As a professional decorator, I know durable matt emulsion on walls can be a godsend if you have pets, young children, or you’re painting in high-traffic areas. They’re also suitable for most bathrooms and pretty much all kitchens. As a paint geek and regular blogger, I thought I’d take a little bit of time to sit down and guide together outlining the most mainstream products available, and my thoughts on each. As you can tell, I’m brutally honest. I hope you find it useful.
Dulux Trade Diamond Matt
It’s fair to say Dulux is a household name. Their trade version of durable matt is a product called Diamond matt. The shelf price for this paint is just over £80 for a 5L tin in a colour, so it’s a bit on the pricey side.
You can have Dulux Diamond Matt tinted into any one of Dulux’s extensive colour range, and it is available online, any Dulux Decorating Centre, or loads of other independent trade merchants. The opacity is good, and the application is quick and easy. Unfortunately, the sheen level of this product is a tad high, which leads to a few problems with regards to finish. If you’re not careful you will end up with visible roller marks and picture framing. Overall, I’d give this durable matt 4 / 10. For its price you would expect it to perform a lot better than it does.
Johnstone’s Acrylic Durable Matt
The shelf price for this gear is just over £80 for a 5L in colour so it’s roughly the same as the Dulux Diamond, however people with a trade account will get a nice discount. You can have it mixed into any Johnstone’s or Leyland colours and they’re pretty good at matching other brands too. You can buy this directly from Johnstone’s Decorating Centres, or online from Paint Shed.
The opacity of this durable matt in light colours is poor, however the stronger colours tend to cover well in two coats. The sheen level is probably a little bit higher than you’d want, but the overall finish of this product is relatively good. It will clog your brushes on a hot day, but that’s only a minor gripe.
I use this product as a professional decorator and have a lot of confidence in it. All in all, I’d give it 7/10. There is nothing wrong with it really, but if you put This paint next to one of the following products on this list, you’ll see the finish isn’t as good.
It’s worth mentioning that Johnstone’s also do variations of this product which are more durable.
Crown Clean Extreme Durable Matt
Shelf price in Crown is currently just less than £70 for a 5L in colour. You can have it mixed into any colour from Crown’s range, and they do scan colours in store if you need it matching into a different brand.
This is a better durable matt emulsion in terms of overall finish than Johnstone’s and Dulux. The sheen level is still slightly high, but you won’t experience any blemishes such as roller marks or brush marks, and you’re left with a lovely depth.
Toknos Pr5
Teknos Pro5 is probably the best durable matt emulsion for walls you’ll ever find. Available online, opacity and ease of use are perfect. The finish is unbelievably good!! You’re left with a dead flat matt with no imperfections at all. If you buy this paint from somewhere like TopDec Decorating Centres, you can just choose a Farrow and Ball colour and have them match it.
MacPherson and Amstead very good cheaper option, l don’t really buy the scrub durability rating etc, there’s been plenty info tests etc online about it.. premium durable matt brands have underperformed.
It doesn’t really made much difference in real time Mrs Smith’s kitchen, a decent flat finish that is wipeable is all that matters.
Surprised you didn’t include Tikkurila Optiva 3 0r 5 in this comparison review as these 2 products are fantastic easy to use can be ordered online or at some decorating merchants can also be mixed to match Dulux farrow and ball little green etc colours and are pretty spot on . the 3 is dead flat 5 has a slight sheen but no where near as much as Dulux diamond Matt
I shall add it today