The best Acrylic varnishes, compared.
Top pick: Shuttle Art matte 250 ml Best value: Baker Ross gloss craft 250 ml – Lowest title price per 100 ml among UK-majority bottles at 4.5 stars or above, about £3.60 per 100 ml. Updated October 2026.
Acrylic varnish is a clear liquid coat for finished acrylic paintings and small craft. It is not a floor varnish and it is not a spray. You choose a sheen, gloss, satin or matte, a water-based polymer you can clean with soap and water, and a size from a small studio pot to a larger craft bottle. A sound listing matches its job: picture varnish, craft sealer, or a different product that only shares the words acrylic varnish. You recognise a suitable bottle by the sheen, by whether the film is sold as removable or permanent, and by whether the volume on the title agrees with the size fields. Water-based polymer is the lower-odour choice at home. Still ventilate. A search hit on waterproof is not a specification. Wait until the acrylic is dry through, then brush thin coats and leave them to level. Chemistry, sheen, permanence and size are set out in the [acrylic varnish buying guide](/hub/paints-and-varnishes/acrylic-varnish/sub/acrylic-varnish-buying-guide).
Acrylic varnish is a clear liquid coat for finished acrylic paintings and small craft. It is not a floor varnish and it is not a spray.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you coating?
Shuttle Art matte is a 250 ml / 8.45 fl oz bottle at £12.99, with 5.0 from 4 reviews. All four texts are from the United States, and one quotes a dollar price, so this is not a UK sample. The bullets describe a matte top coat for acrylic paintings and pour art, indoors or in a sheltered outdoor space, and the highlight includes a brush. The four reviewers like a low-odour coat that keeps dust and handprints off, and one prefers the matte look on landscape colours. On plaster of Paris the same bottle left a semi-gloss instead of sinking in. Four US ratings at 5.0 are too few to treat as a settled amazon.co.uk score, which is why the raw star multiple is cut here. Buy it only if you want to try a matte 250 ml and you will judge the sheen on your own plaster or canvas.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A small matte test on an acrylic painting when you accept a four-review US sample.
Less suitable: You want a UK star line, a dead-matte plaster finish, or a maker page that calls the coat permanent.
Specifications
Common questions
How large is Shuttle Art matte B0H2LLGP22?
The bullets say 8.45 fl oz (250 ml) and the unit count is 250 millilitres. There is no separate item-volume field and no dry-time field.
Is the matte finish actually matte?
The finish field says matte. One US review of plaster of Paris expected it to sink in and got a semi-gloss instead. All four saved reviews are from the United States.
Does the listing claim outdoor use?
A bullet says indoors or a sheltered outdoor space, and claims UV and fade resistance with no figure. There is no waterproof field.
Liquitex Professional satin, model 8208, is a 237 ml bottle at £14.93 on amazon.co.uk, with 4.6 from 3,115 reviews. All 50 texts in the saved listing are from the United Kingdom. Reviewers use it as a satin coat on acrylic paintings, and they also mention stones, clay, wood and miniature models. The liquid looks milky in the bottle and dries clear, and a hot-day review says a coat levelled in about 20 minutes if you stop brushing. A heavy coat can go white, and on a 100 x 100 cm canvas it can dry too fast and leave brush marks. One UK reviewer says the label tells you not to add water, while another thinned it for an airbrush. The item-volume field prints 0.59 fl oz beside a 237 ml unit count, and the indoor field disagrees with interior/exterior uses. It is the top pick here for a named satin with a large UK sample, if you will keep the coats thin.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Finished acrylic paintings where you want a satin sheen and will leave the paint dry before two or three thin coats.
Less suitable: You need a coat the listing calls removable, a dead matte, or one thick coat on a metre-wide canvas.
Specifications
Common questions
Can Liquitex 8208 be used outdoors?
The outdoor question on the listing is unanswered. Specific uses say interior/exterior and the surface line says indoor/outdoor, while the indoor/outdoor field says indoor.
How long does the listing say 8208 takes to dry?
Dry time is 4 hours and full cure is 24 hours. UK reviews also say it can level in about 20 minutes and that you should work quickly and not keep brushing.
Can you thin this satin varnish with water?
One UK review says the product tells you not to add water. Another says it works in an airbrush if thinned. The bullets do not give a thinning ratio.
Liquitex Basics gloss is a 250 ml tube, model 8870304, at £9.35, with 4.6 from 513 reviews. Of the 50 texts in the file, 27 are from the United Kingdom. The listing calls it an artist painting varnish and additive, with a 4-hour dry time, a 24-hour full cure, and waterproof set to true. Reviewers describe a glossy coat on canvases, stones, felt-tip work and decoupaged bottles, and some say a thin coat leaves few brush marks. Others say it smudges or dissolves the acrylic underneath, and one paper test dissolved acrylic and vinyl paint. Outdoor ornaments were not waterproof in practice for one reviewer, even with that waterproof field. A review also describes a bottle with an unreadable label that ruined a painting. It is a large Basics tube at about £3.74 per 100 ml, and it is a different product from the Professional satin.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Indoor acrylic canvases and craft where you want a Liquitex gloss in a 250 ml tube.
Less suitable: Soft or marker-based work, or garden ornaments that must stay sound in the rain.
Specifications
Common questions
Is Liquitex Basics 8870304 a bottle or a tube?
The container type is a tube and the item type name is Basics acrylic additives. The title still calls it gloss varnish, 250 ml.
Is the Basics gloss waterproof?
Waterproof is true and the level says water resistant. A UK review of outdoor ornaments says it is not waterproof. The indoor/outdoor field says indoor.
Can Basics gloss go on wood?
The wood question is unanswered. The surface recommendation lists metal, plastic and wood. Dry time on the listing is 4 hours.
The EIGTWEN pair is two 100 ml bottles, gloss and matte, at £14.36, 4.6 from 246 reviews. Eleven of the 50 texts are from the United Kingdom, with more from Germany and France. The title is the pair, while the liquid-volume field says 100 ml and the number of items says 1, so the title is the line to trust for two bottles. Coverage is listed as 12 sq ft per 200 ml. Reviewers use both sheens on small paintings and paint-by-numbers, and some mention a brush in the pack that washes out. The gloss can look too shiny, the matte barely shows, and one review describes a yellowish, uneven film that cracked after drying. The bottles are too small for a large canvas, and a UK reviewer wanted open windows because of the smell. Buy the pair when you want to try both sheens on small work.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Small acrylics where you want both a gloss and a matte bottle to compare on the same picture.
Less suitable: A large canvas, or a room where you cannot ventilate while the film dries.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the EIGTWEN pair two bottles or one?
The title says 2 x 100 ml gloss and matte. The liquid-volume field is 100 millilitres and the number of items is 1. The unit count is 2.0 count.
Does this pair claim UV protection?
The UV question is unanswered and the bullets do not give a UV figure. They do say to wait until the painting is dry, brush the varnish on, and wait 24 hours.
Can the pair be used on wood?
The wood question is unanswered. Compatible materials include canvas, wood and other household materials. A UK review mentions a strong smell and open windows.
Baker Ross FE585 is a 250 ml water-based gloss at £8.99, 4.6 from 124 reviews, and 24 of the 26 texts in the file are from the United Kingdom. The listing aims it at school, home and craft groups, with a coverage line of 25–37.5 sq ft per 250 ml. UK reviewers use it on painted rocks, Fimo, air-dry clay, paper and small plastic figures, including rocks left in the rain. One review says a coat was fully dry in 20 minutes, though the listing itself has no dry-time field. On a large canvas the same liquid lumps and streaks because it skins quickly, a heavy coat dried white for one buyer, and a lid would not close again after opening. The bullets cite the General Product Safety Regulations, and the children’s-use question is unanswered, so that is not a named toy test. It is the best value here for a 250 ml craft gloss with a UK majority.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Small craft, painted rocks and school projects where a water-based gloss is enough.
Less suitable: A large acrylic canvas, or a studio bottle whose listing states a removal method.
Specifications
Common questions
Can children use Baker Ross FE585?
The question is unanswered. The bullets describe it as a varnish for children who paint and cite the General Product Safety Regulations. No named toy test is in the saved listing.
Which surfaces does the FE585 listing name?
The surfaces question is unanswered. The compatible-material field lists metal, plastic and wood. UK reviews also use it on rocks, clay, Fimo, paper and painted plastic.
Is FE585 waterproof?
Recommended uses include waterproofing handiwork. There is no waterproof true/false field. UK reviews include painted rocks in the rain and outdoor figures in heavy rain.
Shuttle Art gloss is listed at £16.99 with a 500 ml / 16.9 fl oz title and 4.6 from 30 reviews. None of the 20 texts in the file are from the United Kingdom: 17 are from the United States and 3 from Germany, and several describe an 8.45 oz jar or a different ASIN. The bullets claim a gloss top coat for acrylic paintings and craft, indoors or outdoors, with a brush in the highlight. Reviewers who match a gloss bottle say it looks milky then dries clear, with little smell, on canvas, stones and clay. A box arrived labelled matte while the bottle was gloss, or the other way round, and an included brush hardened after washing. The 30-star line is not a UK verdict, and the volume in the reviews may not be the bottle in the title. The £3.40 per 100 ml figure holds only if the 500 ml that the title states is the bottle that arrives.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A buyer who will check the bottle label for gloss and 500 ml when the parcel arrives.
Less suitable: You need UK reviews, a confirmed 500 ml, or a matte finish.
Specifications
Common questions
Is Shuttle Art gloss B0H2LHGV4D 500 ml?
The title and bullets say 16.9 oz (500 ml). The number of items is 2. Reviews in this saved listing often describe an 8.45 oz jar or another ASIN.
Are the Shuttle Art gloss reviews from the UK?
Of 20 reviews in the saved listing, 17 are from the United States and 3 from Germany. None are from the United Kingdom. The star line is 4.6 from 30.
Does the gloss bottle include a brush?
The highlight says 500 ml with a brush. Included components says gloss. One review says the brush bristles harden after washing.
Winsor & Newton Galeria gloss is a 75 ml bottle at £7.80, 4.4 from 1,428 reviews, and all 50 texts in the saved listing are from the United Kingdom. The bullet calls it a removable gloss for finished artwork, and it can be mixed with Galeria matt to change the sheen. UK reviewers say a light coat saturates colour on acrylic canvas and that a little goes a long way on clay and painted stones. It skins fast: if you keep brushing, it patches and goes gummy, and a second coat lifted acrylic even after a week of drying for one buyer. Marker and Sharpie smudged, including baked Sharpie. The listing says waterproof false and water resistant, with dry time 24 hours and full cure 0.25 hours, so those clock fields do not agree. The weight field prints 0.21 g, which cannot be the filled bottle. At about £10.40 per 100 ml it is a small removable gloss, and 75 ml will not cover several large canvases.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Finished acrylic canvases where you may need to lift the gloss later and the picture is not huge.
Less suitable: Outdoor ornaments, plastic miniatures with metallic paint, or several large canvases on one 75 ml bottle.
Specifications
Common questions
Is Galeria gloss 3022801 removable?
The bullet says removable gloss varnish, and that it can be mixed with Galeria matt varnish. The saved listing does not say which remover to use.
How long does the listing say Galeria gloss takes to dry?
Full cure is 0.25 hours and dry time is 24 hours. UK reviews say it skins very fast while you brush, and that a canvas can still need longer.
Is this 75 ml bottle waterproof?
Waterproof is false and the level says water resistant. The indoor/outdoor field says indoor. The wood question is unanswered; the listed use is canvas.
EIGTWEN gloss is a 200 ml bottle at £14.99, 4.4 from 252 reviews, with 14 of the 50 texts from the United Kingdom. The bullets claim a glossy film for acrylics, oils and drawings, and they tell you to wait until the painting is completely dry. Reviewers who take time with a wide flat brush say colours look deeper and that acrylic paint pens do not smudge. The same bottle pulled and dissolved acrylic for one reviewer. A UK buyer who wanted outdoor stones found the label is for pictures, and rain got through. Smell during use and drying comes up often, and the bottle is smaller than some buyers expected. There is no dry-time hour on the listing. It suits a small indoor acrylic if you keep the coats thin, and 200 ml is a short supply for several large canvases.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Small indoor acrylic paintings where you will wait until the paint is fully dry.
Less suitable: Outdoor ornaments, oil paintings you have not tested, or a large canvas on 200 ml.
Specifications
Common questions
Can EIGTWEN gloss go on oil paintings?
The question is unanswered. The bullets list acrylics, oils and drawings. A UK review used it on acrylic paintings and on small painted wood.
Is this 200 ml bottle for outdoor ornaments?
Outdoor use is not on the listing. A UK reviewer who searched for waterproof and outdoors found the label is for pictures, and it did not work on outdoor ornaments.
Is the EIGTWEN gloss described as non-toxic?
The non-toxic question is unanswered. A bullet says non-toxic. There is no waterproof field and no dry-time field.
GRANOTONE high gloss is a 100 ml bottle at £12.00, 4.3 from 4,674 ratings, the largest count in this set. Of the 50 texts, 24 are from India, 11 from the United States and 7 from the United Kingdom, so the star line is not a UK-only verdict. The title claims a non-yellowing, non-toxic high gloss for acrylic paintings. Reviewers say a thin coat goes cloudy then clear and can deepen colour, including on resin and air-dry clay. Sticky or tacky films after drying are a repeated complaint, and one coat behaved like glue that would not spread. A review reports yellowing on plaster even though the title says non-yellowing, so that claim stays a bullet. At £12 per 100 ml it is the dearest bottle per millilitre here. A tacky film is the reason to test a corner before you coat a picture you care about.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Small acrylic or craft pieces where you can test a thin coat and you accept a mixed-country review sample.
Less suitable: A painting you cannot replace, or a buyer who needs the star line to be a UK sample.
Specifications
Common questions
Can GRANOTONE high gloss be used on wood?
The wood question is unanswered. The compatible-material field says wood. One review says it is not good for shine on wood.
Is this 100 ml varnish non-toxic?
The question is unanswered. The title and a bullet say non-toxic. A review calls it water-based. There is no safety-data sheet in the saved listing.
How should you treat water with this varnish?
The coverage field says water-resistant. There is no waterproof true/false field. A review says not to let water touch it until it is completely dry.
Pébéo gloss is a 59 ml bottle at £3.30, 4.3 from 145 reviews, and all 24 texts in the file are from the United Kingdom. The bullets call it permanent on wood, plaster, paper and canvas, for journaling, cardmaking and similar small work, with a listed dry time of 1.5 hours and a full cure of 2 hours. UK reviewers use it on cardboard, paper beads, canvas and scale models, and one bought it so painted glass vases could be washed. Waterproof is false, with the resistance level set to water resistant, so a washable vase is one person’s result. A 1 mm sample looked like glue and took 3 days to dry for one buyer, another bottle arrived grey instead of clear, and an airbrush user found it too coarse without more thinning. At about £5.59 per 100 ml the pot is a cheap trial and a poor way to buy volume. It fits a small craft test.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Journals, cards and small models where a 59 ml gloss is enough to test.
Less suitable: A large canvas, an airbrush without extra thinning, or outdoor waterproofing.
Specifications
Common questions
Can PEBEO 097884 be used on metal?
The metal question is unanswered. Listed surfaces are canvas, paper, plaster and wood. Indoor use is the field. A UK review used it on fishing floats.
How long does the 59 ml gloss take to dry?
Dry time is 1.5 hours and full cure is 2 hours. One UK review left a 1 mm sample in a mould and said it took three days and looked like glue.
Is the PEBEO gloss waterproof?
Waterproof is false and the level says water resistant. The bullets say it is permanent on wood, plaster, paper and canvas. The non-toxic question is unanswered.
Mont Marte Signature gloss is a 250 ml bottle at £12.99, 4.0 from 521 reviews, the lowest star line in this set. Fifteen of the 50 texts are from the United Kingdom. The bullet says a water-based finishing varnish that dries in about 30 minutes to a clear high gloss, and the dry-time field is 0.5 hours, while one review says it took ages. Waterproof is false in one field and Waterproof in the resistance field, and the uses say art studio while another field says outdoor. Reviewers like the sheen on vases, rocks and clay, and they wash the brush in hot soapy water. A thick coat goes sticky before it levels on a large painting. Some report a yellow tinge, a white patch, a peel days later, or a strong smell they would only use on a balcony. At 4.0 it is a gloss to test on scrap before you trust it with a painting you cannot replace.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Small acrylic pieces where you can test a thin coat and accept a mid-price gloss.
Less suitable: A large canvas you cannot sand back, or a job that needs one settled waterproof claim.
Specifications
Common questions
How fast does Mont Marte MAMD0009 dry?
The bullet says about 30 minutes to a clear gloss. Dry time is 0.5 hours. The full-cure field is written as 3E+1 minutes. The quick-dry question itself is unanswered.
Is this Mont Marte bottle waterproof?
Waterproof is false and the water-resistance level says waterproof. The indoor/outdoor field says outdoor, while specific uses say art studio. The wood question is unanswered.
Does the bottle include a brush?
The included-components field says brush. Reviews also say a brush washes out in hot soapy water, and many call the varnish too thick for a large canvas.
AllisWay clear gloss is £9.99 on amazon.co.uk, and the title says a 200 ml quick-drying waterproof varnish for acrylic paint. The model name also says Christmas candle stickers, and the bullets are about protecting candles and applying stickers, while they also name ceramics, paintings and crafts. The unit-count field says 1.0 gram and the weight is 100 g, so the 200 ml in the title is not confirmed by the size fields. There is no star line and no review text in the saved listing, and no dry-time hour. A waterproof claim sits in the title and a bullet, with no true/false field. This card stays in the table because the title still says acrylic varnish. The score is 0 because volume, dry time and a UK review are all missing. Treat it as an unclear candle listing until the page agrees with itself.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A candle sealer only if you accept that volume and reviews are missing from the listing.
Less suitable: A canvas varnish of a known 200 ml, or any job that needs a star line.
Specifications
Common questions
Is AllisWay B0H9XYL77K a 200 ml painting varnish?
The title says clear varnish for acrylic paint, quick-drying and waterproof, 200 ml. The unit count is 1.0 gram and the weight is 100 g. The bullets are about Christmas candles.
Can this AllisWay varnish go outdoors or on fabric?
Both questions are unanswered. The bullets mention candles, ceramics, paintings and crafts, a fan brush, and a candle burn of about three hours. They do not mention fabric or outdoor use.
Are there UK reviews for this bottle?
The saved listing has no customer-review line and no review text. The shelf price in the file is £9.99.
Twelve amazon.co.uk acrylic varnish listings were scored from the stored files dated 19 October 2026. There is no lab test and no ageing test. The published score is the star average times 20, so 4.6 becomes 92 and a missing star line stays 0. Add 4 when the count is 1,000 or more and a majority of the captured texts are from the United Kingdom, capped at 100. Subtract 12 when the count is 10–49, 25 when it is 1–9, and 15 when captured reviews exist and none are from the United Kingdom. Price per 100 ml is not in the score. It decides the best-value badge only. The weights below are those parts and sum to 100.
Star line
70%The base is the amazon.co.uk star average times 20. A 4.6 line scores 92 before any adjustment. No star line scores 0. Stars are not a cure test, a waterproofing test or an ageing test.
UK sample
15%Add 4 when the review count is 1,000 or more and a majority of the captured texts are from the United Kingdom. Subtract 15 when captured reviews exist and none of them are from the United Kingdom. The total is capped at 100.
Review count
15%Subtract 12 when the count is 10–49 and 25 when the count is 1–9. A large count with no UK texts is not treated as a UK sample. Price per 100 ml sits outside this score and is used only for the best-value badge.
Start with the job, then the sheen, then whether the film is sold as removable or permanent, then the volume against the title, then whether any reviews are from the United Kingdom. The notes below follow that order. None of these twelve listings was cured in a lab, and there is no ageing test. Price per 100 ml decides the best-value badge only. It is not inside the score. A floor coating and a spray are different products.
Acrylic varnish, in the listings behind this page, is a clear liquid coat for acrylic paintings and craft. It is not a floor varnish and it is not a spray. Shoppers on amazon.co.uk are choosing a sheen, gloss, satin or matte, a water-based polymer bottle they can clean with soap and water, and a size from a 59 ml studio pot to a 500 ml craft bottle.
A heavy coat can go white, stay tacky, or hide the colour. The listings that name a method ask for thin coats. On a large canvas the film can skin before it levels if you keep brushing.
Winsor & Newton says at least 24 hours for thin acrylic and up to a week for impasto. Liquitex says 72 hours to two weeks. Then leave at least 24 hours between thin coats, with the painting flat.
A search hit on waterproof is not a specification. Fields in this set say waterproof, water resistant, or both at once. Outdoor ornaments need a label that states exterior use. Some buyers here had bought a picture varnish.
The first split is the job: a flat acrylic painting, small craft, or an outdoor ornament. A search hit on waterproof is not that split. Sheen is next. Gloss deepens colour and reflects the room. Matte cuts glare and can lighten blacks. Satin sits between. Liquitex limits matte and satin to one or two thin coats unless gloss is underneath. Removable and permanent are the third split. Galeria gloss can be lifted with the brand remover if an isolation coat was used.
This twelve-bottle set is not a mineral-spirit acrylic range. Water-based polymer is the lower-odour home choice. Still ventilate. SI 2012/1715 limits VOC in paints and varnishes for buildings, trim and fittings, and Schedule 2 caps water-borne trim varnish at 130 g/l and solvent-borne at 400 g/l. A canvas varnish is not automatically that subcategory, and none of these files prints a gram-per-litre figure, so compliance is not claimed. COSHH applies when the work is employment.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You are finishing acrylic paintings and you want a named artist varnish with a sheen that suits the wall. Liquitex Professional satin, 237 ml, is the top pick at about £14.93, 4.6 from 3,115 reviews, with the captured texts from the United Kingdom. Keep the coats thin. A heavy coat can go white.
You are sealing painted rocks, clay, Fimo or school projects, and a water-based gloss is enough. Baker Ross FE585, 250 ml, is the best value at about £8.99, about £3.60 per 100 ml, 4.6 from 124 reviews, with a UK majority in the captured texts. Test pens on scrap. It is too thick for a large canvas.
You want a gloss you might remove later, on a picture that is not huge. Winsor & Newton Galeria gloss, 75 ml, is sold as a removable gloss at about £7.80, 4.4 from 1,428 reviews, all captured texts from the United Kingdom. It can be mixed with Galeria matt. 75 ml will not cover several large canvases.
The top pick is Liquitex Professional satin, 237 ml, at about £14.93. It scores 96: 4.6 from 3,115 reviews, with the captured texts from the United Kingdom, which is the step that lifts it above other 4.6 lines at 92. It is a named satin for finished work if you keep the coats thin. A heavy coat can go white, and the volume field prints 0.59 fl oz beside 237 ml. The best value is Baker Ross FE585, 250 ml gloss at about £8.99, about £3.60 per 100 ml, among bottles with a UK majority and a star line of at least 4.5. Liquitex Basics is about £3.74 per 100 ml. Shuttle Art gloss states a lower rate and is left off that badge because the captured texts are not from the United Kingdom. There is no lab test and no ageing test.
Baker Ross gloss craft 250 ml
Lowest title price per 100 ml among UK-majority bottles at 4.5 stars or above, about £3.60 per 100 ml.
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 from the research digest, last checked on 19 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file. The price band is this set, not a market average. No listing was cured in a lab.
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 stored amazon.co.uk figures, not a live crawl. We did not run a lab cure test or an ageing test.
