Household goods
PC and cameras
Home appliances and electronics
Cosmetics and skincare
Health
Food and drinks
Kitchen supplies
Clothing
Shoes
Accessories
Kids and baby
Interior and furniture
Hobbies
Outdoor
DIY and tools
Sports and fitness
Pets
Books, CDs, DVDs
Games
Cars and motorcycles
Gifts
Housing equipment and renovation
Travel
Smartphones and mobile phones
Music
Smartphone applications
If you fancy yourself as a bit of a DIY expert, or even just handy around the house, then you’ll know having the right tools for the job is essential. While a good old paintbrush has never let anybody down, it isn’t exactly the most efficient, so you might want to consider a paint sprayer for larger jobs.
Not only are they faster and easier to use, but sprayers will create a more even coat, resulting in a better finish. But which is the best paint sprayer to buy? To help you out, we’ve included a straightforward guide to airless and HVLP sprayers, along with our ranking of the top 10 in the UK from Black+Decker, Wagner, Bosch and more!
A recommendation service that carefully researches each product and consults with experts across many disciplines. We are constantly creating new content to provide the best shopping experience from choosing ‘cosmetics’ to ‘food and drink’, ‘home appliances’ to ‘kids and baby’ products, reaching users all across the United Kingdom.
Table of Contents
Before diving straight into the top 10, let’s take a quick look at the various options available to us when purchasing a spray painter. Here, we’ll look at the different models, how they’re powered, nozzle options and how much paint you can expect them to hold.
First and foremost, you'll need to decide what sort of paint sprayer you should opt for. You will generally have two options to choose from – airless sprayers or HVLP. Now, there are pneumatic sprayers as well, but as these will require you to own an air compressor, we won't be including them this time.
Airless paint sprayers pump out paint at extremely high pressure, fanning droplets to create a perfectly even coat. They’re good for painting exterior surfaces, such as fences and decks, as well as interiors like ceilings and walls. They can also handle thicker paint better than HVLP sprayers. However, they tend to be more expensive and might be a bit too professional for casual DIY.
The most common household spray painter is the HVLP (high volume, low pressure). These carry paint in a steady, large volume of air, and although it travels slightly slower, this facilitates a smoother paint surface. Unfortunately, they don’t handle all types of paint as well as airless sprayers, so you’ll still have to lacquer or varnish by hand.
While they look like complete units, the truth is, your paint sprayers won't get very far without some power. More often than not, they'll need to be plugged into the mains. So, you’ll need to consider the length of the cord if you’re planning on painting outside and whether you'll need a plug extension.
Cordless paint sprayers aren't as common, but can be found online. These have rechargeable batteries, much like how other modern power tools work. That said, they could run out of battery at any moment, leaving your work unfinished. So the main thing to check when purchasing a cordless option is the charging time and battery life.
The nozzle directly affects the thickness of the paint and the spray pattern. Generally, most paint sprayers will have at least two different nozzle settings, which can be very useful depending on what you're painting. For instance, if you’re painting interior walls, thinner paint is preferable due to the faster drying time.
Some paint sprayers come with up to 3 different nozzles. So, it’s worth thinking about whether additional nozzles will be beneficial to you or not. If you’re buying for a particular job, then you may not need many options, whereas those adding to their arsenal of painting and decorating tools may require it for various jobs over the years.
Finally, you’ll want to think about the amount of paint the sprayer can hold. Without sounding too obvious, the more, the merrier, as this will save you from constantly needing to refill the tank, which should speed up the process of painting.
Generally speaking, HVLP sprayers have a capacity between 800 ml to 1.2 L, which is more than enough to see you through a few fence panels or interior walls. However, when it comes to airless options, these can hold as much as 3 litres, potentially allowing you to work all day. The downside to a large tank is they’re not nearly as portable, so there will be a trade-off.
Bosch is a household name in the UK, having achieved this recognitions thanks to their high-quality and reliable consumer goods. Hence, why their spray painter takes our top spot! It can be used for wall paint, enamel or varnish, on both wood and metal too, with a powerful 650 W that applies paint at two m² per minute.
Not only that, but they provide a shoulder strap to help you keep it steady whilst you work. Add to that a decent 1 litre tank capacity and a relatively competitive price, and you have a quality piece of equipment that will be more than ready to get the job done.
This sprayer may have missed out on the number one position, but it really is the creme de la creme of paint sprayers. We particularly like that this user-friendly piece of kit can be appreciated by confident DIYers and beginners alike.
While it might look a little fiddly, it's super easy to set up. Once up and running, it's an incredibly powerful sprayer, capable of covering 15 metres in two minutes, making it ideal for large scale renovations. It's expensive, but can you really put a price on time?
Here, we have another Wagner paint sprayer, this time it's their corded HVLP. This particular sprayer runs on 630 W of power, allowing it to paint evenly with perfect coverage, ensuring a high-quality surface finish.
Besides doing a top-notch job, this particular sprayer works well with a range of paints including wall paint, lacquers and glazes. It also comes with a practical carry case and additional attachments for paints and varnishes.
Achieve a flawless finish with little force, thanks to this electric paint sprayer from VonHaus. This sprayer offers 400 W of power, which might not be enough for those looking to paint on a commercial scale, but should be more than enough for occasional DIY jobs.
Just because it's designed for at-home use, doesn't mean it's lacking in nifty features. As a matter of fact, it has three decent nozzle options and works well with many different styles of paints. The capacity is a bit low, but for the price, it's hard to complain!
One of the standout features of this paint sprayer is that it comes with three different spray patterns - horizontal, vertical and diagonal. This makes multi-directional painting that much easier. It also provides two air caps, letting you switch between thinner or thicker coats.
Another thing we like about this particular sprayer, is the balance between paint capacity and weight. Despite the larger 1.1 litre capacity, the weight remains low enough to use comfortably for prolonged periods of time.
Wagner's ControlPro 250 works with both water- and solvent-based paints, such as emulsion and latex paints. However, you can also use it with varnishes, enamels, wood preservatives, stains and much more.
Additionally, it offers two different spraying speeds, the most user-friendly being a softer spray, which allows for maximum control and 55% less overspray for less mess! It's big, clunky and pricey, but if you've got a lot of work to get through, either professionally or domestically, it's a reliable choice.
If you're looking to buy a paint sprayer on a budget, then this bad boy from Terratek would be our recommendation. The device has three different spray patterns (nozzle options), is straightforward to use and works with a variety of paints and varnishes.
According to the company, it can paint a wall up to eight times quicker than if you were to attempt it manually, which means you'll have your home popping in no time! However, some beginners have found the sprayer difficult to use, particularly as there is no shoulder strap.
Black+Decker are one of the most trusted names in home DIY, so it's only right that they would make an appearance in our ranking. Here, we have their HVLP spray painter boasting a respectable 400 W of power (connected via the mains) and a decent 1.2 L paint capacity. Interestingly, the tank is filled from the side, making it easier to use.
The sprayer also includes a paint flow indicator. This feature displays the paint settings, ensuring that you gets a uniform finish. Sadly, it is known for being quite a kerfuffle to set up, which can be a little frustrating.
This offering from Graco is one of the highest-rated paint sprayers on the market. It makes short work of achieving professional finishes on a range of different surfaces, is very powerful and works fast, ensuring excellent results in no time at all.
However, there are a few points worth mentioning. Firstly, the incredibly high cost, which might be okay if you're buying it for a business, but for casual DIY-ers, it's probably a little too much. Secondly, even at this price point, it only works well with thinner paints.
Getting the ranking underway is the MYPS700 PRO-Spray from Mylek. This high-quality, 700 W sprayer comes with excellent specs, including a three-way spray head for extra-fine atomisation. This creates a uniform paint coverage, even when only painting a single coat.
Furthermore, you get two separate paint tanks of varying capacities, and a nifty shoulder strap to help carry the weight. However, it is incredibly loud, which could be a problem for the rest of the family or your neighbours.
A fresh lick of paint goes a long way towards making a house a home you can be proud of. Whether you're doing some DIY home renovation, or finally painting the garden fence, we've found some of the best paints for both inside and outdoor jobs. Oh, and some masking tape for nice, clean edges!
Choosing a paint sprayer doesn't have to be difficult! Just keep our buying guide in mind and you'll soon be on your way. Here's to speeding up the DIY work, so you can spend less time doing it and more time enjoying the fruits of your labour.
Author: Lewis Clark
When you purchase products mentioned in the article, part of the sales may be returned to mybest.
The descriptions of each product is referenced from the content available from the manufacturer, e-commerce sites etc.
Household goods
PC and cameras
Home appliances and electronics
Cosmetics and skincare
Health
Food and drinks
Kitchen supplies
Clothing
Shoes
Accessories
Kids and baby
Interior and furniture
Hobbies
Outdoor
DIY and tools
Sports and fitness
Pets
Books, CDs, DVDs
Games
Cars and motorcycles
Gifts
Housing equipment and renovation
Travel
Smartphones and mobile phones
Music
Smartphone applications