Interior paint reviews

Our test covers interior, acrylic (water-based), low-sheen paint. Our experts test the paints for:

• Hiding power, or the ability of the paint to cover up underlying marks on the wall
• Stain resistance, for a range of common household stains
• Scrubbing resistance, to see how the paint stands up to tough cleaning
• Washing resistance, or how the paint stands up to simple washing with soap and water (all the paints pass this test so we don’t factor it into the scores).

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.