Whether you’re giving a wall a fresh coat of paint, redoing an entire ceiling or upcycling a piece of furniture, a paint roller can help speed up the job while delivering a great finish.
Picking the right paint roller for the task is vital for a smooth and successful completion. If not, your project could take longer and make an already tricky task even more difficult. Painting a ceiling is a hard enough job, but with a little know-how, you can make the task more manageable.
Best paint rollers at a glance:
• Best mini paint roller: Harris Mini Gloss And Emulsion Roller – Buy now on Amazon UK
• Best paint roller for walls: PRODEC 9" Trade Professional Medium Pile Roller Kit – Buy now on Amazon UK
• Best paint roller for ceilings: Wickes Professional Roller on an Extendable Pole – Buy now on Wickes
When selecting a paint roller, consider the thickness of the pile in relation to the task you're doing. Short pile (5-10mm) is for smooth surfaces, medium (12-19mm) for semi-rough surfaces, and long (20mm+) for rough surfaces. With a few handy painting tips, you'll have the dreaded stairwell licked in no time!
To ensure success on your painting project, we’ve sussed out the best paint rollers available on the market, with information on which rollers are best for painting woodand other surfaces. We have the best deals from favourite retailers such as Argos and Amazon, as well as all the things you need to consider when placing your purchase.
Best paint rollers
Best mini paint roller
HarrisIf you’re struggling to access those hard to reach areas, like behind a radiator or you want to apply a gloss paint to a door, this four-inch mini roller is just what you need. This set comes with a mini foam paint roller, for a smooth and streak free finish, and a mini woven roller for emulsion painting.
Best for: emulsion, gloss, hard to reach areas like behind radiators and doors
Pros
- Reviews praise its quality and value for money
- The small rollers are ideal for painting skirting boards, cupboards and small spaces
Cons
- Not for painting large areas
Best paint roller for walls
PRODECThis quality roller kit is ideal for internal walls and ceilings and is priced at under £8 - it's a bargain. The kit comes with a black paint tray, which has been made from 100 per cent recycled plastic, a nine-inch medium pile roller and a spare roller sleeve. They hold paint well, so you can power through your project without having to continuously bend down to top up your roller, but that does mean it will take a little longer to clean.
Best for: emulsion paints on smooth surfaces such as plaster, drywall, ceilings (including light to medium textured plasters such as artex) and masonry paints on semi-smooth surfaces such as brick
Pros
- Medium pile rollers can paint a range of surfaces
- Excellent coverage on walls, ceilings and wallpaper
Cons
- Customers comment that the rollers were tricky to clean
Best paint roller for ceilings
Wickeswww.wickes.co.uk
If you don’t like ladders and have a big job on your hands, like painting a ceiling, an extendable paint roller is what you need. This sturdy paint roller extends from 0.9 metres to 1.4 metres, so that you can reach high with no trouble, getting the job done in no time.
Best for: emulsion and avoiding ladders
Pros
- Extendable pole to paint ceilings and stairwells
- Makes painting walls easier
Cons
- Requires a wider-than-standard paint tray
Best paint roller for external walls
ProDecThis paint roller kit is designed to be used on rough and semi-rough surfaces such as brick walls, cement, breeze block and medium renders. It is suitable for both water and solvent/oil-based masonry paints. The set comes with two long pile paint rollers, which load up plenty of paint for brilliant coverage, as well as a tray and masonry paint brush for those smaller areas that require extra precision.
Best for: masonry paint (exterior walls)
Pros
- Set includes rollers and brush that are for painting masonry
- Customers say it covered external walls well
Cons
- Not effective at painting over pebbledash
Best electric paint roller
WagnerThis electric paint roller is brilliant if you don’t want your arms to get tired, especially if you suffer from joint aches and pains. Simply prepare your paint and attach the suction system to the paint pot and watch as your paint is transferred into the integrated paint tank. The paint is then distributed to the roller head at the touch of a button, and then you’re off. You should be able to paint 15m² in just ten minutes. The roller takes four AA batteries and is suitable for emulsion water-based paints for indoor and outdoor use.
Best for: emulsion
Pros
- Paint is loaded directly onto the roller via a trigger
- A large paint tank means you can cover a wide area without refilling
Cons
- Customers say it takes an hour to clean after use
Best value paint roller
Coral If you’re after a good all-purpose paint rolling set, this one from Argos is a must-have. The 12-piece kit comes with a nine-inch medium pile roller for your typical indoor walls and ceilings, but also four four-inch mini pile rollers as well as two mini foam rollers, suitable for painting furniture or those areas that are more difficult to reach. There’s also a hybrid paint brush included as well as a paint tray. These rollers are suitable for emulsion and gloss paint.
Best for: multiple decorating indoor jobs
Pros
- Set includes a range of rollers to cover many painting tasks
- Good value for money
- Little rollers are great for glossing
Cons
- Ideal for occasional use rather than frequent use as it's not the sturdiest
Best paint roller for textured surfaces
HarrisThese nine-inch rollers are medium pile and can apply paint to textured surfaces with minimal spattering. Harris Seriously Good Walls & Ceilings Paint Roller are Amazon's Choice recommended, with over 6,100 reviews rating them 4.6 out of 5. The rollers are perfect for emulsion paint and can be used to paint interior walls and ceilings.
Customers praise the roller set for its effectiveness and good value for money, albeit the rollers could have better longevity.
Best for: emulsion on interior walls and ceilings
Pros
- Medium pile rollers that are designed to reduce spattering
- Multiple rollers in the set – ideal if you're using several coloured paints
Cons
- Ideal for casual painting but not robust enough for frequent use
Best paint roller for smooth furniture
Fit For The JobThis set of foam rollers and a small paint tray is ideal for repainting furniture. The rollers are small enough to get into tight corners, plus the foam smooths paint onto the surface. With foam, you have none of the dreaded fibres shedding into a freshly painted surface.
Customers praise the Fit For The Job 7 pc Foam Mini Paint Roller Set for being good value for money. The rollers are washable and reusable, but eventually, they will wear out. For under £5, one can't complain!
Best for: emulsion
Pros
- Ideal for painting furniture
- Foam rollers don't shed fibres
- Washable and reusable
Cons
- Foam will wear and tear with use
Best paint roller gloss paints
HarrisPerfect for painting skirting boards, this Harris Ultimate Woodwork Mini Gloss Roller Set is specially designed to apply gloss, eggshell and satin paints with a fine finish. It's a lint-free roller, and the tray has grooves to reduce excess paint, so you can be assured of an impeccable painted surface.
Customers have used this roller set to paint radiators, wood, and frames. Their reviews indicate they were delighted with the quality and results.
Best for: gloss
Pros
- Specifically designed to apply gloss, eggshell and satin paints
- Lint-free painting and less mess
- The roller has a comfortable grip handle
Cons
- A customer comments that the tray is a bit flimsy
What type of paint roller will I need?
As well as considering your colour scheme, you need to pick the right tools for the paint job. There’s lots of different paint rollers on the market, with each one made for a particular surface, so picking the right one is key.
Pile paint rollers can be made out of lamb's wool, mohair, Dynel, acetate, or polyurethane foam. You can get medium or long pile rollers. A medium pile paint roller has shorter fibres and is used for applying matt and silk paint to walls and ceilings. Whereas a long pile paint roller has longer fibres and is used for applying paint to medium and heavier textured walls.
Mini paint rollers are ideal for wooden surfaces like doors, skirting boards and furniture. Woodwork paint needs to be applied using a roller sleeve that doesn’t have a lot of texture to ensure a smooth finish, which is what mini paint rollers are specifically designed for. If you have a weekend project to repaint your front door, a mini roller is the best tool for the job.
Foam paint rollers, as you may have guessed, are made from foam therefore they’re usually cheaper and are great for painting smooth surfaces. If you’re someone who rarely does a lot of painting and you don’t want to spend a lot on a roller (or you never plan to use it again), this could be a good option for you.
What size paint roller will I need?
This depends on the task at hand. There’s two most common sized paint rollers, which is the nine-inch paint roller and the four-inch paint roller.
The nine-inch paint roller is the most popular size people go for and is typically used for painting walls and ceilings. Whereas if you’re looking to paint bits of furniture, such as a door or cabinet, or get to hard to reach areas, such as behind a radiator, then you’ll want a four-inch paint roller.
What are the best paint rollers for walls?
Keep in mind that a nine-inch medium pile paint roller, or foam roller, is best for applying water-based emulsions, like matt and silk paints, to internal walls and ceiling, as it will give you a smooth finish.
Try rolling your paint onto the wall in a ‘W’ then, without lifting your paint roller off of the wall, go back in and fill the gaps. This should give you an even finish.
What are the best paint rollers for ceilings?
Again, the nine-inch medium pile roller is great for internal ceilings. To stop yourself from having to stand on a ladder and bend your back in uncomfortable positions, you can buy an extension pole for your roller.
When buying this, always check whether it has a push fit or threaded handle, otherwise you could end up buying the wrong one.
How do I clean a paint roller?
The key is to do this straight away and not be tempted to leave your paint roller in the paint tray for a few hours and return to it later, because this will make it harder to clean. Other than that, cleaning a paint roller is easy and straightforward.
Step one: Scrape off as much of the paint from your roller as you can using a hand scraper. Do this in your paint tray.
Step two: Next, pour all the remaining paint in your tray back into the paint pot.
Step three: Remove your roller head from the frame and under a trap of warm water, rinse your roller until the water in the sink runs clear. Make sure to give the roller frame a wash too.
Step four: Place on an old towel and leave to dry. Your roller will be clean and ready for your next project.
Bryony-Firth Bernard is a Health & Fitness Product Writer for Yours magazine. Having graduated from the University of Gloucestershire with a first in Journalism, her expertise involves writing health and fitness content across a number of brands.