Sherwin Williams Vs Behr: Detail Comparison Guide

The comparison between Sherwin Williams Vs Behr shows that Sherwin Williams offers better quality paints, but Behr is less expensive. Professionals always prefer Sherwin Williams, whereas homeowners prefer Behr for small painting projects.

But which one will be better for your next project? Stay tuned with me as I walk you through the details of the differences between Behr and Sherwin Williams’s interior and exterior paints.

Sherwin Williams Vs Behr: Comparison Chart

Basis of ComparisonSherwin WilliamsBehr
Brand popularityAmong professionalsAmong homeowners
Quality levelsPremiumHigh
Color1,7004,000
Color toolsAvailableAvailable
CoverageExcellentGood
Duration1 hour to touch/4 hours to recoat4 hours to touch/8 hours to recoat
VOCsZero to lowLow
Volume Solids36%-46%34%-44%
ThicknessHighMedium
PriceExpensiveAffordable
AvailabilityLowe’sHome Depot

Sherwin Williams Vs Behr: Key Differences

The above table shows only a brief overview of the differences. Here are the detailed differences between Behr vs Sherwin Williams:

  1. Brand and quality levels

Sherwin Williams is miles ahead of Behr in terms of brand value. Most professional painters use Sherwin-Williams for their painting projects. That’s why you will find a lot of commercial buildings using Sherwin-Williams.

However, Behr is also good in terms of quality. But one of the reasons why professionals will recommend Sherwin Williams is because the contract gets a higher commission from this brand.

But if you compare the quality of the paints, then you will have to consider multiple factors such as coverage, durability, and more. In most cases, Sherwin Williams wins the race. Continue scrolling as I discuss each of the points to give you a better idea of the paint quality of these brands.

  1. Color

Sherwin Williams offers more than 1,700 color options, whereas Behr offers more than 4,000 colors. Both brands consist of interior and exterior paints. You can choose any of the colors you want.

Here are some of my favorite colors from both brands:

Sherwin WilliamsSherwin WilliamsBehr Behr
InteriorExteriorInteriorExterior
Pure WhiteCrescent CreamAged BeigeBlack
Agreeable GrayLabradoriteBermuda GrassOff White
Evergreen FogIrish CreamRumba OrangePolar Bear
AlabasterEvening ShadowOffshore MistSpanish Sand
SnowboundPanda WhiteSwiss CoffeeTeton Blue

You can select colors of your mood and taste from both these brands. But I will keep Sherwin Williams ahead of Behr for color accuracy. Sherwin Williams’s colors come from a factory mix. On the other hand, Behr paint colors are mixed at the stores where they are sold. As a result, the less trained experts at Behr stores may not produce accurate colors all the time, whereas Sherwin Williams follows accurate measurements to mix and produce unique colors.

  1. Color selection tools

Both Sherwin-Williams and Behr offer a wide range of color selection tools. These tools will help you to find the color of your taste for your living room, kitchen, bedroom, exterior wall, or any surface you want. Let’s have a quick look at the tools these brands offer.

Sherwin Williams color tools:

  • ColorSnap Fan Decks & Kits: You can collect ColorSnap Fan Decks from architect or designer account executives to choose from hundreds of colors. The kits include palette guides, color folio, samples, etc. 
  • Downloadable Color Palettes: You can download the digital version of the color palette for Photoshop and AutoCAD. Besides, 3D color models for BIM Applications and Sketchup are also available.
  • ColorSnap Visualizer: You can use the ColorSnap Visualizer to select a photo and apply different colors to it to see which looks the best. The app is available for the web, Android, iPhone, and iPad.
  • ColorSnap Precision: If you do not find your favorite color but have it in your imagination, you can tell Sherwin Williams about your dream color. Designers from the company will find the exact color you want using the ColorSnap Precision.
  • The Snap It Button: If you find a photo online and like the colors in it, then you can upload the photo in Sherwin Williams ColorSnap. Then use the Snap It Button and it will show you all the color palettes from the photo.
  • ColorSnap Match Pro: ColorSnap Match Pro helps identify any color super fast. Scan a color from any surface, and it will find the closest-looking color within seconds.

Behr color tools:

  • Behr Fan Deck: Behr also offers Fan Decks similar to Sherwin Williams to select your desired color. 
  • Downloadable color palettes: You also can download the color palettes on your device and select the one that you like.
  • Full-Size Drawdown Samples: Behr also offers full-size drawdown samples to have a better look at the colors you want. It gives you a more realistic idea of what the paint will look like.
  • Colorsmart By Behr: You can use the Colorsmart app on your Android or iPhone to preview various colors to find the perfect match.
  • Color Wheel Selection Tool: ColorWheel by Behr allows you to find the closest match to the color, and you can swipe over the wheel to find any specific color you want.
  • Color Visualizer: Behr color visualizer works similarly to Sherwin Williams’ ColorSnap visualizer. Select any room and apply all the available colors to check which suits it best.

Both brands have all the necessary color selection tools available for you. However, Sherwin-Williams doesn’t have full-size dropdown color samples like Behr. Similarly, Behr doesn’t have anything like SherwinWilliams’ Snap It Button, which is quite helpful.

  1. Coverage

The coverage for Sherwin Williams interior paint is between 350 to 400 square feet per gallon, and for Behr, it is approximately 250 to 400 square feet per gallon. The coverage for exterior paint is less. For Sherwin-Williams, it is approximately 300 to 350 square feet per gallon and for Behr, it is around 250 to 350 square feet per gallon.

Keep in mind that these measurements are for one coat of paint. Although both brands offer similar coverage, overall, Sherwin-Williams performs better than Behr. Besides, I also like the paint calculator from Sherwin Williams. You can go to their website and put your measurements, and they will show you how much paint you will need. Behr doesn’t have such a feature but provides a guideline on how to measure your room and determine the amount of paint you should buy. 

  1. Duration

Sherwilliam Williams takes only an hour to dry to touch, whereas Behr takes almost four hours. It will take longer if the temperature is low. However, you will have to wait at least an hour to apply a new coat of Sherwin Williams and wait at least eight hours for Behr.

The duration is more or less the same for the interior and exterior paints. The exterior paints may take a shorter time if the weather outside is hot, but the difference is not significant. 

In terms of durability, Sherwin Williams interior paint lasts around 7 to 10 years, and Behr interior paint lasts approximately 5 to 10 years. The exterior paints should last around 8 to 10 years and 7 to 10 years, respectively. Besides, both brands’ paint’s shelf life is up to 2 years.

Basis for comparisonSherwin WilliamsBehr
Shelf Life (Unopened Can)2 years2 years
Drying Time to Touch1 hour4 hour
Drying Time for a New Coat4 hour8-hour
Durability (Interior Paint)7 to 10 years5 to 10 years
Durability (Exterior Paint)8 to 10 years7 to 10 years
  1. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Both Sherwin Williams and Behr make zero-VOC to low-VOC paints. But when comparing overall VOC levels, Behr consists of higher VOC than Sherwin Williams.

If you look at every painting, you will find most Sherwin-Williams paints are zero-VOC, with a few containing a lower level of VOC. But in the case of Behr, it has only a few zero-VOC paints, and most of the others contain low-VOC. As VOC is unhealthy, check the label of the paint to know how much VOC it contains. 

  1. Volume Solids

Volume solids of Sherwin-Williams paint are higher than Behr. Most Sherwin-Williams paint has around 38% to 46% volume solids, and for Behr, it is around 36% to 44% on average.

A higher level of volume solid means better coverage. Besides, it also helps in reducing dripping. You can comfortably paint them on your wall and ceiling without many dripping issues. Hence, here Sherwin Williams is obviously the better choice.

  1. Thickness

Sherwin Williams paints are thicker than Behr paints. One of the reasons behind this is the level of volume solids. Although thicker paint is preferable for better coverage and less dripping, it comes with some issues too.

Behr is easier to paint as it is not much thick. You can easily spread the paint evenly on your wall. That’s why Behr is obviously the better choice here for newbies and DIY painters. 

  1. Price

Both brands offer budget and premium options, but Sherwin-Williams is more expensive compared to Behr. Paint and primer combos and glossy finishes are always costlier than the matte finish. Besides, exterior paints are also more expensive than interior paints.

You can get a better idea of the pricing from the following table:

Note: The prices are per gallon and these are listed prices. Both brands sell them at different discount rates at different times.

  1.  Availability

Behr is exclusively sold at The Home Depot Stores, and you can buy Sherwin Williams from Lowe’s or different Sherwin Williams stores in your city.

Both brands sell their paints only through a single distributor. But it is fine considering the fact that these stores are available in almost every city and you also can buy them online.

Not to mention, I saw limited Behr paint variations are available in Walmart too. But neither Sherwin Williams nor Behr are available on Amazon.

Experts’ Opinion About Sherwin Williams And Behr

As both Sherwin Williams and Behr are quite popular painting brands, experts often express their opinions about these brands. Let’s have a look at some experts’ opinions about Sherwin-Williams and Behr:

Interior Designer & Decorator Susan Prestia says, “Sherwin-William has wonderful in store pros that help you find the right product,offer professional advice on primer,brushes or rollers,paint and when sales are.”

Professional painter Kat Hennely says, “ I personally recommend Sherwin Williams paints over other paints because some of the houses I’ve painted years ago look brand new today.”

Both these experts have pointed out how good Sherwin-Williams stores and paints are. But what about Behr?

While talking about Behr, painter Allison Samuels said, “I love it (Behr). All colors (besides those in the white family) can quite literally be done with one coat.”

Professional painter Charles Harrison says, “I didn’t find any other brands that worked much better than Behr, for light to medium colors.”

However, while comparing these brands, an expert from Epic Home Professional says, “I’ve used both many times and prefer the Sherwin Williams for longevity, and ease of use.”

Another pro painter said, “I’m a fan of Behr. It’s been my preferred go to for the past 10 years or so. Also Sherwin Williams is another favorite of mine.”

Sherwin-Williams Vs Behr Consumer Reports

If you care about your safety and environmentally safe paint, then you can trust Consumer Reports. Their recent reports favor Behr.

Only one painting from Sherwin Williams is on their top six list, whereas four paintings from Behr are on the list. Here’s the list (in alphabetical order) for the top six interior paints according to Consumer Reports:

  • Behr Dynasty
  • Behr Marquee
  • Behr Premium Plus
  • Behr Ultra
  • HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Showcase
  • Valspar Reserve

Even on the exterior paint list, Behr dominates. Here’s the list (in alphabetical order) for the top four exterior paints according to Consumer Reports:

  • Behr Marquee Exterior
  • Behr Ultra Exterior
  • Clark + Kensington Exterior
  • Sherwin-Williams Emerald Exterior

Best Exterior Paint Behr And Sherwin Williams

If you are planning to buy exterior paint, you can check the following paints from Behr & Sherwin Williams:

  1. BEHR MARQUEE

Available Sheens: Flat, Satin, & Semi-gloss

Marquee is Behr’s one of the best paint lineups, and this Behr Marquee Exterior Paint is certainly the best. It is acrylic-based paint and has superb fade and dirt resistance that keeps the wall shining even after going through harsh weather.

The color of the paint is extremely accurate, and it remains intact even after several years. Apply 2 coats of Behr Marquee Exterior, and it will serve you longer.

  1. BEHR PREMIUM PLUS

Available Sheens: Flat, Satin, Semi-gloss, High-gloss

Behr Premium Plus Exterior is 100% acrylic-based paint and primer. The combination of paint and primer means you will not have to buy primer separately. Besides, if the exterior wall is rough and has scratches, blemishes, or previous paints, then it can hide the imperfections pretty well.

Its weather coat enables the paint to shine on the wall for a long time. If you want a glossy finish, then you can get the high-gloss variation.

  1. Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel

Available sheens: Satin, Gloss, & Semi-gloss

If you want a luxurious finish on your exterior, then Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel can be a perfect choice for you. It is water-based paint and applies evenly on the wall. Although it’s exterior paint, you also can use it in the interior.

However, it is more suitable for heavy traffic areas such as windows, doors, trims, kitchen cabinets, etc. It is a little bit expensive, but the extra price is totally worth it considering its long-lasting performance.

  1. Duration Exterior Acrylic Latex

Available Sheen: Flat, Low Luster, Satin, & Gloss

Duration Exterior is an Acrylic latex-based paint that is popular for its self-priming ability. If you are painting on a painted surface, then only one coat will be enough and for a new surface, two coats will be perfect.

The paint is weatherproof, which means it will easily survive the hot summer days and freezing winter nights. Overall, it’s one of the best exterior paints from Sherwin Williams. 

Final Words 

Behr exterior paint is not better than Sherwin Williams, but not bad either. Both brands perform fantastically, but Sherwin-Williams will stay ahead in the competition for its longevity, paint quality, and coverage. However, Behr also offers excellent color, easy to apply, and is less expensive.

In short, Sherwin-Williams is the better choice here, but if you are on a budget then you should go for Behr.