Consumer Reports has released the official word on home painting for the summer: it’s all about water! Water-based are the only paints CR bothers to test.

Water-Based Paints Are Just a Better Choice

Says CR paint expert Rico De Paz, “Water-based paint nowadays has gotten so good that basically there’s no reason to buy an oil-based paint.”

A warning, however, if you are shopping: do not be mislead by labels. While many will say latex or acrylic. They may not necessarily contain just those ingredients. To be sure, De Paz says to read the cleaning directions.

“If it says clean with soap and water, it’s a water-based paint. I don’t care what it says on the label, if it says clean up with soap and water, it’s a water-based paint.” Using solvents is an indication there are other ingredients that are the base of the paint.

It’s All About Performance

Water-based paints not only perform as well as their oil-based predecessors, they are also easier to clean. According to De Paz, “You don’t need any of those nasty solvents to clean the brushes or the rollers, or anything. And the paint doesn’t have that smell that lingers for days at a time. So, it’s just a win-win, if you use the water-based paint.”

Water-based paint is more pliable and will dry faster than oil paints.

What are your favorite water-based paints for indoors or outdoors? Or do you prefer oil-based paints? Tell us your story or contact us for more information! Feel free to shoot us an email to on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or even connect with us directly on our website!

About the Author: Aisha K. Staggers is a writer, lecturer, political analyst and literary agent. She appears weekly for “Staggers State of Things” on the Dr. Vibe Show. Her work has been published by Paper Magazine, AfroPunk, The Spool, GREY Journal, MTV News, HuffPost, Blavity, Atlanta Blackstar, For Harriet, New York Review of Books and a host of other first-run publications and syndicated outlets. Find her on Twitter @AishaStaggers. For more of her work, check out her page here!