The best paint rollers

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• With a good paint roller, you can coat a good-sized wall in a matter of minutes. Or, you can paint a whole room, ceiling, and all in just a couple of hours — setup and cleanup included.
• The Wooster Brush Company R017 Sherlock GT Roller is our top pick because it has an extra-wide, smoothly-rolling 14-inch head that lays down extra wide swaths of paint while affording you reliable control.

Paint rollers may seem universal, but different types are actually ideally suited to specific projects. One might be perfect for the detail work that comes with painting furniture or cabinetry, while another was purpose-built for painting ceilings. Some are cheap but effective, while others are professional-grade power tools designed with the serious painter in mind.

Many of these specific benefits relate to the paint roller frames, not the covers. The frames are the reusable hardware with the rolling wire frame, the handle, often with an extension pole, and so on.

However, roller covers are also important. You have to choose the right roller cover for the type of paint and surface you'll be painting or there's nothing even the finest roller frame can do for you.

The smoother the surface, the thinner the "nap" you want on your roller. Think of roller "nap" as shagginess, for a reference point. A shag carpet would have a thick nap, while a sheet of silk would have the thinnest. If you're painting a stucco wall with all sorts of texture and depth, you need a roller with a thick, deep nap to work its way into all those nooks and crannies.

But on a smooth surface, thick nap rollers will leave a finish that looks uneven and shoddy. Wood panel or drywall, for example, need a much thinner nap, measuring a quarter-inch of depth or even less. For projects such as painting on glass or smooth metals, consider using foam or rubber roller covers that are effectively flat.

Here are the best paint rollers

• Best overall: Wooster Brush Company R017 Sherlock GT Roller
• Best for ceilings: HomeRight PaintStick EZ-Twist Paint Roller Applicator
• Best narrow roller: Wooster Brush Company 3-inch Roller
• Best power roller: Wagner Smart SideKick Power Roller

Updated on 8/10/2020 to edit titles, prices, formatting, links, and remove third-party ratings and reviews because we've found them to be unreliable in the past.

The best overall

The Wooster Brush Company R017 Sherlock GT Roller has a mighty 14-inch roller head that creates an extra-large swath of paint with every pass.

The 14-inch Wooster Brush Company's R012 Sherlock GT Roller Frame is not only inexpensive, but it may well be a lifetime purchase, thanks to the excellent design and construction.

The head spins on internal bearings that keep it revolving smoothly and effortlessly even when the frame is sporting a thick nap cover laden with paint, while a spring holds roller covers in place during use but quickly releases the cover with a single solid tap after the painting is done. This means you don't have to grab a paint-covered roller by hand, which is a serious benefit.

The US-made Sherlock GT Roller Frame features a solid, ergonomic polypropylene handle that can also be screwed onto an extension pole, making this a great roller for all sorts of wall sizes and surfaces.

Pros: Reliably smooth rotation, quick-release spring, extra wide span

Cons: Lots of squeaking noise during use

The best for ceilings

The HomeRight PaintStick EZ-Twist Paint Roller Applicator was purpose-built to help make ceiling painting quick, easy, and above all else, cleaner.

The HomeRight PaintStick EZ-Twist Paint Roller Applicator really should be limited to painting ceilings. And admittedly, it's a bit complicated to use, with an involved cleanup process after each painting session if you want the reusable roller covers, roller frame, and applicator system to remain in good working order.

But you'll still save significant time avoiding moving a ladder around the room, covering the floors with paper or plastic and tape, and re-applications of paint using a roller tray.

With the HomeRight PaintStick EZ-Twist Paint Roller Applicator, you can use a syringe style mechanism to draw up 18 ounces of paint into an internal reservoir. That paint is then pushed out through the roller, creating a consistent coat of paint with no tray dips required.

The handle extends out to 64 inches, so most people will be able to paint ceilings with ease, no ladder or step stool required. An optional drip tray can be hung below the roller to catch any errant drips or splatters of paint falling from the ceiling, so your floor and furniture should stay clean even if not covered.

Learning how to use this unique paint application system with ease takes a few uses, and you have to be quite fastidious about flushing out and cleaning the paint reservoir and roller covers, but if you take the time to do so, this hardware should last for years and help with thousands of square feet of painting projects.

Pros: Built-in paint reservoir, handle extends to 64 inches, drip tray limits messes

Cons: Onerous cleanup process

The best narrow roller

The Wooster 3-inch Roller allows you to paint in cramped spaces and complete detail work quickly and efficiently, no brush required.

With a Wooster 3-inch Roller, you can roll paint onto door frames, around windows, onto shelves and cabinets, or onto furniture, no paintbrushes required.

For many smaller surfaces, from molding to trim, drawers, and more, this roller is the ideal size to allow for quick and efficient yet precise painting. The roller has a durable, chrome-plated frame and a grippy plastic handle so it's comfortable to use in small spaces.

The roller also comes in 4-inch and 7-inch sizes if you want something a bit larger.

Pros: Narrow design for precise rolling, smooth turning action, single rap roller release

Cons: Slightly overpriced, comes with inferior covers

The best power roller

The Wagner Smart SideKick Power Roller can be connected to a five-gallon paint bucket, delivering enough coverage for massive surfaces, no dipping in paint trays or refilled reservoirs required.

If you have one sizable painting project ahead of you, consider a Wagner Smart SideKick Power Roller. This powered paint roller can deliver a constant, consistent flow of paint to a roller and, when connected to a bucket loaded with as much as five gallons, it can help you complete even the largest painting projects in minimal time.

With this power roller, you'll never need to pause to dip your roller in a tray, not to mention refill the tray with paint after every few swaths. Of course, the system also works with other sizes of paint containers, including the standard one-gallon can.

As the Wagner Smart SideKick Power Roller features a 16-foot hose and can be outfitted with an extension pole, it relieves one of the most annoying parts of many painting projects: Going up and down a ladder every time you need more paint.

A button set into the handle of the roller frame regulates paint flow, so you can add more to your roller whenever things run thin. The system is designed to work with latex and oil-based paints, so you should be able to use it for most DIY painting projects or even for commercial-grade work.

Pros: Consistent paint flow, long hose, works with most paint types

Cons: Lengthy setup and cleaning process

Check out other guides for painting supplies

The best paintbrushes

Everyone needs a good paintbrush set to tackle DIY projects at home. These are the best paint brushes of 2020 for almost any task.

The best interior paint

There's nothing like a fresh coat of paint to spruce up a room. We've rounded up the best interior paint brands so you can rest assured that your walls will look great for a long time.

The best ladders

From painting the nursery to changing a light bulb or hanging holiday lights, everyday life often calls for a ladder. We've included many different types of ladders to suit all needs.

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