Professional Painters Like Using Purdy Brushes For A Reason

If you've ever wandered down the paintbrush aisle at the hardware store, it likely has been a somewhat overwhelming experience. With so many sizes, styles, and brands, it's difficult to know which brushes are worth the money. While basic paintbrushes can be suitable for small jobs, like painting over smudges, more significant painting tasks might merit using the same brushes the pros use: Purdy brushes, a favorite brand in the professional painting community for its high-quality design.

While comfy handles and fancy features can grab your attention in the paintbrush section, Purdy brushes are made with bristles that paint professionals say make them truly impressive. The Nylox line from Purdy is praised for its ability to hold a lot of paint without dripping; this means smoother application even when working in tricky spaces, like painting around a window. According to a 2024 inPAINT magazine survey of 40,000 professional painters, the Purdy brand ranked first for a ninth year in a row. Per the brand: "The survey reveals that 62% of respondents favor Purdy brushes as their 'go-to' choice, marking a significant 15% increase from last year, while 48% prefer Purdy rollers, an 8% rise."

Beyond brand-name preference, there's also a qualitative difference between Purdy paintbrushes and cheaper brands: Each Purdy paintbrush is handcrafted. In an age of mass manufacturing, the attention to detail and quality control standards of the Purdy brand can be a refreshing change of pace. (Not sure which specific Purdy paintbrush to get? Here are types of paintbrushes for home painting and what they work best for.)

If you're planning to pick up a Purdy brush for your next project, you can expect to spend between $10 and $25 for most of its models. While not necessarily cheap — especially when compared to budget brushes — it's best to think of a Purdy brush as an investment that can serve you for years as a homeowner. On that note, one of the most important ways to protect your paintbrush investment is to properly wash your brush after a painting session.

When working with latex paint, you'll want to wash the bristles of your brush with warm, soapy water until the water runs clear. It's important to not get the ferrule of the painting tool wet, which can damage the brush. If your brush has dried paint on it that's difficult to dislodge with soapy water alone, it's best to increase your cleaning power with a brush comb that can loosen stuck paint; you can find these online or at your local hardware store. (Read up on the simple way Joanna Gaines gets her paintbrushes squeaky clean for some extra tips.)

You'll need to package and store your paintbrushes after cleaning them, which includes putting a protective cover over the bristles to keep them in pristine condition until your next painting session. With proper care, your Purdy brush should last for years, but if you find that it's no longer delivering the same crisp lines it once did, it might be time to retire it and invest in a new one. However, instead of throwing it away, you can keep it for special jobs: Just cut down the handle, as some pro painters suggest, and keep it for working in tight spaces that would otherwise be hard to reach.