When it comes to choosing paint for a spot of decorating, we’re spoilt for choice. From own brand options to household names, luxury, high end emulsions to trendy new online stores, picking a standard pure brilliant white matt emulsion to revive your walls and brighten your space isn’t as straight forward as you might think.
So to help you spend your money with confidence, we’ve picked five of the more affordable brands to put through their paces, ranging from £10 per 2.5l from Homebase and Wilko’s own brand emulsion, through to Valspar’s Premium offering priced at £28 per 2.5l.
While they all have their own features, such as recycled plastic packaging and minimal or trace levels of VOCs, they each provide a crisp white finish to walls. We were suitably impressed with the coverage and durability of these budget white emulsions which give their more expensive rivals, a run for their money - proving that a good finish can still be achieved with more purse-friendly solutions.
Tried and tested | Which is the best white emulsion paint from budget brands
- Best overall white emulsion - Crown walls and ceilings pure brilliant white matt emulsion | Buy now from Amazon (£15.50), Homebase (£18)
- Best budget white emulsion - Wilko walls and ceilings pure brilliant white matt emulsion | Buy now from Wilko (£10)
- Best durable white emulsion - Valspar Premium walls and ceilings pure brilliant white Matt Emulsion | Buy now from B&Q (£28)
How we tested the white emulsion
We considered everything from the odour to the VOCs in the paint, the coverage and application as well as if they lived up to the claims and the durability. Plus, if the product represented value for money. We applied two coats to plasterboard and tested them all with red crayon once dried, to see how they stood up to being scrubbed and cleaned.
- Features (6 points): Odour/ chemical free/ low VOCs/ water-based | Any USPs | Coverage
- Results (3 points): Application consistency | Washability | Durability: does it scuff or fade after cleaning
- Value for money (1 points): Price | Quality
The best white emulsion paint from your favourite value brands
Crown walls and ceilings pure brilliant white matt emulsion
Score 10/10
Pros
- Eco credentials
- Cleaning
Cons
- None!
All in all, if you want to do your bit for the environment when you decorate and need a durable finish without the hefty price tag, this is the perfect choice.
What's different about this white emulsion paint?
Crown’s pure brilliant white matt emulsion for walls and ceilings arrives in a standard, yet stylish plastic tub boasting the brand’s ‘breatheasy’ logo, showcasing that it is 99% solvent free. It also has the VOCs grading as ‘Trace’, which means the VOC content is less than 0.1% - the lowest of the five white emulsions I tested. It’s great if you suffer with asthma and want to limit your exposure to airborne triggers and keep your rooms’ air as clean as possible when decorating and beyond. To add to its impressive credentials, the tub is made using recycled plastic, plus it’s Vegan Verified - all representing some great steps towards reducing the impact on the environment while we decorate our homes.
The 2.5 litre tin has a coverage of 35m2 and is touch dry in 2 hours and you can re-coat after four hours.
Is this white emulsion any good?
The white matt emulsion had a good consistency, it went onto the board with a brush well and was easy to spread on the wall without dragging it and making it too thin in places. It dried nicely - the brush strokes faded as the paint dried, but remained visible, but this was the case with all the emulsions I tested. If you want a stroke-free finish best to opt for a roller or a spray finish.
Once the paint had thoroughly dried the red crayon was out again. Tackling it with warm soapy water I was impressed with how much came away with a little bit of force in a short space of time. It did smooth down the brushstrokes very lightly in places, but there were no patches or loss of colour and I didn’t feel like I needed to repaint to have the even coverage again. Nice work, Crown!
Is this a good budget option?
Priced at £14 per 2.5 litres I thought this was really good value for money. The eco-credentials and it boasting the lowest VOC content of the emulsions I tested was very impressive - it felt like Crown had gone the extra mile without adding to the price tag.
I was also impressed with how the paint stood up to my best red crayon scribbling - knowing I can clean it without having to reach for the paint tin is reassuring too.
All in all, if you want to do your bit for the environment when you decorate and need a durable finish without the hefty price tag, this is the perfect choice.
Wilko walls and ceilings pure brilliant white matt emulsion
Score 8/10
- Buy now from Wilko (£10)
Pros
- Coverage
- Price
Cons
- Durability
If you’re on a budget and are after a matt emulsion with minimal VOCs, offers ample coverage and can take a certain amount of scuffs and marks this could be a great paint for you.
What's different about this white emulsion paint?
Wilko’s own brand of pure brilliant white matt emulsion for walls and ceilings claims to be easy to apply and wipe clean. The 2.5 litre tub boasts a good coverage of 35m2, will be touch dry in 1-2 hours and ready for another coat after 2-4 hours.
It’s a water-based formula with a VOC grading of ‘minimal’ to offer reassurance and allow you to breathe easy while decorating and beyond.
Is this white emulsion any good?
Once I’d given the emulsion a good stir it went onto the board well. The consistency was good, not too thick or thin, and it covered the plasterboard easily and effectively.
When it came to cleaning the red crayon scribble off the wall, warm soapy water and a clean white cloth was relatively effective. It didn’t take long or too much elbow grease to clean the marks away. Some places needed a bit more scrubbing and this did take off some of the paint, which was disappointing, and a few specks of red remained. Once dried, these patches didn’t appear as bad. The brushstrokes were smoothed flat in places and you could see this if the light caught the board at a particular angle.
Is this a good budget option?
As one of the cheapest white emulsions I tested, I was impressed with the area it can cover with just one tin and the quality of the coverage and consistency.
The tin states it’s wipe clean, but it took a bit more than a wipe to tackle the red crayon testing, and some of the paint was removed with all the scrubbing.
However, I was impressed with the finish and it dried well, making it smooth to the touch. If you’re on a budget and are after a matt emulsion with minimal VOCs which offers ample coverage and can take a certain amount of scuffs and marks this could be a great paint for you.
- Buy now from Wilko (£10)
Dulux Pure Brilliant White Matt Emulsion for walls and ceilings
Score 7/10
Pros
- No odour
Cons
- Paint came off when scrubbed
...if you need a paint that’s tough and durable to stand up to a busy household’s demands this might not be the right white emulsion for you.
What's different about this white emulsion paint?
Dulux’s pure brilliant white matt emulsion claims to have good coverage, as well as being easy to apply, quick drying and low odour. It has quite a thick, creamy consistency and is also water-based to make cleaning your brushes, rollers and yourself (if, like me, you always manage to cover yourself!) a breeze!
It has the ‘Minimal’ VOCs stamp which means the British Coatings Federation has classed the VOC content as between 0.1-0.29%. Even after giving the tin a good sniff once opened, it really was just that: minimal. The smell was not overpowering in the tin or on the walls once I’d applied two coats!
A 2.5 litre tin boasts a coverage of 35m2 and is dry in four hours. Dulux also recommend applying two coats to your wall of this emulsion for a nice and even coverage.
Is this white emulsion any good?
The paint went onto the plasterboard well, giving a thick coverage. It was difficult to spread it with the brush, it seemed to use a lot in one area, which is probably due to its thicker, creamy consistency. So it does feel like you might use more of this emulsion to cover the same space than other brands, it also had a rough feel to the board once the paint had dried. However, the coverage was good and the colour of the grey plasterboard beneath didn’t show through at all.
I tested Dulux’s pure brilliant white matt emulsion for walls and ceilings with one of the kids’ trusty red crayons - I left it for a few hours before trying to clean it away and was impressed with how easily it wiped clean with warm soapy water. However, after the scrubbing I noticed there was now a patch on the board where the brush stroke lines had been smoothed away - not necessarily a bad thing as you don’t always want to see every brush stroke, but when it caught the light you could see an area looked different to the rest of the board. Also, where I had scrubbed with a bit more elbow grease paint had come away with the cloth and I could now see the grey of the plasterboard coming through. This was a shame as it was enough to make me feel like I’d have to repaint the wall for a nice, even finish.
Is this a good budget option?
Dulux’s pure brilliant white matt emulsion for walls and ceilings is priced at £18 for 2.5L, slightly more expensive than three of the others we tested and not surprising as Dulux is a household brand we all know and trust.
It was also one of the thickest emulsions I tested, so there were many features that justified its price point, however, I was disappointed that it wasn’t more durable to stand up to the red crayon and my cleaning techniques.
So if you need a paint that’s tough and durable to stand up to a busy household’s demands this might not be the right white emulsion for you.
Valspar Premium walls and ceilings pure brilliant white Matt Emulsion
Score 7/10
- Buy now from B&Q (£28)
Pros
- Easy to open tub
Cons
- Price
- Hard to clean
If you’re willing to spend a bit more (money and decorating time!) and need a super tough finish, this could be the solution for you
What's different about this white emulsion paint?
Valspar’s premium walls and ceilings pure brilliant white matt emulsion comes in a stylish tin with a unique design, opening the tin was easy with its simple instructions to push down and pull back - no tools required! This was a great feature I was impressed with, and eliminates searching around for a flat head screwdriver when you’re ready to decorate!
The brand claims to offer great coverage, covering up to 25m2 per can, is water-based and boasts ‘minimal’ VOC content. The paint can be applied using a brush, roller or spay and is ready for a second coat in 2-4 hours.
This emulsion also has Valspar’s Life-KindTM technology which states it is highly stain-resistant and scrubbable to stand up to the toughest household stains. It is also Allergy UK accredited, offering peace of mind for those who suffer with allergies.
Is this white emulsion any good?
I’m a big fan of the tub’s easy-open feature, it was also easy to reseal the lid again too - something else I often struggled with with the traditional paint tins.
There was an odour to the paint in the tin, but once the white emulsion was on the walls the smell had gone.
The paint went on really nicely, gave good thick coverage and a nice solid colour. Once dry the paint was impressive too, brushstrokes were less obvious and there was a good, smooth matt finish to the board.
When it came to tackling the red crayon smiley face on my board it was tough-going. I cleaned the emulsion with warm, soapy water which, after a lot of scrubbing, did clean some of it away and lessened the redness. It smoothed the brushstrokes in some areas, but the smiley face was still very visible, even after drying.
In the end I resorted to my trusty magic eraser sponge which usually tackles most household marks on walls, this cleaned away any remaining crayon and didn’t effect the paint’s finish. Even though it was hard work to clean the walls, and the usual ‘warm soapy water’ didn’t cut it, I was impressed with how durable the emulsion was.
Apart from some smooth areas in places there was no damage to the paint, it didn’t remove the colour and there was no sign of the grey plasterboard colour becoming exposed.
Is this a good budget option?
Valspar’s Premium walls and ceilings pure brilliant white matt emulsion was the most expensive per 2.5l tub I tested. The coverage is 10m2 less than the other brands I used with the same amount of paint, so works out even pricier for the area to decorate.
It is, however, extremely durable and tough, it took a lot of scrubbing and there was little sign of this once it had dried after cleaning. It was frustrating that it didn’t clean up easily with the soapy water, so a product for cleaning tough marks off emulsion should be the first port of call next time.
If you’re willing to spend a bit more (money and decorating time!) and need a super tough finish, this could be the solution for you - just be prepared to put in the elbow grease if someone attacks it with red crayon!
Homebase pure brilliant white matt emulsion for walls and ceilings
Score 7/10
- Buy now from Homebase (£10)
Pros
- Recycled packaging
- Price
Cons
- Durability
A great budget option for decorating ceilings and areas that are less likely to be susceptible to scuffs and marks.
What's different about this white emulsion paint?
Homebase’s walls and ceilings pure brilliant white matt emulsion is a water-based paint that the brand states is easy to apply and offers good coverage. A 2.5 litre tin covers 30m2 and it’s recommended you apply two coats for the best finish.
This white emulsion is touch dry in 2 hours and you can apply your next coat after 4 hours.
When it comes to chemicals in the paint, the British Coatings Federation has classed it as having ‘minimal’ VOCs which is great, plus the tub is made using 100% recycled plastic - which ticks our eco-friendly box, too!
Is this white emulsion any good?
Homebase’s pure brilliant white emulsion offered a good consistency once it was stirred through. It went onto the plasterboard nicely, albeit seemingly a little thinner than some of the other brands, which made it better for applying and spreading around, but it did feel like I used a little more to get the coverage I was after.
After I’d applied my scribble to the paint with the red crayon, I used a white cloth and warm soapy water to clean it up. After a lot of scrubbing the markings did begin to shift, I noticed some white paint was present on the cloth after I’d put in some extra elbow grease.
Unfortunately, once the area had dried I could see a few slight patches where the paint had thinned on the board and some of the plasterboard’s grey colouring was just beginning to come through.
The scrubbing had also changed the finish of the paint on the board, the brushstrokes had been smoothed and there was even a few specks of red crayon left on the paintwork that I hadn’t managed to shift.
Is this a good budget option?
While the Homebase pure brilliant white matt emulsion for walls and ceilings is a great price for 2.5 litres, I don’t think it’s tough enough to withstand the inevitable grubby marks a busy household can create.
It covers a slightly smaller area than some of the other brands, and although I was impressed with the recycled packaging, I had hoped it might be a little tougher when it came to cleaning.
A great budget option for decorating ceilings and areas that are less likely to be susceptible to scuffs and marks.
FAQs
Best white matt emulsion?
Emulsion is a type of paint used for walls, it consists of a pigment bound in a synthetic or vinyl resin which forms an emulsion with water. The best white paint for walls is an emulsion that offers good coverage per tin, has an even consistency, with a smooth finish once dried, and is durable enough to stand up to everyday household demands - scuff marks, dirty hand prints and splatters of mud! Paints with minimal or less VOCs is another major factor when picking the best.
Crown’s walls and ceilings pure brilliant white emulsion ticks all of the boxes and also brings to the table eco-friendly factors, making this emulsion a healthier choice for us and the planet, and also the winner in this budget category.
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