Selecting a paintbrush may seem like a mindless task, but a good paintbrush can make all the difference in your painting experience and finish. Here at Bestcovery, we put together a list of the best paintbrushes in 2022 to help with your decision process (and help you get the right finish on whatever you're painting the first time).
With so many types of paint brushes on the market, it can be a little daunting trying to decide what you need for the paint job you’re about to start. What brush size do you need? What brush material do you need? Is it really worth paying all that extra money for a high-priced brush, or is it just a gimmick to get you to pay more? These are all good questions requiring good answers in order to get the best possible paintjob. I’m going to give you a short course on paint brushes, so we can try and answer all those questions.
Nylon and nylon mix brushes are probably the most commonly used paint brushes today. While it’s possible to use them for any type of paint product, they work best with latex and acrylic-latex paints which are all water-based. Originally, these brushes were made with round ends, but more advanced designs have “flagged ends” which have been roughened or split. This enables them to hold more paint. There are many variations on nylon brushes today, mixing other fibers in with the nylon.
This is sometimes referred to as “natural fiber” because the fibers come from animals. They are available in both white and black fiber. These brushes are best used for oil-based paints and primers. Stains and varnishes, which are also oil-based, work well with these brushes too. I like a white bristle brush for stains and varnishes, because it is easier to see if all the stain or varnish has been cleaned out of the brush.
Although polyester is mixed with nylon in some high quality brushes, it doesn’t work well on its own. Typically, you only find pure polyester in cheaper brushes. The fibers tend to be larger and not flagged, so they don’t hold as much paint. I only use polyester brushes when I need a disposable brush such as with caustic chemicals or in a case where the substrate will damage the brush. One such case would be when painting wicker furniture; to effectively get in all the low spots of the weave, one needs to stab at the piece of furniture with the brush, an action which tends to bend the bristles.
This is the least common brush material, and the hardest to find. Ox-hair is used only where fine finishing is needed such as in the case of furniture. The soft bristles do better than any other material to avoid a “streaking” effect in varnishes.
If you’re using oil-based paint products, use China Bristle and nylon or a nylon mix for water-based paint products. If you want to know which Nylon mixes are considered the best, check out the manufacturer’s web site, or compare the prices of the same sized brush form the same manufacturer.
These brushes are designed for making cut-in easier. Essentially, the angle on the brush allows you to naturally hold the brush so it easily and naturally flows alongside the trim or other surface you’re to cut into. Angled brushes are used primarily indoors, where cutting into baseboard, window and door frames must be done exactly.
This is the original and still most common brush shape. Rectangular brushes are predominantly used in places where one needs to cover an area where a roller would be inappropriate, without accurate cutting. A common example of this would be painting exterior trim and fascia board. It could also be used quite effectively to paint interior corners; an area where rollers won’t reach but not needing the finesse of using an angled brush.
Oval brushes are a newer design, intended for use anywhere a rectangular brush might be used. Since the oval shape is thicker than a standard rectangle, it will hold more paint. I’ve also found it easier to cut trim with an oval brush.
If you’re cutting inside, your best bet is to use an angled brush. If you’re working outside, an oval brush will most likely give you the best results.
The size of a brush you need is determined by what you’re working on. The larger the brush, the more paint it holds and thus less time spent dipping your brush in the paint bucket. However, you don’t want your brush to be so big it you’re painting outside the lines. Pick a brush that will fit comfortably in the area you’re painting.
The most common brush sizes used are:
2-1/2” angled brush for interior cutting and trim
3” rectangle or oval brush for exterior cutting and trim; wider brushes get heavy real quick
1” angled brush for window mullions which are the narrow strips separating individual pieces of glass in a larger window)
Brushes come in all sorts of “grades” from the el-cheapo disposable brushes to quality brushes a professional will rely upon for years. The following are some key characteristics to look for in a quality paintbrush.
You’ll never see a good brush with a plastic handle, and rarely see a cheap brush with a wood handle, unless it is a simple cutout out of cheap wood.
Brushes of lesser quality are thinner than quality options. For example, a high-quality 2-1/2” angled sash brush will be 1/2” thick; a lower quality will be only 3/8” thick.
Lesser expensive brushes typically have short bristles as compared with high-quality brushes. Shorter bristles mean that you are much more likely to get paint into the ferrule (the metal part) and ruin the brush. Cheaper brushes usually have thicker bristles, which are easier to make but hold less paint.
This only works on nylon brushes, because natural fiber brushes are naturally flagged. However, any synthetic brush that doesn’t have flagged bristles isn’t worth much.
The bristles of high-quality brushes should naturally lay flat and straight, even after ruffling them with your hand.
Lesser quality brushes will have a narrower ferrule. Wider ferrules hold the bristles more securely.
While this may seem like a minor consideration, it’s fairly important. High quality brushes come in a foldable cardboard sleeve with either a Velcro or cord closure, never in a plastic bag. The sleeve acts to protect the brush when not in use and it also shapes the bristles after cleaning.
For your brushes to last a long time, they’ll need to be cleaned thoroughly every time they’re used. Afterwards, they must be stored in such a way as to keep the bristles straight, so that they dry with the brush in the right shape for the next use.
To start with, make sure you’re using the right compound to wash your brush. Since most paint today is water-based, water is therefore suitable to clean the brush. However, if you’re using oil-based paint, stain, or varnish, you’ll need mineral spirits to effectively clean the brush. Lacquer and other exotic finishes all require special cleaning products to properly clean the brush.
Before using any water or solvent, remove as much paint from the brush by wiping it on the edge of the paint can and brushing it over a scrap piece of wood or newspaper. The more paint you’re able to remove in this manner, the easier it will be to clean it.
Submerse the bristles into water or solvent, without submersing the ferrule. Hold the brush with one hand and work the bristles with the other, cleaning the paint out of them. Replace the water or solvent as it becomes clouded, so you can see what you are doing. You’ll probably need to change the solvent a number of times, unless you are working under running water.
It is even more important to clean the inside of the brush, than to clean the outside. Spread the bristles apart to work the solvent into the inside of the brush, taking care not to bend the bristles to the point of kinking them. Use a brush comb or wire brush to help get the paint out of the area between the bristles. If necessary, use a wire brush to clean dried paint off of the outermost layer of bristles.
When the brush is clean, it will no longer cause the water of solvent to change color as you work the bristles. Remove excess solvent or water by flinging your arm, while holding the brush. Comb the bristles straight with a brush comb and wrap the brush in its original packaging or with newspapers to hold the bristles in position while they dry.