The Best Paint Brands In The UK

What To Look For When Buying Paint

There are a number of considerations when buying paint, that include the coverage, the colour, the durability & the price. These are all things that trade paint, especially with interior paints, are superior for. But what is trade paint? The largest paint manufacturer's such as Dulux & Crown have both retail & trade version of their popular paints, which are designed to meet the needs differing needs of professional decorators & the average DIY'er. The general rule across the board is that trade paint is more expensive, but offers higher quality. This is because a decorator needs a paint that will offer a professional finish in as little number of coats as possible due to labour costs. The time saved, the higher quality finish & the added durability of trade paint makes it a much better value proposition than retail paint, that over the years has significantly reduced in quality. That is why when it comes to interior paints, we highly recommend a trade paint. You may be wondering why we did not include colour as a main factor in choosing what paint brand to go for, seeing as that is a hugely important part of the decorating process.

Our team of experts have put together their list of the best paint brands in the UK in two categories, interior paint brands & exterior paint brands.

The Best Interior Paint Brands

When considering what paint brand to use on interior surfaces, range of products, coverage & durability are all key considerations. What does not need to be a big consideration is what colour each paint brand offers, as all of the leading brands are available to be mixed in any colour you choose, including Anthracite Grey, Coral Red & Moss Green. This means that all you have to worry about is the finish you are looking for and the brand you would like! If you have a colour in mind then you are in luck, as all of the paints on this list are examples of colour match paint, which allows them to be mixed in any shade you want, including designer shades.

1. Crown

Crown have an excellent range of products for interior use, that are very popular with decorators & DIY'ers alike. The Crown Trade range consists of matt, eggshell, satin & gloss finishes, as well as a number of specialist products such as Crown Trade Timonox Vinyl Matt & Crown Trade Clean Extreme Scrubbable Matt. Clean Extreme in particular is one of the most popular highly durable matt finishes for interior walls & ceilings as it can be scrubbed without affecting the finish of the product, making it ideal for use in high traffic areas, kitchens or bathrooms, where it will be necessary to wipe down the wall.

Crown products sit somewhere in the middle of the price range, which means it offers excellent value for money in the market.

2. Tikkurila

A favourite of many professional decorators, Tikkurila offer premium quality paints & primers for a range of uses. They are fast becoming one of the most popular brands in the UK today due to this quality, with their paints offering high-quality finishes that can't be matched. Some of their most popular products are Tikkurila Anti Reflex White 2, which creates a perfectly uniform finish with no roller marks, Tikkurila Helmi, which is an acrylic paint for interior wood & furniture and Tikkurila Joker which is an allergy-friendly eulsion with zero latex or VOC's.

3. Dulux

Next in our list is, the most well-known paint brand in the UK bar none, Dulux. You may have been expecting it to be number one on our list, especially down to the fact that Dulux has had consistently good quality products over the years. Furthermore, as such an established brand, Dulux offers a fantastic range of products and has an excellent customer services support network to help you if things go wrong. The only reason Dulux is not higher in our list is that it is the most expensive major manufacturer of paint, however that is because you are paying for a long-standing, reputable brand!

No matter what you are looking for, if you are willing to spend slightly more than you would with another brand, Dulux has a product for you.

4. Armstead

If you are more price-conscious then Armstead is a great option to go for. Their vinyl matt emulsion is the cheapest on the market, although you certainly would not know it when you use it. Armstead is in fact made by the same manufacturers as Dulux, offering a smaller range of products that provide excellent value for money. Another excellent option for an interior emulsion from Armstead is the oil-based Armstead Eggshell that is perfect for high-traffic rooms such as bathrooms and kitchens that require added durability.

5. Macpherson

Macpherson are another great value for money paint brand that while it does not have the largest range of products always gets the job done to a great standard. Do not be put off by their straight-forward and to the point branding, Macpherson is a long-standing and highly respected brand that are the paint brand of choice for many decorators!

Notable Exceptions

You may have noticed that we haven't included any of the very popular luxury paint brands. While these brands have excellent paint colour ranges, they do not offer the quality that their price tag would suggest, which is why we would highly recommend avoiding them and using a paint mixing service to find an equivalent shade in a much better value for money paint brand.

The Best Exterior Paint Brands

When considering what paint brand to use on exterior surfaces, it is important to consider what surface you are treating and the longevity of the product you are using. Many of the major brands produce exterior paints, while their are a number of exterior specific brands that offers products for a particular surface.

1. Dulux

As with interior paint, Dulux has a fantastic range of exterior products for almost any surface, including wood, UPVC & exterior masonry walls. This includes the Dulux Weathershield range, which is available in both a retail & trade version. Again, the Dulux Trade range is slightly more expensive then equivalent products, but their range is extensive and readily available.

2. Emperor Paint

A lesser known brand to other exterior paint brands, Emperor Paint develop just two products; a waterproof masonry paint & a masonry cream. What makes Emperor Paint unique is that they have developed the most advanced super hydrophobic technology available in the UK that creates a water repellent surface on exterior walls. This not only prevents water from soaking into the wall, but it also creates a self-cleaning surface that will not peel or flake for a minimum of 25 years, although they are so confident it will exceed this they offer a lifetime guarantee on all products. Crucially, breathability is completely maintained, which is what makes Emperor Paint unique compared to 'sealer' products.

The masonry paint is available in 12 popular standard colours, inluding white, off-white & light grey. Overall, Emperor Masonry Paint is by far the highest quality and best performing masonry paint available.

3. Zinsser

A brand that is not always associated with paint is Zinsser, who develop a range of high quality decorating treatments & primers for interior & exterior surfaces. However, Zinsser offer an exterior paint that is fast becoming one of the most popular paints in the UK called Zinsser AllCoat. This can be applied to almost any exterior surface, can be tinted in almost any colour and is available in matt, gloss & satin finishes, making it one of the most versatile paints going. Another big benefit of AllCoat is that it has excellent 10 year durability, meaning you will not have to repaint every year, which is the case with cheaper, lower-quality products.

4. Sadolin

When it comes to exterior wood paints & treatments, Sadolin cannot be beaten. The Sadolin range contains a wide range of interior & exterior wood treatments for any application, including wood varnish, woodstains & wood paint.

One of Sadolin's most popular paints is Sadolin Superdec, which offers 10-year durable protection & can be mixed in any colour, meaning you can completely transform your garden!

5. Sandtex

Sandtex is one of the number-one brands for exterior masonry paint. Their product range includes the popular Sandtex Trade High Cover Smooth Masonry, which is an excellent masonry paint that is cheaper than others on the market. This makes it ideal for those smaller DIY projects, such as a garden wall or stone planters, that do not require as much weather protection as exterior walls of a property. Overall, Sandtex is a reliable, trustworthy exterior paint brand that is a great option!

In Summary

In conclusion, there are a larger number of high-quality trade paint brands that all offer varying product ranges, however they all crucially offer good value for money. We would recommend whatever paint brand you opt for, you do some research into the technology they put into the paint, and research what professional decorators make of the brand. The chances are that if professional decorators will not use a paint brand, there is a very good reason for it!

We hope this has answered any questions you may have had regarding the best paint brands currently available in the UK today. If you require any more help, just send an email to hello@paintersworld.co.uk and our expert team will be on hand to give you any advice you require. At Painters World we have a wide range of paints available, so no matter the job, we've got the right tools for you. Have a shade in mind? We also have a full range of colour match paint that we can mix to any shade you like. Simply type in the name of the colour & we will mix it in an equivalent shade just for you.