Make Painting A Breeze: Best Paint Brush

Purdy has long been considered the number one choice of painting professionals. Almost all of the brushes I mentioned having for over 20 years are Purdy brushes, and they certainly haven't compromised that quality in recent years. A Purdy brush bought today is identical to the same model bought 20 years ago.

This brush is a 2-1/2 inches wide 1/2 inches thick angled brush with flagged bristle ends. The ferrule is made of copper to prevent rusting. It comes with an overlong handle, which is nice when one needs to step back from their work to see how the light is affecting it or to look for spots that don’t have sufficient paint.

Of all the brushes in a painter’s kit, this is the one that will get used the most, warranting the purchase of the best quality brush that you can buy.

This is another innovative price from Proform. It’s not another oval sash, like the one I chose as the top pick; this one is unique because of its ergonomic handle. Let’s face it, paint brush handles haven’t changed for a couple of centuries. You live with them the way they are. Proform broke from that mold, providing a much different handle design. While it takes a little getting used to, you’ll find that the ergonomic handle makes it much easier to hold the paint brush in a natural angle for cutting. That will save you fatigue, especially on a long day of painting.

I had never even heard of Proform paint brushes a few years ago, but they have really come up with some innovative products, that have taken the market by storm. Their commitment to quality is impressive as well; with their brushes all being made of top quality materials. This brush is one of their angled oval sash brushes. It combines the benefits of an angled sash brush with those of an oval brush. That allows the brush to accept a charge of 30 percent more paint, reducing trips back to the paint bucket and saving time. The oval shape works out extremely well for a sash brush as well. It’s much easier to get the brush to lay up against an edge or corner, than it would be with a standard rectangular brush. That makes it easier for you to get a quality finish, without having to struggle. Your paint job will look better and more professional, even if you aren’t highly experienced.

Purdy is still considered by most professional painters to be the top brand in paint brushes, being trusted by more professional painters than any other options. This oval paint brush is from their top of the line XL series; the “PIP” designation is the name that Purdy applies to all their oval brushes. The bristles are a unique combination of Satin-edged Nylox and Orel Polyester for maximum paint capacity and “no-drag” application. This brush is usable with all paints, but will probably work best with water based paints. A copper ferrule to eliminate rusting finishes off this high-quality brush.

This brush is the same size as the Purdy brush I selected as number one. Wooster uses two different types of nylon bristles, mixed together; which they claim provides for maximum paint pickup and easy cleaning. It comes with a steel ferrule, instead of copper; however, the steel has been treated to prevent corrosion. Wooster brushes have an excellent reputation for quality products that provide years of trouble-free service. Typically running a shade cheaper than Purdy, Wooster is the biggest runner up for number 2 as an overall company.

Another Purdy brush; there's no denying that they are the best of the best. The major difference between this brush and the Picasso Oval Angle Sash Brush is in the bristles; they are both longer, and a different material mix. This brush is designed for use with oil based paints, especially oil based enamels, which are of a thinner viscosity than other paints. The longer bristles work especially well with these thinner paints. The stainless steel ferrule is impervious to rusting.

Wooster produces a high quality, paint brush. Next to Purdy, they produce the best paint brushes on the market. The Alpha line is their top of the top line of brushes. This brush is designed for use with all types of paints. With the oval design and its filament mix it will carry them well to your substrate. The ferrule is stainless steel to prevent rusting; something not normally seen on paint brushes.

Purdy ranks as, hands down, the professional painter’s brush of choice. This 2-1/2” angled brush is perfect for painting interior trim and wrought iron fences, two of the most common uses of oil based paints. The white china bristle is very consistent, straight, and easy to clean. I like Purdy’s Dale style of brushes because of the longer handle. The handle gives me a few more inches of reach for those hard-to-get-at spots.

Wooster is normally considered the #2 manufacturer of high-quality paint brushes, chasing hard after Purdy for that top spot. They haven’t put as much into their natural bristle line as they have in their synthetic line, but they still produce some quality china bristle brushes. This 2” angled sash brush comes with a short handle for reaching into tight places. I usually use a 2-1/2" angled sash for trim, but the 2" size is better for wrought iron. I don’t know how many times I’ve wished for a paint brush like this, especially when painting wrought iron.

I chose something a little different for my last pick. While this brush is definitely a high enough quality to be the top one, I’ve put it down here, because it is an unusual brush for slightly more unusual purposes. As far as I know, Purdy is the only company still producing Ox Hair brushes. These brushes are the softest bristle brush you can buy for a no-art brush. The Ox Hair bristles are ideal for applying clear and enamel finishes to furniture without leaving streaks in the finish. But be ready, these are expensive brushes. They’re also thinner than other brushes, which helps add to the flexibility necessary for applying that very smooth coat on turned, fluted, and carved parts of the furniture.

I like buying disposable brushes in quantity, as it ends up being cheaper that way. This package, from Wooster Brush, gives you 24 disposable brushes; enough to last for a while. While this particular package is for 1-1/2-inch brushes, they have the same thing for 2-inch, 2-1/2-inch and 3-inch. Wooster is one of the largest manufacturers of paint brushes, taking a close second after Purdy for providing top-quality brushes. These are white china bristle, so they are compatible with all paints. They are stiffer than many of the synthetic brushes, so they can also be used for glue and other higher viscosity materials.

There are several manufacturers who make foam brushes, but Jen is the original. These are great when you need a smooth finish, such as applying stain or varnish. The foam brush head has a cardboard insert to help it maintain shape as well as being glued to the handle; so these brushes don’t fall apart easily. Actually, the foam will usually tear before the brush will fall apart. That’s much different than other foam brushes with plastic handles. Typically, those aren’t glued and the foam will work its way off the plastic handle. If I am going to use a foam brush, this is the one I pick.

Like the Wooster brushes, these are china bristle, so they are compatible with all paint products. I especially like white bristle over black for use with stains and varnish. It’s hard to see those materials on black china bristle, but they show up clearly on the white. This package comes with an assortment of sizes; 12 each of 1-inch, 1-1/2-inch and 2-inch. With that sort of selection, you’ll have the brush size you need for a variety of different projects and crafts.

This is the king of all disposable brush sets… at least as far as size goes. There are 50 brushes in this kit, divided between 1/2-inch, 1-inch, 1-1/2-inch and 2-inch. That provides an excellent variety for a lot of different small jobs. The bristles are synthetic, rather than white china bristle, so they are a bit stiffer and thicker. That means that they won’t give as smooth a finish as the china bristle will. Nor are they very good for use with oil-based paints. However, they are a bit stiffer as well, which makes them excellent for glue and other brush applications.

Sometimes, we look for a disposable paint brush, when what we really need is a glue brush. Glue brushes aren’t designed for creating a smooth finish, but rather for getting the glue from the container onto the surface that needs to be glued. These are made with horsehair bristles, so they will function more like an artists’ paint brush. The handle is aluminum, because these are often used with chemicals as well. Some refer to them as “acid brushes” because they are used for that purpose. If you need the bristles to be stiffer, just cut them off short with a pair of scissors.

This brush from Purdy may not be four inches wide, but it’s a full 1-1/4-inch thick at the middle. That’s because it is an oval brush. All those bristles will carry a lot of paint from the bucket to the wall, making it easier to use, rather than a straight conventional brush. This brush is ideal for both enamel and standard latex paints. The ferrule is made of brushed copper for longer life. The natural hardwood handle resists solvents and other chemicals without splitting or damage. Being a Purdy, you can count on it being top quality all the way through.

Although a newer contender in the market, Proform makes some incredible brushes. This 3-1/2-inch brush is also an oval brush, giving it the same paint carrying capacity as the Purdy. The ferrule is stainless steel, so you don’t have to worry about rusting. Proform brushes are potted in a unique method that makes the bristles inseparable from the handle. Proform makes more models of oval brushes than anyone else in the market.

Shur-Line makes a unique line of paintbrushes, which have Teflon coated bristles. This increases productivity by increasing paint transfer from the brush to the substrate. Then, when it’s time to clean up, the Teflon coating makes cleaning the brush quick and easy. Flagged tips provide for precision accuracy when cutting. This isn’t an oval brush, but it is 4 inches wide. So, while it won’t carry as much paint as the oval ones will, it will still do a respectable job.

This brush from Wooster isn’t an oval brush, but it’s a full 7/8-inch thick, giving it a great paint reservoir for a straight brush. It’s also four inches wide, like the Shur-Line. The purple nylon and sable polyester blend are excellent for cutting control. The handle is maple for long life. This brush is ideal for all medium-bodied paints, such as latex and acrylics.

If you’re painting with oil-based paints as your wall paint, you’re going to be better off with a brush that’s natural bristle, rather than a synthetic one. This 4-inch brush from Purdy is one of their many brushes that would be appropriate for use with oil-based paints or even varnish for covering wood paneling. The long bristles are firmly captured by the stainless steel ferrule, and attached to the hardwood handle. Like all Purdy brushes, this is a top quality tool.

Purdy is still considered by most professional painters to be the top brand in paint brushes, being trusted by more professional painters than any other options. This oval paint brush is from their top of the line XL series; the “PIP” designation is the name that Purdy applies to all their oval brushes. The bristles are a unique combination of Satin-edged Nylox and Orel Polyester for maximum paint capacity and “no-drag” application. This brush is usable with all paints, but will probably work best with water based paints. A copper ferrule to eliminate rusting finishes off this high-quality brush.

While Purdy is often referred to as the number one company by paint professionals, Wooster has been giving them a good run for their money for many years. This 3” rectangular, straight brush has a stainless steel ferrule, attaching the bristles to a sealed ample wood handle. The bristles are a synthetic blend (they don’t say what type of blend) which they claim works well for all paint types. The bristles are “micro-tipped” for smooth finish application. This brush is 7/8” thick, so even though it’s not an oval, it still holds a sizeable paint charge.

Proform probably has created the widest variety of oval paint brushes of anyone on the market. While their true innovation is in creating angled oval brushes, they also have straight cut oval paint brushes as well. This 70/30 blend brush is designed for using with all types of paints, but I think it will work best with latex and acrylics. I've selected the 3-inch brush here, but it comes in sizes ranging from 2 to 3.5 inches. Like the angled brushes, they've put quality into every detail of this brush, especially the attachment of the bristles to the handle.

Shur-Line makes a unique line of paintbrushes, which have Teflon coated bristles. This increases productivity by increasing paint transfer from the brush to the substrate. Then, when it’s time to clean up, the Teflon coating makes cleaning the brush quick and easy. Flagged tips provide for precision accuracy when cutting. This isn’t an oval brush, but it is 4 inches wide. So, while it won’t carry as much paint as the oval ones will, it will still do a respectable job.

Purdy’s XL Elite line of brushes is actually a higher line than the XL line that my number one pick comes from. However, this line of brushes doesn’t include any oval brushes, hence the XL taking that number one spot. However, these are excellent brushes, designed to provide a superior finish without brush strokes. This particular brush is 5/8” thick, so it’s not as thick as the Wooster that I mentioned. The ferrule is stainless steel, so you don’t have to worry about it rusting.