If you’ve spent any time browsing paint aisles or researching online, you’ve probably come across the name Benjamin Moore. It’s one of the most talked-about paint brands in the industry, and with good reason. But is Benjamin Moore paint good enough to justify the higher price tag, especially for a New York City apartment or home? As professional painters who’ve used just about every brand on the market across thousands of projects in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, we’re here to give you an honest, no-fluff answer. In this article, we’ll break down what makes Benjamin Moore stand out, which product lines are worth your money, and where this premium brand actually falls short.
What Makes Benjamin Moore Different From Other Paint Brands
The difference between Benjamin Moore and brands you’ll find at big-box hardware stores comes down to what’s actually inside the can. Paint is essentially a mixture of pigments, binders (resins), solvents, and additives. The ratio of these ingredients—particularly the percentage of solids versus liquid—determines how well the paint covers, how durable the finish is, and how rich the color looks on your wall.
Benjamin Moore formulates its paints with a higher volume of solids than many competitors. That means more pigment and resin end up on your wall per coat instead of evaporating into the air as the paint dries. In practical terms, this translates to better hide (the ability to cover what’s underneath), fewer coats needed, and a finish that resists scuffing and fading over time. Their proprietary Gennex colorant system is also water-based and zero-VOC, which matters a great deal when you’re painting an apartment in a city where ventilation can be limited. In a cramped NYC apartment with windows facing a brick wall two feet away, low-VOC paint isn’t a luxury—it’s practically a necessity.
Breaking Down the Benjamin Moore Product Lines
Not all Benjamin Moore paints are created equal, and this is where a lot of confusion happens. The brand offers several distinct product lines at very different price points, and picking the wrong one can leave you disappointed.
Ben is their entry-level premium line, typically running around $45–$55 per gallon. It’s a solid everyday paint with decent coverage, though it may need an extra coat on darker colors. We find it works well for rental refreshes and straightforward projects where you’re not making a dramatic color change. Regal Select is the workhorse of the lineup and, in our opinion, the best overall value. It offers excellent coverage, a smooth self-leveling finish, and strong durability—all for roughly $65–$75 per gallon. For most interior painting projects in NYC homes, Regal Select hits the sweet spot between performance and price. Aura is the flagship product at $85–$95 per gallon. It delivers unmatched color depth and the best durability in the lineup, but the price-to-performance jump over Regal Select is modest for most residential applications. We typically recommend Aura when working with very deep, saturated colors that demand flawless coverage. Advance is their specialty trim and cabinet paint, and it’s genuinely exceptional—it self-levels to a factory-smooth finish that’s hard to achieve with other water-based products.
How Benjamin Moore Performs in NYC Apartments and Buildings
Here in New York, paint faces challenges you won’t find in most other parts of the country. Pre-war plaster walls absorb paint differently from modern drywall. Steam radiators create intense localized heat that can cause cheaper paints to yellow or crack. Humidity fluctuations from seasonal weather and inconsistent building climate control test the flexibility of any paint film.
Benjamin Moore’s higher-quality resins handle these conditions better than budget alternatives. We’ve seen paint cracking during the drying process far less often with Regal Select and Aura than with lower-tier brands, particularly on older plaster surfaces that tend to shift and expand. The Aura Bath & Spa formula is especially well-suited for NYC bathrooms that lack exhaust fans—a common issue in older buildings—because it’s specifically engineered to resist mildew in high-moisture environments. Another factor worth mentioning is touch-up performance. In apartments with narrow hallways, tight corners, and constant foot traffic, walls take a beating. Benjamin Moore paints, particularly Scuff-X, are known for touching up cleanly months or even years after the original application. That’s a significant advantage when you need to fix a scuff mark without repainting the entire wall to avoid visible patches.
Where Benjamin Moore Falls Short
We’d be doing you a disservice if we didn’t mention the downsides. The most obvious one is price. Benjamin Moore consistently costs more than comparable Sherwin-Williams or PPG products, and when you’re painting a large apartment or multi-room project, that difference adds up fast. A full two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan might require eight to twelve gallons of paint, so even a $15-per-gallon premium can mean an extra $120–$180 in material costs alone.
Availability can also be an issue. Unlike Sherwin-Williams, which operates its own corporate stores across the city, Benjamin Moore is sold through independently owned retailers. While NYC has plenty of Benjamin Moore dealers, you may find that a specific product or color isn’t in stock when you need it. Professional painters like us maintain dealer relationships and buy in volume, which helps with both availability and pricing—but for a DIYer picking up a single gallon on a Saturday morning, it can be hit or miss. Some professionals have also noted occasional inconsistency in newer formulations, though our experience has been largely positive when purchasing from reputable local dealers who maintain proper inventory rotation.
Choosing the Right Benjamin Moore Product for Your Project
So is Benjamin Moore paint good? The short answer is yes—it’s among the best paint available. But “good” depends on choosing the right product for the job. If you’re refreshing a rental before moving out, Ben gets the job done without overspending. If you’re investing in your own home and want results that last, Regal Select is our go-to recommendation for walls and ceilings. For trim, doors, and cabinetry, Advance delivers a finish that rivals professional lacquer work.
The finish you select matters just as much as the product line. We generally recommend eggshell or matte for living spaces and bedrooms, satin for kitchens and bathrooms, and semi-gloss for trim and doors. If you’re unsure about which sheen is right for your space, a quick consultation with a professional can save you from a costly mistake. And don’t skip the prep work—even the best paint in the world won’t perform well over a poorly prepared surface. Proper priming before painting is especially critical in older NYC buildings where walls may have multiple layers of legacy coatings, patched plaster, or moisture issues.
Let Us Handle the Details
Choosing quality paint is only half the equation—proper application is what makes the difference between a paint job that looks good on day one and one that still looks great years later. At Soho Painters, we use Benjamin Moore products on the majority of our projects because we’ve seen firsthand how they perform across New York City’s unique building conditions. Whether you need apartment painting for a co-op refresh, interior painting for a brownstone renovation, or commercial painting for your office space, our team knows exactly which products and techniques will deliver lasting results. Get in touch for a free estimate—we’re happy to recommend the right Benjamin Moore line for your specific project.
