Best Paint Roller for Smooth Finishing – Reviews and Buying Guide

The most common way that people paint the interior walls of their homes is using a paint roller. They are a cost-effective tool that the majority of people can learn to use in just a few minutes. There are many different types of paint rollers, with different naps, and different holders to choose from.

To find the best paint roller and supplies we looked at the variety of available paint rollers and we tested the products to see if they were durable, easy to use, and home-owner friendly. We found the following products to be all of those things and more.

Top 5 Best Paint Rollers In-depth Reviews

1. Wooster Brush R232-9 Roller Cover

This is a roller cover that is smooth and used to paint flat surfaces like un-textured ceilings, un-textured drywall, smooth boards, and more. It is 9” in length and has a ¼” nap.

It easily picks up the paint and distributes the paint in a smooth finish. 

 It can be used to apply water solvent paints, solvent born coatings, epoxies, and urethanes. This roller is made from a shed-resistant fabric that makes it perfectly suited for applying finishing coats and sealers.

This is a non-woven cover. It is a grey fabric and is one of the first of its kind to be introduced to the painting world of the United States. It is produced in the United States and has been since the company started in 1851.

The product is easy to use and can be used in conjunction with any paint roller handle that is capable of accepting a 9” long roller cover. It provides the perfect finish and cleans up very easily when the job is done.

2. Purdy 14A​753018 Adjustable Paint Roller Frame

This is a paint roller frame that can be adjusted so that it can accommodate any standard paint roller cover that is between 12” and 18” in length. The angle of this paint roller frame is a custom design that allows you to get better paint coverage so you use less paint, and it lets you get closer to the baseboards and ceiling so you save time and have to do less cutting in.

It is universally threaded so it fits onto the majority of all extension poles, or it can be used without an extension pole. It is lightweight and weighs just a little over ten ounces so it will not cause you to suffer from arm strain or fatigue.

It is very easy to use and has a smooth fluid motion when it rolls so the paint goes on the surface without skips, runs, and blotches. You get professional results from a tool that you can use over and over again.

It is easy to clean up and small enough that it is easy to store until the next time you have a painting project.

3. Evercare Large Surface Mega Roller with Expandable Pole

This is a paint roller that picks up lint from carpeting and furniture. It can easily remove debris like dog hair from your furniture and carpeting and it rolls just like an ordinary paint roller does.

This tool allows you to pick up and clean up without having to drag out a vacuum and in less time than it would take if you were using a small ordinary lint roller. You can easily roll this mega roller across your stairs and reach areas that are difficult to reach with your vacuum.

When you have finished picking the lint off of the surface you are cleaning you simply pull away from the layer of the roller that has caught the dirt and debris and throw it in the trash. Your mega roller will be ready for the next time you need to do a quick and easy cleanup.

The Evercare large surface mega roller has an expandable pole so you can stand on one side of the bed and roll the lint remover across the entire surface of the bed without moving or bending. You can reach the tops of draperies, and far beneath your furniture so you will know that your entire house is clean.

4. STANLEY PTST03508 Roller Cover

They are crafted from high-density fabric that is capable of holding a lot of paint. That means that they will pick up a large amount of paint at one time so you will have to dip your roller less often, and you will possibly use less paint to finish your room.

These roller covers are perfect for professionals and for do-it-yourself enthusiasts. The fabric they are crafted from is durable enough that you can easily clean the cover when you are done and use it at a later date for another painting project.

These covers are made by Stanley, who has been manufacturing painting supplies since 1843. These paint kits come complete with a 9” sturdy roller frame, a 3” trim frame, a 3” high capacity trim roller, a 2” trim brush, a heavy metal tray, a plastic tray liner.

The brushes and roller are designed to be used with water-based paints, oil-based paints, primers, urethanes, sealers, stains, and the majority of painting materials and liquids.

5. Paint Roller Covers 9 inch

This is a nine piece painting kit made for small area projects. It comes with a plastic tray, a 4” x ½” yellow strip micro roller, a micro roller frame, a 2.5” shirt handle brush and a paint edger.

The paint roller cover is manufactured by WDS out of a high-density fabric. That fabric allows the paint roller cover to hold a large amount of paint and be able to release the paint in a smooth finish across the surface area that you are painting. They are designed so they can be cleaned and used again at a later date.

The roller cover and the brush are designed to be used with all manner of painting materials like acrylics, latex paints, urethanes, epoxies, glues, water-based products, and solvent-based products.

This hardworking painting kit will allow you to create a beautiful finish in a short amount of time. You will have complete control of the roller and will be able to put the paint on in a smooth and even coat.

6. Bates Paint Roller

This is a paint roller set that comes complete with a paint tray, a roller frame that accommodates a 9” roller cover, 2 roller covers that measure 9” x 12”, a 4” roller frame, 2 roller covers that measure 4” x ½”, a 2” angled paintbrush and a high density foam brush.

It is crafted to be a professional quality tool that will be long lasting and easy to clean. It will provide you the ability to get your painting task finished quickly and help you to save money on painting supplies because you will have less wasted paint.

The paint rollers have ½” naps that are extremely durable so they do a great job on the first project you use them on and on subsequent projects as well. This set is easy enough for a beginner to use but crafted with enough high-quality materials that a professional painter would be glad to own these tools.

If you have a painting project that you want to do with superior results, then you want to get one of these painting sets and let them reduce the work and create the finish you desire.

7. HomeRightPaintStick Paint Roller Applicator for Home, Walls, and Ceilings

The HomeRightPaintStick EZ-Twist is a paint roller applicator, unlike any other paint roller that you have worked with in the past. This paint roller will allow you to paint without drips or a mess.

Using this paint roller you can paint a wall that measures 8’ x 8’ in under one minute. The paint is held in the handle of the paint stick. It holds eighteen ounces at a time. You do not need a roller tray so you have less dripping and mess. The paint is supplied to the roller cover via the inside of the cover instead of just loading some paint on the outside.

The roller covers are shed resistant so you can use them to put on urethanes and finish coatings, and the handle to the roller extends to 64” to give you the ability to reach everywhere in the room with minimal effort.

The roller covers come in 3/8” and ¾” naps. They are easily removed from the roller handle and can be washed and used again for another painting project. You can pick paint up from the one-gallon cans or the five-gallon buckets so you do not need a funnel to pour the paint into the handle.

When you are finished painting you simply push the paint that is left in the handle back into the paint container and flushes the inside of the PaintStick out with water.

8. Quali-Tech Roller Lite

This paint roller kit includes 6” foam and 6” fabric rollers, a roller frame and a plastic tray. This is the perfect paint roller kit for painting in small rooms or painting smaller projects that the larger rollers simply cannot be used on.

The 3/8” nap of the rollers will allow you to pick up and load the roller with plenty of paint, and the high-quality finishes of the roller allow that paint to be applied smoothly and with great precision. This means you can get quality finishes so your project looks like it was done by professionals. You may even use less paint than what you anticipated because of the precise application this kit provides.

The kit weighs in at less than ten ounces so it is easy to hold and will not cause your hands to become fatigued. This means you can spend a long time working on your painting project so you can finish the project sooner.

The roller covers are designed for use with latex paints, oil-based paints, urethanes, stains, and other printable products. You can use this kit to paint smooth or semi-smooth surfaces.

9. ALAZCO Paint Roller Refill Covers

This set comes with one paint roller frame and three roller covers designed to be perfect for painting trim, corners, edges, window frames, cabinetry, and small projects.

The roller covers are made of an innovative blend of polyethylene fibers that have been woven into an interlocking pattern that allows the covers to absorb a greater quantity of paint. That means you have more paint on your roller so you do not have to go back to the paint pan as frequently. You get more coverage out of each time you dip the roller cover so the work is finished faster.

The materials the roller covers are made of are shed resistant so they can be used to put on finish coats, and sealers. The material resists matting up and it can be used with all paintable materials because it has a core that is solvent resistant. You can paint with them, stain with them apply urethane with them, apply epoxies with them, and even apply sealers and finish products with them.

You can clean the roller covers and let them air dry so you can use them again on future painting projects.

10. Wooster Brush R017-14 Sherlock Roller Frame

This roller frame is designed to allow you to easily remove the paint soiled roller cover with one simple rap on the end of the roller frame. You would think that this would mean that the roller covers would easily slip off of the roller frame, but there is a quick release spring that holds those roller covers in place until you are ready for them to be released.

This roller frame has internal bearings that allow it to roll smoothly and prevent wear and those ugly grey streaks that can occur. It is made from a durable green fiberglass material with a reinforced nylon cage and reinforced end caps.

It weighs in at only one pound so you can easily use this paint roller for hours without being strained from the weight of the roller. You get your job finished faster and you get to have professional results.

When it is time to clean up after the job the reinforced nylon cage and fiberglass material is easy to clean the paint off of so you can use this item over and over again.

11. Wagner Spraytech Powered Roller Cover

This powered roller cover allows you to access the paint you are suing directly from the one gallon can or the five-gallon bucket it was put in by the manufacturer. You get to totally eliminate the paint tray, so there are less messy spills and accidents happening, and you use less paint because you spill less paint.

You can use the majority of extension poles with this roller cover because it is threaded to accept the most common types of extension poles. You can use it on ceilings, walls, and many other places, to apply paint in a professional manner with less work and less mess.

The Smart sidekick comes complete with an adapter that allows you to retrieve paint from a five-gallon bucket, and one roller cover that has a 3/3” nap. That is the perfect nap length for most interior paint finishes inside residential structures.

When the day is done you can do the paint clean up in under ten minutes and be ready to walk away. This means less time cleaning and more time enjoying the fruits of your labors.

How to paint with a roller?

Your first task is to tape everything that needs taping, and cover furniture and floors with drop cloths. Paint rollers can create paint spatter so roll slowly and do not put too much paint on the roller at one time.

Choose a roller cover with the right nap

The shorter the nap is on the roller cover for smoother the finish will be. Longer nap rollers can create a textured appearance on the finished project even if the surface area was smooth.

Longer napped roller covers are intended to be used on textured surfaces because they can be loaded with more paint and the nap can get into the crevices created by the texture.

Have a paint tray

You need to have a paint tray to pour your paint into. Most paint trays are metal pans, and you can buy thin plastic liners to put in the metal pan. When you are finished with the thin plastic liner you do not have to clean it and your metal paint tray is not discolored with paint, or subject to rusting because of constant exposure to water.

The paint pours into the deep well that is at one end of the tray, and there will be a rough area that the paint should not cover.

Load the roller

You put the roller cover on the roller frame, and if you are going to use an extension pole to help you reach farther you go ahead and attach the extension pole.

Then roll the roller in the pain tray so you pick up paint onto the roller.

Roll the roller over the rough portion of the pan to remove any stringy drips of paint before you start.

Paint at an angle

You want to apply the paint by rubbing the roller on the wall inside to side and angled motions. If you paint in one pattern when the paint dries you will see faint stripes in the paint.

Roller Painting Tips

1. Choose the right roller cover according to the paint you are applying and the surface you are applying the paint too.
2. Do not simply paint up and down or side to side with the roller. You want to make angled lines and roll up and down, and side to side, and angled so that you do not create a pattern.
3. If you have too much paint on your roller it will cause drips and runs.
4. If you do not have enough paint on your roller cover it will not apply a smooth coat but will leave blotches and skipped spots.
5. If you press too hard on the paint roller then you will get streaks and spatters while you paint
6. If you paint too fast you can cause the paint to spatter onto other surfaces.
7. Put a drop cloth beneath your paint pan so you do not have drips or spills on the floor
8. Use an edging roller or a paintbrush to cut in around the ceiling, and in the corners, before you use the paint roller. This will allow you to stop your paint roller so that the roller does not come into contact with the ceiling or baseboards, or flooring.
9. Always clean and dry your roller completely before you try to use it again
10. Using a plastic pan liner will save you a lot of clean-up work

Accessories are Needed With the Paint Roller

The following accessories can come in handy when you are painting with a paint roller. The accessories you need to do the job will be dependent on the project size, the materials you are painting and the type of paint you will be using.

1. Extension rod, these rods allow you to reach areas in the room that you otherwise would not be able to reach without climbing on a ladder
2. Paint pan so you can roll the roller in the pan and load the roller with paint
3. Drop cloths to protect the floor or furniture in the room
4. Painters tape to hold the drop cloths in place and to cover the trim and other areas that you do not want the paint to get on
5. Liners for the paint pan. These liners are disposable and make the clean-up work go quickly
6. Ladder or stepladder
7. Roller frame
8. Roller covers with the right nap
9. Paint brushes or paint edges to help you paint around ceilings and in corners
10. Soap and water, or mineral spirits for clean up
11. Dry cloths that are non-lint producing so you can wipe away tiny errors, or wipe away paint that might come into contact with something like a glass window pane

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a smooth finish with a paint roller?

You need to use a high quality paint roller made of lamb’s wool. It cost more but they are worth it. Paint in a v shape and never let one v dry before you paint the sections next to it. Do not load too much paint on your roller and always use light pressure.

Are foam paint rollers any good?

Foam paint rollers are inexpensive and they can do a nice job of applying paint. The trick is to not laden them with too much paint and to not apply a lot of pressure when rolling the paint on the wall. Foam rollers are meant to be disposable so they do not do well if you try to wash and reuse them.

What paint roller gives the smoothest finish?

When painting walls a roller with a 1/1” nap or a foam roller will provide you with a smoother finish. The rollers with longer naps on them will provide a textured look to the painted surface.

Final Note

Painting with a paint roller is one of the simplest ways to paint an interior wall or ceiling. Extension poles can be used on the handles of the paint roller frames so you can easily reach high places, and so you can reach the majority of a wall while standing in just one place.

You can use a paint roller even if you have never painted before, but you should know that the roller covers come in different thicknesses, lengths, and the materials they are made from are different depths on the roller. This is done so you can buy a roller cover that will paint into the crevices and cracks of the textured surfaces, or you can buy one that is better suited for flat and smooth surfaces.