Best Paint Brush For Wood
Hey friends! Do you have a new painting job you want to carry out but no clue on the kind of brush to use? There are different types of these brushes, so you might be confused about which one to buy. Therefore, I’m going to give you a detailed list of the best brushes for polyurethane.
Remember that getting a polyurethane finishing requires a good polyurethane brush so, not only will I show you the best brush for polyurethane, but I will also do reviews featuring the pros and cons of them. Now, tag along while we dive right into the best deals of the year!
Purdy Nylox Brushes: This brush gives an amazing finish when working with water-based products like latex paint and polyacrylic.It glides on smoothly and comes in several different sizes. I really love the angled brushes – they work really well for cutting in around edges and also work well on flat surfaces. To determine the best paint rollers for your needs, consider the size, shape and roughness of the surface to be painted. Compared to paint brushes, rollers can provide a coat of paint with a particularly smooth finish whether using a natural or synthetic fabric cover. Need help identifying paint supplies? The Proform CS1.0AS Angle Sash Paint Brush provides a 2-inch wide paintbrush with a professional angle and a natural, smooth wooden handle. An angled-cut sash handle ensures that the paintbrush is handled well and that edges and corners are dealt with perfectly. Presa Premium Paint Brush Set. This Presa Premium Paint Brush set is best to increase productivity. With this brush, you can work much faster due to its great ability to hold thirty percent more paint than any other normal brush. Its premium brush gives more precision to the work and stains the wood smoothly. Use brushes for staining or finishing. Rinse well after use. For Polycrylic® Brushes, clean with soap and water. For Wood Finish™ and Polyurethane brushes, clean with mineral spirits or paint thinner, following to manufacturer's safety instructions. Store in its cardboard package between uses.
Table of Contents
- Top 7 Best Brushes for Polyurethane Reviews
Our Top Picks Here:
Top 7 Best Brushes for Polyurethane Reviews
- Best Overall: Purdy Paint Brush
- Best Versatile: Hiltex Paint Brush Set
- Best High End: Wooster Brush Foam King
- Best Oil Based:Wooster Brush 4-inch
- Best Water Based: Wooster Brush Silver-Tip
- Best for Professional: Presa Premium Paint Brush Set
- Best Commercial: Pro Grade Paintbrush Set
1. Purdy Paint Brush – All Paints and Stains
One of the most famous brushes in the Purdy brand is all the paints and stains brush. It performs a great job when it is used for your painting projects.
Therefore, it is recommended for your various painting projects and with any finish, not just polyurethane.
The quality of the brush is top-notch, and it is manufactured in a way that it will return to its original composure after painting.
Plus, the manufacturers added a keeper that keeps the bristles of the brush together, thus, maintaining their shape and increasing its shelf life.
Did you know the keepers prevent water from entering the brush? Yes, they also increase airflow so that paintbrush won’t stick together and hard when dry.
View on Amazon
The primary function of the brush is to apply polyurethane and other coatings like primers, oil-based paints, stains, and latex to walls. Originally, the brush is a little rigid, so it will be a great idea to use it outdoor where the temperature will be conducive.
The bristles of the brush are a mixture of Orel Polyester and Chinex nylon, which provides the utmost performance and versatility.
It disallows the polyurethane brush from dragging on the surface, ensuring smooth application.
Pros:
- Perfect brush with high-quality for experts
- Long-lasting bristles
- Leaves a very smooth finish
- The polyurethane brush absorbs a lot of paint at once
- It does not produce drag during painting
- One of the best brush to apply polyurethane
Cons:
- The brushes are not ideal for staining
- The bristles may remove easily
2. Hiltex Paint Brush Set – Various sizes
The best brushes for polyurethane are the Hiltex brush set. With the five different sizes available, it can be used to achieve different techniques and shades in your project.
Also, the polyester bristles have feathery ends that hold extra paint for higher efficiency during projects.
Also, the durable wooden handles are perfect for painting, staining, and varnishing.
They’re unique brushes and suitable for water-based paints and polyurethanes, and they’re just right for people who do not have a complex project to complete.
With their great finishing feature, these polyurethane brushes leave your work looking spectacular.
View on Amazon
Another great aspect of this brand is that it is easy to clean the polyurethane brush with water. Without adding a solvent, all you need is swirl the bristles in water, and you are to go!
Pros:
- Various brushes for achieving great results in projects
- Sturdy wooden handle
- The prices are not exorbitant
- It is easy to clean
Cons:
- It does not have a high shelf-life
- The bristles may come off at any time
3. Wooster Brush Foam King Paintbrush
The multipurpose Wooster brush can be used for stain and varnishes too. It is a top-notch brush that is 2 inches wide, although the size varies depending on the quantity ordered.
Nevertheless, the two-inch brush still provides the best coverage you can imagine.
As the perfect foam brush for polyurethane, it doesn’t fail to leave a sleek finish with no brush marks.
To achieve a regular flex and a tidy result, it comes with a white plastic handle with an in-built hardener.
This increases the value of the brush among its other competitors in the business industry.
View on Amazon
The amazing about the foam brush is the ability it has to curve softly with little pressure to give you an even coating of paint. Unlike other foams, this brush comes with that feature.
Pros:
- Quality foam brush
- Sleek application on the surface it is used on
- Simple to clean after use
- It is sturdy
Cons:
- The foam may detach from the handle of the brush
- It has a feeble plastic handle
4. Wooster Brush 4-inch Polyester Paintbrush- Top Brush for Oil-Based Polyurethane
Since the ninth century, Wooster has been in the business of making painting brushes.
This brush is the best brush for oil polyurethane with the top-quality nylon and gold polyester, thereby making it excellent for applying the latex, oil-based paints, and various types of finishes, not excluding polyurethane.
Do you remember we mentioned its brush is made of gold polyester? Well, that filament withstands high temperatures making it resistant to abrasion.
The brush is simplified for use due to its cushy handle, and bendy bristles qualify it for many types of projects. More so, the handle contains a little hole near the tip for stowing it away.
Notwithstanding the pros of this brush, it can be quite challenging for our petite friends. If you have small hands, holding this brush might be strenuous.
Also, you may need to acquire the skill of painting before you can be able to handle this brush.
View on Amazon
Generally, it is yet another best brush for polyurethane for giving your projects that finishing touch.
Pros:
- Top-notch brush
- An excellent choice for your do-it-yourself tasks
- Efficient bristles
- Very affordable
Cons:
- Challenging to hold for people with small hands
- You can’t use it outdoors
5. Wooster Brush Silver-Tip Angle Sash- Perfect for Both Oil & Water-Based Polyurethanes
Rather than buying a low-quality brush, all in the name of saving money, buy a higher quality brush like the angle sash brush.
It will be 100% better with a sleek finish and worth for your money.
The Wooster Brush Organization is famous for its original and creative quality brushes. Its top products had successfully made their way to the markets since its incorporation in the 19th century.
The most remarkable feature of the paintbrush is its thin filament, bendy, and soft silver tip.
It is designed to give a perfect finish without leaving any mark whatsoever.
View on Amazon
As well, its high-quality synthetic bristle brush has extraordinary leveling properties with polyurethane. However, when you’re using it, you’ll observe that it works well when you apply polyurethane or varnish on wood.
Its stainless steel ferrule ensures that the brush doesn’t rust, which increases its shelf-life. The brush is made of a hardwood handle that is long enough to keep you comfortable while you’re finishing your project with polyurethane.
Pros:
- It has superb bristles
- The brush is long-lasting with aluminum ferrule
- There is the provision of a wooden handle for ease during painting
Cons:
- It holds extra paint
6. Presa Premium Paint Brush Set – Various sizes
These premium brushes increase your efficiency with carefully designed paintbrushes for professionals. The SRT filaments increase the pain holding capacity of the brush.
These filaments give a smooth and even release, resulting in accuracy and precision.
Also, the paintbrush can withstand rough surfaces for heavy-duty jobs, walls, doors, furniture, vases, and much more.
Its SRT filaments are easy to clean thereby, making the brushes reusable for a long time.
They’re equally responsible for the non-flimsy bristles.
View on Amazon
The Presa premium brush is a multipurpose polyurethane brush that can be used indoors, outdoors, oil, and water-based paint.
Pros:
- It is best brush for water based polyurethane
- It can be used anywhere
- The brush is reusable
- SRT filaments that flimsy bristles
Cons:
- The bristles may clump together after a painting job
- The paint may drop and mess up your project
- Not ideal for major painting projects
7. Pro Grade Paintbrush Set
Get these under $20 paintbrushes with high-quality! You might be wondering if you can apply polyurethane with these small brushes. Well, the answer is yes!
The brushes can be used for all paints, varnishes, and as a wall paintbrush, exterior, and interior paintbrush, or trim paintbrush. You could even use it for that fence of yours that looks old and mucky.
Like most good paintbrushes, it comes with an aluminum ferrule for durable and multiple washes.
You do not need to be a pro before you can use these brushes.
Plus, they come in fives, so you have a variety of sizes to choose from for your project. Great, isn’t it?
View on Amazon
Pros:
- Multi-purpose uses
- It comes with an aluminum ferrule
- It is simple for professionals and beginners to use.
- It can be re-washed.
- The price is not alarming
Cons:
- There are no enough bristles
- It is not stressful to remove the paint.
Conclusion
Yippee!! You’ve made it to the end. Let us take a recap on what we have said all day. First of all, we were able to list the top 10 best brushes for polyurethane, their features, pros, and cons.
After all this, we have come to the end of our journey. How are you going to pick the one paintbrush you would not regret? Had a tough time? Well, let me help you out.
From what we have discussed today, the best choice is going to…THE Pro Grade Paintbrush Set!!! With its pros overruling its cons and the highest number of positive reviews, almost five stars, it will be best to go for it.
However, if you do not agree with this answer, you can always choose the one that caught your eye the most. See you!
Related Item:
Pyrography pen
Paint for pressure treated wood
My friend John asked me to come over and help him with some crown molding he was getting ready to put up in his new family room. He had some beautiful poplar boards milled to match the trim in the rest of his house, and while I would have opted for a stain to highlight the wavy grain, John and Becky (mostly Becky) wanted it painted. “Happy wife, happy life.” So, paint it was.
When I arrived, John had the boards laid out on sawhorses in his garage, with newspapers spread out to protect the floor. But then he handed me a two-inch wide foam brush. “John,” I said, “Haven’t you heard? The better the brush, the better the finish.”
Which launched us into a discussion of how to choose the right brush for each project. Some of John and Becky’s trim was going to be stained and sealed with a clear finish, which gave me a chance (while we were working) to explain to John how to pick the best brush when you are staining and finishing. Take a look and see what John learned.
Why Does It Matter?
As I explained to John, a brush is a means of transporting a stain or finish from the can to the wood. When applying the stain, you can use either a rag or a brush. I prefer a brush, as it works better for getting stain into into corners and carvings, but you don’t have to use an expensive one or, for that matter, being excessively neat. That’s because your next step will be to wipe off any excess stain, so your rag will erase any brush marks, runs, drips or bristles left by your brush.
When laying down a smooth coat of clear finish, however, the brush will have a major impact on how it looks when it dries. That’s when picking the right brush really becomes important. And as I said to John, “You wouldn’t use a sledgehammer to drive in a finish nail, so why use a foam brush to try to lay down a smooth coat of finish?”
Foam Brushes.
I must admit, I do occasionally use foam brushes when staining a small project. Their greatest selling point is they are inexpensive.
But when it comes to applying a smooth coat of clear finish, such as polyurethane, a foam brush is not my first choice. Instead of bristles, it has a blade. The blunt sides leave two parallel ridges of finish, like a snowplow on the highway. Also, the foam head contains air, which can leave bubbles in your finish.
And if you use it for very long, the foam head begins to wear out and get floppy. It will even start to dissolve as you are brushing on stains and finishes containing mineral spirits or lacquer thinner.
Oil-Based Stains and Finishes.
Oil-based products contain mineral spirits, and for them I reach for a natural bristle brush.
For oil-based stains I use a Minwax® Wood Finish™ Stain Brush. These brushes are designed to carry a lot of stain from the can to your project, and hold up much better than foam brushes.
And unlike foam brushes, these natural bristles brushes can be cleaned with ordinary mineral spirits (paint thinner) and re-used indefinitely.
Much better than tossing dozens of foam brushes a year into the garbage can!
Water-Based Stains and Finishes.
Unlike mineral spirits, water causes natural bristles to swell. As they do, they loose their shape. Rather than use a natural bristle brush with water-based stains and clear finishes and watch it swell out of shape (top brush), I use a synthetic bristle brush, such as Minwax® Polycrylic® Brush (bottom brush). These bristles won’t absorb water and won’t lose their shape.
And clean-up is a breeze with soap and water.
Quick Tip: After cleaning, wrap the damp bristles in a paper towel, then secure with a rubber band. Once the bristles are dry, slip your brush back into its cardboard sleeve to maintain their shape.
Use the hole in the end of the handle to hang your brush to dry with the bristles pointing down, letting any remnants of stain or finish escape before hardening.
Good, Better, Best.
As I told John, not all brushes are created equal. They can range in price from less than a dollar to more than twenty dollars. You can spot the difference in three areas: the handle, the bristles, and the ferrel, which holds the bristles to the handle.
Handle – If you used a brush every day to make a living, you would want a contoured handle. Most of us are perfectly content with a standard handle that costs less to make.
Ferrel – Check the metal band holding the bristles to the handle to make sure it is secure. Tug gently on the bristles to see if the ferrel has a firm grasp on them.
Bristles – These should be soft and pliable.
Best Paint Brush For Wood Fence
In this photo, the foam brush at the top rates a “Good,” the bristle brush in the middle is a “Better,” and the professional brush at the bottom rates a “Best.”
It Takes All Three.
Just as you have different sizes and types of screwdrivers in your workshop, odds are you will need all three types of brushes: foam, natural bristle, and synthetic bristle. You will also want to have them in different widths to fit the different size of cans of stains and clear finishes. The best time to buy them is before you need them, so pick out a selection of types and sizes, store them in a drawer to keep the dirt and dust off them, and clean them after each use. The reward for your efforts will be a stain and a finish that is as smooth as any professional could have achieved.
Best Paint Brush For Wood Stain
Good Luck!
Best Paint Brush For Wood Sealer
Bruce