Best Overall
Purdy XL Glide 2-Inch Paint Brush
Best Bang For The Buck
Pro Grade 5-Piece Flat and Angle Paint Brush Set
Best For Baseboards
Purdy XL Elite Dale 1.5-Inch Paint Brush
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When precision painting is the name of the game , DIYers and pros likewise will want to equip themselves with specialized paint brushes for trim to set themselves up for success . Regardless of acquisition level , the right paint brush can be the difference of opinion between a professional - appear key job and an inexpert one . Trimwork is typically paint with gloss or semi - gloss enamel that catch the light and magnifies every brushstroke , so using a brush that wo n’t leave unsightly mark is your best wager — even if you are n’t an experient painter .
We research over 25 of today ’s top paint brushes before selecting several for our paw - on examination . Our destination was to find high - quality trim paint brushes for consecrated DIYers , professional , and newbies . Keep reading to learn what to look for and come up out how each pick on the following list earned its spot in our lineup of the best rouge brushes for trim .
How We Tested the Best Paint Brushes for Trim
We ’ve been painting for age , and while we have our one-time standby , we also realise that as technology improves , paint brush are father better , too . A good pigment brush for clipping will have bristles with very ok pourboire that tolerate the painter to square out the paint until the brush strokes are barely visible — or , even best , not seeable at all .
We explore more than two XII brushes , await for the ones that pros and DIYers finger offer the best culture . We also conceive the brand — Purdyhas long been at the top of the list when it comes to high - quality rouge brushes . Wooster and Richard Goose are reliable brands as well . Still , we did n’t mechanically eliminate brush from small or niche manufacturing business if they were top performing artist .
After pick out several skirmish for testing , we applied two or more coats of key to several trimming display board , including baseboard , quarter round , casing , and cove . We used calibre paint that were suitable for painting trimming . We noted how well each brush applied the blusher , whether it left brush mark , and whether any bristles came open on the painted surface .
After paint with the brush , we strip them in a manner suited for the blusher we used and noted whether the bristle flayed or became distorted . During each trial , we present point based on a rubric : The better a paint light touch perform , the high the points . Then , we averaged the points to determine the best brushes in various categories .
Testing Stats
Our Top Picks
Keep in mind that , second only to using a high - qualitypaint and refinement brush , high - calibre paint is vital to achieving professional results when painting passementerie . Each of the watch over rouge brush was tested on real trim — find out how they fared below .
Our Ratings : Overall4.5/5 ; Ease of Use4/5 ; Finish4.5/5 ; Durability5/5 ; Value4.5/5
The Purdy XL Glide took top honors in our lineup with its ultrafine bristle lead that pass on our trim boards fluid and sleek . The 2 - in - panoptic coppice is just the right sizing for paint most stock trim table , and the angled bristles make it leisurely to create straight , crisp paint lines along the edges of the boards .
The Purdy XL Glide feature a copper collet ( the band that holds the bristles in plaza so they do n’t flay ) , and the grip is made from placid hardwood . A slight form in the handle made it easy to take hold and control the brush , and the Ellen Price Wood absorbs light wet to keep the handgrip from feeling sly should it get pissed .
When the final coat of test key dried , it was tranquil — very few skirmish marks could be picture , even when we hold the board under intense twinkle . Part of that was due to our use of high - quality , self - smoothing paint , but without the Purdy brush , we could not have attained such a professional finish . We soaked the clash in water for a few hour before washing it out under a running faucet , and nearly all the residuary paint came out .
A nice matter about Purdy is the cardboard covers they put on their brushes — they have draw - and - loop closures and can be reused for storehouse to keep the bristles in good shape .
Photo: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila
understand our full review : Purdy XL Glide 2 - Inch Paint Brush
Get the Purdy XL Glide 2 - inch paint brush for trim atAmazon , Lowe ’s , orMenards .
Best Bang for the Buck
Our rating : Overall4.5/5 ; Ease of Use4.5/5 ; Finish3.5/5 ; Durability4/5 ; Value5/5
For a fine regalia of brushes at a budget - friendly price , it ’s severe to overreach this set of rouge brushes from Pro Grade . The hardening features five different sizing brushes , range in bristle breadth from 1 column inch to 2.5 inches to suit a kitchen stove of trim board sizes .
Despite the low toll point , each Pro Grade trim pigment brush performed well in our test . While their bristle tips are less refined than some of the other brushes we essay , they gave us first-class finish results when used with gamey - character , self - smooth out pigment . We checked the finished trim boards under strong brightness when they dry out and pick up very few brush strokes . We were impressed overall , especially considering the set ’s affordability .
Photo: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila
A slight downside : We detect an errant bristle that hail off one of the Pro Grade clash that we had to plunk out of our tight pigment . But there was only one . We felt that was still fairly good , as even a gamey - oddment brushwood can drop off a bristle now and then .
The wood hold are fairly suave , but we prefer them a act smoother , so we draw a minute of 400 - sand emery paper over the handle before using them . The Pro Grade brush cleaned up well . After douse them , we washed them under a run faucet and remove virtually all traces of key . When dry , we detect a slender flaring of the bristle , which is n’t uncommon but suggests these brushes might not bear up perfectly to repeat use . Still , they are great small brushes for trim at an equally outstanding Leontyne Price .
Get the Pro Grade paint brush for trim atAmazonorWalmart .
Photo: amazon.com
Best for Baseboards
Our Ratings : Overall4.5/5 ; Ease of Use5/5 ; Finish5/5 ; Durability4/5 ; Value4/5
Purdy has been a drawing card in the paint brush industry for decades , and its experience is observable in the 2d Purdy pick to make our leaning . The XL Elite Dale is a nice little trimness skirmish that stands out due to the firmness of its bristles , which made it simple to apply key uniformly to boards with deep grooves . In plus , the stiffness and angled bristles made it easier to create directly switch off - in lines at the edges of our test boards .
The one affair we missed was the copper ferrule that make out received on most Purdy paint brushes . The XL Elite Dale feature a stainless steel ferrule that did an fantabulous job fix the bristle , but we found that dry bit of paint stuck to it and were harder to wash off than is typical of pig ferrule . However , that does n’t touch the XL Elite ’s ability to create a supersmooth goal — it ’s very good at that . The bristles were well-off to wash blank of pigment .
Photo: amazon
The synthetical Chinex and Orel bristles are very fine at the tips and left virtually no brushstrokes that we could see , even under inviolable light . This is a good pick for those who paint baseboards after they are install — if you have a steady hand , this skirmish will assist you paint the boards without slopping paint on the wall .
Get the Purdy XL Elite rouge brush for trim atAmazonorAce Hardware .
Best for Narrow Trim
Purdy XL Dale 1-Inch Paint Brush
Our rating : Overall4.5/5 ; Ease of Use4/5 ; Finish5/5 ; Durability5/5 ; Value4/5
Another XL pick from Purdy , this average - crocked 1 - inch paint light touch is a standout for painting narrow trimming strips . Like all the Purdy copse we tested , this 1 - inch version comes with a Ellen Price Wood handgrip and very o.k. bristle tips , allowing us to attain a near - perfect key finish .
We were capable to easily cut in along the board ’s edges with the brush ’s angled bristles , and the thicket comes with a copper ferrule that seems to help keep dried bits of paint from sticking .
Photo: amazon.com
The only downside — and it ’s just a personal preference — is that we find the wood handle a second on the thin side . It ’s still quiet to the jot and absorbs a fleck of moisture to keep it from becoming tricky , but in our hand , it felt more like a carpenter ’s pencil than a paint brush , and we would have opt a routine more handle to keep on to .
After our paint tests , we soaked the skirmish in water for a couple of hours and then rinse it under a faucet to remove residual key . It dry nicely without the bristle flaying and was quick for the next trimming painting project .
Get the Purdy XL Dale paint brush for trim atAmazonorLowe ’s .
Photo: amazon.com
Best for Tight Spots
Wooster Brush Shortcut 2-Inch Angle Paint Brush
Our Ratings : Overall4.3/5 ; Ease of Use4/5 ; Finish4/5 ; Durability5/5 ; Value4/5
Sometimes , a foresightful key brush hold is too cumbersome to meet into narrow spots , such as between the side of a cabinet and a wall that posture just inches forth . A short - handle light touch like the Wooster Shortcut is just the tag in those position .
We ’ve used Wooster Shortcut brushes in the past times , in the first place for cutting in along wall in restricted spot , but now we could see how well they performed the delicate task of passementerie painting .
Photo: amazon.com
The stubby handle on the Shortcut is conciliatory and bends easy to either side , but it ’s still sturdy enough to moderate the bristle and key placement . Painting clip typically takes a light touch rather than supernumerary pressure , so the handle did n’t bend much in our mental test . Still , it ’s a prissy characteristic .
The 2 - in Shortcut brush features lean nylon / polyester bristle that constrict to ok tips . While we got a decent finish on our test dining table , it was n’t quite as smooth as the finish will by the Purdy brush . It was still satisfactory because we test with self - smoothing blusher , but we could see a few brush marks under stiff light after the second coat dry out .
So , there ’s a tradeoff with the Wooster Shortcut — while you’re able to still get a good stopping point , you may want to limit its use to snip control panel that are located in spots where a longer , finer light touch just wo n’t meet . After all , the Wooster is still probable to give a better finish in those place than a encounter that ’s too longsighted to control while paint trimming .
Photo: amazon.com
Get the Wooster paint brush for trim atAmazon , Ace Hardware , orThe Home Depot .
Best for Wide Trim
Purdy XL Glide 3.5-Inch Paint Brush
Wide trim boards are more probable to show brush mark simply because there ’s more surface orbit to catch the lighter , so even bantam discrepancies in the paint last will show up . Unless you ’re extremely skilled at coating picture , using a minute copse is in all likelihood a error because it can take three or more overlapping strokes to cover a wide trim panel from side to side , increase the peril of seeable mark .
The 3.5 - inch Purdy XL Glide brush solves that problem . It offers a wide bristle base that ’s angled for cutting in along edges — we were capable to paint blanket passementerie boards with just a couple of strokes . Like all Purdy brushes , the 3.5 - inch XL left a suave conclusion that did n’t show brushing strokes , even under strong light .
The hold is made from suave hardwood , which absorbs a spot of wet to keep it from get slippery , and the brush has a nice copper ferrule , but we find oneself it somewhat bulky . For trimming picture , the bristles ’ heaviness from front to back is more than we feel was necessary , and it supply more mass and weightiness than we really wanted . Still , it ’s a great brushing that can make a approximate - flawless finishing when couple with high - quality paint .
Photo: amazon.com
Get the Purdy XL Glide 3.5 - inch paint brush for trim atAmazonorSherwin - Williams .
Best for Crown Trim
Richard Goose Neck 2.5-Inch Paint Brush
Our Ratings : Overall 4.3/5 ; Ease of Use 4/5 ; Finish 5/5 ; Durability 4/5 ; Value 4/5
Painting trimness often imply flex over or strain overhead for hour on last , which can cause discomfort . The Richard 2.5 - inch Goose Neck key brush wo n’t keep the need to reach overhead , but it comes with a flexible handle that can be crumpled at an slant to keep the painter from bending their carpus .
We ’d never used a gooseneck encounter before , and when the Richard brush arrived , it was perfectly straight — not bent at all . It takes some effort to flex the stiff skirmish handle , but once bent on , it stays at that slant — it does n’t gradually unbend back out . That ’s a addition . Another fringe benefit with the Richard Goose Neck is the power to impound a screw propeller - in extension pole . However , get a good finish on trim while using an filename extension pole can be challenging . It may be best to skip the perch , grab a sturdy ladder , and hold this brush by hand .
The Richard coppice did a decent job of feathering out paint on our test circuit card , but we found two wayward bristles embed in the paint . We think that was a good luck , however , because after washing the brush and letting it ironical , we tug firmly at the bristle , and no more came out .
The concluding results were just — after removing the errant bristles from the test boards and feathering out the pigment , we line up only swooning brushstrokes on the ruined boards .
Get the Richard paint brush for trim atAmazon .
Jump to Our Top Picks
What to Consider When Choosing a Paint Brush for Trim
Whether they ’re for artists , DIYers , or contractors , blusher skirmish boast four main parts : the bristle , also known as the cincture ; the collet , which is the metal piece that connects the bristles to the handle ; the crimp , which is the centre section that tightens the ferrule around the handle ; and the handle , which can come in a variety of shapes and is usually made from wood or acrylic .
When choose the in force paint brush for trim oeuvre , the ferrule and bend are less important features , but the handle , bristle bod , stuff , and size should be cautiously look at .
Size
Typical house - painting - size brushes fall between 1 and 6 inch in width . As a general rule of thumb , tight spaces benefit from smaller brush widths , while larger brushes get task done quicker because they can hold and go for more paint on a single pass .
Within that sizing range , reduce coppice sizes range between 1 and 3.5 inches blanket because they are designed for soused spaces .
The distance of the sash is n’t that crucial , but the length of the handle can affect the brushing ’s bioengineering , so when considering how comfortable a brush is to use , keep handgrip length in nous .
Shape
shave brushes almost always come in a flat , angled style as fight back to rung , but they vary widely in terms of bristle chassis . There are three main categories of shapes to choose from :
Bristle Material
There are two types of bristles : rude and synthetic . Natural bristles are made from the hair of animals such as hogs , Badger , sables , and sawbuck . synthetical bristles are made from polyester or a blend of nylon and polyester and run to be cheaper .
raw bristle , like your own hair , feature flyspeck splits throughout the fibre that allow them to hold more rouge and apply a smoother finish . These split are also the grounds a natural - bristle rouge brush should n’t be used with piddle - based paint — it will imbibe too much of it and apply it unevenly . born - bristle brush are best used for oil colour - ground blusher and traditional wood finishes , such as shellac and polyurethan .
Synthetic brushes are n’t nearly as absorptive as lifelike brushes , which lay down them ideal for latex and acrylic - based paints . While you’re able to still find natural brush , most of thebest rouge brushestoday sport synthetical bristles .
Handle
The right-hand handle for any project depends at last on comfort . After all , if a paint brush is not comfortable to utilize , the whole task could stagger . For example , although a short handle can get into hard - to - range areas , using one for an full project could cause a user ’s mitt to tire quickly . Conversely , a large handle could be a challenge to grasp consistently . picture , like many home betterment tasks , is about find the equalizer between efficiency and comfort , and nowhere is that more patent than in the handle choice .
Tips for Painting Trim
FAQs
With so many options to pick out from , and all of them promising to get the job done , finding the best clash for trimming paint is n’t as leisurely as you might intend . Some brushes are well suited for sure tasks . For model , if you have an prolonged house painting task that ’s die to require many hours of work , it may be wise to place a higher value on the bioengineering of the handle . Making certain that you ’re using the proper brush in the correct manner will help see to it great results .
Still deciding which brush for trim house painting is good ? Here are some of the most ofttimes postulate questions about using and caring for paint brushes for trim .
The ripe character of pigment light touch for clipping will have an angled or chiseled girdle that let you to create exact lines without having to vex about paint spillover as well as an ergonomic handgrip that well fit into your hand . Keep in brain that a trimming brush typically is n’t any wider than 3.5 inch or any narrower than 1 in .
First and foremost , a thicket with diffuse bristles is ideal for smoothness . The diffused the bristle are , the smoother the finis tends to be . Make trusted the surface you ’re painting is clean and free of debris before applying your first coat .
Professional painter tend to paint the trim first because it necessitate the most detailed oeuvre and is easy to accomplish when you do n’t have to worry about fixing your mistakes — you could just continue them up when you go back to paint the walls and cap . Plus , taping off the newly painted trim is n’t too hard once it ’s dry and you start to paint the ceiling and walls .
Some blusher manufacturers provide paint specifically formulated for trim , although this tend to be more expensive . crude - base paint is cheaper than trim - specific paint and has the same viscousness that helps it stick around put when practice vertically and the same slow dry time that permit it to fulfill any scratch and dinero , which is specially helpful for baseboard trimming . Also , consider something with a semi - gloss or shinier finish since these are the easiest to wipe white .
If you are painting your trim for the first meter , adding a layer of fuse can serve create a smoother looking . But if you ’re repainting your passementerie the same color it was before , you do n’t need to care about priming . A lot of trim fall preprimed these days .
Use tacking cloth , a lint - free rag coated in a muggy substance that picks up and remove rubble and detritus before painting . If you do n’t want to buy tack cloth , using a damp fabric is the best option .
Meet the Tester
Glenda Taylor is a product examiner and writer specializing in the construction , remodeling , and actual estate industries . She and her married man own a cosmopolitan contracting caller , and Taylor is experience in both residential and commercial-grade construction applications . She tests a wide mountain range of baron putz as well as other home advance , house , and lawn - and - garden product .
extra research provided by Will Briskin .
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