The best advice is to try a variety of these types of paint brushes and stick to the ones that feel right for you and the task at hand. A script liner has longer hairs than a regular liner, which makes it appropriate for doing fine lettering. Blended nylon/polyester brushes are easy to clean and work well with all types of latex paints. The combination of nylon's durability and polyester's shape retention is the mark of a high-quality brush - one that also produces a high-quality paint finish. What's more, these durable brushes are built to handle numerous projects. Grumbacher Goldenedge Acrylic Paint Brush. Grumbacher is one of the most famous brands when. There are 8 main types of artist paint brushes that are used with acrylics, shown above. Each one is specially intended for different uses. Before we get into the particular uses of each paintbrush, let's get a quick low-down of the different parts of the brush: Get to. The brush head is the working end of a paint brush. Brush head bristles, or filament, can be made from a variety of materials. Synthetic paint brushes offer more versatility and can be used with all paint types. In general, the best paint brush for oil-based paint will have natural bristles.
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!
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
Best Type Of Paint Brush For Oil Based Paint
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
All types of paint brushes are featured here as well as a brief description of their main purpose.
Thanks to Heinz Jordan & Company™ as well as Loew Cornell™ for supplying images of their fine line of art paint brushes.
We've also created a section for proper care and maintenanceof your brushes. We hope you'll find the information useful.
FLATS, SHADERS & WASH / GLAZEFlats are the types of paint brushes you’ll use the most often in your painting projects. You’ll use them for basecoating, floating, strokework, blending, washes and varnishing.
As you can see, they’re very versatile.
FILBERT, CAT’S TONGUE & OVAL WASHA filbert is a flat brush but it has a chiseled rounded edge instead of a straight one. Sort of like a cat’s tongue. When you look at the brush from the chiseled edge, the hairs should form an even oval edge.
As a tool for basecoating, these types of paint brushes can't be beat! The shape of the hairs eliminates ridges. It can be used for side-loading similarly to a flat brush to create shades and highlights.
It's also used for blending. And because it can hold a fair amount of water, it’s also great for applying washes of color. And lastly, because of its shape it’s perfectly suited for doing leaves, flower petals and bird feathers.
Take a look at my video tutorial on how to use a Filbert.
Also a part of the Flat family of brushes, the hairs here are much shorter. These types of paint brushes won’t hold enough paint for doing flowing strokes. They are very good though for blending paint, cleaning up messy edges and for other special techniques.
ANGULAR, ANGULAR SHADER, ANGLE FLAT and ROSE PETALA brush by any other name..... This one is also a Flat but it has an angular chisel or brush tip. This means it will hold less paint and water, so you can’t get good continuous flow.
On the very positive side, this is THE brush for doing tight shading and highlighting. And it is especially coveted by artists who love to paint roses and flowers because they can get into all those little nooks and crannies. So, if you’re painting a realistic rose, consider trying this brush. But for long floats or strokework... not the right choice... best to use a flat.
ROUND, ROUND STROKE and ULTRA ROUNDThese types of paint brushes come in many sizes; The smallest being a 20/0 and climbing all the way up to size #10. Mostly they are used for strokework and watercolor. This one is invaluable as a teaching tool for perfecting brush control.
Learning to use this brush for traditional strokework will provide a very strong foundation for all your painting efforts. Strokework is beautiful so mastering it is worth the time and practice.
LINER, SCRIPT LINER, LONG LINER, MID-LENGTH LINER,SHORT LINER and SCROLLERThese are part of the Round family of brushes. They range in size from 18/0 to #8. Another feature of liners is that they come in different lengths and thickness. This means that selecting the right liner can be challenging. The longer the hairs, the more paint and water the brush can carry.
The best advice is to try a variety of these types of paint brushes and stick to the ones that feel right for you and the task at hand.
Types Of Art Paint Brushes
A script liner has longer hairs than a regular liner, which makes it appropriate for doing fine lettering. By the way, using a script liner means you have to have a lot of brush control. It can be a little difficult to manage in tight curves because it tends to flick out. Practice, practice, practice!
Obviously a short liner will do great for small details like eyelashes. And a scroller will be ideally shaped for doing, you guessed it, scroll work.
The best memory is nothing
compared to a good brush.
- Old Chinese Proverb
As you can see there are so many types of paint brushes. For the beginner you only need a few of the most commonly used brushes to start.
But as you develop your craft, you’ll want to start dabbling in all sorts of different ways to paint. That’s when you’re ready to try all types of paint brushes.
Best Brush For Latex Paint
RAKE, FILBERT RAKEThe filbert rake is fun for creating hair, beards, feathers, fur, grass and woodgrain. It's a flat texturing brush with an oval, naturally fingered shape. Because of it's shape it offers softer edges than a flat rake.
When you're using either of the rakes you can choose to thin your paint depending on the effect you're trying to achieve. To get light texture just apply very little pressure. Don't overload the hairs with paint... the idea is to make sure that the bristles stay apart. Rakes are available in many sizes.
MOP BRUSHA mop brush is designed for gentle blending and softening. Used with a light touch, these types of paint brushes can quickly blur and soften a hard edge.
Mops come in a variety of shapes. Some resemble a make-up (blush) brush. Others are flatter and stiffer. These are the ones we prefer to use.
Mops are available in 1/4', 3/8', 1/2', 3/4', and 1'.
STIPPLERStipplers are the types of paint brushes used for creating fur and foliage and to give an open or soft general appearance to a painting. The stippler can be oval with flat, tidy bristles. Or it can be domed and round, as in this brush from Heinz Jordan.
It should be used dry. The amount of pressure you apply during the pouncing or stippling will determine the overall look and color value of your painting. They come in many sizes.
DEERFOOT STIPPLERThe deerfoot stippler is also a texturing brush used for creating fur and foliage. It's round and the bristles are long on the toe and short on the heel, bringing to mind the shape of Bambi's foot.
You should pick a deerfoot that has a lot of texture in its bristles over one that's stiff and neatly formed. You can use these brushes either wet or dry.
The amount of pressure you apply during the pouncing or stippling will determine the overall look and color value of your painting.They're available in 1/8', 1/4', 3/8', and 1/2'.
FAN BRUSHThe fan brush is flat with its bristles widely fanned out. It can be used dry to drag paint lightly across the surface of your painting. It can be used wet to create textures. And dragged through wet glazes it gives a fine wood-grain effect. Comes in a range of sizes.
DAGGER STRIPERThese brushes require a little practice to use at first... it's like they're a filbert brush with half their bristles missing! They are terrific once you get the hang of them.
Truly a multi-purpose gem. You can load the brush with multiple colors, create great ribbons and petals and do stripes all in one fell swoop!
NEEDLE POINTED BRUSHThis artist paint brush is fairly new and funky looking! The needle pointed brush is a round with a long liner that extends through the end.
You can create some very interesting effects, especially great vines and twigs. Loaded with inky consistency paint, the round part acts as a reservoire and the liner is, well...a liner. By holding it almost perpendicular to the surface and using varying amounts of pressure, you'll have loads of fun with this one! It comes in Sizes #4, #6 and #8.
FANDANGO BRUSHThe Fandango brush...we just LOVE saying it... looks a bit like a fanned mop brush. This brush has long hairs with shorter ones in between. All hairs have very fine points on the ends. Not only does this brush hold lots of paint, but stroke it once on the surface and you've just made lots of fine lines. Great for creating grasses, fur, feathers and Santa's beards. Ready to Fandango?!
WHALE'S TAILThe Whale's Tail...a flat brush with the bristles cut in a 'V' shape which can be used for lots of one stroke effects. Loaded with two colors and fully pressed, results in a tulip shape. Change to green and three presses of the brush will give you an ivy leaf. It can also be used to create plaid, ribbon, layered petals and palm trees. Available in sizes, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and 1'.
WAVE BRUSHThe Wave Brush, with scalloped bristle tips, comes in multiple sizes cut in Angular, Filbert and Flat shapes. There's a ton of stuff you can do with these brushes. Quick and easy strokes result in flower petals, leaves, simple birds, butterflies, woodgraining, eyelet lace and more. They can also be used to stipple light, airy foliage, and for some dry brushing techniques. Set your imagination in motion and have fun!!!
FOUNTAIN BRUSHAnother interesting brush shape, the Fountain Brush has a ring of bristles with a center opening. Loaded and spun in a circle gives you a quick rosette. Press down firmly for other interesting petal shapes. Also, try your hand at stippled foliage or fur and pulled strokes that create waterfalls and feathering.
Best Type Of Paint Brush For Stain
Stay tuned as we will continue to bring you more information on all types of paint brushes such as stencil brushes, scruffies and scumblers.
If you'd like more information on allall types of paint brushes, drop us a line here.
You Can Paint These Trees and More
Get Your Video Course Now
Introductory Price
Save 55% plus
a Money Back Guarantee