Top 5 compared
The best decorating brush sets
Crisp lines where the wall meets the ceiling, and neat paint in the corners a roller can’t reach.
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The top 5 at a glance
A decorating brush set gives you a brush for each job and leaves the open wall to a roller: a one-inch for window frames and tight corners, an inch and a half for skirting and architraves, and two inches or more for cutting in where wall meets ceiling. Some sets are made for emulsion only; others take gloss, varnish or woodstain on doors and skirting too.
Every set here is synthetic, which suits water-based paint; the makers differ on oil-based gloss and varnish, and the table shows what each one says. Washed out straight after use and hung to dry, a good set lasts through many rooms, and between coats on one job a vapour box or cling film saves washing them out at all.
What matters
- Bristles that stay in the brush, not in the fresh paint.
- Tapered filaments with fine tips, for fewer brush marks.
- A handle that stays comfortable through a long session.
#1Harris Essentials Walls and Ceilings Paint Brushes (3-pack)
Under £10
Three no-fuss synthetic brushes, 1, 1½ and 2 inches, made for emulsion on interior walls and ceilings: enough to cut in round a room and reach the edges a roller can’t. Harris has held a Royal Warrant for paint brushes since 1961.
What owners say: Owners find the soft but firm bristles stay in the brush rather than in the paint, like having three sizes to hand and say they wash out easily.
A closer look: Use the 1-inch round sockets, switches and the edges of window frames, and the 2-inch for cutting in where the wall meets the ceiling before rolling the rest. They’re made for water-based emulsion, so gloss on skirting and doors is better done with a set made for oil-based paint. Wash them in warm soapy water straight after use, as Harris advises.
- Made for cutting in
- Wash in warm soapy water
Best for: Emulsion on walls and ceilings
- Brushes (inches)
- 3: 1, 1½, 2in
- Filaments
- Synthetic
- Paints (maker)
- Emulsion
- Handle
- Plastic, easy grip
#2Hamilton For The Trade Fine Tip Paint Brushes (5-pack)
£10–£20
Five trade brushes, a 1-inch and two each of the 1½ and 2-inch, with solid tapered synthetic filaments that end in fine tips to keep tramlines out of the finish, in any paint. The beavertail handles are FSC-certified wood and the ferrules stainless steel.
What owners say: Owners report no bristles left in the paint, say they take water-based and oil-based paint equally well, and find them easy to clean and good value.
A closer look: With two each of the middle sizes, one brush can stay in the undercoat while its twin goes on to the gloss. Between coats on the same job, keep them in a vapour box or wrapped in cling film rather than washing them out every evening.
- Fine tips avoid brush lines
- Handles from certified forests
Best for: Doors, skirting and window frames
- Brushes (inches)
- 5: 1, 2×1½, 2×2in
- Filaments
- Solid tapered synthetic
- Paints (maker)
- All paints
- Handle
- Wood, beavertail
#3Purdy Monarch Elite Paint Brush Set (3 brushes, MON1)
£30–£50
Three handmade trade brushes, 1, 1½ and 2 inches, in Purdy’s Chinex and Orel synthetic blend, which the maker says takes oil or water-based paint and is best suited to emulsion. It suits anyone who paints often and cuts in by hand.
What owners say: Owners single out how cleanly it cuts in along ceilings and edges, and say the brushes pick up plenty of paint and keep going job after job when washed out properly; a few have found loose bristles.
A closer look: Trade brushes reward looking after: work emulsion out with water, or the right cleaner after an oil-based coat, then reshape the tips and hang them to dry. They suit someone who decorates regularly rather than once every few years.
- Handmade trade brushes
- Best suited to emulsion
Best for: Sharp cut-in lines, room after room
- Brushes (inches)
- 3: 1, 1½, 2in
- Filaments
- Synthetic, Chinex/Orel
- Paints (maker)
- Oil or water-based
- Handle
- Wood, beavertail
#4ProDec Decorator’s Dozen Paint Brush Set (12 brushes)
£10–£20
Twelve brushes for a whole house: two 1-inch, five 1½-inch, four 2-inch and a 3-inch, all pure synthetic for water-based emulsion, gloss and satin as well as woodstain and varnish, with shaped wooden handles.
What owners say: Owners report no bristles left behind in the paint, and say the soft filaments spread even thick paint smoothly.
A closer look: With five of the 1½-inch, there’s a clean brush for each coat or colour on skirting, doors and frames, so nothing needs washing out mid-job. The 3-inch gets across the flat panels of a door quickly, and the handles have holes for hanging them up to dry.
- Woodstain and varnish too
- Hanging holes in the handles
Best for: Whole-house jobs in several colours
- Brushes (inches)
- 12: 2×1, 5×1½, 4×2, 3in
- Filaments
- Pure synthetic
- Paints (maker)
- Water-based
- Handle
- Shaped wood
#5Axus Décor Pro-Brush Blue Series Set (4 brushes)
£10–£20
A decorator’s working set rather than a starter pack: a 1½-inch, two 2-inch and a 3-inch brush with tapered synthetic filaments for all types of paint, stainless steel ferrules and unvarnished hardwood beavertail handles.
What owners say: Owners like how they cut in and lay off, and say they carry a good load of paint and clean up without fuss, though a few have had bristles come out.
A closer look: There’s no small brush in the set, so pair it with a 1-inch for window frames and fiddly edges. The 3-inch gets over doors and wide skirting quickly, and the plastic wallets the brushes come in are worth keeping to hold the heads in shape between jobs.
- Wallets keep heads in shape
- Covers doors and skirting quickly
Best for: Broad panels and skirting boards
- Brushes (inches)
- 4: 1½, 2×2, 3in
- Filaments
- Tapered synthetic
- Paints (maker)
- All paints
- Handle
- Hardwood, beavertail
How they compare
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| Feature | #1Harris Essentials (3-pack) | #2Hamilton Fine Tip (5-pack) | #3Purdy Monarch Elite | #4ProDec Decorator’s Dozen | #5Axus Décor Pro-Brush |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | Most brushes | |||
| Picked Rating | 9.4 | 9.2 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.1 |
| Price | Under £10 | £10–£20 | £30–£50 | £10–£20 | £10–£20 |
| Brushes (inches) | 3: 1, 1½, 2in | 5: 1, 2×1½, 2×2in | 3: 1, 1½, 2in | 12: 2×1, 5×1½, 4×2, 3in | 4: 1½, 2×2, 3in |
| Filaments | Synthetic | Solid tapered synthetic | Synthetic, Chinex/Orel | Pure synthetic | Tapered synthetic |
| Paints (maker) | Emulsion | All paints | Oil or water-based | Water-based | All paints |
| Handle | Plastic, easy grip | Wood, beavertail | Wood, beavertail | Shaped wood | Hardwood, beavertail |
| Best for | Emulsion on walls and ceilings | Doors, skirting and window frames | Sharp cut-in lines, room after room | Whole-house jobs in several colours | Broad panels and skirting boards |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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