The Best Gold Spray Paint Out There!
Frustrated with trying to find the best gold spray paint? We share tests on eight products to help you pick your favorite without having to buy them all!
Finding the best gold spray paint for your project can get really frustrating. I know… I have been there.
You make a decision based on what the spray paint can lid looks like at the store, but when you get home and try it, it is completely different, and you wish you could have tried it out before buying it.
Even though I have rarely had any luck picking a can of gold spray judging by the color of its cap, through personal experience I have managed to narrow it down to a couple of favorites over the years.
I already had four cans in my spray paint arsenal from all the trials I have done in the past, but I bought and tested four more popular options to experiment with the options and find the best gold paint to share with you!
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Candidates for the Best Gold Spray Paint
The Testing Process
I bought a bunch of mini terracotta pots to use as the test vehicle and sprayed each pot in a Homeright spray shelter.
I put the pots on a piece of scrap wood, which made it easier to pick them up and move them out of the way to dry while I painted the next pot.
By the way, this is my favorite spray paint trigger
To control the experiment variables, here are the basic rules I followed:
- All pots were spray painted outside on the same day and within the same hour to control for any temperature/humidity variations.
- All pots got two light coats of spray paint without drying time between the applications.
- All photographs were taken at the same time with the same camera settings.
- None of the pictures have been digitally retouched aside from cropping.
Comparison of Gold Spray Paints
Here is a lineup of all the pots with their corresponding paint can. Right off the bat, you can see that there are quite a few variations in color, hue, and brightness. So, I decided to make smaller groups based on their shade and finish for a more in-depth comparison.
Best Metallic Gold Spray Paint
1- Design Masters | 4 – Rustoleum Metallic | 2 – Krylon Premium metallic
Each of these turns out as shiny gold spray paint with a lot of reflectivity, and as such, they would be the best type of gold spray paint for metal-looking objects.
This is the first time I have used Design Master’s spray paint, and I have to say I was very impressed—especially with the uniform coat and quick drying time. In terms of color, it is nearly identical to Rustoleum Metallic. They would both make great classic-looking, antique gold spray paint for objects that you would want to appear the most authentically gold.
I would place the Krylon Premium Metallic last out of the three here, as it has a very yellow, almost artificial shine.
Best Matte Gold Spray Paint
5 – Rustoleum Universal Metallic | 6 – Krylon Dual
These two are definitely matte gold and pretty true to their cap colors. They would be great for applications where you want brushed gold spray paint to achieve a sophisticated matte, brushed metal look.
One thing I like about Krylon Dual, which is unfortunately hard to make out in these photos, is that tiny specks of gold are embedded in the spray to give it dimension. It also has a more true gold color than the Rustoleum Universal, which is a bit on the green-yellow side.
Best Rose Gold Spray Paint
6- Krylon ColorMaster | 3- Valspar Metallic | 7- Krylon Metallic
The caps for these three are definitely misleading, as they all have a distinct rose tint. They really should be called rose gold spray paints.
The Krylon paints look identical, with no difference in color tone and shine. The Valspar Metallic looks a lot more matte, which I personally prefer. If I needed to use rose gold spray paint, I would definitely go with the Valspar Metallic. The only issue is that the can didn’t spray very cleanly, so I am hoping I just got a bad can.
Which Gold Spray Paint Is the Best?
For applications where I need authentic gold, I would definitely go for the Design Master or Rustoleum Metallic. The Rustoleum Metallic is actually what I have been using in most of my projects up until now, so I am excited to have found another great option!
For matte gold, my personal pick would be the Krylon Dual for its color and finish, and if I needed a rose gold spray paint, I would opt for the Valspar Metallic.
That being said, each gold paint spray I tested out was good in its own right, and they all had excellent coverage in just 2 light coats, meaning they should all hold up well regardless of whether you’re looking for the best gold spray paint for metal, a gold spray paint for plastic, or a good gold spray paint for wood.
Ultimately, you should use the above observations based on what is best for your individual preferences and your project’s needs.
Which one is your favorite? Are there any other gold spray paints I missed that you recommend? Let me know in the comments below, and hopefully, this article will help you with your next project!
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Anika's goal is to inspire and empower beginners with woodworking, DIY, home improvement, and home decor ideas.
She wants everyone to unlock their creative potential and experience the feeling that comes with making something. Nothing feels better better than seeing something and saying "I can make that!"
much this useful, I also want to paint the furniture of his gold but not purchase until reading this article.
Thank Anika.!
Thank you for doing this gold spray paint experiment. It will be very useful in the future. You did a wonderful job.
Too awesome and very helpful, thanks a million!
Thanks Alisha! I am glad you found it helpful!
Thanks for this! I had always figured I’d just pick up some of the rustoleum for a n upcoming project, but I was glad to find your post to make sure I was spending my money on the right thing.
One question – I have a number of plastic and metal items that I need to paint for party decor. Is spray paint my only options? I figured a quart can of house paint would be more budget-friendly than all those cans of spray paint, but I can’t seem to find a resource that gives me this answer. Thank you!
Hi Mona! I am so glad you found the gold spray paint article helpful.
About your question – unfortunately, regular house paint doesn’t adhere well to metal and plastic. For metal, you could use a good gripping oil based primer but for plastic, there is nothing available that would work.
Thank you for this – I figured this was the case. Am I correct in reading that the Rustoleum Metallic isn’t meant for plastic? Would Rustoleum’s primer work on plastic as a primary coat, covered with the Metallic? Alternatively, do you have other suggestions for plastic? Thanks again!
Hi Mona, I have never used it Rustoleum Metallic on Plastic. But I have used Krylon premium. It works pretty well. I would suggest trying that.
Love the results. Very helpful! Now I just need to know who has the best Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint. ?
Hi Shari, I have only used the Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze and loved it… never had to try any other brand… in fact, I haven’t even heard of any other brand 🙂