10 Best Spray Paints for Plastic in 2022
Give Your Plastics a Fresh New Look with a Quality Spray Paint
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Over time, exposure to sun and rain or constant handling and abuse can make even your most treasured items look lackluster. Are your plastic patio chairs looking a little dull and sad? Is the kids’ plastic picnic table in desperate need of a new finish? Do your plastic plant pots sit there screaming for a bright pop of color?
Many people used to believe that once the finish on plastic items took a turn for the worst, there was no way to update or freshen it. Chances are, we’ve all tried painting plastic surfaces unsuccessfully, only to see our time and hard work chip off in flakes once it dries.
The good news is that spray paint technology has come a long way, especially when it comes to formulas made for painting plastic. With a fairly inexpensive can or two of paint, you can easily change the look of your favorite plastic chairs, your planting containers, or even the plastic surfaces on your kids’ toys. Gone are the days of tossing the item and replacing it with something new, or simply living with dull, outdated colors.
If you’re on a journey to breathe new life into plastic objects, there are some things you should heed – mainly the features that will help you achieve amazing results. So to help make your plastic spray painting project easier, we’ve put together a list of the best spray paint for plastic and a handy buyer’s guide as well.
We’ve spent time pouring over reviews and hand-testing paint products to create this list of the 10 best spray paint for plastic. Each spray paint we’ve featured includes good adhesion to PVC, resin, fiberglass, and vinyl plastics. They each also have better resistance to chips and scratches. There’s no need to hunt for the best paint for plastic – we’ve done it for you!
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View the Best Spray Paints for Plastic, Below.
- Rust-Oleum 267116 Painter’s Touch 2X Ultra Cover
- Pintyplus Aqua Spray Paint
- Krylon K05545007 COLORmaxx Spray Paint
- Rust-Oleum Universal All Surface Spray Paint
- Krylon K02732007 Fusion All-In-One Spray Paint
- Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch 2X Ultra Matte White
- Krylon I00500A00 Thick Clear Glaze
- Rust-Oleum 211360 Paint for Plastic Spray
- Rust-Oleum Black Automotive 248649 Paint for Plastic Spray
- BEHR Interior/Exterior Spray Paint
1. Rust-Oleum 267116 Painter’s Touch 2X Ultra Cover
The Best Covering Spray Paint for Plastic
The first product on our list is undoubtedly one of the most popular spray products available for plastic. It comes in a variety of trendy colors - more so than many similar products - to give you plenty of options to choose from. The Double Cover Technology provides an increased application speed and full coverage without sacrificing product quality. Each 12 oz can of Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch easily covers up to 12 square feet of any plastic surface area.
Its beautiful gloss finish transforms your plastic items into updated, durable works of art. Ideal for most interior and exterior surfaces, this quality paint promises low odor during application and resists chips for long-lasting protection once cured.
Why We Like It: The Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch 2X Ultra Cover is a go-to plastic spray paint for many DIYers and professionals. It provides full coverage and durability in a range of fantastic, trendy colors.
Check Price on Amazon ➞2. Pintyplus Aqua Spray Paint
The Best Environmentally-Friendly Spray Paint for Plastic
Available for purchase in a set of eight colors or individually by the can, the Pintyplus Aqua spray paint is the best paint for people looking for environmentally sustainable products. The miniature 4.2-ounce cans are easy to hold; they don’t give off an odor, and with less pressurization than competitors, there's minimal overspray. If you're looking for the best paint for plastic and want an environmentally conscious product, this is the one for you.
While specifically designed for use inside, it's durable enough to be used outdoors as well. The opaque formulation means no bleed-through on the resulting matte finish. As it's a water-based product, we recommend applying a layer of primer for plastic before using the Pintyplus Aqua.
Why We Like It: Sprayable paints are notoriously smelly, and the VOCs emitted when painting are bad for the environment. The Pintyplus Aqua is an environmentally-friendly, water-based paint designed for painting plastic surfaces. It's available in a handful of colors
Check Price on Amazon ➞3. Krylon K05545007 COLORmaxx Spray Paint
The Best Fast-Drying Spray Paint for Plastic
Are you in a rush to get your project done? Then grab a can of Krylon’s COLORmaxx and get to painting! This one comes in a huge range of colors and finishes from your local hardware store. Trusted since 1947, Krylon is known for its quality spray products, and the COLORmaxx doesn’t disappoint.
You can use this product indoors or outdoors on a variety of surfaces, plastic included. It even offers rust protection for metal surfaces. The big button spray tip reduces fatigue and can be sprayed at all angles to reach those hard-to-get spots. One can offers surface coverage up to 25 sq ft, and it’s dry enough to touch in less than 10 minutes.
Why We Like It: There’s a reason the saying exists about watching paint dry - but with the Krylon COLORmaxx, your surface coat is dry to the touch in under 10 minutes. It's available in many colors with great plastic adhesion.
Check Price on Amazon ➞4. Rust-Oleum Universal All Surface Spray Paint
The Best Metallic Finish Spray Paint for Plastic
Rust-Oleum’s Universal All-Surface spray paint is available in just about any metallic finish you can think of. From desert rose gold to black stainless steel, you can quickly and easily make your plastic items look like modern, upscale metal.
With paint and primer in one, each coat of this all-surface product delivers superior coverage and durability, regardless of the plastic surface type. The patented trigger design eliminates finger fatigue and can be sprayed from any angle for easy application. Each 11-ounce can will cover up to 15 sq ft. It's dry to the touch in 30 minutes.
Why We Like It: Available in many metallic finishes, Rust-Oleum’s All-Surface spray paint is a quick and easy way to take your plastic mailbox or house numbers and give them a modern upgrade.
Check Price on Amazon ➞5. Krylon K02732007 Fusion All-In-One Spray Paint
The Best No-Prep Spray Paint for Plastic
With a five times stronger surface adhesion (including plastic), the Krylon Fusion All-In-One spray paint makes prep work easy. There’s no need for sanding or priming. Shake your can, and go! Backed by a No-Peel Guarantee, this spray paint adheres to even the most stubborn surfaces.
Whether your home improvement project is inside or out, Krylon Fusion delivers superior durability and excellent coverage. The big button spray tip works at any angle, allowing you to get into those nooks and crannies. The excellent spray pattern means no drips or runs, and you get to touch your project in half an hour.
Why We Like It: Krylon have knocked it out of the park with their Fusion All-In-One products. Each can is easy to handle and offers superior painting adhesion to even the toughest plastics, backed by their No-Peel Guarantee.
Check Price on Amazon ➞6. Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch 2X Ultra Matte White
The Best Ultra-Matte Spray Paint for Plastic
The ultra-matte finish of this product creates a no-shine, vintage appearance to use on plastic surfaces. With Rust-Oleum’s Double Coverage Technology, each application coat has twice the coverage, allowing you to finish your project in half the time.
The comfort spray tip helps prevent fatigue when working on larger projects, and it works at any given angle. The quick-drying formula is dry to touch in twenty minutes. It's best to apply this product in thin, light coats. Each can covers up to 12 square feet of surface area.
Why We Like It: This matte finish spray paint adds a vintage-look to your projects, bringing out their natural beauty. Rust-Oleum’s 2X Ultra-Matte goes on quickly and dries to create a smooth, durable finish suitable for indoors or outside.
Check Price on Amazon ➞7. Krylon I00500A00 Thick Clear Glaze
The Best Spray Paint Glaze for Plastic
One coat of this non-firing clear glaze provides coverage equal to three coats of competing projects. At a fraction of the cost, and in a sliver of the time, you can put the finishing touch on your DIY project. The finished glaze coat looks like glass, giving your plastic surface an illusion of depth.
The durable, high-gloss coating provides your project with protection from chips, cracks, and scratches in a fraction of time compared to other paints that need multiple coats. Surfaces are dry to the touch in fifteen minutes and ready to handle in four hours.
Why We Like It: Krylon’s Thick Clear Glaze creates a beautiful, durable topcoat that looks like glass without the need to fire projects in a kiln. In less time and few coats, your paint project will be ready to enjoy.
Check Price on Amazon ➞8. Rust-Oleum 211360 Paint for Plastic Spray
The Best Single-Step Spray Paint for Plastic
Ideal for indoor and outdoor plastic, you can apply this Rust-Oleum product to many surfaces, including PVC, fiberglass, resin, polypropylene, polystyrene, and vinyl plastics. Its one-step application doesn’t require priming. Simply clean your patio chair or gardening pots, shake the can vigorously for a couple of minutes, and you’re ready to spray.
This specialty paint covers surface blemishes well and dries to the touch within 30 minutes. You can recoat within an hour of the first layer. In a deep shade of hunter green or black, you can tackle your home improvement project and renew your patio furniture, mailbox, or outdoor table within minutes with a single step.
Why We Like It: This simple, no-fuss paint quickly takes your outdoor items and gives them a new look, restoring them to their former glory. It doesn’t require you to prime separately, meaning you can renew your items in only a few minutes.
Check Price on Amazon ➞9. Rust-Oleum Black Automotive 248649 Paint for Plastic Spray
The Best Automatic Spray Paint for Plastic
Your vehicle is exposed to the blistering sun, hot temperatures, and many other harsh conditions when it’s parked in the driveway or rolling down the road. Over time, black plastic bumpers, wheel well trim, the grill, or other parts may fade to a duller, lackluster version of their former self. But Rust-Oleum’s Black Automotive paint can return them to their glory!
After you've wiped the parts down with paint thinner, all it takes is two or more light coats of this product, applied within minutes of each other. In no time at all, everything you paint will look new again.
Why We Like It: Perfect for restoring and renewing the plastic trim, grill, or side mirror housing on your vehicle, Rust-Oleum’s Black Automotive spray paint goes on easily. It dries quickly to a durable gloss finish.
Check Price on Amazon ➞10. BEHR Interior/Exterior Spray Paint
The Best Color-Coordinating Spray Paint for Plastic
If you’re looking to tackle a DIY paint project inside your house, BEHR’s interior and exterior spray paint is a great option. As it's available in many popular BEHR paint colors - with both flat enamel or gloss - it’s easy to find one that coordinates with your existing color scheme.
The ergonomically shaped 12 oz can is comfortable to hold - the spray tip reduces fatigue over larger projects. With paint and primer in one, this product easily adheres to multiple surfaces, including metal, wood, and plastic, providing excellent coverage. A single can covers up to 15 sq ft of surface area.
Why We Like It: BEHR’s Interior/Exterior Spray Paint is ideal to use if you’re looking to coordinate with existing BEHR paint colors in your decor. Its durable formula comes in many popular BEHR colors.
VIEW ON HOME DEPOT ➞What to Look For When Buying a Spray Paint for Plastic
Spray painting plastic items isn’t as straightforward as painting wood, metal, concrete, or brick. You can’t walk into your favorite hardware store and grab whatever can that catches your eye.
When working with plastic, you need to use plastic paint. This is because it’s specifically formulated to adhere to the substrate. Unlike paint for wood or metal, which just covers the surface, spray paint for plastic needs to actually create a bond with the surface to fuse the two together. This bond keeps the finished product from peeling off in large strips or flakes.
Beyond looking for a specific spray paint, you need to consider other features when buying the best spray paint for plastic. To help you on your DIY adventure, we’ve put together a list of features you should consider before purchasing anything.
Paint Base
Paints that come in cans need to be brushed or rolled onto surfaces. But with spray paint, you need to consider the two different bases: oil and water. Oil is the most common base. Their formulation leads to durable paints. They rarely need to be primed beforehand, and you can use them on surfaces that aren’t in the best condition.
The oil-based formula means you can’t clean up supplies, your hands, or any overspray with soap and water. You’ll need to use a solvent, such as mineral spirits, to clean up an oil-based formula.
Water-based spray paints are made with latex, so they’re easy to clean up using soap and water. They aren’t used as often because they require the plastic surface to be primed most of the time. In an era of quick and easy DIY projects, some people don’t want the added time it takes to complete this extra step.
Spray Nozzle
The can’s nozzle not only determines the spray pattern when applying, but it also plays a huge part in how comfortable the can is to use. At one time, manufacturers gave little thought to the design of spray nozzles and whether they fatigued the user’s finger. Now, ergonomics plays a role in the design process, providing more options and a better user experience. The best spray paints for plastic come equipped with comfort tips to reduce fatigue.
Spray cans with the smaller old-school nozzles will cause your finger to fatigue and cramp much quicker than other kinds. This is because you’re pushing down on a small surface area. They’re not ideal for big projects but work fine for quick jobs.
A wider nozzle is much more comfortable to use, and you’ll be able to spray longer without experiencing discomfort. This is because there’s more surface area to press down.
If you have arthritis in your hands or other joint problems that cause you pain or limit your mobility, you can also purchase a comfort grip attachment. These nifty tools fit over the top of the can and turn it into a spray gun with a two-finger trigger. Not only do they reduce finger fatigue, but they keep your hands cleaner too.
Drying Time
As much as we like to rush projects, when spray painting plastic, the most crucial guidelines to follow are the time specifications listed on the can. The thickness of the product you choose, coupled with its base material, determines how long the paint takes to dry and cure. Thicker products take longer to dry, meaning you’ll need to wait longer to spray the next coat. If you’re in a time crunch, look for the quickest dry time possible.
When shopping for the best spray paint for plastics, make sure to take a few seconds to read what the label or description says about drying time. How long does it take until it’s dry to the touch? How long until you can recoat? Be as diligent as possible and follow these guidelines. This will give your paint enough time to bond securely to the surface. While the wait may feel like an eternity, keeping yourself from adding the next coat too early will make your painting project successful.
Interior or Exterior Use
To get the maximum life expectancy out of your paint, you need to make sure you’re using either interior or exterior paint, depending on your project. It may seem like a minor thing to worry about, but this will help determine the paint’s durability and, ultimately, how long it’ll be until you need to repaint.
Exterior paints are designed to hold their color and fend off fading due to sunlight and UV-radiation exposure. They also resist cracking when the item undergoes extreme temperature fluctuation. This is a great feature if you live in frigid climates and forget to store your patio chairs for the winter.
Interior paints don’t need to be as durable in regards to UV exposure and crazy climate conditions, but they need to be durable in their own way. In many cases, indoor plastic items are handled more often. They need to withstand washing and be resistant to scuffs.
Some spray paints are rated to be used in either situation, standing up to conditions found inside or outside.
Color and Texture Options
One of the great things about spray paints is the myriad of colors available for purchase. Twenty years ago, the options on a store shelf were significantly limited – you could only find basic colors and a couple of varying shades here and there. Now, the spray can section at your local hardware store easily takes up an entire aisle or wall.
The color you’re looking for may impact your choice slightly, depending on which brands have an extensive assortment of options. Or maybe you’ll have to settle on a different color in a brand you love.
Plastic spray paints are also available in different textures to create an interesting finished look for your project. You can choose from options such as chalkboard paints or go with one that has a hammered metal appearance when dried.
Related; airless paint sprayers.
Finish
Different paints reflect light differently, causing them to have various “sheens” – or the paint finish. It’s important to understand the different types of finishes available and which is best for your project.
High-gloss paints appear glossy, like their name states. They create a hard, durable surface that is the easiest to clean but will show every imperfection.
Semi-gloss paints have high durability, making them easy to clean, but they aren’t as blindingly glossy as high-gloss.
Satin paints have what can be described as a velvety appearance. They offer medium durability but are hard to touch up down the road.
Eggshell paints have a minimal sheen, only displaying a small amount of luster when the sunlight hits them, but they hide minor imperfections well.
Matte finish paints, sometimes also called a “flat finish,” are very dull with no sheen at all. They’re great for hiding imperfections, but they don’t wash easily.
Thickness and Opacity
Spray paints, just like the paint you apply with a brush, come in varying thicknesses and opacities depending upon the brand and individual paint type. Those looking to get creative with their plastic paint projects also may want to consider the paint’s thickness and opacity. Many paints, like those used in graffiti and street art, offer a bit of transparency. This allows the artist to add a second color on top of the surface paint without blocking out the color below. Transparent paints also allow the artist to blend the transition between two colors.
Surface Preparation
The type of plastic paint you purchase will determine how you need to prep your surface before painting. It’ll also affect what supplies you may need to purchase. In most cases, you’ll need to wash the item well, removing any dirt and debris. Sometimes the paint requires you to apply a primer beforehand, while others are a paint and primer in one. Some manufacturers recommend you sand the surface to remove any gloss, or wipe it down with mineral spirits or rubbing alcohol.
Conclusion
When it comes to buying spray paint for plastic, there’s much more involved than grabbing a can off the shelf at your local hardware store. Making sure you buy the best type for your painting project will help you get the DIY piece of your dreams. A high-quality plastic spray paint will also create a durable, long-lasting finish that’s resistant to chips and scratches. You won’t need a touchup for many, many years to come.
After reading through the above reviews on the best spray paint for plastic, and our handy buying guide, you should feel confident enough walking to the hardware store or pulling up your favorite shopping app on your phone to find the best spray paint for your DIY makeover.
With only the best spray paint for plastic listed in this guide, you’ll need to make the only tough decision is what color to choose!