Best Brush for Chalk Paint – Review and Buyer’s Guide

When considering any arts and crafts project, paint or stain or any other type of brushed on product generally takes the center stage in terms of priority. However, just as important as the paint is finding the right brush. When it comes to furniture or a matte finish, you will want to make sure you have the best brush for chalk paint.
This is especially important considering that chalk paint does not inherently go on as smoothly as some other types of paint and can leave streaks in your finished product. While you can always give the end result a light sanding to remove the brush strokes, why not simply avoid that problem in the first place by finding the best brush for chalk paint.
Of course, finding the best chalk paint brush can be difficult. That is why we have put together a list of the 5 best brushes for chalk paint, highlighting what each one does best. Then we provide a helpful buyer’s guide, so you can find the right brush for chalk paint to suit your needs.

Image	Product
EDITOR’S CHOICE	Brossum Brush Bristles Size: 1 ½” Bristles Hair: Natural boar hair Length (bristles + handle): 4 +2 Check Price	Check Price
FOR PAINTING FURNITURE	New Renaissance Brush Bristles Size: 1”  Bristles Hair: White boar Length (bristles + handle): 8 inches  Check Price	Check Price
VINTAGE BRUSHES	Vintage Tonality Pro Chalk & Wax Brush Set Bristles Size: 1” and 2”  Bristles Hair: Natural boar Length (bristles + handle): 11”, 8”, 6”  Check Price	Check Price
NATURAL BOAR HAIR BRUSHES	1st Place Chalk & Wax Hand Made Brush Set Bristles Size: 2″ Bristles Hair: Natural boar hair Length (bristles + handle): 3 + 5  Check Price	Check Price
BUDGET BRUSH	1st Place Brush Bristles Size: 1 3/4″ Bristles Hair: Twice-boiled boar hair Length (bristles + handle): 2 ½ +5 Check Price	Check Price

1. Brossum Brush – Best Brush for Chalk Paint Wax

See More Images

Brossum enters our list as a brand with the ideal specialty. Not only does Brossum specialize in chalk and wax paint accessories, but they go a step further and only manufacture brushes made for just such a purpose. This allows Brossum to figure out the perfect match of qualities for an ideal chalk brush. The fact that they sell their product exclusively online through Amazon only makes this product better as they can sell it for less than they otherwise might.

The handle is made of varnished wood so it maintains an excellent finish while providing you the stability and comfort required to paint for hours without fatigue. The ferrule is nickel-plated and made specifically to not rust or wear out. The bristles themselves are also a good size being 2 ½” in length and 1 ¾” in diameter–though this excludes the Brossum from finer detail work.

PROS

• Made of twice-boiled boar hair
• Features 2 ½” bristle length
• Features 1 ¾” bristle diameter
• Nickel-plated, rust-resistant ferrule
• Solid wood handle
• Features a leather strap
• Can be used for paint or wax

CONS

• Not appropriate for detail work
• Bristles shed more than some

2. New Renaissance Brush – Best Brush for Chalk Painting Furniture

See More Images

New Renaissance has definitely made more of a name for themselves with their chalk paint and furniture was than they have for their brushes, but they still know a thing or two about producing a solid quality brush as well. That said, this is definitely a secondary product for them and it is best suited for particular projects. For this brush in particular, that turns out to be larger projects with broad surfaces.

The bristles are made out of boar hair, but they are only boiled a single time. Still, they are fairly durable and can handle being used for both chalk paint as well as furniture wax. The only issue is that the bristles shed more than some higher end brushes. Still, the body construction is made out of solid wood and features a leather strap for easier cleaning. Also, the ferrule is made of nickel-plated stainless steel.

PROS

• Bristles made of boar hair
• Features 3” bristle length
• Features 2” bristle diameter
• Nickel-plated, rust-resistant ferrule
• Can be used for paint or wax
• Solid wood handle
• Features a leather strap

CONS

• Not appropriate for detail work
• Sheds more than some

3. Vintage Tonality Pro Chalk & Wax Brush Set – Best Vintage Brushes for Chalk Paint

See More Images

Comprised of three brushes for chalk paint and various other useful tools, this set is remarkably complete. The brushes themselves are expertly constructed, featuring tightly-packed bristles that soak up and release paint with remarkable efficiency. The three sizes are very different, ensuring that you will have options to deal with each project in the most convenient way.

Hand-Crafted Design

Vintage-Style Results

Due to their design, the bristles that these brushes feature are particularly adept at creating vintage-style results. When used correctly, they are capable of creating a visibly hand-painted look that is both cozy and heartwarming. With some modifications in your technique, however, these brushes can be used to create a sleeker, smoother and more modern look.

PROS

• Includes various useful additional tools.
• Can help create a vintage look.
• Very affordable.
• Brushes have natural boar hair bristles.
• Requires very little maintenance.

CONS

• May shed bristles.
• Bristles are a bit stiff.

4. 1st Place Chalk & Wax Hand Made Brush Set – Best Natural Boar Hair Brush Set

See More Images

Whether you want to apply wax or chalk paint to your latest project, this brush set can be of great help. It includes three different brushes, each of them with a different size and shape. Made of pure white boar hair, the bristles are durable, retentive and effective. Supported by a high-quality metal ferrule, these bristles are incredibly stable, greatly reducing the possibility of them falling off. Ergonomic and solid, the handles that these brushes have are perfect for extended painting sessions.

Materials and Construction

Performance

As previously mentioned, the natural white boar hair bristles provide a fantastic level of retention. That is not all, however, as they also excel when it comes to paint distribution. In fact, the release of the paint provided by these bristles is outstanding due to its smoothness and consistency. These characteristics make for a remarkably efficient painting, particularly when using the right brush for the job.

PROS

• Made of high-quality materials.
• Bristles do not come off easily.
• The handle is ergonomic and comfortable.
• Stainless steel ferrule.
• Includes hangers for every brush.

CONS

• Does not peform well with wax.
• Bristles tend to bend

5. 1st Place Brush – Best Budget Brush for Chalk Paint

See More Images

1st Place is actually the only company on our list that does not specialize in either chalk paint brushes or art supplies at all. In fact, this company does not seem to have an actual specialization and makes everything from dryer vents to key chains to patches that you sew onto fabrics. Because the brand is spread so thin, it only makes sense that they do not make the absolutely best brush, but they might make up for it with the fact that they definitely manufacture the least expensive brush for chalk paint that we found.

Another potential issue with the 1st Place brush is its construction. It is not so much that the construction is poor as it uses many of the same principles as the other brushes on our list. The handle is made out of solid wood and features an extra long leather strap for a quick and easy cleanup. The problem is that the handle is a full inch shorter than the next smallest which may not necessarily fit as well in all people’s hands.

PROS

• The least expensive chalk brush
• Features 2” bristle length
• Features 1 ½” bristle diameter
• Nickel-plated, rust-resistant ferrule
• Solid wood handle
• Features a leather strap
• Decent all-around brush

CONS

• The handle is somewhat short
• Sheds more than some

6. Bartsh – Best Detail Brush for Chalk Paint

See More Images

If the name did not give it away, the Bartsh Chalk Paint Brush is another company that eschews even other accessory products made for chalk paint and focuses exclusively on manufacturing the best brush. While this can sometimes lead to hit or miss results, the Bartsh Chalk Paint Brush is by far one of the more capable brushes for chalk paint that we reviewed. However, its true value comes from its versatility.

Another clue that the Bartsh Chalk Paint Brush is designed to be used for fine detail work is its size. The bristles of this brush have the smallest dimensions out of any other product that we reviewed. While this would normally be a knock against the brush, because it is designed for fine detail work it actually becomes a boon, allowing the Bartsh Chalk Paint Brush to further reach nooks and crannies without splatter.

PROS

• Bristles made of boar hair
• Features 1 ¼” bristle length
• Features 2” bristle diameter
• Nickel-plated, rust-resistant ferrule
• Legitimately non-shedding bristles
• Maple wood handle
• Features a leather strap

CONS

• Not ideal for larger projects
• The handle feels small to use

7. Chapab – Best Paint Brush for Chalk Paint (Unavailable now)

See More Images

Like some of the other companies on our list, Chapab specializes not only in chalk paint accessories but in chalk brushes exclusively. This allows Chapab to put all of their efforts towards manufacturing the best brush for chalk paint that they can. Even better, this brand manages to avoid some of the mistakes that other companies make–even those specializing in chalk paint brushes.

Beyond the bristles, this brush also offers a fairly standard construction–though it is worth noting that the standard for chalk paint brushes is reasonably high. The handle is made out of wood and features a leather strap to make cleanup easier. On top of that, the ferrule is nickel-plated stainless steel, so you do not have to worry about it rusting. Also, this brush offers sizable bristles at 2 ⅖” long and 2” in diameter.

PROS

• Made of twice-boiled boar hair
• Features 2 ½” bristle length
• Features 2” bristle diameter
• Nickel-plated, rust-resistant ferrule
• Solid wood handle
• Features a leather strap
• Legitimately shedless design

CONS

• A more expensive chalk brush

Buyer’s Guide:

Bristles:

This is the most important part of the brush as it will ultimately have the greatest impact on the quality of the final product. Regardless any other feature a brand may use to sell you their brush, if the bristles are not top quality, then your work will inherently suffer for it.

Material

The only material that you should concern yourself with when it comes to brushes for chalk paint is boar hair. This is because boar hair is incredibly strong and offers plenty of resistance without going overboard. If you prefer a softer touch, make sure to get a brush whose boar hair bristles are twice-boiled.

Diameter

The diameter of the bristles will not so much make the brush better or worse as much as it will tell you what the brush is meant to do. The larger the diameter, the larger the project piece should be. Conversely, you will want a smaller diameter brush for fine detail work.

Length

The length is another bristle quality that does not determine the performance as much as it simply offers additional convenience as well as inform the purpose of the brush. The longer the bristles, the more paint you can put on them and prevent having to constantly dip your brush back as often. Of course, fine detail work is best approached deliberately and will not need as much paint.

Shape

Once again, we find ourselves examining a feature that will not actually determine the quality of the brush as much as it will place the brush into a particular role. Brushes come in two basic sizes: flat and tapered. The flat brush is meant for larger projects and for rougher painting while the tapered brush is meant for corners and fine detail work.

Shedding

This is arguably the most important quality of a brush for painting–whether you are using chalk paint or not. The best brushes will actually thread or anchor their bristles to the body of the brush, specifically the handle and ferrule. The alternative is adhering the bristles to the body which generally allows them to shed significantly more.

Conclusion:

In the end, the best brush for chalk paint will depend a bit on the project that you are using it for. Since the prices are fairly similar and generally low, we will not recommend using the budget option unless you simply need a large number of brushes for plenty of rough painting.
If, on the other hand, you want a brush that will provide an excellent quality, we suggest going with the Chapab. Aside from the fact that this brush uses twice boiled boar hair for the bristles, the bristles are firmly anchored to the body’s construction significantly reducing the amount that it sheds.
Another excellent quality brush is the Bartsh Chalk Paint Brush that is nearly as good about not shedding as the Chapab. However, this brush features bristles made of boar hair that were only boiled once. Still, with its smaller profile and tapered shape, this is by far the best brush chalk paint to do fine detail work with.