We researched dozens of airless paint sprayers, rating them on capacity, flow rate, and overall performance. Our top choice is the Graco Magnum X5 Airless Paint Sprayer, which can spray directly from the paint can, is easy to use, and has adjustable pressure. Here are the best airless paint sprayers on the market. For a streamlined painting instrument that pulls out all the stops, check out the Graco Magnum X5 Airless Paint Sprayer. This stationary sprayer is easy to use, lightweight, portable, exceedingly efficient, and suitable for at-home projects of all sizes. It starts up quickly and easily; no need to waste time priming the sprayer before getting to work. This sprayer includes a 25-foot hose, but supports up to 75 feet of hose, and with adjustable pressure, you have complete control over the flow of paint. Also, its flexible suction tube and high flow rate allow you to spray directly from a 1-gallon or 5-gallon paint can. Once your project is finished, it’s easy to clean the device; just hook it up to your garden hose and let the water do the rest. The Magnum X5 has an SG2 heavy-duty metal spray gun with an in-handle filter and a TrueAirless nozzle, which can be reversed to bypass clogging. The stainless steel piston pump can also spray unthinned paint at notably high pressure. With one-pass coverage, there’s no need for multiple coats of paint, and it’s much faster than rolling or brushing. Graco recommends this airless paint sprayer for homeowners who use up to 125 gallons of paint a year. You can use it for interior walls, ceilings, doors, and trim, as well as house siding, decks, and fences. Price at time of publish: $433 It can be used with unthinned oil-based or latex paint, as well as various sealants and stains. This sprayer has a 25-foot non-kink hose and draws paint directly from paint cans. The heavy-duty spray gun evenly coats both smooth and rough surfaces, making it ideal for a broad range of DIY paint jobs. Whether you’re painting your walls, stairs, garage, or fence, you’ll get professional-quality results in a fraction of the time it would take with a brush or roller. Price at time of publish: $440 The 360DS sprays in any direction, even upside down, and there’s no need to thin your latex paint before getting started. The cup holds up to 32 ounces of paint, so you can work for quite a while before needing to refill. There are two speeds: use low for careful, detailed work, or high when you want to get the job done quickly, or are covering a large surface. It includes two tips: one with a 4-inch spray pattern, and one with a 12-inch spray. Use the sprayer to apply just about any paint or stain. Price at time of publish: $179 You can use it to paint or stain a wide range of interior and exterior surfaces, and it’ll provide an even, consistent finish—no thinning or second coats required. With an HEA (high-efficiency airless) system, it pulls directly from a paint can and reduces overspray by up to 55 percent. It has a 50-foot hose that gives it a two-story reach—but can support up to 100 feet of hose—and a highly durable metal spray gun. Also, this resilient sprayer can last for up to three times as long as others on the market, making it worth the price tag. It comes with a limited two-year manufacturer warranty. Price at time of publish: $680 The Wagner Power Painter Plus is best suited as an airless paint sprayer for small to medium jobs since the paint reservoir only holds enough paint to cover an 8-foot by 10-foot area. However, this is a versatile paint sprayer that is perfect for spraying sheds, furniture, and any other outdoor or indoor projects you may have. Price at time of publish: $150 While it’s not recommended for high-volume paint jobs, it’s perfect for smaller projects that call for up to three gallons of paint, as well as touch-ups for larger projects. Ultimately, this handheld sprayer is suitable for homeowners who use up to about 50 gallons of paint a year. Whether you’re repainting a room, a doorway, shutters, a garage door, trim, stairs, a deck, or furniture, the TC Pro Cordless Airless Paint Sprayer is an excellent choice. Price at time of publish: $600 It can be used with unthinned latex paints and other stains to coat walls, paint ceilings, porches, fences, sheds, garage doors—you name it. Aside from a sturdy power tank stand, this airless sprayer has integrated handles and built-in storage for the gun, hose, and nozzles. It also has a spill-resistant lid, which keeps debris and contaminants out of the paint and makes for fewer messes. Also, latex paint cleanup is easy. All you have to do is flush the gravity-fed hose with water and rinse the sprayer. Price at time of publish: $249 It pulls paint directly from a one- or five-gallon can, which simplifies the painting process and makes for easy cleanup. For best results, use unthinned latex paint on indoor or outdoor surfaces. When you’re finished, you can stash the gun, hose, and nozzles in its built-in storage. With an HEA system, you can count on reduced overspray and a smooth, even finish. This product is best used for up to 175 gallons of paint a year and is backed by a two-year manufacturer warranty. Price at time of publish: $340 The paint flow is easily adjusted with a knob on the side of the sprayer for up to 0.24 gpm and a maximum working pressure of 2,800 psi. The sprayer comes with just one tip, a .015 size which is the maximum for this model, but you can purchase smaller tips separately if you’ll need them for more detailed work, such as painting trim. The compact design makes this sprayer easy to store between projects, and you can attach it to your garden hose for easy cleaning. It’s rated for up to 50 gallons of paint per year. Price at time of publish: $269
Hose Length
Handheld paint sprayers with built-in paint containers don’t have paint hoses, but larger tools do. A 25-foot paint hose is fairly standard, but many paint sprayers offer the option of upgrading to a longer paint hose, sometimes as much as 100 feet. If your project is spread over a wide area—such as painting a fence—you’ll appreciate a longer hose that lets you work without frequent pauses to move your paint sprayer. Always check your paint sprayer’s specifications, however, as to the maximum length of paint hose it can support.
Paint Capacity
Many stationary or wheeled paint sprayers draw paint right out of the 1-gallon or 5-gallon paint can, meaning you can work for a long time without fear of running low on paint. Others have a hopper you fill with paint—usually these hold around a gallon. Handheld paint sprayers, however, as well as some stationary units, have built-in paint containers that you fill before starting to work. One quart is a common capacity for these tools, but some hold less paint than that, so keep the capacity in mind if you’ll be painting a large area.
Power
The motor power of an airless paint sprayer is important, as generally, the more powerful the motor, the thicker the paint you’ll be able to spray and the longer the hose the machine can support. As a general rule, a paint sprayer with a ½-horsepower or more of power will handle latex paints without the need for thinning them down, and can support hose lengths beyond 50 feet. Handheld airless paint sprayers are generally much less powerful than their stationary or wheeled counterparts.
Flow Rate and Annual Usage
The flow rate of a paint sprayer refers to the amount of paint the tool can spray in one minute. The average paint sprayer used by a DIYer can spray anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 gallon of paint per minute. The recommended maximum annual usage of a paint sprayer refers to how many total gallons of paint the sprayer can handle per year without prematurely wearing out the motor, tips, or hoses. There are paint sprayers with recommended annual usage of just 25 gallons of paint and other sprayers that can handle 500 gallons or more per year, but generally, a DIYer is fine with a sprayer towards the lower end of the range.
Why Trust The Spruce?
This article is edited and updated by Michelle Ullman, the tool expert for The Spruce. She has extensive experience not only in writing about all things related to the home, but also in carrying out various DIY projects, including landscaping, painting, flooring, wallpapering, furniture makeovers, and simple repairs. For this roundup, she considered dozens of airless paint sprayers, evaluating each for basic features, extras, and customer feedback. It’s also crucial to keep safety in mind when using one of these sprayers: airless paint sprayers pump out paint at extremely high pressures—up to 3,000 psi—and should the tip of the sprayer touch your skin or come very close to it during use, it’s possible to actually inject paint right through your skin, a potentially serious injury. Always remain mindful of the placement of your hands and the position of the tip when using a paint sprayer. You should also protect your eyes with safety goggles. Because airless paint sprayers tend to create a lot of overspray, you’ll need to carefully mask off or cover any nearby surfaces that you want to keep free of paint. Although tedious, this preparation will lead to more professional looking results. While different paint sprayers have different specifics for operation, the following are general guidelines for painting with a stationary or wheeled sprayer that draws paint directly from the can. As a general rule, airless paint sprayers, because of their extremely high pressures, handle thick paints, such as latex, better than other types of paint sprayers, and usually without any need to thin the paint before use. Keep in mind, however, that lower-powered airless sprayers, particularly handheld models with built-in paint containers, sometimes do require thick paint to be thinned before use, so always read your specific tool’s manufacturer recommendations before choosing paint. Airless paint sprayers also handle stains, varnishes, lacquers, and shellac. The right tip for your job depends on the type of paint being sprayed and the size of the job itself. If you are painting a large, flat surface, such as a wall or fence, you’ll want a tip that produces a wider spray of paint, whereas painting a lattice, furniture, or other detailed work calls for a narrower paint fan. As for orifice size, the thicker the paint, the larger the required opening. As a rough guideline, thick exterior latex paints require an orifice of .015 to .019, oil-based paints and interior latex need an orifice of .013 to .017, enamels work best with an orifice of .013 to .015, and thin stains, sealers, lacquers, or shellac need a small orifice of .009 to .013. Always read your specific paint sprayer’s manufacturer’s cleaning guidelines, but the following is a good general guideline for most sprayers that draw paint directly from the paint can. She also obtained advice and suggestions from Rob Abrahams, Co-Founder of COAT Paints and DIY expert.
