Behr vs. Valspar: Which Paint Is Better?

Are you planning for a paint project but not sure whether to use Behr or Valspar?

These popular brands are widely available and have solid reputations. But which one is better?

In this comparison of Behr vs. Valspar, I break down their differences in terms of offerings, colors, performance, durability, price, and more.

I also reveal what paint experts think about these two brands.

By the end, you’ll be able to decide with confidence which paint brand is best for you.

---

Use the links below to navigate this comparison:

• Paint Offerings
• Volume Solids
• Where It Is Sold
• Colors
• Price
• What Experts at Home Depot and Lowe’s Say About Behr and Valspar
• What Others Are Saying About Behr and Valspar
• Bottom Line: Should You Buy Behr or Valspar Paint?

---

Paint Offerings

Both Behr and Valspar offer multiple lines of interior and exterior paint for any design aesthetic.

In this section, we’re going to look at the different types of paint each brand offers.

Behr Paints

Behr offers a simple selection of high-quality paints. Rather than bog you down with options that have minimal differences, they offer four products for interiors and three for exteriors.

Here are the paints Behr offers (learn more about all these paints at HomeDepot.com).

Behr Premium Plus Interior: Behr Premium Plus Interior is the brand’s lowest VOC paint, offering good coverage at a reasonable price. It’s durable and washable and will hold up against heavy scrubbing.

Behr Ultra Scuff Defence Interior: This paint offers increased durability for high-traffic areas.

Behr Marquee Interior: Behr Marquee Interior delivers outstanding coverage in one coat, even on top of another color, guaranteed.

Behr Dynasty Interior: This is Behr’s newest, most premium, and expensive paint. It’s a one-coat paint with additives that make it scuff and mar resistant.

Behr Premium Plus Exterior: This paint offers long-lasting durability and resists moisture and fading. Best of all, it comes at an affordable price point.

Behr Ultra Exterior: Behr Ultra Exterior delivers increased durability and covers stains better than the Premium Plus Exterior.

Behr Marquee Exterior: Behr Marquee Exterior offers top-of-the-line durability and excellent color coverage in one coat.

Valspar Paints

Valspar has a similar product offering to Behr but with a few more options. The extra options may seem redundant, but they give you greater control over the results and costs. You can explore Valspar’s entire lineup at Lowes.com.

Valspar Reserve Interior: Valspar Reserve paint and primer offers one-coat coverage covering stains and existing paint colors while resisting scuffs and scratches. This is Valspar’s answer to Behr Marquee. 

Valspar Signature Interior: This paint features Valspar’s ScuffShield technology, which delivers rich, fade-resistant colors and durable coverage. This paint is most similar to Behr Ultra because it has the same additives to resist stains and scuff marks. Read this comparison of Valspar Reserve vs. Signature to learn more.

Valspar Ultra Interior: Valspar Ultra Interior paint offers a washable, smooth finish for everyday interior spaces at an affordable price. Compare this paint to Behr Premium Plus. Both are marketed as affordable, low-VOC paints. Learn more in this comparison of Valspar Ultra vs. Signature.

Valspar Simplicity Interior: Valspar simplicity is a budget-friendly option for customers looking to stretch their dollars. You can scrub this paint, but it isn’t as durable as other options.

Valspar 2000 Interior: Valspar 2000 interior paint is a commercial-style interior paint great for spraying and touch-ups. It covers large areas quickly.

Valspar 4000 Interior: Valspar 4000 is a commercial-grade latex paint that quickly covers large areas with a uniform finish. This paint is best for new construction or commercial projects. Read this comparison of Valspar 4000 vs. 2000 to learn more.

Valspar ExpressCoat: Valspar ExpressCoat is similar to the 2000 and 4000 series. This low-cost paint is perfect for rolling, brushing, or spraying.

Valspar Duramax Exterior: Valspar Duramax is a high-end exterior paint that goes on thick to hide imperfections and seal hairline cracks. This durable paint offers weather protection and holds up against cracking, fading, or peeling even in extreme conditions.

Valspar SeasonPLUS Exterior: Valspar SeasonPLUS is a fade-resistant paint that blocks UV rays, making it an excellent option for hot environments.

Valspar SeasonFlex Exterior: This paint is perfect for temperate climates and offers excellent coverage to spruce up your exterior.

Valspar Storm Coat Exterior: Valspar Storm Coat is a 100% resin acrylic paint that will hold up against harsh weather conditions. This paint is an optimal option for stormy coastal climates.

Valspar Ultra High Gloss Interior/Exterior: This paint is a one-for-all solution for indoors and outdoors and is best for things like trim and detail work.

Valspar Semi-Transparent Concrete Stain: Valspar semi-transparent concrete stain offers a natural stone look to your poured concrete surfaces, like driveways, sidewalks, and patios.

Valspar Solid Color Concrete Stain: Valspar solid color concrete stain gives a uniform look to your driveway or patio and protects the concrete from weather and vehicles.

Ultimately, both brands offer several options for interior and exterior projects. The quality and coverage vary based on which line you choose, and so does the price.

Volume Solids

Volume solids refer to the proportion of solid components (pigment and binders) present in paint after it has dried. The higher the percentage of volume solids, the thicker the dried paint film will be. More volume solids typically result in better coverage and increased durability.

Behr offers a range of paints with varying volume solids. Their top lines, Marquee and Dynasty, have higher volume solids, while the cheapest, Premium Plus, has the least. That’s why Marquee and Dynasty are marketed as one-coat paints, while Premium Plus requires at least two.

Valspar paints follow a similar pattern, with their most expensive paints (Signature and Reserve) having a higher volume solids percentage. As a result, these paints offer better coverage and finish. Like Behr Premium Plus, Valspar’s most affordable paint, Ultra, has the lowest volume solids percentage.

The tables below allow you to quickly compare volume solids across both brands and their various finishes.

Interior Volume Solids

Paint Brand/Line	Flat/Matte	Eggshell	Satin	Semi-Gloss
Behr Premium Plus	43%	41%	39%	35%
Behr Ultra Scuff Defense	44%	38%	40%	37%
Behr Marquee	46%	45%	42%	41%
Behr Dynasty	43%	42%	42%	40%
Valspar Reserve	43%	47%	46%	42%
Valspar Signature	46%	43%	36%	37%
Valspar Ultra	35%	38%	39%	39%

Exterior Volume Solids

Paint Brand/Line	Flat	Satin	Semi-Gloss
Behr Premium Plus	40%	36%	35%
Behr Ultra	45%	37%	35%
Behr Marquee	45%	41%	39%
Behr Dynasty	45%	38%	37%
Valspar Defense	37%	43%	43%
Valspar Duramax	39%	48%	40%

Where It Is Sold

Behr is sold exclusively at The Home Depot. If you don’t live near one, you can order paint from HomeDepot.com and get it delivered to your home. In some cases, you can get same-day delivery.

Valspar is sold at Lowe’s, but its products are also available at many smaller retailers across the United States. Enter your zip code into Valspar’s store finder to find the nearest supplier.

Colors

Behr and Valspar offer hundreds of color options for both interior and exterior paints.

While they offer similar colors, there are slight differences, so be sure to find the exact color you want before choosing a brand. That said, Lowe’s confirmed that they could match any Behr color.

Both brands offer special tools that allow you to visualize your painting project and help find the perfect color for each room.

Behr has a suite of online tools, including the Paint Your Place Visualizer. It allows you to choose a color and see how it would look in any room type.

Behr also offers a Color Discovery Tool, which asks you questions about which rooms you’re painting and the desired mood of the room before recommending a palette.

Valspar offers similar tools, including the Lowe’s Paint Visualizer. However, Valspar’s version allows you to upload a picture of your own home.

With Valspar, you can also upload any photo, and the tool will show you a matching color palette.

Lastly, Valspar offers free virtual consultations with the company’s color experts.

As you can see, both brands have a wide range of colors for your project and the tools to help you find the right one.

Whether you have a color in mind and just need to find the right shade, or you don’t know where to start, both Behr and Valspar have tools and resources to help.

Price

Both brands cater to the do-it-yourself crowd, but Behr paint tends to be slightly more expensive than the equivalent Valspar products.

Prices vary significantly by the type of paint.

For example, paint and primer combos cost more than just paint, and exterior paint is more expensive than interior paint due to the additives needed to endure the outdoor elements.

Also, more durable paint with a high ratio of solids to liquids (like Behr Marquee and Dynasty) will cost more than lower quality paint (like Behr Premium Plus). But keep in mind, better quality paints require fewer coats.

Different finishes have varied prices as well. Glossy paint costs more than the same paint with a matte or satin finish.

See the chart below to compare the current prices of Behr and Valspar’s most popular paints.

Paint	View Price
Valspar Reserve Interior	Lowes.com
Valspar Duramax Exterior	Lowes.com
Valspar Signature Interior	Lowes.com
Valspar Ultra Interior	Lowes.com
Valspar ExpressCoat Interior	Lowes.com
Behr Ultra Scuff Defense Interior	HomeDepot.com
Behr Premium Plus Interior	HomeDepot.com
Behr Premium Plus Exterior	HomeDepot.com
Behr Marquee Interior	HomeDepot.com
Behr Marquee Exterior	HomeDepot.com

What Experts at Home Depot and Lowe’s Say About Behr and Valspar

To get an expert opinion on Behr vs. Valspar, I reached out to the paint departments at several local Home Depot and Lowe’s stores and asked a simple question:

What’s the difference between Behr and Valspar?

The representative at The Home Depot in Natick, Massachusetts, put it simply: “Behr is better quality than Valspar. It goes on smoother and provides superior coverage.”

At The Home Depot in Watertown, Massachusetts, the paint department was a little more reserved, saying Valspar and Behr are very similar.

The representative mentioned that the price points are virtually the same, and the durability and coverage are comparable. He also highlighted that Behr consistently scores highly in Consumer Reports testing (which I confirmed as true).

When I spoke with the paint department at Lowe’s in Woburn, Massachusetts, the representative confirmed that there’s not much difference between Behr and Valspar.

They mentioned that both are good quality and offer one-coat paints, but Valspar is a few dollars cheaper per gallon. They said Valspar could match any Behr paint color, so that shouldn’t be a factor in deciding which brand to buy.

I spoke with another Lowe’s in Woburn, Massachusetts, and they were honest, saying Valspar goes in smooth and is durable, but they don’t know much about Behr since it’s sold exclusively at The Home Depot.

Although these stores have an inherent bias towards the paint brands they sell, their commentary confirmed that the differences between Behr and Valspar are minimal. 

What Others Are Saying About Behr and Valspar

Besides the paint departments at The Home Depot and Lowe’s, other experts have opinions about Behr and Valspar.

Let’s look at what prominent outlets and independent product evaluation companies have to say about these brands.

Behr

Good Housekeeping gave Behr Premium Plus paint 3.5 stars. The reviewers liked how the paint is stain-resistant and doesn’t fade but had problems with the coverage. They also said the paint splattered a lot when applying it.

Consumer Reports gave Behr Marquee interior paint a consumer score of 89, which is very high. The reviewers also awarded it a perfect score for covering existing colors and resisting stains. Consumer Reports also gave Behr Ultra exterior paint a fair rating of 75. They liked the paint overall but cited its diminishing appearance after six years.

Real Simple listed Behr as its fourth favorite paint brand in its list of the best interior paint brands. They loved its price and the convenience of being sold at Home Depot.

Lastly, Business Insider called Behr Premium Plus exterior paint their favorite exterior paint.  The reviewers liked the durability and coverage the paint provided and the fact that it works on many surfaces.

Valspar

Retail Times recounted that Valspar outperformed the competition in Good Housekeeping’s interior paint test. The reviewers called Valspar premium the best washable paint and applauded its resistance to scuffs and scratches, even after heavy cleaning.

In its Valspar Signature paint review, Good Housekeeping gave Valspar Signature paint 4 stars out of 5. The reviewers liked its coverage and how well it resisted stains and didn’t fade, even after a lot of time in direct sunlight. The only thing they weren’t keen on was the application, which felt uneven.

Good Housekeeping also liked the Valspar Ultra Premium paint, giving it 3.5 stars. The reviewers found it great for high-traffic areas, noting that it delivered a lot of value for the price. However, they did say that the coverage wasn’t great, so more than one coat is needed. 

Both Brands

In its list of the best interior paints, Good Housekeeping listed both Behr and Valspar colors among its favorites of the year. The reviewers listed Valspar Signature as their runner-up paint collection, after Benjamin Moore Regal, because they love the finish and depth of color. They chose Behr Marquee as the best paint to cover an existing color, noting that it can be tinted to over 200 colors.

The Spruce listed Valspar Signature as its favorite matte paint and Valspar High-Gloss as its favorite glossy paint. The reviewers also chose Behr Ultra in white as their favorite white paint.

Bob Vila chose Behr Premium Plus as its second favorite interior paint and Valspar signature as its third. The reviewers were impressed with the coverage, durability, and low odor of both paints.

Business Insider gave Behr Premium Plus the top spot on its list of the best interior paints and awarded Valspar Signature the second. The reviewers liked the range of colors Behr offers and that the primer is included. They thought Valspar performed very well for hiding imperfections.

Lastly, in The Spruce’s list of the best exterior paints, the reviewers chose Behr Premium Plus exterior paint as their favorite. They thought it offered excellent protection against weather and mildew and held up against fading. They chose Valspar Duramax as their favorite paint for wood because it provides extra protection from moisture.

Bottom Line: Should You Buy Behr or Valspar Paint?

Now that you know how Behr and Valspar paint compares, you’ve probably noticed that they are pretty similar.

Behr paint seems to have a bit more industry buzz around it and is noted for its durability and one-coat premium line, Behr Marquee.

Valspar has a few more product offerings, including cheap paint for budget projects.

The most significant difference between Behr and Valspar is their availability. You can find a great color and coverage option that fits within your budget from either brand, but it doesn’t matter if you can’t get the paint.

If you live near a Home Depot, go with Behr. It generally offers better coverage per coat than Valspar, and it can be tinted to over 200 unique colors in-store.

Even though it is slightly more expensive, Behr Marquee paint is widely considered the best-covering paint on the market.

Valspar paint is still a solid option, especially if you don’t live near a Home Depot. If you choose Valspar, just be sure to purchase enough paint for additional coats to areas that need extra coverage.

Bottom line — you get what you pay for when it comes to paint. The more expensive paints from both brands (Behr Marquee and Valspar Reserve) will provide better coverage and durability than the cheaper paints (Behr Premium Plus and Valspar Simplicity).

Read more reviews and learn more about these brands at the links below.

• Behr at HomeDepot.com and Behr.com
• Valspar at Lowes.com and Valspar.com