lineup includes interior and exterior paints, interior stains and sealers, concrete coatings, primers, and wallpapers. Its Emerald Interior Acrylic Latex Paint doesn’t require a primer before use.
Shop Sherwin-Williams paint at:
2. Benjamin Moore
Photo: acehardware.com
Price Range: $$ to $$$
Top Products: Benjamin Moore Regal Select Semi-Gloss Finish Paint ($77.99 at Ace Hardware) and Benjamin Moore Waterborne Ceiling Paint – Ultra Flat ($59.99 at Benjamin Moore)
Owned by Berkshire Hathaway and based in Montvale, New Jersey, Benjamin Moore has been in business since 1883. Benjamin Moore was the first to introduce a computerized color-matching system, allowing retailers to closely match any paint sample. The company manufactures its own resins and proprietary Gennex colorants, which supply this paint with superior performance and application.
Some popular paint colors include Revere Pewter, White Dove, Chantilly Lace, Smoke, and Gray Owl. Its Regal Select Interior Paint works exceptionally well at covering dark colors with one coat, and it has an Aura paint that is designed for high-humidity environments. Also, oil and water stains don’t penetrate it. A few challenges with this paint are that it can dry too quickly, leave streaks, and it has a higher price tag.
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3. Behr
Photo: homedepot.com
Price Range: $ to $$
Top Products: Behr Ultra Pure White Flat Exterior Paint & Primer ($62.98+ at The Home Depot) and Behr White Satin Latex Masonry, Stucco, and Brick Paint ($151+ at The Home Depot)
Founded in 1947, this Santa Ana, California–based paint company supplies architectural paint and exterior wood care products throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Its products also include interior and exterior house paints, primers, stains, and surface preparation products. Behr’s products are sold exclusively at The Home Depot.
Behr paint colors trending this year include Breezeway, Broadway, Almond Wisp, Kalahari Sunset, Modern Mocha, Smoky White, and Dayflower, to name a few. One top feature about its Marquee Exterior Paint and Primer is its resistance to cracking. This product also repels dirt and mildew and is easy to apply. However, like Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams paints, a drawback is the higher cost of the Behr Home Depot paint.
Shop Behr paint at:
4. KILZ
Photo: amazon.com
Price Range: $ to $$$
Top Products: KILZ Restoration Interior Primer ($42.70 on Amazon) and KILZ Porch & Patio Floor Paint ($31.62 at Walmart)
KILZ, founded in 1974, is a decorative architectural product owned by the Masco Corporation. Its parent company manufactures products for the home improvement and new construction industries. While Masco is headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, KILZ is based in Kirkwood, Missouri. KILZ products include primers, house paints, wood stains, and concrete coatings.
Popular colors include Cameo Coral, Walnut Cream, Blue Lustre, Historic Rose, Khaki Taupe, and Regency White. KILZ Interior/Exterior Enamel Porch & Patio Latex Floor Paint is a stain-resistant paint for high-traffic areas like porches and decks. It is also easy to apply, inexpensive, and dries in about an hour. The one downside is the approximate 6-hour wait time necessary before applying another coat.
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5. Rust-Oleum
Photo: amazon.com
Price Range: $ to $$$
Top Products: Rust-Oleum Chalked Ultra Matte Paint ($25.89 on Amazon) and Rust-Oleum Home Ultra White Interior Floor Base Coating ($26.98 at The Home Depot)
Rust-Oleum was founded by sea captain Robert Fergusson in 1921. He discovered that a secret ingredient, whale oil, could slow corrosion on rusty metal decks. This ingredient became a significant component of Rust-Oleum’s protective paints and coatings. In more recent years, alkyds, polyurethanes, epoxies, and latex have replaced whale oil.
Located in Vernon Hills, Illinois, this company still specializes in rust-preventive products. Some of its popular paint colors include Flat White, Semi-Gloss White, Eggshell Over the Moon, and Flat Black. It also offers a variety of spray paints. Other popular Rust-Oleum products include specialty paints and protective sprays for vehicles. Its Ultra Matte Interior Chalked Paint is exceptionally durable, affordable, and doesn’t require a primer before use. However, buyers who don’t like vintage styles probably won’t like the look of this paint.
Shop Rust-Oleum paint at:
6. Valspar
Photo: lowes.com
Price Range: $ to $$
Top Products: Valspar Ultra High Gloss Paint + Primer ($40.98+ at Lowe’s) and Valspar Color-Changing Ceiling Paint ($36.98+ at Lowe’s)
Valspar originated in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1806 as a varnish manufacturer. The company got its name from its first clear varnish. For many years, this remained its primary product. Now based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Valspar was officially acquired by Sherwin-Williams in 2017.
Over the years, Valspar’s portfolio of products has grown to include interior and exterior paints, primers, wood stains, and concrete coatings. Popular colors this year include Oats and Honey, Deep Pacific, City of Lights, Glen Plaid, Pretty Rascal, and Garden Rain. Its Ultra High-Gloss Enamel Interior/Exterior Tintable Paint is scuff-resistant, durable, and easy to clean with soap and water. The primary disadvantage is that it is a thin paint that takes several coats for thorough coverage.
Shop Valspar paint at:
7. Diamond Brite
Photo: amazon.com
Price Range: Please use a general price range of $ to $$, $ to $$$, $ to $$$$, etc
Top Products: Diamond Brite Semigloss Wall Paint ($82.22 on Amazon) and Diamond Brite Latex Enamel Paint ($30.48 on Amazon)
Diamond Brite is a recent addition to paint manufacturers in the United States. Founded in 1990 by Robert Lebovitz, RDL Marketing Inc. produces the brand. The main office is located in Chicago, and the factory is based in Ohio.
Diamond Brite paints are ISO9002 certified, and the company prides itself on quality formulas, stellar customer service, and affordable prices. Some of its popular colors include Antique White, Off White, and Dove Gray. Diamond Brite Oil Base Enamel Interior/Exterior Paint is less costly than most exterior paints. In addition, this paint is exceptionally durable. The disadvantage is that drying time can take up to 12 hours.
Shop Diamond Brite paint at:
8. Glidden
Photo: homedepot.com
Price Range: $ to $$
Top Products: Glidden Essentials Semi-Gloss White/Base Exterior Paint ($25.98+ at The Home Depot) and Glidden Essentials White Flat Interior Paint ($16.98+ at The Home Depot)
Initially founded in 1875 in Cleveland, Ohio, by Francis Glidden, this paint company was officially acquired by PPG in 2013. Now headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, its parent company, PPG, has become the second-largest paint company in North America. Glidden originally began as a varnish company for furniture, pianos, and wagons. However, it has grown to include a variety of interior and exterior house paints. The company is a provider of 100 percent acrylic paint that is fade-resistant and durable.
Some of Glidden’s hottest paint colors this year include Guacamole, Whirlwind, Kangaroo, Bahia Grass, Pebble Gray, and Golden Ecru. Its One Coat Exterior Paint and Primer is easy to apply in one coat, as the name implies. It is also durable. Some drawbacks are that the paint is thin, and the locking rings are challenging to open.
Shop Glidden paint at:
9. PPG
Photo: homedepot.com
Price Range: $ to $$
Top Products: PPG Metallic Tones Silver Metallic Interior Speciality Finish Paint ($25.98 at The Home Depot) and PPG Metallic Tones Gold Metallic Interior Specialty Finish Paint ($25.98 at The Home Depot)
PPG (Pennsylvania Plate Glass Company) was founded in Creighton, Pennsylvania, in 1883 by Captain John Baptiste Ford and John Pitcairn Jr. and is known for making thick plate glass. Over the years, PPG has grown to include paint products and is now the second-largest paint producer after acquiring Glidden in 2013. Now located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the company also sells fiberglass products, interior and exterior paints, and other protective coatings, although glass is still a staple product.
Paint color trends this year include Delicate White, Admiralty, Mirror Mirror, Chalky Blue, Mesa Beige, Swirling Smoke, and Thin Ice. Its Timeless Interior One Coat Ready to Use Paint with Primer has excellent hiding capability, is stain resistant, and applies smoothly.
Shop PPG paint at:
10. Clare
Photo: clare.com
Price Range: $ to $$$
Top Products: Clare Fresh Kicks Eggshell Interior Paint ($64 at Clare) and Clare Seize the Gray ($64 at Clare)
A newcomer to the paint industry, Clare was launched in 2018 by interior designer Nicole Gibbons, who has appeared on media outlets like HGTV, The Oprah Winfrey Network, and Good Morning America. The company is a direct-to-consumer online paint supplier designed to make paint buying easier. Based in New York, Clare paints have zero VOCs and are Greenguard Gold certified.
Popular colors include Fresh Kicks, Timeless, Seize the Gray, Classic, and On Point. Clare’s Perfect Eggshell Finish Wall Paint is odor-free, durable, and dirt and mildew resistant. Clare provides peel-and-stick color swatches to help buyers pick out the perfect color. The drawback is that buyers can experience inconsistent matches with the color swatches.
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11. Farrow & Ball
Photo: farrow-ball.com
Price Range: $$$ to $$$$
Top Products: California Collection Faded Terracotta Estate Emulsion ($115 at Farrow & Ball) and California Collection Hazy Modern Emulsion ($125 at Farrow & Ball)
Named for the founding team of chemist John Farrow and engineer Richard Ball, this storied paint brand has been known for developing original paint colors from top-quality ingredients since shortly after World War II. Since that time, the company has grown quite a bit. During the 1990s, Farrow & Ball placed a lot of their attention on using historically accurate colors to restore historic properties. In 2010, the company went through a huge shift by reformulating all of its oil-based paints to more eco-friendly water-based formulas.
Today, Farrow & Ball remains committed to the original values held by the company when it was founded. However, ascribing to the company’s value and more luxurious paint products will come at a premium. Farrow & Ball’s paint can cost twice as much (or even more) than many other popular brands. Some of the trending colors include Faded Terracotta, Citrona, Tar, and Hazy.
Shop Farrow & Ball paint at:
12. Annie Sloan
Photo: anniesloan.com
Price Range: $$$ to $$$$
Top Product: Old White Chalk Paint ($46+ at Annie Sloan)
Known as one of the best chalk paint brands, Annie Sloan was imagined as a solution for restoring furniture. Frustrated with how different surfaces required different paint types and finishes, she set out to create one product that could do it all—and the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint was born. Chalk Paint is designed for use by furniture restoration experts and DIYers. It is suitable to use on all sorts of surfaces, including wood, melamine, metal, laminate, flooring, glass, or even for dying fabric.
Some of the best-selling Chalk Paint colors include Old White, Paris Grey, Athenian Black, Oxford Navy, Capri Pink, English Yellow, and Antoinette. In addition to the line of Chalk Paint, Annie Sloan now also offers wall paint and satin paint.
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How We Chose the Best Paint Brands
The selection of the best paint brands was chosen based on a number of criteria, including performance, product range, and product availability. While performing well is the most important feature determining a paint brand’s ranking as one of the best paint brands, being easily available to the paint buyer is essential, too.
We carefully curated the list of best paint brands to include those delivering paint products at various price points, a range of types of paint products, and the inclusion of specialty paints. As not every paint job requires the same type of paint, paint brands that offer paints that adhere to challenging surfaces like brick and stone are important. Plus, those that deliver low or no VOCs and other eco-friendly features ranked high among the selection of paint brands and their top product picks.
