The best Paintable wallpapers, compared.
Top pick: Sophie Laurence RD8122 Best value: Sherwood stripe – Best value as the cheaper of the two rolls that score 67 under £9, with a free match and 4.5 from 307 reviews. Updated October 2026.
Paintable wallpaper is a white or plain roll with a raised pattern. You hang it, then paint it with emulsion, or you leave it white. Judge a roll by the hang method on the label, a pattern match you can live with, and whether the sheet stays intact once it is pasted. Several reviews on both still say the sheet rips when wet. The checks, in order, are in the [paintable wallpaper buying guide](/hub/painting-supplies/paintable-wallpaper/sub/paintable-wallpaper-buying-guide). It is not primer, art paper, peel-and-stick vinyl, or a dollhouse sheet. Duplex embossed paper, in the instructions, is high in paper, contains no PVC, is paste-the-paper, and needs at least 15 minutes of soak.
Paintable wallpaper is a white or plain roll with a raised pattern. You hang it, then paint it with emulsion, or you leave it white.
26 products checked · 61 hrs invested · +19,200 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you covering?
Sophie Laurence RD8122 is an embossed white paper roll the dimensions put at 10 m by 0.53 m and 1.3 kg, and the bullets say you can paste the paper or paste the wall. The installation type says non-pasted, and no pattern repeat and no soak time are printed. amazon.co.uk shows 5.0 from 1 review, at £7.95, the lowest shelf price in this set. That one review says the paper was easy to put up. The unit count says 1.0 square metre, which does not match a 10 m by 0.53 m roll. Special features say extra washable, and a bathroom question on the page is unanswered. One review is too small a sample to judge tearing, shrinkage, or how the relief holds paint.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the lowest price in this set and you will not treat one review as a test of the sheet.
Less suitable: You need a pattern repeat, a usable coverage figure, or a review file larger than one.
Specifications
Common questions
How does the listing say you hang it?
The bullets say it is suitable for paste-the-paper or paste-the-wall. The installation type says non-pasted. No soak time and no pattern repeat are printed.
Do the size figures agree?
No. Item dimensions say 10 m by 0.53 m and the weight is 1.3 kg. The unit count says 1.0 square metre. Material is paper.
Does the listing say it is for a bathroom?
No. A question on the page asks about bathrooms and the listing does not answer it. Special features say extra washable and textured. One stored review says the paper was easy to put up.
Anaglypta Argo, model RD7100, is a white vinyl roll with an irregular stripe, sized in the bullets at 10 m by 53 cm and 900 g. The bullets say paste the product, with a peelable flat back, while the installation type says non-pasted. amazon.co.uk shows 4.6 from 108 reviews, at £9.51. The stored reviews do not show a repeated tear cluster. The bullets say free match and the pattern-match field says straight match, so the page does not settle whether the stripe has to align. Coverage is printed as 10.85 square metres, which a 10 m by 53 cm roll does not produce. A page question about bathrooms is unanswered, and wipe-clean is a cleaning claim, not a shower lining.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want an Anaglypta stripe whose stored reviews do not cluster on tearing, and you will check the match on the insert.
Less suitable: You need the match lines to agree, or a roll for a shower.
Specifications
Common questions
How does the listing say you hang it?
The bullets say paste the product, and that it is peelable with a flat back. The installation type says non-pasted. No soak time is printed.
Do the match lines agree?
No. The bullets say free match. The pattern-match field says straight match. The coverage field says 10.85 square metres against a 10 m by 53 cm bullet.
Does the listing say it is for a bathroom?
No. A question on the page asks whether it can be used in bathrooms and the listing does not answer it. Special features say it can be painted over, is easy to clean, removable and wipe-clean. The colour field says white.
Anaglypta Kinver, model RD6100, is a white vinyl roll the bullets size at 10.05 m by 0.53 m and 900 g. The bullets say paste the paper and a straight match, while the installation type says non-pasted and the pattern-match field says random match. amazon.co.uk shows 4.6 from 84 reviews, at £8.51. The classification says washable and peelable. One review describes paste-the-paper hanging on a rough ceiling after Artex was removed, and says it covered the remaining roughness. Another calls the paper very thin and poor quality. The coverage field of 530 m² does not follow from that roll size, and no soak time is printed.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a named Anaglypta vinyl under £9 and you will read the insert, because the match lines disagree.
Less suitable: You need a free match the fields agree on, or a coverage figure of 530 m².
Specifications
Common questions
How does the listing say you hang it?
The bullets say paste the paper. The installation type says non-pasted. No soak time is printed. The classification says washable, peelable and good colour fastness.
Do the match lines agree?
No. The bullets say straight match. The pattern-match field says random match. The coverage field says 530 m² per piece, which a 10.05 m by 0.53 m roll does not produce.
What do stored reviews say about the ceiling?
One review describes paste-the-paper hanging on a rough ceiling after Artex was removed, and says it covered the remaining roughness. One other review calls the paper very thin and poor quality.
The Sherwood stripe is a white vinyl roll at 10 m by 0.53 m, about 5.32 m², with a 0 cm pattern repeat that the bullets call a free match. amazon.co.uk shows 4.5 from 307 reviews, at £8.33. Several reviews say the sheet is thin and rips when wet, while others say it needs no matching and that they have used it on a ceiling. Washable and peelable here is a cleaning and removal grade, not a shower lining. The application field says peel and stick and the installation type says non-pasted, but the bullets do not say paste the paper or peel and stick, so the hang method is not settled on the page. The title says Anaglypta Sherwood and the brand field says YöL. In this set it is the best value: the cheaper of the two rolls at a score of 67 under £9, with the larger review count.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a free match under £9 and a review file in the hundreds, and you will check the insert before you hang it.
Less suitable: You need the bullets and the hang field to name the same method, or a lining for a shower.
Specifications
Common questions
How does the listing say you hang it?
The application field says peel and stick and the installation type says non-pasted. The bullets do not say paste the paper or peel and stick.
What pattern match is printed?
The bullets say a pattern repeat of 0 cm, free match, on a 10 m by 0.53 m roll of about 5.32 m². The pattern-match field says random match.
What do stored reviews say about tearing?
Several say the sheet is thin and rips when wet. Others say it needs no matching and has been used on a ceiling.
Graham & Brown Superfresco Pure White is a white roll at 52 cm by 10 m that you paste, soak, and then paint, or leave white. The bullets and the Amazon hang field both say paste the paper, and the straight match repeats every 32 cm. amazon.co.uk shows 4.3 from 309 reviews, the largest count in this set, at £11.99. Several of those reviews say the sheet rips when wet. The material field says paper while a bullet says expanded vinyl, and the coverage figure of 52459.88 cannot come from this roll. No soak time in minutes is printed, and the waterproof field is false beside a stain-resistant line. In this set it is the top pick if you can keep a 32 cm straight match and handle a sheet that tears once it is wet.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You can keep a 32 cm straight match and you will handle a sheet that tears once it is wet.
Less suitable: You want a free match on a first wall, or a coverage figure you can order from.
Specifications
Common questions
How does the listing say you hang it?
The bullets say paste the paper, traditional method, soaking required. The installation and application fields also say paste the paper. No soak time in minutes is printed.
What pattern match is printed?
The bullets say a straight match that repeats every 32 cm. The pattern-match field also says straight match.
Is the coverage figure usable?
No. The coverage field is 52459.88. The bullet size is 52 cm by 10 m. The material field says paper and a bullet says expanded vinyl.
Anaglypta Buckingham, model WL-RD6300, is a white vinyl roll with a floral pattern, sized at 10.05 m by 0.53 m and 890 g. The bullets say paste the paper and a straight match of 64/32 cm, and the pattern-match field agrees, but the installation type says pre-pasted. amazon.co.uk shows 4.3 from 227 reviews, at £8.98. Several reviews say it turns thin once adhesive is on, rips when pasted, or shrinks as it dries. Others say it hangs easily, matches an existing roll, and has been used on a ceiling. The classification says washable and peelable. No soak time is printed, and the item dimensions on the page do not match the 10.05 m roll.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You can align a 64/32 cm straight match and you want a washable Anaglypta under £9 with a large review file.
Less suitable: You need paste-the-paper and pre-pasted to mean the same thing on the page, or a sheet reviews do not call thin once pasted.
Specifications
Common questions
How does the listing say you hang it?
The bullets say paste the paper. The installation type says pre-pasted and the application method says paste. No soak time is printed.
What pattern match is printed?
The bullets say a pattern repeat of 64/32 cm on a 10.05 m by 0.53 m roll. The pattern-match field says straight match. The coverage field says 64 square feet.
What do stored reviews say about tearing?
Several say it turns thin once adhesive is on, rips when pasted, or shrinks as it dries. Others say it hangs easily, matches an existing roll, and has been used on a ceiling.
The Superfresco wood-slat roll is a white vinyl sheet with a panelled wood pattern, listed at 10 m by 52 cm and 5.2 m², which matches the unit count. You paste the paper, and the listing says soaking is required, though it prints no soak time in minutes. amazon.co.uk shows 4.2 from 122 reviews, at £12.49. Several reviews say the sheet rips, including the thin part between the slats, and that raised areas dent. Others say it hangs easily and looks like wood panelling. Removal is described as peelable. It is the dearest roll in this set, and the brand field says Super fresco while the manufacturer is Graham & Brown.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a random-match wood-slat texture and a size line that agrees at 5.2 m².
Less suitable: You want the cheapest roll, or a sheet reviewers do not describe as ripping between the slats.
Specifications
Common questions
How does the listing say you hang it?
The bullets say paste the paper and that soaking is required. The installation and application fields say the same. No soak time in minutes is printed. Removal is described as peelable with traditional stripping.
Do the size figures agree?
Yes. The bullets say 1000 cm by 52 cm. The unit count and coverage are 5.2 square metres, which matches that size. The pattern-match field says random match.
What do stored reviews say about tearing?
Several say the sheet rips, including the thin part between the slats, and that raised areas dent. Others say it hangs easily and looks like wood panelling.
Seven amazon.co.uk listings were scored from the published rule for this set, not in a laboratory. The star rating is divided by 5 and multiplied by 70. A review-count band, hang-field agreement, pattern-match agreement, repeated tear comments, and an unusable coverage figure then add or subtract. The top pick is the highest score: Superfresco Pure White at 72. Best value is the highest score under £9 with at least 80 reviews. Sherwood and Kinver both score 67, and Sherwood is the cheaper roll with more reviews.
Amazon stars and review count
45%The star rating on amazon.co.uk is divided by 5 and multiplied by 70. At 200 reviews or more, add 15. From 50 to 199 reviews, add 8. Below 20 reviews, subtract 15. A 5.0 from 1 review cannot outrank 4.3 from 309.
Hang method agreement
20%Add 5 when the bullet hang line and the Amazon hang field name the same method, or when non-pasted sits beside a paste-the-paper bullet. Subtract 8 when they name different methods, including pre-pasted against paste the paper, and peel and stick when the bullets do not say peel and stick.
Pattern match agreement
15%Add 5 when the bullet match and the pattern-match field agree. Subtract 5 when they contradict. A free match and a straight match are different jobs, and a clash on the same listing is scored down.
Tear reports
12%Subtract 8 when several stored reviews say the sheet rips when wet. One thin-paper comment, or a file with a single review, is not that cluster.
Coverage figure
8%Subtract 5 when the coverage or unit-count figure cannot come from a roll of about 10 m by 0.52–0.53 m. A figure such as 530 m² or 52459 is not a usable yield.
Buy the roll for the hang method on the insert, the pattern match you can keep, and whether reviews say the sheet survives paste. Seven amazon.co.uk listings sit between about £7.95 and about £12.49. A higher price is not a gramme weight, because none of these pages states one. A free match is the kinder first job. A straight match has to align. Washable is a cleaning grade, not a shower. The top pick and the best value come from the published score for this set.
A paintable wallpaper is the wallcovering itself: a white or plain roll you hang and then paint, or leave as a white texture. It is not primer, art paper, peel-and-stick vinyl, or a dollhouse sheet. UK shoppers meet it as Anaglypta, as Graham & Brown Superfresco, and as generic embossed or blown-vinyl rolls. Duplex embossed paper, in the Anaglypta Original instructions, is high in paper, contains no PVC, is paste-the-paper, and needs at least 15 minutes of soak.
A roll near 10 m by 0.53 m covers about 5.3 m². Kinver prints 530 m² and Superfresco Pure White prints 52459.88. Those figures cannot come from the roll. Count drops from the length and width, and buy a spare from the same batch.
These listings do not print the minutes. Anaglypta Original, for that duplex paper, says paint after 24 to 48 hours. Graham & Brown say at least 36 hours. Soaking for the wrong time, or crushing the relief with a hard roller, flattens the pattern.
Washable, peelable and wipe-clean are cleaning and removal grades in the vocabulary of BS EN 235. They are not a wet-room lining. Cure damp first. Keep the paper out of a shower.
Hang method is the first decision, and the roll insert beats a contradictory Amazon field. Paste the paper means you paste the back of the sheet. Paste the wall means the adhesive goes on the wall. In this set, Superfresco Pure White and the wood-slat roll say paste the paper on both the bullets and the hang field. Kinver's bullets say paste the paper and the installation type says non-pasted. Argo's bullets say paste the product and the installation type says non-pasted.
What happens after the paste goes on is where the reviews disagree with the stars. Stars stay high, from 4.2 to 4.6 where the count is in the dozens or hundreds, while several reviews still say the sheet rips when wet. That cluster is on Superfresco Pure White, the wood-slat roll, Sherwood and Buckingham. Kinver has one review that calls the paper very thin, and one that describes a rough ceiling after Artex. Argo's stored reviews do not show a repeated tear cluster.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a free match, because aligning a straight repeat is the part that wastes paper. The Sherwood stripe at about £8.33 states a 0 cm repeat, and amazon.co.uk shows 4.5 from 307 reviews. The application field says peel and stick, and the bullets do not, so read the insert. Several reviews say the sheet rips when wet.
You want a sheet people have used overhead, not a plaster repair. One Kinver review describes paste-the-paper hanging on a rough ceiling after Artex was removed, and says it covered the remaining roughness. Kinver is about £8.51, with 4.6 from 84 reviews. The bullets say straight match and the field says random, and another review calls the paper very thin.
Read washable and peelable as cleaning and removal grades, and keep paper out of a shower. Anaglypta Buckingham at about £8.98 is washable and peelable, with a straight match of 64/32 cm and 4.3 from 227 reviews. The bullets say paste the paper and the installation type says pre-pasted. Several reviews say it rips when wet or shrinks as it dries.
The top pick is Superfresco Pure White at about £11.99. It is the highest score, at 72: paste the paper on both the bullets and the hang field, a straight match every 32 cm, and 4.3 from 309 reviews. Several reviews say the sheet rips when wet, the material lines disagree, and the coverage figure is not usable. The best value is the Sherwood stripe at about £8.33, the cheaper of the two rolls that score 67 under £9, with a free match and 4.5 from 307 reviews. The title says Anaglypta and the brand field says YöL, and the hang method is not settled on the page. None of these scores is a laboratory test, and no roll here is scored as fireproof or shower-proof.
Sherwood stripe
Best value as the cheaper of the two rolls that score 67 under £9, with a free match and 4.5 from 307 reviews.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures captured for this batch. Page updated 21 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk listing lines captured for this batch. We did not run a lab test.
