Whether you’re simply giving a wall a fresh lick 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.
For a smooth and successful completion, picking the right paint roller for the task is vital because if not, not only could your project end up taking longer, but you may end up making an already tricky task even more difficult for yourself.
To ensure success on your painting project, we’ve sussed out the best paint rollers available on the market, from some of your favourite retailers such as Argos and Amazon, as well as all the things you need to consider when placing your purchase.
The best paint rollers of 2022
Best mini paint roller
AmazonIf 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
Verified customer review: “Great little rollers. Simple to clean and roll an even stroke. Used these for my kitchen cabinet doors. Give a nice even smooth finish. Comfortable to hold as well.”
Best paint roller for walls
AmazonThis 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
Verified customer review: “These rollers are very thick and take a lot of paint. They give good coverage.”
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
Verified customer review: “Sturdy but light extendable roller. Started with painting the ceiling and quickly started using it for the entire room, saves moving a ladder around and so much quicker!”
Best paint roller for external walls
AmazonThis 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)
Verified customer review: “Really pleased with the rollers used on a pebble dashed walls and it worked a treat did all the walls in half the time it took before (using other rollers and brush) my son thought they were the best he had used for that type of job and will be getting some for his next job.”
Best electric paint roller
AmazonThis 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
Verified customer review: “One of my best DIY buys I have EVER made as the paint is held in the handle and you just push a button to get more paint to the roller just dampen the roller initially then push the button until you see the paint come through to the roller then start painting (no bending and and replenishing from the roller tray or thinking you may trip over the roller tray) just push the button every so often to replenish the paint on the roller, even has a quick connect pipe to reload the the handle from the paint pot so well thought out and very well made plus it all comes to pieces to wash really quickly and easily.”
Best value paint roller
Argoswww.argos.co.uk
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
Verified customer review: “I couldn’t find any other option on the market better than this one. Very pleased.”
What type of paint roller will I need?
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 - these 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 - these 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.
Foam paint rollers - these, 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.
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