PPG Prominence vs Benjamin Moore Regal Select

PPG Prominence and Benjamin Moore Select are the mid-tier premium paint options from these two brands, and they both have their strengths and weaknesses. In our continuing series, we stack these two side by side and compare the application, hide, coverage, durability, and price to see which product is the best for you and your home. 

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APPLICATION

When painters talk about application, we are referring to how well the paint goes on the surface without creating a mess. The paint should flow smoothly off the brush, but it shouldn’t be so loose that it splatters or runs after being applied. 

Both of these paints apply very well. Neither are overly loose, so as long as you are careful there is a very low risk of accidental splatter. They also flow very well and cover nicely (we’ll talk about coverage in a moment). 

In terms of simply putting paint on the wall, both of these paints get the job done quite well.

Winner: Tie

HIDE

Hide refers to the paint’s ability to hide any flaws on the surface. This includes knicks, dents, or uneven areas. In terms of hide, both of these paints do quite well. They also don’t overly change the original feel of the surface, which is a nice plus if that’s important to you. 

Between the two, we would say Regal Select performs slightly better. On our test wall, Regal Select smoothed out the uneven drywall moreso than Prominence. However, the difference was pretty minimal (we really had to look at it), and your results may vary depending on the surface. 

However, in our testing, Regal Select has the edge. 

Winner: Benjamin Moore Regal Select

COVERAGE

Coverage refers to how much surface area you can cover with a single can of paint, measured in square feet. The higher the coverage, the less paint you will need to fully cover the surface. PPG Prominence is rated for 400 square feet per gallon, and Regal Select gets 450 square feet per gallon. That’s exceptional coverage, especially when Duration – the Sherwin Williams equivalent – gets 250-300 square feet per gallon. 

However, the edge once again goes to Regal Select. Regardless of coverage, though, you will always want to put two coats of paint on the surface to maximize color and sheen. And even though Duration has lower coverage, that allows the paint to shell up better to create a smooth and durable finish. 

Winner: Benjamin Moore Regal Select

DURABILITY

We ran the paints through the ringer with our durability testing. We scuffed the paint with our feet, rubbed our fingers on the wall to burnish it, and even scrubbed the paint with a magic eraser. That last one is something you should never do because the chemical abrasion in the magic eraser is terrible for paint. 

Both paints proved very durable, but once again Regal Select wins out on this front. Prominence withstood burnishing and the magic eraser well enough, but it was pretty prone to scuffing. Benjamin Moore’s Regal Select, though, withstood everything very well. There was only some minor scuffing in our test. 

While both do well, Regal Select is unmatched in durability in this category. 

Winner: Benjamin Moore Regal Select

PRICE

Price is the biggest difference between these two, and it might ultimately be the deciding factor for most clients. Regal Select retails at $78 per gallon. Prominence, on the other hand, retails at $55 per gallon. That’s a significant price difference, especially when you consider how similar these products are. Yes, Regal Select edges out Prominence in most categories, but frankly, the difference isn’t that significant, and it’s certainly not a 30% difference. 

Availability is another factor to consider. In our market, Benjamin Moore is not as widely available, and combined with the cost that makes it quite prohibitive. 

If you’re looking to save money, though, and still get a reliable product, Prominence is a clear winner.

Winner: PPG Prominence

BENJAMIN MOORE REGAL SELECT IS THE BETTER PRODUCT, BUT IT MAY BE WORTH UPGRADING

On a purely technical level, Regal Select is the superior product. It has slightly better coverage and durability, however, that doesn’t justify the difference in its retail price. Prominence performs very similarly and is over $20 cheaper, and that’s before you even consider special contractor pricing. 

Which product is best for you may ultimately come down to price. If you’re looking to save money and get a great product, PPG Prominence is probably the best option. And if you prefer getting the best of the best, it makes more sense to upgrade to an absolute premium product like Sherwin Williams Emerald over something like Regal Select. 

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