Benjamin Moore Regal Review

I’ve been a professional painter and decorator for the majority of my working life and boast over 30 years in the trade. I’m also qualified in interior design and have a flair for quality.

I opt for the very best paint products on the market. I don’t mind paying a premium price if it means the overall quality of my decorating work is a step above that of any other decorator in my area. Benjamin Moore Regal is a product I use on a regular basis, so I thought I’d sit down and share an honest review.

Benjamin Moore Regal is an interior emulsion used on walls and ceilings. Available online, you should expect to pay around £25 per litre, which is certainly premium in terms of price tag. It is available in loads of different colours, and if buying online, you’re even offered colour suggestions you know will work together. The finish is durable, meaning you can use Benjamin Moore Regal in high-traffic areas such as hallways, or even kitchens.

Available Finishes

I prefer to use Benjamin Moore Regal in ‘Flat’, simply because it leaves you with a more contemporary finish. However, as was pointed out to me recently, this paint is available in various finishes. I thought I’d explain them in simple terms.

Flat – extremely low sheen, and a very chalky finish. This is a great contemporary look for walls and ceilings, which also helps to hide surface blemishes and bad plaster work. I normally steer my clients towards this option.

Matte – I’d still call this a low-sheen paint compared to other durable matt emulsion products on the market. However, there is slightly more sheen than the ‘Flat’ option.

Eggshell – Sheen level of around 20%, which, although the overall appearance isn’t as desirable, helps with condensation as water runs off. You might use Benjamin Moore Regal Eggshell in a bathroom or a kitchen.

Pearl – This is basically a mid-sheen. I haven’t used it, but I don’t like shiny walls as a rule.

Semi-Gloss – A step up in sheen again. This is basically silk emulsion.

My Benjamin Moore Regal Review

As mentioned in the opening paragraph, I don’t mind paying a premium price for premium quality paint, and Benjamin Moore Regal is the perfect example. You can tell as soon as you start using it that it’s a step above normal trade paint. It flows lovely and is silky-smooth off the brush.

Opacity is on another level too! You can almost achieve a full colour change in one coat, which means you can dilute Benjamin Moore Regal to make it go further. Saying that, a small tin goes surprisingly far anyway.

The best thing about buying a paint like this is the quality of the pigments, which makes the overall finish richer, with a real sense of depth. It seems to be more metameric than any other emulsion I’ve used too, meaning you can pick up different subtle undertones in different lights.

There are other premium emulsions I love. Little Greene for example, and Johnstone’s Perfect Matt, but I always come back to Benjamin Moore Regal. This is the paint I use in my own home, and it’s the one I try and steer my customers towards. If you have the budget, and you want the very best emulsion on the market, then Benjamin Moore Regal is the one. Nothing else comes close. Click here to see latest prices.

Below are a few photos of work I carried out using Benjamin Moore Regal.

Review Summary

FAQs

Which is better Ben or Regal?

Regal is Benjamin Moore’s most premium emulsion. Ben is more affordable, and still good quality if you compare it to trade paints. But the application, finish, and durability of Regal is much better.

Does Benjamin Moore Regal paint need two coats?

Two coats for a solid colour change. I know the superior opacity means it almost looks solid after one, but you should always apply two.

What is Benjamin Moore Regal Select used for?

Moore Regal Select is a high-end emulsion used for interior walls and ceilings. Because it is durable, you might use it in high-traffic areas and kitchens, but it looks great anywhere in the home.

Does Benjamin Moore Regal need primer?

Benjamin Moore Regal is self-priming on most surfaces. Just dilute the first coat if you’re using it on plastered walls. However, bare wood needs to be primed with a specialist product.

What is Benjamin Moore’s highest quality paint?

Benjamin Moore Regal or Scuff X, both amazing quality products. I’d say Regal is better for walls, but Scuff X is best for woodwork.

Is Regal Select better than Aura?

I’d say so. Aura is more durable, so you might use it in a bathroom. However, Benjamin Moore Regal in unbelievably good in any other room. I’d put it above any other emulsion on the market.

Other Benjamin Moore Products

I thought I’d touch on a couple of the other Benjamin Moore products I’ve used. The first is Scuff X, which was primarily manufactured as an emulsion, but most decorators use as a satinwood (including me). It’s probably the best satinwood on the market. The flow is fantastic, as is opacity and adhesion. The best thing about Scuff X is how quick and easy it is to apply. You don’t need to think about it at all, just lash it on and then stand back in awe as it dries. You won’t find better. Click here to learn more.

Benjamin Moore Stix Primer is another product to talk about. This is a water-based adhesion primer, which can be used to prime difficult surfaces such as wrapped kitchens, surfaces previously painted with oil-based gloss, and more. It’s quick drying, easy to apply, has great opacity and stix like mad to whatever you paint with it. Click here to learn more.

The next product I want to mention is Benjamin Moore Aura, which is another interior emulsion. Now just in case you thought I was being biased in any way, let me put your mind at ease. Aura is a terrible product. The opacity is ok, but the finish does not justify the price you pay for the product. I struggle with flashing and roller marks when I use this paint. Stick with Regal.

Best Tools to Use to Apply Benjamin Moore Regal

This is quite a difficult section. Not because I don’t know my way around decorating tools (I have a vast selection), but Benjamin Moore Regal is so quick and easy to apply, that any good quality emulsion brush and medium-pile roller will be fine. You can even spray this emulsion with ease and the finish you achieve will be perfect every time.

However, I do have my favourites. As mentioned above, you should use a medium-pile roller to apply Benjamin Moore Regal. I like the Hamilton Perfection (Hammy Green) over any of the others. Either 9 or 12-inch is fine. You’ll find it holds loads of paint, spreads it evenly, and leaves a cracking finish. Available online here.

As for the brush, I could have gone with almost anything really. Arroworthy are great, as is Purdy, but I think the best for this type of paint is the ProDec Ice Fusion, simply because Benjamin Moore Regal does not drag at all. The ProDec Ice Fusion has soft bristles, which are a pain when you’re working with paint that drags, but it performs beautifully with paint with good flow.  Available online here.

What do Other Decorators Think of Benjamin Moore Regal?