Pratt & Lambert Accolade

Pratt & Lambert Accolade nicely straddles the gap between top-performing but more expensive interior paints and less expensive paints that are harder to work with. Covering ability and long-term durability are said to be excellent. Colors are a particular strong point, with some professionals saying they are unmatched by any other paint. Other options at this price point include Sherwin-Williams Duration (*est. $45 per gallon) and Benjamin Moore Regal (*est. $40 per gallon). However, Duration had trouble standing up to sunlight in one report that we saw, while some contractors report that Regal has reduced covering ability following a recent reformulation.

Consumer Reports is one of the few professional reviewers to regularly report on interior paints, and Pratt & Lambert Accolade is among the products covered in the magazine's latest update, which simulates aging. Professional painters and contractors -- many of which have lots of experience with Accolade and many, many other interior paints -- willingly and frankly share their opinions about the paint on a host of discussion forums, including DoItYourself.com and PaintTalk.com. Jim Evans of Jim's Home Repair Stuff names Accolade as one of the best long-lasting paints, but provides no details, and the test that claim is based on is too old to be of much value today.