BENJAMIN MOORE AURA REVIEW

Benjamin Moore Aura is the company’s top-tier product, and it competes with other premium options like Sherwin Williams Emerald and PPG Ultralast. Where does Aura stand among these premium options? We tested the paint ourselves to see if Benjamin Moore Aura is worth your time, or if you would be better off with a different brand. 

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APPLICATION AND COVERAGE

In terms of application, we felt Benjamin Moore Aura was pretty loose. That means the paint was a bit runnier, which means it’s more prone to splatter. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s something to consider when you’re applying this paint. You will have to be a bit more careful to make sure the paint goes where it’s supposed to. Otherwise, the application was smooth and the paint flowed very well. 

Aura has a spread rate of 350-400 square feet per gallon, which is actually a touch lower than their Regal Select product. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, because you will always want two coats to get maximum color and sheen. We were impressed with the first coat coverage, though. It didn’t have the same amount of pinholes virtually every other product had, and if you’re a DIYer you might be able to get away with one coat depending on your color choices. 

DURABILITY

Benjamin Moore’s products stand out in the durability category. Regal Select handily outperformed its competitors in the mid-tier, though in the premium range the competition is a bit closer. We tried scuffing these paints, burnishing them, and even scrubbing them with a magic eraser (which you should never do). The paint didn’t appear to scuff at all, and there wasn’t any apparent damage from the magic eraser. We don’t recommend pushing your luck on that, though. 

The only issue we noticed is the paint did burnish a bit whereas Sherwin Williams Emerald did not. But honestly, these paints held up so well there is almost no discernable difference in their quality. The paint is incredibly hardy, and anyone would be pleased with how the paint holds up. 

PRICE

The price is the hardest thing to swallow with Benjamin Moore. It retails at $90 per gallon, which is well above Emerald’s $75. PPG Ultralast is even more affordable at $70. Aura is a great paint, but we aren’t sure it’s worth the huge markup. The competitor’s paints performed just as well, and they are largely indiscernible once on the wall. That’s especially true when you consider contractor pricing for these products. 

BENJAMIN MOORE AURA IS A GREAT PAINT, BUT IT’S HEFTY PRICE MAKES IT A TOUGH SELL

As we said before, there isn’t really anything to fault with Benjamin Moore Aura. It has great coverage and exceptional durability. However, the price is steep, and the availability varies depending on your location. Here in the midwest, Benjamin Moore products are harder to find, and the high price makes the effort even less worthwhile. 

If you are adamant about getting Benjamin Moore Aura, you’ll be more than happy with it. However, you would be just as happy with either Sherwin Williams Emerald which is cheaper and easier to obtain (at least in Indiana). 

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