6 Best Paints for Bathrooms in 2023: Reviews & Top Picks

The tiniest room in the house may seem like the easiest to paint, but choosing the wrong product for the bathroom can quickly become frustrating. Not all paints can handle the high moisture levels you see in a typical bathroom. When the humidity builds, it doesn’t take long for mold, stains, and damage to develop.

Painting is already time-consuming and expensive enough, and the last thing anyone needs is to repaint their bathroom after only a few months. To ensure lasting results, check out our reviews of the 6 best paints for bathrooms in 2022.

A Glance at Our Top Picks (2023 Update)

Rating	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Montage Signature Interior/Exterior Eco-Friendly Paint	Made from eco-friendly manufacturing processes and recycled paint Excellent coverage to let you save time and use less paint Low-sheen finish helps cover imperfections in the wall	CHECK PRICE
Best Value		Diamond Brite Kitchen & Bath Paint	Dries in under an hour Excellent mold and mildew protection and fade resistance Easy to clean with soap and water	CHECK PRICE
Premium Choice		Jolie Paint	Numerous colors to mix and customize Adheres to nearly any surface with little to no preparation Excellent coverage with few coats	CHECK PRICE
Best Moisture Resistance		Rust-Oleum Zinsser Perma-White	Mildewcide prevents mold and mildew growth for years Long-lasting fade and stain resistance Semi-gloss finish is easy to clean	CHECK PRICE
Best Ceiling Paint		KILZ Color-Changing Ceiling Paint	One gallon can cover up to 400 square feet Pink-to-white color change indicates dryness Rolls on thick to reduce spattering	CHECK PRICE

The 10 Best Paints for the Bathroom

1. Montage Signature Interior/Exterior Eco-Friendly Paint – Best Overall

Montage Signature packs everything you could want into a quality bathroom paint. It’s environmentally friendly, mold and mildew-resistant, versatile, and inexpensive. Available in an array of muted colors, it provides the perfect durable and neutral backdrop for the space and offers unmatched value, earning it our pick for the best overall bathroom paint.

An essential perk to Montage Signature is the durable, low-sheen option. At this price point, not many paints can hold up in high-moisture areas with a low-gloss texture. Montage paint’s smooth application will give you the best of all world—a flatter finish to hide flaws and a durable coating to prevent mold, stains, and fading.

2. Diamond Brite Kitchen & Bath Paint – Best Value

A bright white paint opens up a limited space, but it’s also the first to show stains when moisture gets involved. Diamond Brite Kitchen & Bath paint features a unique formula to overcome steam, splashes, and condensation that cause mildew and staining. With excellent cleanability and resistance to brown spotting, expect it to maintain a crisp finish for the long term.

Diamond Brite’s application is easy. The paint rolls on thick, giving you great coverage with less product, and it emits few odors. It dries fast, so you can typically start on a second coat in under an hour. The budget-friendly pricing and enduring fade-resistance make it the best bathroom paint for the money.

3. Jolie Paint – Premium Choice

A vintage look with Jolie paint is an upscale way to add class and character to your bathroom cabinets and walls. It’s non-toxic and emits few VOCs, so you can feel confident that you are making a safe and eco-friendly choice with any of Jolie’s 42 available colors.

As a chalk paint, it requires little surface preparation and provides a smooth, matte finish. Although you’ll see fewer imperfections, water-staining may be more apparent than it would on a semi-gloss. To combat the problem, Jolie provides several finishing waxes. It adds to the already high price, but the protective wax gives you the extra benefit of customizing the sheen for a richer texture.

4. Rust-Oleum Zinsser Perma-White – Best Moisture Resistance

Rust-Oleum’s Perma-White is arguably the most practical option for high-humidity environments. Were it not for the limited color and finish options, it would be an easy pick for the best paint for bathrooms. The semi-gloss texture is easy to clean, has excellent stain resistance, and contains a mildewcide additive that prevents mold from growing.

The application can feel tedious since the mixture is relatively thin, but the paint typically dries in under an hour. If you can tolerate applying a primer and a couple of coats of Perma-White, the results are well worth the effort. Rust-Oleum backs its mold and mildew prevention with a 5-year guarantee, and the paint can last much longer with proper maintenance.

5. KILZ Color-Changing Ceiling Paint – Best Ceiling Paint

Ceilings have it rough, especially in a bathroom. They’re susceptible to damage from leaks and humidity in the attic and face even more abuse from rising shower steam. And on an upside-down surface, you need paint that’s as easy to apply as it is protective against stains.

Enter KILZ color-changing paint. It’s one of the best bathroom ceiling paint, thanks to its exceptional stain-blocking ability and pink-to-white transition. The paint changes color as it dries, helping you keep track of your lines and letting you know when it’s ready for another coat. After a couple of coats, you have a clean matte finish that will hide flaws without letting moisture do its damage.

6. Prestige Interior Paint and Primer – Best Bathroom Color

Prestige promises premium color quality and lasting results in its selection of interior paints backed by a limited lifetime warranty. It has four finishes available in hundreds of colors, and its selection of soothing neutrals fits perfectly with a practical bathroom design. The paint is also VOC-free and low-odor, making the application comfortable in cramped quarters.

Buyer’s Guide: Buying the Best Paints for Bathrooms

What Is the Best Paint Finish for Bathrooms?

In general, the best paint finishes for bathrooms are satin, semi-gloss, or glossy. Unlike matte or eggshell, these offer a high sheen that forms a hard, impermeable coating that repels water. Although minor imperfections are more apparent through glossier sheens, they’re much easier to clean than flatter finishes, which can make life a lot easier in a room that sees a lot of spatter from multiple places.

What Is the Best Paint Color for Bathrooms?

Prestige interior paints provide the best colors for bathrooms primarily because of the attractive neutrals they offer in high-quality blends. Neutrals can fit an array of current and future color schemes, and with light colors, you can keep it open without being abrasive.

Use your existing fixtures to help you find an appropriate neutral. You can also base it on your design style, incorporating modern charcoals, rustic tans, or country cottage creams.

Bathroom Painting Tips

A smaller space doesn’t mean a faster painting project. The numerous nooks and crannies in a bathroom can make it a challenge, and there’s plenty of room for error. After picking out your paint, follow these tips for an easier time and incredible results:

Conclusion

Montage Signature paints hit all the right notes for any room, but the blend of safety, eco-friendliness, and durability make it a clear favorite for updating a bathroom. With its quick drying time and affordable price, the Diamond Brite brand is a reliable alternative. With the proper perspective and understanding of where to look, you’ll find hundreds of viable options for your project. Follow these reviews and tips on painting your bathroom, and you’ll see fabulous results that will last for years.

Featured Image Credit: Steven Ungermann, Unsplash