Top Rated Spray Painter for Interior Walls — Product Table


IMAGE PRODUCT DETAILS  
  • Weight: 13 pounds
  • Maximum Pressure: 3000 psi
  • Performance Rating: .27 gallons per minute
  • Highlight: With a maximum hose length of 75 feet, this versatile airless sprayer provides excellent quality for the price. It can handle everything from light stains to heavy latex paints easily.
Check Price At PS Equipment Check Price At Amazon Graco X5 Review Graco X5 Review
  • Weight: 10 pounds
  • Pressure: From 1.50 psi to 2.63 psi
  • Highlight: Not only is this paint sprayer very affordable, it is a great choice for beginners because it is easy to use and very lightweight.
  •  
Check Price At PS Equipment Check Price At Amazon Wagner 0518080 Review Wagner 0518080 Review
  • Weight: 9.88 pounds
  • Maximum Pressure: 2000 psi
  • Performance Rating: 0.2 gallons per minute
  • Highlight: Highlight: Excellent for DIY use, the power of an airless machine without the priming and space demands of large, floor-standing units.
Check Price At PS Equipment Check Price At Amazon Graco Ultra 17M359 Review Graco Ultra 17M359 Review
  • Weight: 19.4 pounds
  • Maximum Pressure: 1500 psi
  • Performance Rating: 0.33 gallons per minute
  • Highlight: Highlight: Knocking out a mighty 0.33 gpm, this prosumer unit delivers rapid coverage to reduce time on larger-scale indoor projects.
Check Price At PS Equipment Check Price At Amazon Wagner Control Pro 170 Review Wagner Control Pro 170 Review
paint sprayer for interior walls

You want your home paintwork project to look amazing, be completed speedily, and involve the minimum of fuss and mess — meaning you need the best paint sprayer for interior walls.

If you’ve already decided on using a paint sprayer for your interior wall painting project, you’ve made a great choice.

A high-quality paint sprayer can save you stacks of time, get you professional looking results, and be easy to use.

The best paint sprayer for interior walls is also much better at reaching corners or small details with ease and delivering an even layer of paint. Not to mention that with proper care, they save a ton of mess and last longer than brushes and rollers.

There are two main categories of paint sprayers:

In this article, we’re going over everything you need to know to pick the best paint sprayer for your interior wall painting project. Let’s initially cover the two main types of the best paint sprayer for walls and how they work.

In this article, we’re going over everything you need to know to pick the best paint sprayer for your interior wall painting project. Let’s initially cover the two main types of the best paint sprayer for walls and how they work.

Airless Paint Sprayers as a Wall Paint Sprayer


Airless paint sprayers work by pushing paint from a container through a flexible hose and out of a spray gun. This spray gun has a fluid pump that does not use air.

The pressure and spray nozzle size determine how much paint is sprayed at a time.

Airless spray may sound like a complicated technology, but it’s actually used very often. The most common household example of an airless sprayer is a shower head.

Graco, one of the leading paint sprayer manufacturers, describes the technology like this:

“In airless spray, the fast-moving high-pressure liquid stream provides the energy necessary to overcome the fluid’s viscosity (resistance to flow) and surface tension (a force that bonds the surface of a liquid together) to form a fine spray.

In the depiction of spray from a gun, high-pressure forces fluid through a small nozzle (spray tip). The fluid emerges as a solid stream (sheet) at a high speed. When the solid stream hits the air, it becomes disrupted. This disruption breaks the fluid into fragments initially, then ultimately very small droplets that form the spray pattern.”

The best advantages of airless sprayers include speed, quality, and versatility.

Airless sprayers boast speeds up to 10 times faster than brush painting while producing an even coat of paint.

They can also be used on a variety of projects, including interior and exterior walls, painting furniture, and more.

HVLP Paint Sprayers as a Wall Painting Gun

High Volume Low Pressure paint sprayers, on the other hand, use air to push paint from an attached container and skip the hose.

Paint Zoom describes the way HVLP spray guns work as follows:

“The spray gun has two main sources of air, one which helps to form the pattern on the spray painting surface and one that breaks up the fluid stream into the fine spray particles. Both of these air sources are located in air caps at the exit of the spray gun’s nozzle.

The paint is delivered by means of a cup which is attached directly to the spray gun. There are three kinds of HVLP spray guns — gravity feed, pressure feed, and siphon feed.

The siphon feed spray gun uses pressurized air to create a siphoning action at the nozzle. The siphon feed spray gun has the paint cup located below the nozzle.

Due to the difference in atmospheric pressure, the paint then moves toward the vacuum area and comes out of the cup. The atomized air pressure determines how much fluid is sprayed by the paint sprayer.

If you want fast application, then you’re looking for a spray gun with a higher atomized air pressure. However, this also means more overspray. The siphon feed spray gun isn’t efficient because it doesn’t give you enough control of the atomized air pressure. Therefore, you cannot control the amount of paint being sprayed.”

Your Complete Interior Wall Paint Sprayer Buying Guide


There’s a vast number of paint sprayers available — and not all are suitable for interior wall painting.

Furthermore, the demands of your specific interior project — and your personal preferences — can determine the ideal machine. Here are a few factors to consider when choosing your paint spray gun for walls.

Handheld or Floor-Standing

Typically lighter on your wallet, compact, offering impressive precision, and straightforward operation — handheld units are typically the go-to machine for DIY and inexperienced users.

Floor-standing units are bulky, often require some preparation, such as priming, and are most costly. Although, they ensure faster coverage, need less refilling if they have a reservoir, and are easier on your hands — as you’re only wielding the gun, not the entire motor and paint tank.

Airless or HVLP

So which wall paint gun is better for interior walls?

For a lot of space to cover on larger projects, airless sprayers are the way to go. They deliver speedier coverage than turbines, and are therefore more suited to significant interior wall spaces.

HVLP sprayers work for interior wall projects, but they’re best for smaller-scale projects like painting furniture or a small accent wall. This is due to giving a more steady delivery — with greater accuracy for a more precise finish. This makes them ideal for walls with detail — such as moldings, architraves, and dado rails.

Nozzle Type and Size

The nozzle size and type are crucial when choosing your spray paint gun for walls
— as it affects the unit’s ability to deliver your coating medium. Low-viscosity paints and stains require a small tip diameter — thicker and denser coverings demand a larger aperture.

The size and type of the nozzle are also dependent on whether you’re using an airless or HVLP machine. As this is a somewhat complicated subject, I suggest you check out my Nozzle Selection 101 Guide.

Adjustable Output Power Control

The best airless paint sprayer for interior walls should offer adjustable power control. Usually controlled by a dial, it permits you to choose the grunt delivered by your unit — faster output for larger, plain wall spaces and more steady power for moldings and decorative wall areas.

Our Best Indoor Spray Painter Top Picks


Graco Magnum X5 Airless Paint Sprayer

  • Nozzle: 515 tip
  • Weight: 13 pounds
  • Maximum Pressure: 3000 psi
  • Performance Rating: .27 gallons per minute

Product Rating: 4.7/5

With a maximum hose length of 75 feet, this versatile airless sprayer provides excellent quality for the price. It can handle everything from light stains to heavy latex paints easily.
It features stainless steel piston pumps that are long-lasting. It’s also lightweight and quick to set up.

Boasting a robust metal SG2 gun and trigger, the unit promises reassuring durability. An included RAC IV 515 tip knocks out an eye-watering 0.27 gpm — making the sprayer excel at larger wall areas. Although, this unit can vibrate at higher pressure speeds and cause overspray.

Utilizing a flexible suction tube, the X5 from Graco can draw the coating medium directly from one and five-gallon paint containers — meaning no time-consuming or messy filling.

Its 25-foot hose offers significant freedom and minimal base unit relocation. That said, its grunty motor can service up to 75 meters of hose (purchased separately). And, with a manufacturer’s recommended yearly usage of 125 gallons — it should be sufficient for even intense DIYers.

Pros:
Suitable for large wall projects.
Sturdy floor-standing unit.
0.5 horsepower of power.
Flush system for easy cleaning.
No filling requirements.

Cons:
Significant vibration.
No storage for tips or hose.
125 gallons annual usage may be restrictive for trade pros.

  • FUNCTIONALITY
  • DESIGN
  • PRICE

Wagner 0518080 Control Max HVLP Sprayer

  • Nozzle: Control Finish
  • Weight: 10 pounds
  • Pressure: 1.50 psi to 2.63 psi
Product Rating: 4.5/5
Not only is this paint sprayer very affordable, but it’s also a solid choice for beginners because it’s easy to use and very lightweight.
Minimum overspray is also a great quality of this sprayer. The air hose is 20 feet long, which should be plenty for most interior wall projects. It’s also easy to clean.

Suitable for the majority of small-to-medium room paint sprayer projects, its affordable price point compared to airless units makes it ideal for DIYers on a budget. Delivering a pleasingly smooth coat, it’s suitable for most home paints and stains.

With the turbine located in an ABS plastic floor unit, the gun remains pleasingly lightweight. Including both 1.5 and 1-quart paint reservoirs, you can select the most suitable volume depending on your project scale.

The spray patterns — diagonal, vertical, or horizontal — permit you to adjust the output to match your coating stroke. And, with the spray width customizable from 0.5 to 12 inches, it’s as capable of fine finish work as it is addressing medium wall expanses.

This sprayer isn’t great for painting large surface areas because it has a short power cord, and isn’t super fast compared to airless models. It can also be a little on the noisy side.

Pros:
Straightforward operation, ideal for novice users.
Trademarked Lock-N-Go for easy post-project clean-up.
Low overspray.
Affordable for a floor-standing unit.
Two paint reservoirs included.

Cons:
Loud operation.
Thicker mediums may require thinning.

  • FUNCTIONALITY
  • DESIGN
  • PRICE

Graco Ultra Corded Airless Handheld Paint Sprayer 17M359

  • Nozzle: 514 tip
  • Weight: 9.88 pounds
  • Maximum Pressure: 2000 psi
Product Rating: 4.8/5

Incorporating a carbide piston, the 17M359 promises reassuring durability both for the prosumer and trade user. 

Airless, yet handheld, it offers the rapid and smooth coverage of a larger unit, but without the space and priming requirements of a floor-standing machine — making it an ideal paint gun for walls.

The Graco 17M359s trademark ProConnect system offers straightforward and rapid pump replacement — crucial for wall-painting tradespersons who can’t afford downtime. Equally, a novel FlexLiner system reduces cleaning duties by removing the need to wash out the reservoir between paint changes.

The machine arrives with a 514 spray tip suitable for a vast range of medium densities — ideal for both thick latex and thin stains. And, with the tip being completely reversible, it’s no hassle removing blockages and obstructions while on the job.

Offering variable output control, you can adjust the grunt to match the demands of both your target medium and coating type. And, boasting twin spray designs — vertical and horizontal — you can adapt the spray delivery to suit the scale of your project.

Pros:
Variable output of 500 to 2000 psi.
Triple carbide piston ensures durability.
Massive pro-focused 50 gallons per year suitability.
Bespoke ProConnect system.
Includes a 60-mesh filter.

Cons:
Premium price for a handheld unit.
Weighty machine.

  • FUNCTIONALITY
  • DESIGN
  • PRICE

Wagner 0580001 Control Pro 170

  • Nozzle: 515 tip
  • Weight: 19.4 pounds
  • Maximum Pressure: 1500 psi
Product Rating: 4.8/5
Knocking out a mighty 0.33 gpm and driven by a brawny 0.6 hp hydraulic pump — it’s an excellent prosumer paint sprayer for larger interior wall areas.
Incorporating a trademarked Sureflo valve — the machine doesn’t demand time-consuming pre-priming concomitant to most airless machines. And, featuring a robust yet lightweight metal gun, offers reassuring durability.

The industry-favorite nozzle — the 515 tip — promises multi-medium compatibility. Furthermore, by pulling the paint directly from original containers with its robust suction hose, you’re saved hand fatigue and downtime refilling container cups.

With Wagner offering an option of a floor-standing unit or a cart-mounted sprayer — the Control Pro 170 is as suited to remaining in situ as it is being moved around your home or work site. And, with a generous 30-foot hose, the machine permits freedom and reduces the requirement for base unit relocation.

Pros:
Prosumer machine.
Cuts back on overspray by 55 percent.
Lightweight gun.
30-foot hose.
No lengthy priming needed.

Cons:
Time-consuming initial assembly.
Cannot handle tips larger than 517 size.

  • FUNCTIONALITY
  • DESIGN
  • PRICE

Best Indoor Paint Sprayers Tips and Tricks


Here are our top eight tips for using the best interior spray painter on your walls:

1. Remove All Artwork, Furniture, etc., From the Area You’re Painting

Whatever interior spray paint gun model you opt for, there’s the risk of damaging valuable household objects. Even the best paint sprayers may have some overspray mist — so it’s best to protect surfaces you aren’t painting thoroughly, or remove them entirely from your work area.

2. Remove Light Switch and Outlet Covers To Ensure You Won’t Accidentally Paint Them

If you don’t address electrical sockets and switch fascias before you commence your project, there’s a chance your spray gun for painting walls will also shower them in paint. Alternatively, protect them with masking tape.

3. Cover the Floor and Any Trims You Don’t Want To Be Painted

If your over-enthusiastic wall sprayer performance is too carefree, you could damage floors and coverings with paint. Carpets, rugs, and wood flooring are expensive — and removing paint from them can be challenging. Use plastic decorator’s sheeting to safeguard these areas.

4. Clean the Walls Prior to Painting

Moisture or dust can seriously mess up your paint job, so make sure you clean the walls first. Most of the time, a simple damp rag will do the job, but there are also cleaning products on the market for serious messes. Let the walls dry completely before applying paint.

Also, fix any previously existing paint drips by sanding them down and repair any unwanted holes in the wall before painting.

5. Wear Protective Gear When Using a Spray Gun to Paint Walls

Make sure you have all of the necessary safety equipment, such as goggles, gloves, respiration mask, and safety ladders. Have a brush or roller handy to quickly fix any drips or imperfections.

6. Read the Manufacturer’s Wall Spray Paint Gun Instructions

Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your sprayer. Some models require the paint to be thinned before use. Thick paint can clog up your paint sprayer and make the job much more frustrating and time-consuming.

7. Practice Using Your Paint Gun for Walls

Always practice with your paint sprayer before committing it to your interior walls. Old cardboard boxes are a great place to test out your paint sprayer and make sure you have the hang of it.

8. Look After Your Spray Gun for Interior Painting

Clean your paint sprayer (no more than two hours after use) thoroughly every time you paint with it to maximize its lifespan. Soap and water will work for most types of paint, but oil-based paints will require the use of mineral spirits to clean properly.

If you’re short on time, why not check out our infographic on How To Use a Paint Sprayer.

interior tips and tricks

Conclusion


Investing in a great paint sprayer is a must for any Do It Yourself fanatic. Consider your budget and storage space when shopping for your paint sprayer. Care for your tool properly to ensure it will last for a long time.

All our above picks represent the best spray machines for interior painting — the affordable Wagner Control Max, the novel handheld airless Graco 17M359, and the easy-prime Wagner Control Pro 170.

However, it’s the Graco Magnum X5 that we consider to be the ultimate sprayer — with its direct draw suction system, effortless flush cleaning, and mighty 0.5 horsepower motor.

Check out all of our paint sprayer reviews, recommendations, articles, and tips and tricks on the Tool Nerds Blog.

Some great articles include:

That’s it! Happy painting with the best paint sprayer for interior walls!

The Best Paint Sprayer for Your Interior Walls FAQs


What Is the Best Paint Sprayer for Interior Walls?

In our opinion, with its grunty 0.5 horsepower motor, a suction hose eliminating the need for paint cups, and a robust metal gun — the ultimate interior sprayer is the Graco Magnum X5.

Can You Use a Sprayer to Paint Indoors?

Yes! Paint sprayers are ideal for indoor painting work — although ensure that you protect furniture with sheeting, shield sockets and switches with masking tape, and check the area has sufficient fresh air ventilation.

For more advice, take a look at my How to Paint Indoors With a Sprayer 101.

Is a Paint Sprayer Better Than a Roller?

If time and convenience are important to you, spraying is much more efficient than rolling. Using one of the best machines can ensure a more even finish than manual methods, and allow coverage around ten times swifter than a roller.

Do You Spray the Walls or the Ceilings?

The majority of painting professionals advise you to first address walls, and then move onto the ceiling — naturally, once the wall paint has dried.

Is Using a Spray Gun Indoors Messy?

The best paint sprayer for interior walls — such as the Graco X5 — offers reduced overspray, keeping mess to a minimum.