When choosing a Benjamin Moore paint line first consider where it falls in the quality range, the VOC level, and additional features.
Chemicals to be aware of include VOCs, APEs, PFAS, Prop 65 Chemicals, and for some people, preservatives.
Colors and VOCs
All paint lines on this list except Eco Spec and Ultra Spec can be tinted to all colors. Eco Spec and Ultra Spec cannot be tinted to the CSP full spectrum colors (of which there are at least a couple of hundred).
The Gennex colorant system which covers all of their paints except Superhide and oil-based paints is a 0-VOC colorant, it does not add additional VOCs to the base level.
The Aura line also uses Gennex colors, and it also has “Colorlock” which means the colors are more stable in the paint, more tightly bound and so they do not come off easily when the walls are wiped down.
Quality
In terms of quality, Aura is top of line, then Regal Select, then ben, then Eco Spec and Ultra Spec.
VOCs
Benjamin Moore makes a number of zero-VOC acrylic paints including Eco Spec, Ultra Spec, and ben.
Aura is so low VOC that it is practically zero.
One of the original non-toxic paint lines was their Natura, pictured (which was phased out in March 2021). This was replaced by Eco Spec which is the most “non-toxic” line though it’s a little lower in quality than Natura was.
Eco Spec is the only one that is Certified Asthma & Allergy Friendly.
Though the company does not reveal what makes this paint better than other zero-VOC lines other than saying it is lower in odor.
When is it 0-VOC
“After seven days, off-gassing is reduced to a minimal or acceptable level according to the California Department of Public Health, which both Eco Spec and Ben (0-VOC lines) are “tested against,” says rep David Underwood, Associate Technical Project Manager at Benjamin Moore.
As for Ben Moore Advance (a water-based alkyd), a rep for Benjamin Moore said on the phone that Advance takes 2-3 weeks for a full cure and to finish offgassing. It also says on the website that depending on the temperature and humidity, it could take up to 30 days to reach optimum hardness and final sheen.
Disclosure of Ingredients
They provide a Declare label for their Ultra Spec line, which lists all ingredients down to 0.01% (they are one of only two brands that do this).
Prop 65 labels warn for Titanium Dioxide on all paints since all paints use this mineral as the white pigment and filler. This is only a hazard in dust form if you inhale it or ingest it.
They also warn for the VOCs Toluene and Ethylene Glycol on some paint lines, which are VOCs created in the air when it is wet and curing. If the paint is 0-VOC these will dissipate fairly quickly.
Additives/Toxicants
Ben Moore paints do contain a mildewcide (isothiazolinone).
They say they don’t add this intentionally to Eco Spec line but it could still contain some amount of this chemical class.
Any of Benjamin Moore paints featuring the “Green Promise” designation are APEs free. This includes Benjamin Moore Aura, Regal Select, ben, Eco Spec, and Ultra Spec.
Ultra Spec is the only one confirmed to be PFAS-free based on the Declare Label. And Eco Spec has Greenseal which will prohibit PFAS in early 2025.
If you want a super tough bathroom paint with added mildewcide, Aura Bath and Spa is one of the only zero-VOC formulas that meets these performance specs.
Where to Buy
Benjamin Moore stores can be found all over the US and Canada. You can buy samples online – samples only ship to the US.
Individual Lines
1. ben
Ben has a smooth application, extended open time, exceptional touch-up, and scuff resistance. Excellent hide, and a spatter-resistant formula that’s easy to clean up.
Sheens: Comes in matte, eggshell, semi-gloss, and satin/pearl.
Quality: Middle of the line.
Colors: Available in all 3,500+ Gennex Colors including CSP full spectrum colors.
VOCs: Zero VOC and low odor.
Prop 65: Warning for Toluene and Titanium dioxide.
2. Aura
Unparalleled color depth and richness with smooth, uniform color. Ultimate performance in hide for fewer coats. Resists scuffing and burnishing. Mildew-resistant finish. Seamless touch-ups. Washable.
Sheens: Matte, eggshell, satin, semi gloss.
Quality: Top-of-the-line.
Colors: Comes in all 3,500 Gennex colors including CSP full spectrum colors and also has proprietary Color Lock technology ensuring long-lasting color and no color rub-off.
VOCs: 1.5 g/l VOC.
3. Aura Bath and Spa
This product contains antimicrobial additives that inhibit the growth of mold and mildew on the surface of the paint film. In other words, it contains more mildewcides than the regular wall paints. Ideal for high-humidity environments such as bathrooms and spas.
Extreme hide and coverage for fewer coats. Stands up to repeated washing with no color rub-off. One of the few matte paints that is also washable.
Sheens: Only comes in matte.
Quality: Top-of-the-line.
Colors: Comes in all 3,500 Gennex colors including CSP full spectrum colors and also has proprietary Color Lock technology ensuring long-lasting color and no color rub-off.
VOCs: Zero VOC and low odor.
4. regal select
Delivers a durable and washable finish. Ideal for surfaces subject to abuse and soil, it uses a proprietary stain release technology that allows common household stains to be easily removed with soap and water.
The company reps have no information on whether this stain release technology is PFAS-based or contains PFAS.
It offers exceptional flow and leveling for a smooth application. Good durability. Withstands scuffs, marks, and burnishing from everyday wear and tear. Excellent hide and fast drying for completing projects faster, even in light colors.
Sheens: Flat, matte, eggshell, satin/pearl, semi-gloss.
Quality: Next best after Aura.
Colors: Available in all 3,500+ Gennex Colors including CSP full spectrum colors.
VOCs: 47.4 g/l. This is still technically low VOC since it’s under 50 but it’s certainly at the high end of “low VOC”.
Prop 65: For Ethylene Glycol.
5. Eco Spec
High hiding with excellent touch-up and a uniform finish. Eco Spec is ideally suited for commercial environments including healthcare and hospitality in addition to residential applications due to the fact that it is their safest/healthiest paint. Eco Spec is lower odor than other, even 0-VOC paints, they say. This product contains antimicrobial additives that inhibit the growth of mildew. Though a rep on the phone said they do not intentionally add isothiazolinones.
Excellent touch-up, quick-drying for same-day return to service, spatter-resistant. Certified Asthma & Allergy Friendly by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and Allergy Standards Ltd. Green Seal Certified (this means there are no PFAS amongst other things).
Sheens: Flat, eggshell, semi-gloss.
Quality: Lower-end quality.
Colors: Eco Spec uses Gennex colors but cannot be tinted to the CSP full spectrum colors (of which there are at least a couple of hundred).
VOCs: Zero VOCs and zero emissions, lowest odor option.
Prop 65: Titanium dioxide, Ethylene Glycol.
6. Ultra Spec
Excellent hiding. Spatter resistant. Great touch-up properties. Decorative and uniform gloss finish. Soap-and-water cleanup. Washable. Quick drying.
They provide a Declare label for this line, which lists all ingredients down to 0.01% (they are one of only two brands that do this). There are no PFAS on this list.
Sheens: Flat, low sheen, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss
Quality: Lower end.
Colors: Engineered with Gennex Color Technology, does not come in the CSP full spectrum colors.
VOCs: Zero VOC and low odor.
Prop 65: For Titanium dioxide and Toluene.
Specs Overview
Spatter resistant (this is more about ceiling applications)- Ultra Spec, Eco Spec, ben
Washable – Ultra Spec, Regal Select, Aura Bath and Spa, Aura
Withstands skuffs – Regal Select, Aura, ben
Hide:
- High hide – Eco Spec
- Excellent hide – Ultra Spec, Regal Select, ben
- Extreme hide/ultimate hide – Aura
Touch Up:
- Great touch-up – Ultra Spec
- Excellent touch-up – Eco Spec
- Exceptional touch-ups – ben
- Seamless touch-ups – Aura
Corinne Segura is an InterNACHI-certified Healthy Homes Inspector with certifications in Building Biology, Healthier Materials and Sustainable Buildings, and more. She has 10 years of experience helping others create healthy homes. You can book a consult here.
Susan
Would Aura be ok for a child’s bedroom? If it did have pfas would they be contained in the paint and not slowly releasing into the living space?
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
PFAS are not chemically bonded to the paint.
R C
I am a******c to Methylisothiazolinone. Can Aura paint be used i. My home if I am not in direct contact with it when it is used? How long must I wait before I can be in a room painted with this?
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
it depends on the extent/severity of that reaction, it veers into med***l advice so I can’t answer that here.
Frances Murphy
Hello,
Given that some of the paints have the anti-microbials would you still consider them non-toxic?
Thank you,
Francie
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
all liquid water-based paints have antimicrobials. i personally avoid the ones with added antimicrobials (beyond the basic level that they all have) but you don’t have to.
Peter
I have been using Benjamin Moore paint almost exclusively for a number of years, specifically their Regal Select product. Recently I switched to their Ben product (matte) for a wall application, after experiencing a much stronger than expected smell with the Regal Select. For the ceiling in the same room I used their Ceiling Ultra Flat, and the smell took a long time to fully dissipate (up to ~10 days), even with good ventilation. Their local paint store suggests using their Eco Spec product, but I’m concerned the same problem may occur. Is this the best option from Benjamin Moore, or is there another from either Sherwin Williams or another source?
(Interestingly, the semigloss Regal Select used on the trim has not been a problem.)
Thank you,
Peter
Hannah Kempf
I’m just wondering what low quality means. We are looking for paint we can get in Canada. I’ve read several of your articles including the paint accessible in Canada article and the main paint article, along with the benjamin moore article. I’m wanting something non-toxic for my entire house. I have a 1 year old baby. I feel like my two best options if I’m understanding your articles right are either ECOS paints or Benjamin Moore Ultra Spec? I like that i can get BM here in my town. I’m a little worried about the color matching of ECOS after reading some comments about them. However, I’m wondering what low quality means for the ultra spec line? Not great paint?
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
low quality paint doesnt hold up for very long, expected to be painted over every year
Hannah Kempf
Oh my goodness, I can’t imagine painting every year! What would you suggest for least toxic that would be high quality? Would any of the BM ones be good? Without lots of toxins. It sounds like some of them might have pfas and other toxins. And is ecos high quality?
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
I mention the quality of each line in the post, you can also talk to your builder about quality. You don’t want a conctractor grade line. ECOS is good.
Hannah Kempf
Thanks for your responses. I did see the quality in the post, but what I’m unsure is if you think the Benjamin Moore Aura is non-toxic enough – it seems like you were saying it could have other toxins like PFAS? Not sure if I understand that correctly.
Sandra
Have you looked at Safe Coat, Clare or Ecos paint? I’m very paint sensitive and have used all of those brands without any problem.
Gary Gray
EcoSpec and Ultra Spec 500 are PFAS free and Green Certified.
Patti Massimo
How long does Benjamin Moore Regal Select eggshell finish paint continue to off gas? It still smells very strong on the third day after painting. I asked my painters to use Benjamin Moore zero VOC paint but they made a mistake and used Regal Select instead. I didn’t realize that until they were finished. I have asthma and allergies and I’m suffering because of their mistake. Could painting over it with zero VOC paint stop the smell? I have put bowls of baking soda and bowls of vinegar around to absorb the smell but they don’t seem to be working. What, if anything, can I do to stop the odor?
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
see the articles on how long does new paint off-gass as well as the one on new house off-gassing
Sophie
Thanks for going in to detail with the individual BM paint lines. I’m wondering if the BEN paints has changed formula. I looked at the spec sheet, and don’t see Toluene listed.
https://media.benjaminmoore.com/WebServices/prod/assets/production/datasheets/MSDS_0626/F6264X_SDS_EN.pdf
Also, do you know if AURA INTERIOR and/or AURA BATH & SPA contain PFAS?
Thanks!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
go to their website then to the technical data sheets, the prop 65 warnings are there, toulene is listed on the eggshell for ben. i mention in the article which lines are confirmed free of PFAS, we dont know about the rest.
Sophie
I think I figured it out. I checked the tech sheets for BEN paints in the US and Canada, and they’re different. The US tech sheet lists toluene in the Prop 65 warning (as you pointed out), but the Canadian tech sheet does not. I just assumed that they’d be the same.
Thanks again for all your work 🙂
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
prop 65 only needs to be listed in california
Julie
Hi Corinne, Thank you so much for putting this info together and sharing it! It’s truly a lifesaver for me. My husband refuses to use Ecos paints because it’s so thick and unfortunately that is one I don’t usually react to. So as a compromise we’re going with Ben Moore. The store rep I talked to said Natura is still available so I was wondering if you would still recommend it? Are there any ingredients I should be concerned about, like mildewcides or preservatives? They aren’t listed on the pdf for it. Thank you again!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
Yes Natura is great, no problems there.
Michelle Wiggins
Corine, in the article above, you said Natura was phased out in 2021, but here you say it’s still available? Natura was the subject of a Class Action suit and was taken off the market for being very toxic. I had a friend that was part of that suit. She was forced out of her new, safe, home after it was painted with Natura. She couldn’t even sell the house because it was so toxic.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
i didnt say its still avail. phased out of production 2021, was still available in some stores inventory for longer. they faced lawsuits over the advertising of it. I’m quite certain that is not why it was discontinued. It was the favorite of the chemically sensitive for a long time. If there was unusual offfassing it would have interacted with the primer or paint that was already on the wall or was applied in coats that were not fully dry between coats.
Stacy
Hi Corinne –
I’ve been reading your posts on low/no VOC paints – this one, and the one on Benjamin Moore paint as Ben is the one we’ve used in a few rooms in our home recently. I’m experiencing a flare of a health condition – so looking for the best option of a paint that has a the quickest cure/offgassing so that the smell is gone as quickly as possible during and after painting.
I see that ECOS is the brand of choice – and I read through other questions and your comments and the most recent was a very similar question to mine back about a year ago in March 2023.
Wondered if a year later – there is any further input you might have? Should I choose a BM paint (ben or their Allergy/Asthma friendly line) or do I spend the extra $30+ per gallon that ECOS is above what we’ve been paying for the ‘ben’ paint already in our home? I did feel like the scent went away in a few days – but I’ll be living here and feel like it really exacerbates my symptoms.
Thanks in advance! Truly appreciate you and this site so much. <3
Stacy
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
ECOS also has the new paint smell when wet, you will likely experience it as better than the BM lines, but it’s not a given. You have to be very sensitive to notice a difference. You might also consider the now easily available Kiem mineral wall paint in the main “healthiest paint” post if you really want something with almost no VOC offgassing even when wet. that is more expensive though so its really about how much it’s worth to you.
Stacy
Thank you!
Do you have a sense of how quickly ‘Ben’ vs ECOS vs Kiem might loose it’s strongest smell after painting?
Thanks again. I’ll also pop online and look at Kiem. 🙂
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
ive tested them all but at different times, and I didn’t use Ben specifically but Natura back in the day. You would have to get samples to compare them. Most sensitive people are very happy with ECOS but if you really want a lack of that odor even while painting, Kiem is the best bet. I find ECOs and Kiem odorless personally as soon as they are dry which is quite fast (and kiem is almost odorless when wet as well). however these assessments were made when i was less sensitive than most people with MCS.
sandy
Dear corinne,
Thank you for your kind and wonderful response.Just some questions based on your response:
a) Pls when you say there is mold in the house,do you mean that the mold is what’s caused my reaction as I wasn’t reacting before the paint was used ,whats the connection between the mold and how I reacted to the paint.Sorry I just want to understand the correlation to know how best to go about it and If I need a mold assessor in.
b) Also what is blocking and will it affect things
c) by pure shellac do you mean the blonde dewaxed commercial one one or me mixing pure flakes?Do I need to repaint the whole upstairs or just the doors and skirtings?
Thank you so much as I look forward to your response.I really want an end to this one year nightmare.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
I have always seen mold in the house when someone suddenly reacts to a product like that. A mold assessment with multiple testing types would be a good idea. Google “paint doesnt cure blocking” for advice on that, if the paint didnt cure properly i would not paint over it. Just seal and paint the doors and skirting. See articles on sealing/blocking offgassing.
sandy
Thank you so much for all you do.I painted 5 bedroom doors and door frames in march 2023 ,a year ago with benjamin aura unknown to me that it had the mildewcide in it.I have reacted very badly to it and how now become sensitive to things I was never sensitive to since december 2023,almost everything,including new appliances.I have been living in my lounge on my sofa for all that time and can’t stay upstairs.Pls how do I go about remedying this problem so that I can live upstairs again?
Also would the walls upstairs have absorbed it in this length if time and would they need remedying as well.pls help me
Thank you
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
first check that the paint is fully cured and you dont have “blocking”. assuming you dont have that check out the posts on sealing in offgassing. i would go with pure shellac then paint over. check the house for mold, there is mold in that house to trigger that response.