The 12 Best Paint Roller Covers of 2023

Best Overall

Purdy White Dove 9-Inch Woven Roller Covers 3 Pack

4.6

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There's a reason even professional painters love this woven Dralon polyester paint roller cover: It lays down a smooth coat of paint over just about any reasonably smooth surface without leaving behind lint, streaks, thin spots, or blotches, and it won't splatter or splash paint while you work. You'll get top-notch results, even if you are new to DIY painting. It's truly a multi-purpose roller cover.

Use this roller cover with any latex or oil-based paint, stain, varnish, or sealer over walls, doors, trim, cabinets, ceilings, floors, even metal. The 3/8-inch nap glides over smooth to semi-smooth surfaces, including drywall, paneling, and concrete. Best of all, you get a pack of three at a very reasonable price. These roller covers are washable for reuse, and are the standard 9-inch size. They slip on and off any standard paint roller frame.

Price at time of publish: $20

_{Width: 9 inches | Material: Polyester | Nap: 3/8-inch  | Surface Textures: Smooth to semi-smooth}

Best Budget

Bates 9-Inch Paint Roller Covers 5 Pack

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Budget paint roller sleeves can be tricky, since you typically get what you pay for when it comes to the quality of the cover. Bargain-priced covers that are made with inexpensive fabrics and materials will start to shred, tear, or flatten after just a single project. At the very least, poor budget covers won’t retain the paint, allowing stray splatters and drips to ruin your work as you roll it across the surface. You won't have those issues with the Bates 1/2-Inch Nap Roller Covers, however.

These 9-inch sleeves—you get a pack of five—are made of microfiber that lays down a smooth coat of paint without shedding. Use these sleeves on just about any smooth-to-slightly-textured surface, and with any type of paint, stain, or varnish. You can wash and reuse the sleeves, but at this bargain price, you might simply choose to toss them once the project is finished.

Price at time of publish: $9

_{Width: 9 inches | Material: Microfiber | Nap: 1/2-inch | Surface Textures: Smooth to semi-smooth}

Best Microfiber

Pro Grade 9-Inch Microfiber Paint Roller Covers 6 Pack

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When you want a very smooth finish or are using a glossy paint, you'll find microfiber does a superior job of creating a smooth, perfect layer of paint that doesn't have any lint or roller marks. And the Pro Grade 1/2-Inch Nap Microfiber Roller Covers are more than up to the challenge. These 9-inch sleeves are durable and work well with any type of paint or stain.

Use these roller covers for any type of interior surface that's smooth or lightly textured: walls, ceilings, kitchen cabinets, furniture, and even floors. Because microfiber holds a lot of paint, you'll get your project done quickly. Once finished, you can clean the sleeves for future use, or just toss them; they are very reasonably priced.

Price at time of publish: $11

_{Width: 9 inches | Material: Microfiber | Nap: 1/2-inch  | Surface Textures: Smooth to semi-smooth}

Best Foam

FoamPRO 9-Inch Smooth & Semi-Smooth Surface Foam Roller Covers

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Foam roller sleeves are ideal when working with high-gloss paints, or when you're painting a very smooth surface that would show any stray bits of lint. The FoamPRO 9-Inch Paint Roller Sleeve is made of a highly durable foam with a 3/8-inch nap that holds a lot of paint without matting down, letting you cover smooth to semi-smooth surfaces with a perfectly even coat of paint and zero roller marks.

Use these roller covers with any type of paint on doors, cabinets, furniture, walls, paneling, and even ceilings that aren't too heavily textured. Note that you'll want to use less pressure than with a traditional synthetic roller sleeve to avoid paint splatters or drips. When you're finished, wash up the foam cover with water, let it dry, and it's ready for your next project.

Price at time of publish: $9

_{Width: 9 inches | Material: Foam | Nap: 3/8-inch  | Surface Textures: Smooth to semi-smooth}

Best for Decks and Fences

Wooster Wool 3/4-Inch Nap Roller Cover

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Painting semi-rough wooden surfaces, such as decks, old or new fences, outdoor furniture, and outdoor wooden trim, can be tough. Many rollers don't lay down enough paint to cover wood's irregularities, or snag and catch on the rough surface. But with the Wooster Wool 3/4-Inch Nap Roller Cover, you'll enjoy a professional-looking painting job even on these tough projects.

The cover is made of high-quality, 100% natural lamb shearling that is soft, dense, and thick enough to roll out a perfect coat of paint. And while this is a great roller cover for oil-based paints, stains, and varnishes, it also does an excellent job with all types of latex or water-based products. The roller cover is a standard 9 inches in length.

Price at time of publish: $16

_{Width: 9 inches | Material: 100% wool | Nap: 3/4-inch  | Surface Textures: Rough}

Best for Doors and Cabinets

Whizz Cabinet and Doors 4-Inch Foam Roller Covers

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Many painting projects involve walls, which typically have a slightly textured finish. But when painting untextured surfaces, such as interior or front doors, cabinets, trim, and furniture, you want the smoothest finish possible. For those situations, reach for the Whizz Cabinet and Doors 4-Inch Foam Roller Covers. These high-density foam roller covers lay down the smoothest coat possible of latex or oil-based paint, shellac, stain, varnish, lacquer, urethane, or sealer, even in high-gloss finishes.

The foam rollers won't shed any lint into the wet paint—that can be a major problem when working with glossy finishes—nor will they leave roller marks. The 4-inch size is ideal for doors and cabinets, and the roller covers fit any standard 4-inch roller frame. You get a pack of six roller covers.

Price at time of publish: $11

_{Width: 4 inches | Material: Foam | Nap: N/A | Surface Textures: Smooth}

Best for Popcorn Ceilings

Wooster Popcorn/Acoustical Roller Cover

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Painting any ceiling can be challenging, but painting a popcorn-textured ceiling is even more of a task, as most brushes and rollers can't handle the hills and valleys of a popcorn ceiling without skipping spots, overloading others, and crushing the texture in between. To the rescue: the Wooster Popcorn/Acoustical Roller Cover, which is specifically designed to evenly and quickly lay paint over popcorn or acoustical ceilings, highly textured walls, masonry, and stucco.

The roller cover is made of thick, multi-slit foam with a 9/16-inch nap to cover uneven textures without crushing the popcorn texture. The standard 9-inch roller sleeve works with any standard roller frame and can be used to apply any latex, acrylic, or oil-based paint.

Price at time of publish: $8

_{Width: 9 inches | Material: Slit foam | Nap: 9/16-inch  | Surface Textures: Rough}

Best for Trim

Wooster Super Doo-Z 3-Inch Paint Roller Sleeve

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You might assume that a sash brush is the only way to paint trim, but in fact, with a properly sized roller—such as the 3-inch Wooster Super Doo-Z—you can tackle trim with a paint roller, making the job faster and easier. This extra-mini roller sleeve is made from a shed-resistant, synthetic woven fabric with a 3/8-inch nap. It's designed to apply the smoothest coat of paint over smooth to semi-smooth surfaces, such as trim, doors, moldings, baseboards, or even small pieces of furniture.

Use these roller covers with any paint, enamel, or varnish, even those with a high-gloss finish. Remember that you'll need a 3-inch roller frame to use these covers. You get a package of two sleeves.

Price at time of publish: $7

_{Width: 3 inches | Material: Woven synthetic | Nap: 3/8-inch  | Surface Textures: Smooth to semi-smooth}

Best Oversize

Purdy Golden Eagle 18-Inch Roller Cover

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If you're painting a wide stretch of wall, fence, or any other large surface with a semi-smooth to semi-rough texture, and you want to get the job done quickly, then you'll love the oversize Purdy Golden Eagle 18-Inch Roller Cover. This roller sleeve is made of high-density, knitted polyester with a 1/2-inch nap to handle the widest range of painting situations and any type of paint.

Keep in mind that you can't maneuver an 18-inch roller as easily as a 9-inch roller when painting around trim, outlets, and other obstacles: This big boy is best used for large stretches of unobstructed surface. You'll also need a roller frame large enough to handle it. Purdy makes an adjustable frame that stretches to 18 inches, look for it sold separately.

Price at time of publish: $16

_{Width: 18 inches | Material: Knit polyester | Nap: 1/2-inch | Surface Textures: Semi-smooth to semi-rough}

Best for Rough Exterior Surfaces

Valspar Stucco, Decks, and Masonry Roller Covers

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Tackling very rough surfaces, such as masonry, stucco walls, unfinished wood, textured concrete, or stone, can be tough on your paint roller. Very rough surfaces tend to grab and tear at the paint roller, leaving you with an uneven finish and bits of shed roller stuck in the paint. But that won't be the case when you use a Valspar Stucco, Decks & Masonry Paint Roller Cover.

These sturdy knit polyester roller sleeves have a 3/4-inch nap that stands up to the wear-and-tear involved in painting rough surfaces, so you can get your project completed quickly, and with the professional-looking results you desire. You get a pack of two sleeves.

Price at time of publish: $9

_{Width: 9 inches | Material: Knit polyester | Nap: 3/4-inch  | Surface Textures: Rough}

Best for Metal

Purdy White Dove 9-Inch Woven Paint Roller Cover, 1/4" Nap

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When painting an ultra-smooth surface like metal, or when working with very high-gloss paints, you need a roller cover with a very low but dense nap to allow the paint to flow smoothly without leaving behind roller marks, bubbles, or other imperfections. The Purdy White Dove 1/4-Inch Paint Roller Cover fits the bill. This Dralon, high-density woven cover creates the smoothest finish possible.

Use the 9-inch roller cover with any latex or oil-based paint. The synthetic fabric loads an impressive amount of paint, so you can get the job done quickly, but won't shed or splatter as you work.

Price at time of publish: $8

_{Width: 9 inches | Material: Woven polyester | Nap: 1/4-inch | Surface Textures: Smooth}