Thanks for taking your time to read our reviews on the best paint rollers that are currently available on the UK market. If you like or need to do some home decorating, then at some point you are going to need a good quality paint roller.
We have listed the many types below with an explanation of what they are used for. That should ensure that you end up getting the right one for each job.
Best Paint Rollers for Decorating
There are a few different types of rollers used for home decorating. As a general guide you use emulsion paint on the walls and ceilings, and for large areas so rollers are one of the most popular ways to apply paint.
There are roller sets, mini rollers, rollers for behind radiators, extendable rollers as well as specialised ones for different types of paints. There are even electric rollers now !
We won't be going too far off the beaten track today and are just looking at basic rollers that everybody uses in the house.
For painting walls and ceilings you really should use a paint roller to do the bulk of the painting. That just makes the job faster and leaves a much better finish than trying to use a paint brush to do the whole job.
No 1 Choice - Harris 102012009 Seriously Good Walls & Ceilings 4 Set 9in
94% buyer satisfaction from over 1,000+ reviews
- Kit comes with a roller, a tray and 4 sleeves ( 9 inch )
- The sleeves are medium pile, good quality and are designed to give a great finish
- Very little splatter off these
- Great for walls and ceiling
- Most used with emulsion paint
- Easily rinsed out with warm water and will last for quite a few jobs if cleaned properly
Harris is one of my favourite makers of paint brushes and rollers. All their products are excellent and are used by professional painters. You get great quality at a good price, so they are very hard to beat.
This was a very easy first choice, especially at the price. It's actually cheaper to buy this complete kit than get sleeve refills.
No 2 Choice - Ultimate Paint Roller Set
92% buyer satisfaction from over 1,500+ reviews
- Comes with Paint Roller, Paint Brush, Paint Tray, Mini Rollers, Paint Sleeves and Paint Supplies
- This is a big seller because it comes with everything you are likely to need to start
- It is much cheaper than buying each thing seperately
- The rollers are good quality and leave a nice finish
- Again these sleeves will last realy well if they are cleaned properly
If you are starting painting from scratch then this set pretty much has everything you need to get going. All the rollers are good quality, as is the brush and you will easily achieve a good finish. Ideal for a 1st time painter.
No 3 Choice - Harris Premier 9" Paint Roller Set
92% buyer satisfaction from over 1,200+ reviews
- Harris premier range roller set
- Comes with tray and 2 sleeves
- Aimed at the pro painter and is marketed as giving a better finish
- Slightly better grip on the roller and just a bit more sturdy
- A good product from Harris that is still a reasonable price
Well, I can't honestly see why I would by this set instead of the cheaper Harris set, that comes with 4 sleeves. Yes it's good quality but so is the standard set. You get a slightly nicer handle but that's about it. Still great, but the cheaper one is fine for me.
I usually go for the more expensive tool, as a rule, but this is one of the times that you should just stick to the standard set.
No 4 Choice - PRODEC 9 x 1.75-inch Tiger Medium Pile Roller Kit
92% buyer satisfaction from over 1,500+ reviews
- Another big seller and very popular set
- Comes with a roller, a tray and 2 sleeves
- This is a great quality roller kit
- It comes with twin woven acrylic refills which are just that bit better
- Made specifically for emulsion but good with masonry paint as well
- These rollers clean really well and should last a long time if cared for properly
This is a great kit. The rollers are really good quality and really nice to use.There have been loads sold and the reviews are particularly good, so obviously buyers really like it.
No 5 Choice - Bizwizz 9"(229mm) Tiger Stripe Paint Roller Set
92% buyer satisfaction from over 1,500+ reviews
- Paint Roller Set with Tray and 6 Sleeves, Emulsion Roller Kit, Paint Roller and Tray for Wall
- Ideal roller for emulsion paints to give a smooth finish for walls and ceilings
- Professional quality rollers for painting, made from microfibre
- A bit more expensive than some of the others
Another big seller and well rated set. A bit more expensive and I can't see any really good reason why that would be.
Best Paint Rollers Sleeves
There doesn't seem to be a big market for buying these paint sleeves on their own or in bulk. Most of the deals include the roller handle and paint tray and it's not any cheaper to buy the sleeves on their own.
I have included a couple of options but in general, and certainly most home owners, just buy the full kit and dispose of everything when their job is done.
You can see from the price below that buying the sleeves on their own is no cheaper.
Harris Seriously Good Wall & Ceiling Roller Sleeve Medium Pile 9" 230mm 3 Pack
- Pack of three sleeve refills
- The usual good quality from Harris
- It's cheaper to buy the full kit
92% buyer satisfaction from over 100+ reviews
Harris 102012203 Seriously Good Walls & Ceilings 4in Mini Roller Sleeve 10 Pack
- Pack of ten sleeve refills
- The usual good quality from Harris
- It's cheaper to buy the full kit
90% buyer satisfaction from over 500+ reviews
Best Mini Paint Rollers
These mini roller sets are usually 4" and are very handy for smaller areas. They are perfect for corners and small areas to get a quick painting job. Ideal for decoration, doors, wall, floor, ceiling, edging and line striping.
You will definitely need one of these for painting behind any radiators and I find them very handy for doing around light switches as they are much easier to be accurate with. They are also very good for painting skirting boards and door frames.
No 1 Choice - COTTAM Mini Paint Roller Tray Kit
90% buyer satisfaction from over 1,200+ reviews
- Includes 1 x Roller Frame, 5 x Paint Roller Sleeves & 1 x Tray
- Neat and tidy kit thats pretty good quality and is nice to use
- Good slim design thats great for behind radiators or around a sink or toilet
- Really good on shelving on window ledges
- Can be used with gloss paint or varnish as well as emulsion
This is a good quality and very versatile mini roller set. I have used it with different paint types and it works very well with gloss paint, which is great. I just put the sleeve straight in the bin after and got a new one out. We can highly recommend this kit and all the buyers seem to love it too. Also it's a bargain.
No 2 Choice - Harris 102012205 Seriously Good Walls & Ceilings Mini Set 4in
88% buyer satisfaction from over 500+ reviews
- Mini Set 4in, Tray, 1 x 4 Frame, 2 x 4 Medium Pile Roller Sleeves
- Cheap, cheap, cheap
- The usual good quality from Harris at a real bargain price
- Not as versatile as the Cottam set as it is really just made for emulsion paint
- Ideal for walls and ceilings
As I have said, this set is made for emulsion paint and is used for tight areas on walls and ceilings. If that is what you are doing then look no further. You might think this is a cheapo product but I can assure you that it's not and that it will do your job extremely well. I don't know why you would ever spend more when the Harris set is this price.
No 3 Choice - Liwein Mini Roller Brush 20 Pieces
88% buyer satisfaction from over 500+ reviews
- 20 Pieces mini paint roller set
- Good set with really good reviews
- Rollers are cotton and are great for emulsion paint
- Nice and slim for around awkward areas
- Too expensive compared to the Harris
Certainly no complaints about this set, it's just not the same value for money that the Harris set is and it doesn't have any special features that would make it worth more money.
Best Extendable Paint Rollers
You really can't do without one of these extenting paint rollers if you are doing any painting at all. Great for walls and ceilings and make the job so much easier. For ceilings especially I wouldn't even think of starting painting if I didn't have one of these. Up the ladder for the cutting in, then the rest can be done from the ground.
If you don't have one of these, get one. They are cheap and make painting so much easier.
No 1 Choice - Harris 102104009 Seriously Good Aluminium Extension Pole 3m
94% buyer satisfaction from over 500+ reviews
- 113 x 2.8 x 113 cm; 720 Grams
- This is a lightweight aluminium pole that goes up to 3 metres
- It is 1.4 meters unopened
- It's suitable for use with both push fit & screw thread roller frames
- Extends from the middle with a twist and lock feature
- Easy to use, easy to clean, light and very useful for painting
There is not too much to say about these poles. This model is the best because it is light, strong, cheap and will take a push on or screw on roller. There is not much else you would want. Simple Simon.
No 2 Choice - Wolfpack 27620- Extendable Metal Handle For Roller 2 m
90% buyer satisfaction from over 100+ reviews
- 116 x 10 x 5 cm; 465 Grams
- Comes in 2 x 1m sections
- Steel tubes with plastic head and fittings
- This is strong and is extra light
- A good all round option
This is a good pole, though again there is not much too exciting about these. The one thing this model does have going for it is the weight. It's the lightest pole we could find, so if that's a priority for you then this is your best option.
No 3 Choice - Wagner Paint Roller HandiRoll 550 for Wall & Ceiling paint
80% buyer satisfaction from over 800+ reviews
- 100 x 20 x 8 cm; 1.31 Kilograms
- This roller actually holds 550ml of paint in it's frame
- That can cover 5m sq between refills
- This is a great idea that works quite well for most users
- Its quite heavy when full but not unmanageable
- It's a good idea to thin the paint down slightly
- Quite hard to clean
I am really surprised at how well this unit works. It sucks the paint up quickly and easily and puts it on the wall just as fast. It does save a bit of time not having to go back to the tray but it's not going to cut your painting time in half.
This unit is definitely worth a try. It's not a fortune and works really well. Make sure you clean it out straightaway though, as soon as you have finished.
A very quick video review
We have looked over all the video reviews and found this great short presentation on how to paint with a roller. It gives you an instant idea of what to expect as well as telling you all the tips of the trade in and easy to understand format.
I hope you enjoy watching it as I always think its much better to see a tool in action rather than just reading about it or seeing pictures. This guy is particularly good at explaining the technique and I quite liked his Australian accent.
Thanks for reading our Best Paint Roller UK article and we hope it has given you a better insight into the world of painting. If you are new to painting them you might want to look at our main section which offers many tips and advice on How to paint a room or The best ladder for painting for instance.