The 5 Best Paint Sprayers (2023 Review)

Dipping a brush or roller into paint and applying it to your walls, fences, decks, or other surfaces is a time-consuming process that can leave you with paint all over your hands, arms, and clothes. With a paint sprayer, you can more efficiently paint areas around your home. If you are a frequent painter and are looking to up your painting game, read our guide below on the best paint sprayers on Amazon.

Top 5 Paint Sprayers

• Best Medium Flow Rate: Graco 262800 Magnum X5 Stand Airless Paint Sprayer
• Best Cart: Graco 262805 Magnum X7 Cart Airless Paint Sprayer
• Best Storage: Graco 257025 Magnum Project Painter Plus Paint Sprayer
• Best Containers: Wagner 0518080 Spraytech Control Spray Max HVLP Paint or Stain Sprayer
• Most Portable: REXBETI Ultimate-750 Paint Sprayer

Best Medium Flow Rate: Graco 262800 Magnum X5 Stand Airless Paint Sprayer

Key Features

• Has a flow rate of 0.27 gallons per minute (GPM)
• Has an adjustable pressure
• Can pull paint from one- or five-gallon paint cans
• Comes with a 25-foot paint hose
• Works with unthinned paint
• Can spray up to 125 gallons per year
• Weighs 19 pounds
• Rests on a stand
• Comes with a one-year warranty

Pros and Cons

✔ Built with PushPrime technology for a quick and reliable start every time
✔ Includes a TrueAirless spray tip for more control and less overspray
✔ Designed with an RAC IV tip to prevent clogging

✘ Heaviest paint sprayer without a cart in this guide
✘ Has a hefty restocking fee if you return it

What Customers Are Saying

We noted that satisfied customers said that this product was easy to use and clean. Several reviewers wrote that the results were worth the price of the product, as they saved time using the sprayer instead of paint rollers or other painting methods. Dissatisfied customers said that the product failed after so many gallons of use. Others mentioned the steep restocking fee for returning defective models.

Best Cart: Graco 262805 Magnum X7 Cart Airless Paint Sprayer

Key Features

• Has a flow rate of 0.31 GPM
• Has an adjustable pressure
• Can pull paint from one- or five-gallon paint cans
• Comes with a 25-foot paint hose
• Works with unthinned paint
• Can spray up to 125 gallons per year
• Weighs 26 pounds
• Rests on a cart with wheels
• Comes with a one-year warranty

Pros and Cons

✔ Capable of painting multi-story homes with up to three levels
✔ Can pull paint from a bucket to maximize time and minimize mess
✔ Has an integrated stainless steel piston pump that lets you spray unthinned paint at high pressures

✘ The fuse can’t be replaced
✘ Doesn’t come with an extension rod for the tip

What Customers Are Saying

We found that this product received high praise for its reversible spray tip, easy cleaning process, and quiet operation. Several reviewers said that following the included instructions provided a seamless experience. Dissatisfied customers mentioned issues with paint leaking or clogging.

Best Storage: Graco 257025 Magnum Project Painter Plus Paint Sprayer

Key Features

• Has a flow rate of 0.24 GPM
• Has an adjustable pressure
• Can pull paint from one- or five-gallon paint cans
• Comes with a 25-foot paint hose
• Works with unthinned paint
• Can spray up to 50 gallons per year
• Weighs 16 pounds
• Rests on a stand
• Comes with a one-year warranty

Pros and Cons

✔ The spray nozzle can be angled for horizontal or vertical painting
✔ Compatible with unthinned paint
✔ Can be used for interior or exterior surfaces, including walls, garage doors, and decks

✘ Can’t handle elastomeric paint
✘ Requires a lacquer conversion kit for use with lacquer

What Customers Are Saying

Customers who left positive reviews praised the product for being easy to use, control, and clean. Some liked that the instructions card came laminated for durability, and others admired the sprayer’s anti-clogging technology. However, we found several reviewers that mentioned leaks, which they suspected were caused by a faulty gasket connection.

Best Containers: Wagner 0518080 Spraytech Control Spray Max HVLP Paint or Stain Sprayer

Key Features

• Has an adjustable pressure
• Has three spray patterns
• Comes with one- and 1.5-quart cups and a 20-foot paint hose
• Weighs 11 pounds
• Has a rubber handle for holding
• Comes with a one-year warranty

Pros and Cons

✔ Has a two-stage turbine that works well for spraying thinner paints, such as stains
✔ Features a built-in handle on the base for portability
✔ Has a material flow adjuster that can be adjusted based on the surface you’re spraying

✘ Doesn’t work well with latex paint
✘ Has customer complaints about poor performance in warm weather

What Customers Are Saying

Customers we found were impressed with how easy the product was to use and clean. They said that the paint sprayer worked well with oil-based paints, giving them professional-looking results for a fraction of the price. Several dissatisfied customers said that this product didn’t work well with latex paint even after it was thinned.

Most Portable: REXBETI Ultimate-750 Paint Sprayer

Key Features

• Has a flow rate of 0.2 GPM
• Has an adjustable pressure
• Has three spray patterns
• Comes with a 100-milliliter cup, a cleaning needle, four nozzles, and give paint strainers
• Weighs four pounds
• Has a rubber handle for holding
• Available in two colors

Pros and Cons

✔ Can be used on cars
✔ Has a detachable design to make cleanup quick and easy
✔ Most economically priced option in this review

✘ Doesn’t mention a warranty
✘ Some customers had issues with the paint coming out unevenly

What Customers Are Saying

Our research showed that happy customers said that this REXBETI paint sprayer saved them time on both indoor and outdoor projects. Past customers encouraged new shoppers to be diligent with the prep and cleanup work to enhance the sprayer’s effectiveness. Dissatisfied customers said that they experienced issues with clogging, splatters, and poor suction.

Buyer’s Guide

To find the right paint sprayer for your job, our team finds that it’s important to consider its reach, portability, and noise level, among other factors.

Type

Paint sprayers are split into HVLP, airless, and compressed subcategories.

• HVLP: High-volume, low-pressure (HVLP) sprayers use a high volume of air to push paint to the tip and a low-pressure stream to create a mist-like spray. They give the user the most control out of all the sprayer types, which makes them good for detailed work. However, painting with them can be slow because they don’t use a lot of pressure, so they aren’t good for painting large areas.
• Airless: This type of sprayer is either electric- or gas-powered. It uses high pressure to pump out the paint and cover a large area in a small amount of time. However, airless paint sprayers are loud, and it’s difficult to adjust the spray pattern on them. They work best for outdoor jobs that don’t require detailed work.
• Conventional/compressed: This type of paint sprayer uses an air compressor to push paint through its tip. These sprayers are affordable and can spray a large area. However, it can be difficult to control how much paint comes out of them, which can leave you with a spotty paint job.

Portability

If you’re spraying a large surface and need to move the sprayer to reach every area, you’ll want a model that is lightweight or has wheels or back straps.

Power/Flow Rate

Horsepower measures how powerful the sprayer’s engine is. The more powerful the sprayer, the more paint it can spray. The amount of paint a sprayer can spray is called flow rate, and it’s measured in gallons per minute or GPM.

Tip

The shape and size of the paint sprayer’s tip will affect the paint job.

• Size: This refers to the size of the tip’s opening. Smaller tips will work best for thinner coatings, such as stains, while larger tips will work best with thicker paint.
• Spray pattern: The spray pattern is determined by the shape of the tip. High-quality paint sprayers can spray in several patterns, including round, horizontal, and vertical.

Reach

If you don’t want to be limited in how far your sprayer can reach, invest in a model with a long hose and a long extension cord.

Noise

You’ll want to consider the noise level of the sprayer’s motor, especially if you’re spraying indoors in an enclosed space. HVLP sprayers are the quietest, while gas-powered airless sprayers are the loudest.

Pressure Control

Some paint sprayers have pressure control with high, low, cleaning, and roller settings. This not only allows you to change the pressure to match the job, but it also helps extend the tip’s life by not having it use one pressure setting the entire time.

Uses for a Paint Sprayer

Paint sprayers are excellent options for large projects in or around your home. They not only save time, but also can produce a smoother, more consistent finish. Here are some ways we best recommend using a paint sprayer at home.

• Painting ceilings or large walls
• Covering decks or patios
• Refinishing furniture
• Painting kitchen or bathroom cabinets
• Touching up doors and trim
• Adding color to wood or metal fences
• Finishing garage or basement floors
• Coloring garden furniture or decor
• Changing the color of automobiles
• Painting shutters

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I stay safe while I’m using a paint sprayer?

We recommend using eye and ear protection while painting with a sprayer. This protects your eyes from paint and your ears from hearing loss.

What type of paint sprayer should I use inside?

Gas-powered airless sprayers and compressed sprayers are loud, so we recommend avoiding these when you’re spraying indoors. If you’re doing detailed work, consider using an HVLP sprayer. However, if you’re painting a large area indoors, an electric airless sprayer will work better.

How do I unclog a paint sprayer?

If the tip gets clogged, remove it and soak it in a bowl of water for a few minutes. While it’s still wet, blow out any remaining residue or clean it with a cotton swab. You’ll then want to dry it with a cloth and reattach it to the sprayer. Before continuing to paint with it, make sure it’s spraying correctly by testing it on a piece of paper.

Why Trust The This Old House Reviews Team

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We recommend products in each review using an intensive research process, spending hours combing through the best available models on Amazon. For a product to make our list of top picks, it must hold a solid sales record on Amazon, have consistently positive customer reviews, and offer unique features, among other factors. After narrowing down our list of recommendations, we conduct additional research and sometimes in-person testing to ensure that the products meet our standards. Once we conclude the research phase, we craft a well-rounded, user-friendly article that includes our recommended products and additional information to help homeowners like you make the right purchase.

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