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House painting is a time-consuming and messy business, so you'll want to choose the right paint the first time. That's where our lab results come in.
Our test covers interior, acrylic (water-based), low-sheen paint. Our experts test the paints for:
Our interactive comparison tool helps you find out which paints perform well enough to be recommended. We also note which paints claim to be low-odour and low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and which ones claim to be mould-resistant. Note that we didn't test those claims.
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List of brands we tested in this review.
Approximate price per litre for a 4L can.
enter value/s in increments of 1 between 38 and 112
The recommended paints offer a generally good balance of hiding power, scrubbing and stain resistance. However some of them don't score well for scrubbing resistance. They can still be scrubbed if need be, but won't stand up so well to it over time.
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Cost of one coat covering 10 square metres, based on the price per litre of a 4L can and the claimed spreading rate.
enter value/s in increments of 1 between 6.77 and 25.56
How well the paint covers underlying marks or patterns. Paint with a comparatively low score may need an extra coat (maybe three coats instead of two) to cover walls with a lot of marks or with a darker base colour.
enter value/s in increments of 1 between 0 and 0
How easily we can remove cordial, red wine, tomato sauce, and felt-tip pen from each paint.
How well the paint stands up to a bristle brush and abrasive cleanser (Jif Cream).
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a common paint ingredient and give paint its heady odour. They can cause headaches and other illness, so low VOC paint is worth looking for. We didn't test the claims about VOC content.
Claimed to be resistant to mould, mildew and fungus. We didn't test this claim.
