California Paints Vs Benjamin Moore: The Proven Best
For most DIYers and homeowners, Benjamin Moore is the proven best choice over California Paints. It offers superior durability, wider availability, and an unmatched color selection. This makes it a more reliable and user-friendly option for achieving beautiful, professional-looking results on your projects.
Choosing the right paint can feel overwhelming. You walk into a store, see walls of paint cans, and hear names like Benjamin Moore and California Paints. Which one is better? It’s a question that can stop a project right in its tracks. You want a paint that looks great, lasts long, and is easy to use. But the technical details can be confusing.
Don’t worry, I’ve been there too. The good news is that making the right choice is easier than you think. In this guide, I’ll break down the real-world differences between California Paints and Benjamin Moore. We’ll look at everything from how they go on the wall to how they hold up to daily life. Together, we’ll find the perfect paint for your next project.
Before we dive into a side-by-side battle, let’s get to know our two contenders. Both are respected brands, but they come from different corners of the paint world. Understanding their history and focus will help you see why one might be a better fit for you than the other.
Meet Benjamin Moore: The Homeowner’s Favorite
Benjamin Moore is a name most people recognize. Founded in 1883, they have built a powerful reputation for quality and innovation. They are famous for their rich, beautiful colors and durable finishes that are designed for real homes and real families.
One of their biggest innovations is their proprietary Gennex® Color Technology. Instead of using universal colorants that can weaken paint, Benjamin Moore makes its own colorants that fortify it. This means the color you pick stays true and the paint film remains strong and durable. It’s a big reason why their paints cover so well and resist fading over time.
- Known For: Premium quality, incredible color selection, and homeowner-friendly products.
- Where to Buy: Widely available at thousands of independently owned paint and hardware stores across the country.
- Best For: DIYers and homeowners who want reliable, beautiful, and long-lasting results for interiors, exteriors, and furniture.
Meet California Paints: The Professional’s Choice
California Paints has been around since 1926, starting as a small manufacturer in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They have always focused on creating high-performance coatings, earning a loyal following among professional painters and contractors who demand performance and durability on the job site.
Their claim to fame is creating the first-ever, 100% acrylic latex paint. Today, they are known for tough, scrubbable finishes. Products like their Trillion Super-Scrub line are designed to withstand serious cleaning and wear, making them a go-to for high-traffic commercial spaces like schools and hospitals.
- Known For: Exceptional durability, high-performance formulas, and a reputation among pros.
- Where to Buy: Primarily found at specialty paint retailers and dealers that cater to professionals.
- Best For: Projects that require maximum washability and scuff resistance, like commercial buildings, busy hallways, or kitchens.
Head-to-Head Comparison: Which Paint Brand Wins?
Now for the main event. Let’s put these two brands head-to-head on the factors that matter most for your project: durability, coverage, color, price, and more. This will give you a clear picture of which brand delivers the best performance and value.
Durability and Longevity
Durability is all about how well your paint stands up to life. Can it handle scrubbing? Does it resist scuffs and stains? A durable paint job means less touch-up work for you later on.
Benjamin Moore
Thanks to their Gennex colorants, Benjamin Moore paints like Aura and Regal Select create an incredibly tough finish. The color is locked into the paint film, not just suspended in it. This makes it highly resistant to scuffs, stains, and fading. Regal Select is legendary for its washability—you can clean off crayon marks or spaghetti sauce without damaging the sheen or color. For most homes, this level of durability is more than enough to keep walls looking fresh for years.
California Paints
This is where California Paints truly shines. Their entire brand is built on toughness. Their top-tier paints, like Trillion and Super-Scrub Ceramic, are engineered for extreme durability. They use advanced ceramic technology that creates a rock-hard surface. You can scrub these paints aggressively without burnishing (creating shiny spots). This level of durability is often overkill for a quiet bedroom but is a lifesaver in a mudroom, playroom, or busy commercial space.
Winner: California Paints (for extreme scrubbability), but Benjamin Moore is the winner for all-around home durability.
Coverage and Application
Great coverage means you use less paint and less time to get the job done. A paint that applies smoothly without drips or roller marks makes the entire project feel easier, especially for a beginner.
Benjamin Moore
Benjamin Moore paints are known for their beautiful, buttery consistency. They flow off the brush and roller smoothly, which helps you avoid mistakes. Premium lines like Aura and Regal Select are “paint and primer in one” and have excellent hiding power. This means you can often cover a previous color in just two coats, sometimes even one if the color change isn’t dramatic. This saves a huge amount of time and effort.
California Paints
California Paints are also thick and offer great coverage, as you’d expect from a professional-grade product. They are designed to hide imperfections and cover surfaces efficiently. However, some painters find them slightly thicker and less forgiving for a DIYer. A professional can make it look easy, but a beginner might find it a bit harder to achieve a perfectly smooth finish without practice.
Winner: Benjamin Moore. Its smooth, forgiving application makes it much more beginner-friendly.
Color Selection and Accuracy
Choosing a color is the most exciting part of painting! You need a brand that offers beautiful options and ensures the color in the can matches the swatch on the card.
Benjamin Moore
This is Benjamin Moore’s knockout punch. With over 3,500 colors, their selection is massive and expertly curated. Their historical colors and designer favorites are iconic. Because they control the entire system with their Gennex technology, the color consistency is unmatched. The sample pot you try will perfectly match the gallon you buy, and a touch-up can years later will still be a perfect match. This reliability is a huge confidence booster. As noted by industry experts, consistent color is crucial for achieving a professional finish, a standard upheld by top interior designers who rely on the brand.
California Paints
California Paints has a very respectable color palette, including the popular Historical Colors of America collection. Their colors are rich and true. However, their library is smaller and more traditional compared to Benjamin Moore’s vast and trend-setting selection. While the quality is excellent, you simply have fewer options to choose from.
Winner: Benjamin Moore, by a landslide. Their color library and accuracy are the industry standard.
Price and Overall Value
Let’s talk about the cost. Both Benjamin Moore and California Paints are premium brands, so you won’t find them at bargain-basement prices. But a higher price can mean better value if the paint performs well.
| Brand & Product Tier | Average Price per Gallon | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Moore Aura (Top Tier) | $80 – $95 | Ultimate color depth and durability. Perfect for high-traffic areas and feature walls. |
| Benjamin Moore Regal Select (High Tier) | $70 – $80 | The workhorse of the line. Excellent durability, washability, and easy application. |
| California Paints Trillion (Top Tier) | $75 – $90 | Extreme scrubbability and toughness. Ideal for commercial settings or very busy homes. |
| California Paints Super-Scrub (High Tier) | $65 – $75 | A strong, washable paint that provides professional-grade durability. |
As you can see, the prices are very competitive. The real question is value. A gallon of Benjamin Moore Regal Select might cost more than a budget paint, but if it covers in two coats instead of three and lasts for ten years instead of five, you’ve saved money, time, and hassle. For most homeowners, Benjamin Moore’s balance of price, ease of use, and beautiful results provides superior overall value.
Winner: Benjamin Moore. It provides exceptional value for the homeowner through superior coverage and user-friendly application, reducing the total cost and effort of a project.
VOCs and Environmental Friendliness
VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) are chemicals that are released into the air as paint dries. They can affect indoor air quality, which is why choosing a low- or zero-VOC paint is so important. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notes that these compounds can have adverse health effects.
Benjamin Moore
Benjamin Moore has been a leader in this area. Their Gennex colorants contain zero VOCs, which is unique. This means that even when you tint a deep, dark color, you are not adding VOCs back into the paint. Many of their most popular products, including Aura and Regal Select, are available in low- or zero-VOC formulas.
California Paints
California Paints also takes environmental responsibility seriously. They offer a range of low-VOC and zero-VOC products in their Enviro-Tech line. They meet strict environmental standards and provide safe, healthy options for any project.
Winner: A Tie. Both brands offer excellent, environmentally friendly options. Benjamin Moore’s zero-VOC colorant system gives them a slight edge, but you can’t go wrong with either for a healthier home.
Popular Product Lines Compared
To help you even more, let’s look at a direct comparison of their most popular product lines for interior painting. This table will help you match a product to your specific needs.
| Project Need | Benjamin Moore Recommendation | California Paints Recommendation | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highest Quality & Deepest Color | Aura Interior | Trillion Interior | Both are top-of-the-line with unparalleled performance, but Aura is known for its incredible color richness. |
| Best All-Around (Durability & Value) | Regal Select Interior | Super-Scrub Ceramic Interior | Regal Select is famously user-friendly. Super-Scrub offers slightly better washability but can be less forgiving to apply. |
| Reliable & Affordable Quality | ben Interior | Fres-Coat Interior | Both are excellent entry-level premium paints. ben is known for its smooth application, making it great for beginners. |
| Ceilings | Waterborne Ceiling Paint | Ultra-Aqua Ceiling Paint | Both are ultra-flat to hide imperfections and resist spatter. Benjamin Moore’s is often praised for being the flattest finish on the market. |
The Final Verdict: Which Paint is Proven Best?
After looking at every angle, from durability to color, a clear winner emerges for the average DIYer and homeowner.
Benjamin Moore is the proven best choice.
Here’s why: It hits the sweet spot on everything a homeowner needs. The application is smooth and forgiving, which builds confidence for beginners. The coverage is excellent, saving you time and paint. The color selection and accuracy are second to none, ensuring you get the exact look you dreamed of. And its durability is more than enough to handle the demands of a busy household.
California Paints is a fantastic brand that makes an incredibly tough product. If you are painting a commercial kitchen, a hospital hallway, or a garage that gets a lot of abuse, it is an amazing choice. But for living rooms, bedrooms, and even kitchens in a typical home, its extreme scrubbability isn’t always necessary, and it comes at the cost of ease of use and color choice.
Think of it like this: California Paints is a heavy-duty work truck, built for the toughest jobs. Benjamin Moore is a high-end SUV, combining performance, comfort, and style perfectly for everyday life. For your home projects, the SUV is almost always the better ride.
Your Quick Guide to Choosing
Choose Benjamin Moore If:
- You are a DIYer or beginner looking for a forgiving paint.
- Color choice is your top priority.
- You want a reliable, beautiful finish that’s easy to achieve.
- You need to buy paint from a store that’s easy to find.
Choose California Paints If:
- Your number one priority is extreme durability and scrubbability.
- You are painting a very high-traffic or commercial area.
- You have a trusted professional paint store nearby that stocks it.
- You are an experienced painter comfortable with thicker formulas.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is California Paints a good brand?
Yes, California Paints is an excellent brand. It is highly respected among professional painters for its exceptional durability, particularly its ability to withstand aggressive cleaning and scrubbing. It’s a high-performance product, even if it’s less known among homeowners.
Is Benjamin Moore worth the extra money?
Absolutely. While it costs more than budget paints, Benjamin Moore saves you money in the long run. Its superior coverage means you buy fewer gallons, its easy application saves you time, and its durability means you won’t have to repaint for many years. It’s an investment in a beautiful, long-lasting result.
Which Benjamin Moore paint is best for beginners?
Benjamin Moore’s Regal Select is a fantastic choice for beginners. It has great coverage, applies very smoothly, and is extremely durable and washable once cured. It’s a very forgiving paint that makes it easier to get a professional-looking finish, even on your first try.
Do I really need a primer with Benjamin Moore or California Paints?
It depends on the surface. For most repainting jobs where the previous paint is in good condition, a high-quality paint like Regal Select or Super-Scrub acts as a “paint and primer in one.” However, you should always use a dedicated primer on new drywall, bare wood, or when making a dramatic color change (like painting white over dark red). The experts at your local paint store can give you the best advice.
Where can I buy California Paints?
California Paints are sold primarily through independent paint dealers and retailers that cater to professional contractors. You won’t typically find them in big-box home improvement stores. You can use the dealer locator on their website to find a store near you.
What’s the biggest difference between their paint technologies?
The biggest difference lies in their core strengths. Benjamin Moore’s Gennex® Color Technology integrates colorants to strengthen the paint, resulting in superior color retention and durability. California Paints focuses on ceramic and acrylic technology to create an exceptionally hard, scrubbable surface designed for high-abuse environments.
Conclusion: Paint with Confidence
Choosing the right paint shouldn’t be a source of stress. It’s the first step toward transforming a room and making your house feel more like a home. By understanding the core strengths of both California Paints and Benjamin Moore, you can now walk into the paint store with confidence.
For the vast majority of your home projects, from a living room accent wall to a full kitchen cabinet makeover, Benjamin Moore offers the perfect blend of user-friendly application, stunning color, and robust durability. It empowers you to create beautiful, lasting results you can be proud of.
So go ahead, pick out that perfect color, grab your rollers, and get started on your next project. You’ve got this!
