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Behr is cheaper but I find that I have to use more coats to get the same coverage as I would get from a more expensive paint. I prefer Sherwin Williams but also like Benjamin Moore.

I Would certainly recommend the Aura. Its worth every penny if not more!. If you want a full review I did one on my site at Worthingtons Painting

Benjamin Moore is consistently a decent paint. Not great but decent. My experience with Behr is that it is not consistent. Sometimes I get a good quality and others no so much. SW also owns Valspar and though they have a decent price their better paints are pricey. I love the new C2 paint from PPG but it is hard to find. They have colors no one else can make or match and their coverage is tops. PPG also makes the best paint in the market which is the Ralph Loren Paint. It has true one coat coverage.

As to the walls peeling. Typically if you are painting you must paint the same sheen or go one step shinier. If you paint over a shinier sheen such as flat over eggshell you will get the peeling. If you desire to paint a lower sheen you will have to primer first.

They are not at the same pricepoints I believe. Bm is more expensive meaning more pigment, better paint, But hey two coats of any thing usually covers.

This is a great question and many homeowners here have left some interesting comments. In high school, I worked at Home Depot and a Benjamin Moore paint store, and having sold and used both paints, it is obvious to me that BM is the better product. I have found that using a BM paint, I can use two coats (sometimes 1) to get the coat done, guaranteed. With Behr, it might take 3 or more, and the finish isn't as deep or durable as BM. If you fall in love with a Behr color, ask your Benjamin Moore retailer if they can mix Behr colors in Benjamin Moore paint (the BM store I worked at could mix Valspar colors, Behr, etc...). Even though you might pay a bit more for Benjamin Moore, you have to remember you will be doing fewer coats which means less paint and less time!

My husband is painting a front door with behr paint ...he has put on seven coats so far with a blotchy finish ..will never use behr paint again !

To me it seems like Behr has changed dramatically over the years. In the past Behr had great coverage, today it seems like it takes a minimum of 3 coats to accomplish the task. Sometimes I'm still not happy with itI. have historical properties so it is some time difficult to get the quality I want with Behr. I have switched to Sherwin Williams and have never looked back.

If your doing it yourself, just get quality paint and products to work with. Don't use dollar store brushes and expect a quality look.

Heather, is it BM Aura that is 1st?

No BM Aura is 5th. Behr marquee 1st, behr premium plus 2nd and valspar 3rd..

Benjamin Moore every time. Not cheap but I find it covers really well & often doesn't require a second coat. Great time saver.

Consumer Reports "top" or "best of year" is consistently in opposition to what the public is reporting. Hrmm.

And that means what? CR is hogwash most of the time. If you are an advertiser they rate you better, period. BEHR is mediocre at best.

Benjamin Moore's top two product lines, Aura and Regal, have lifetime warranties and are considered true one coat paints. Their entry-level paint, Ben, has a 25-year warranty and is a great one to two coat paint. My wife and I have used all the major brands on our houses over the years and have concluded that Benjamin Moore is the go-to interior and exterior paint. Sherman Williams is a close second, and the rest of them are substandard contractor grades, especially Kelly Moore.

Dear Millworkman, You are sadly misinformed regarding Consumers Reports and how they develop their ratings and rankings.. What part of "Consumers Reports Does Not Take Ads and has secret shoppers buy all products anonymously as routine consumers" do you not understand?? They have their own huge structure of independent laboratories and test facilities. Get properly informed before you express uninformed opinions as facts.

All these reviews are highly anecdotal. We do not have access to all the details of the paint job. There are so many variables which can affect the outcome;

- were the walls well sealed? If not, they should be first primed

-are the walls extremely well sealed and glossy? Again, dulling the finish and priming should be done.

- what color are you putting over what other color. Obviously going over a color in the same color family is going to color better.

-what is the nature of the color? Bright, clear colors don't cover well, Dull colors generally cover much better.

-dark colors tend to give more problems of streaking or drying due to the high colorant amount, compared to light colors.

-what was the temperature and humidity in the room? Both low temps and high humidity retard drying of any paint.

- what type of paint was used ? A latex/acrylic paint or an alkyd or urethane based? The later two dry chemically. Latex paints are generally can be re-coated soon as the water has evaporated. Alkyds dry internally and if re-coated too soon can take days to fully dry!

- what quality of tools were used. Were they the proper tool for the job?

- were the instructions on the can followed?

Any of the above questions could adversely affect the outcome, yet the first thing homeowners do is curse that damned paint when something falls short of expectations.

Tried both. You get what you pay for. Behr does not have the best coverage and you cannot get away with 1 coat. However, Benjamin Moore you possibly could. Plus the eggshell finish with Behr has noticeably more sheen.

I am 60 years old and have been painting for a long time. Benjamin Moore is definitely better both in saturation, durability and the people at the BM stores are trained much better( at least in Canada and our area) But, Behrs is my second choice and I have used it many times as well. If budget is an issue, and you know exactly what colours you want and do not need any EXPERT advice, go with the Behrs. Do not ask the people who sell Behrs any questions about prepping, what paints can go over what paints , etc, as in my experience they think they know the answer based on their short training sessions instore, but they have steered me wrong in that dept many times years ago, learned my lesson the hard way. The BM finished dry texture is very velvety to the touch if that matters to you and has no splatter, it’s such a thick consistency. In Canada, BM is $70-90/ gallon, which is not cheap though. Hope this helps some, good luck and have fun. I love painting!

I already commented but did not say I always use BM Regal Select ultimate matte. The flat finish hides imperfections, can be touched up 2 or 3 yrs down the road without seeing it, it is scrubbable and looks very rich, but I guess sheen is personal preference.

I constantly read comments from consumers on how one paint covers better than the other. I always wonder how many of these users compared apples to apples, i.e. did they take the same color from both paint manufacturers and apply them side by side on the same substrate? Did they compare comparable paint qualities? All the major manufacturers make multiple lines of paint, ranging from "contractor's" crap paint to really good paint. There are many variables which determine how a paint covers, some inherent to the paint, and some determined by what is being covered. Frankly, I read these comments as merely anecdotal.

David Jensen: That is what Houzz is: a forum for ordinary people to give their opinions and views and talk about their experiences. I don't think it's claimed to be scientific empirical data. You are correct; these comments are anecdotal, but not "merely anecdotal".

Oh yes - contractor’s paint. I learned from my mistake. When we bought our home, we picked the colors from bam and the painters provided the paint. Never,never again. It will, of course be more expensive, bit I will buy the paint. They used the big tubs of bm paint - the coverage was good but not s good as the gallon paints. Also- if having your interior painted. Stick around a lot, because, as we found out, they only painted one coat on.a few rooms because, our mistakem, we were so buy moving etc. that we were never around to check. Now, ten years later, I have learned.

As a homeowner I've used both BM and Bher premium. BM is great but expensive. If you can afford it and plan on saying in your house a long time then go for it. You can get Bher to cover in 1 coat if going over similar shade. If changing color and the old paint is in good condition, you can skip the primer and do 2 coats of the color. I just did 2 coats of Behr premium grey over brick red no problem. There's no reason anyone should need 3 coats unless you really don't know how to paint. Invest in quality brushes and roller covers - going cheap there with give you lousy results.

As far as color matching, have them match by scanning a color chip from the competitor vs. going with what HD has in their system. I used what was in their system for BM classic gray and it was off. Didn't really matter much since I used it in the basement.

Bm bites

It’s not worth the price difference to use anything other than regular Behr paint. Been using that paint for 30 years in my owns houses, vacation homes, and rentals. My painter does a lot of work in DC, Potomac and Northern VA and paints some serious mansions. He will use whatever paint the homeowner chooses, but says there is no difference in quality. He is an absolute perfectionist when it comes to painting houses. It’s smoke and mirrors, people.

Behr is trim is gelatinous goop. And looks like cheap plastic. And never feels like its cured.And you need more coats for an even finish. Benjamin Moore is king, yahooo😉

How much faith do you place in Consumer’s Report findings that place Behr at the top?

It is a good starting reference point, however, as much as they try, it is often difficult to duplicate real world experience, especially with exterior paints, and worse yet, stains. I live in Western Oregon. How do you compare Oregon's long, wet, mild winters, followed by warm to hot sunny summers, with California's dry climate? Yet they rate Behr's water based exterior stains highly.In fairness, NOTHING holds up well on decks here in Western Oregon. However, Oil stains are far better, but do require frequent refresh coats.

As to my favorite Behr paints: Behr Ultra is the best value for most wall surfaces. Marquee and Dynasty do cover better, but if the situation requires two coats (which is often the case), opt for the less expensive Ultra.

Marquee and Dynasty WILL cover in one coat if all the caveats are followed: The substrate must be well sealed. You must chose from the approved "One Coat" palette. You must apply it generously and evenly!

The Behr Cabinet and Trim paint is an acrylic that dries to a hard, durable surface, without that gummy feel that most broad wall paints have.

Behr Alkyd is also very good, although t is not as user friendly as the Trim paint. The Alkyd emulates a true oil paint, but is water soluble. It dries and cures slower. It is imperative that it be completely dry before re-coating. Re-coating the Alkyd before it is thoroughly dry, will cause it to be tacky for days!

They changed my name. I am still Dave Jensen!