The best Chalkboard paints, compared.
Top pick: e-concreto blackboard paint 1 L – Unique highest score, 94, with UK review texts and stick chalk that wiped in those reviews. Best value: Rust-Oleum chalkboard paint 750 ml – Lowest price per 100 ml among UK-reviewed tins at 4.5 stars or above, about £1.39 per 100 ml. Updated October 2026.
Chalkboard paint, also sold as blackboard paint, is a matt coating for a UK kitchen wall, menu board, door, or small craft surface that should take chalk and then erase. On amazon.co.uk it is a brush-on tin, a small tester, or an aerosol. Decorative chalk paint is a furniture finish, not a writable film. You tell a suitable tin by the chalk it names and the pack against the area. Chalk sticks and liquid chalk pens are not interchangeable. A small pot suits a board or a door. A litre suits a wall. If a listing prints two coverage figures, do not average them. Read the indoor or outdoor field on its own when it disagrees with the bullet, and follow the cure time on the tin in your hand before you write. Under the VOC Regulations 2012 the label should show the subcategory, the limit, and the maximum grams per litre. A non-toxic bullet is not a BS EN 71 certificate. Form, size and chalk type are in the [chalkboard paint buying guide](/hub/paints-and-varnishes/chalkboard-paint/sub/chalkboard-paint-buying-guide).
Chalkboard paint, also sold as blackboard paint, is a matt coating for a UK kitchen wall, menu board, door, or small craft surface that should take chalk and then erase.
18 products checked · 64 hrs invested · +21,400 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you painting?
e-concreto model 11 is a 1 litre water-based black tin at £21.87 on amazon.co.uk, with 4.7 from 4,062 reviews, and all 50 texts in the saved listing are from the United Kingdom. UK reviewers report one coat covering white walls or an existing blackboard, and a litre stretched to a hallway, cupboards, or a 1.5 m by 2 m area with paint left. Stick chalk wiped with a damp cloth, and one UK review was still happy after about three years of frequent use. The box includes a five-pack of chalk and a wooden stirrer, though the chalk arrived broken in more than one UK review. Liquid chalk pens stained and did not come off with soap or cleaning spray. The film is harder to clear than a factory board, and smudges remain. A brush left a bumpy surface, so reviewers preferred a roller or pad, and some still used two coats or a primer despite the one-coat claim. Dry time, coverage, and indoor or outdoor use are not stated on the listing.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A kitchen or hallway memo wall where you write with stick chalk and want a litre that UK reviewers stretched past a 1.5 m by 2 m area.
Less suitable: Liquid chalk pens, or a job that needs a stated coverage, dry time, or indoor/outdoor field.
Specifications
Common questions
Can this 1 litre tin go on metal?
The metal question on the listing is unanswered. The bullet says the paint is suitable for metal, and also for walls, concrete, brick, drywall and wood. One UK review painted a fridge after a primer.
Will liquid chalk pens wipe off e-concreto?
One UK review says liquid chalk pens will not come off, including after soapy water, and that the seller had said to use stick chalk. Stick chalk wiped with a damp cloth in several UK reviews.
Is the children's-room question answered?
The question is unanswered. The bullet says non-toxic and water-based, and the age range is Adult. UK reviews include a hallway used by children and a climbing-wall backdrop.
American Crafts 366867 is listed at £9.99 with 4.7 from 2,961 reviews on the amazon.co.uk page, and none of the 50 stored reviews is from the United Kingdom: 49 are from the United States and one is from Singapore. The title calls it 16 oz chalkboard paint for walls, doors, paper and wood, and the bullets say you can write with chalk or chalk markers and then erase. The paint-type field and the item type name say chalk paint, and US reviews use it as furniture paint, including with wax. The size field says 16.5 ml beside a title of 16 oz, an item volume of 16 fl oz and a weight of 630 g. One US review found a foam roller avoided streaks, and another said rubbing chalk over the surface stopped the first drawing from ghosting. A Singapore review said chalk markers left for three to five days would not erase on an unsmooth surface. The listing is indoor and not water resistant, and the included-components field says Paper.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Indoor paper, cards or a small wood craft where you accept US review text and will condition the surface before the first drawing.
Less suitable: A UK kitchen wall, outdoor use, or a job that needs the bottle size to be one figure.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this bottle chalkboard paint or chalk paint?
The title says chalkboard paint and the bullets say you can write with chalk or chalk markers and erase. The paint type field and the item type name say chalk paint. Some reviews in the saved listing wax it as furniture paint.
What size is listed for American Crafts 366867?
The title says 16 oz and the item volume says 16 fluid ounces. The size field says 16.5 ml and the unit count says 16.5 millilitre. Weight is 630 g. The saved listing does not pick one figure.
Are the reviews in the saved listing from the UK?
The star line is 4.7 from 2,961 reviews on the amazon.co.uk listing. Of the 50 reviews in the saved listing, 49 are from the United States and one is from Singapore. None are from the United Kingdom.
Rainbow Chalk Markers TRABP is a 250 ml matt black tin at £10.26, rated 4.6 from 3,655 reviews, and all 50 texts in the saved listing are from the United Kingdom. The bullet says the film grips dry chalk sticks and is a surface for liquid chalk pens, with one coat on bare wood in most cases and touch dry in 15 minutes. UK reviewers often used two or three coats and still had paint left; one used four coats on a 2 m² board and three coats on a door from the same tin. Outdoor boards and a children's play fort stayed sound after rain showers in UK reviews. Chalk pens stained and stayed visible, including after three coats on a 2 m by 2 m area, and that reviewer guessed stick chalk would be fine. Coverage is not one figure: the field says 10–15 m² per 250 ml, the bullet about 2.5 m², and the model name 8.5 oz covering 32 square feet. The indoor field says indoor while the uses line and the bullet name exterior walls, and one UK review reported a strong smell.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A small menu board, door or play table where stick chalk is enough and 250 ml will cover the job in two or three coats.
Less suitable: A full kitchen wall, or liquid chalk pens if you need a clean erase.
Specifications
Common questions
How much area does the 250 ml tin claim?
The coverage field says 10–15 m² per 250 ml per layer. The bullet says the tester pot covers about 2.5 m². The model name says 8.5 oz cover 32 sf. Those figures are not the same.
Do liquid chalk pens work on this Rainbow tin?
The bullet says the finish is for dry chalk sticks and liquid chalk pens. One UK review says chalk pens stain the paint and stay visible when faded, and that three coats on a 2 m by 2 m area had not fixed that. The reviewer guessed stick chalk would be fine.
Is Rainbow listed for outdoors?
Specific uses say interior/exterior, and the bullet mentions exterior walls and garden signs. The indoor/outdoor field says indoor. Waterproof is true. One UK review used it on an outdoor play fort.
Rust-Oleum AMZ0009 is a 750 ml black tin at £10.39, rated 4.6 from 2,194 reviews, and all 50 texts in the saved listing are from the United Kingdom. The listing names conventional chalk, a clean erase, and 10–12 m² per litre per coat, with a dry time of 0.75 hours and a full cure of 2 hours. UK reviewers used it on walls, stairs, plywood and dark roof beams; two coats on a large plywood sheet took about three quarters of a can, and one review covered nearly a whole wall in two coats with paint left. One reviewer painted over a failed pen surface and found conventional chalk wiped without leaving paint residue. Several UK reviews in 2026 describe tins that were lumpy, would not mix, or were solid at the bottom, and others found the liquid runny. On smooth melamine, chalk failed along the brush strokes and held across them. A strong smell lingered in one child's room, and that child could not sleep there for three nights.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Indoor or outdoor boards and walls where you already use stick chalk and the £10.39 tin mixes smoothly.
Less suitable: Liquid chalk pens, a child's bedroom if odour matters, or a glossy melamine door.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the Rust-Oleum listing say you need a primer?
The primer question is unanswered, and the bullets do not mention primer. One UK review used grey primer and then about one and a half coats.
Is this 750 ml tin listed as non-toxic?
The non-toxic question is unanswered. Non-toxic is not in the bullets. Special features say scratch resistant.
Which chalk does the bullet specify?
The bullet says conventional chalks and that the surface erases cleanly. It does not mention liquid chalk pens. A UK review found stick chalk gripped poorly along brush strokes on smooth melamine.
BURAKH is an aerosol blackboard paint listed at £8.75 on amazon.co.uk, and the saved listing has no star line and no reviews. The bullet says two 400 ml sprays for wood, walls, furniture, MDF and metal, while the size field says 200 ml in a pack of 2 and the item volume says 400 millilitres. The finish is matte and specific uses say interior and exterior, but dry time, cure, coverage and water resistance are not stated. Questions on the listing about all surfaces, coat count and indoor safety are unanswered. Country of origin is given as China. There is no UK review text to show whether chalk wipes off, so the pack size is not a number you can plan a wall from.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A small spray job only if you can check the can count in the parcel against the bullet before you plan the area.
Less suitable: A kitchen wall you need to size from a coverage figure, or any job that depends on UK review evidence.
Specifications
Common questions
How many cans are in the BURAKH pack?
The bullet says two 400 ml sprays. The size field says 200 ml, pack of 2. Item volume and unit count both say 400 millilitres. The saved listing does not reconcile those figures.
How many coats does the spray listing specify?
The coats question is unanswered. Dry time, cure time and coverage are not stated.
Does the listing say the spray is safe indoors?
The indoor question is unanswered. Specific uses say interior/exterior. There is no ventilation, flammability or review line in the saved listing.
Five amazon.co.uk chalkboard paint listings were scored from the stored listing files, not in a lab. The score is the star line times 20, capped at 100. A 4.7 line scores 94 and a 4.6 line scores 92. No star line scores 0. If captured reviews exist and none are from the United Kingdom, 15 points come off. Tins with a UK majority in the captured texts keep the Amazon component, with no extra bonus. Price per 100 ml is outside the score. It only picks the best value: the lowest price per 100 ml among UK-reviewed tins at 4.5 stars or above. Worked scores are 94, 92, 92, 79 and 0. The top pick is the unique highest score. The best value is not the highest score.
Star line
85%The score starts at the amazon.co.uk star line times 20, capped at 100. A 4.7 line is 94. A 4.6 line is 92. No star line is 0, which is where the aerosol with no stored reviews stays. Pack conflicts are not a further deduction below zero.
UK review texts
15%Subtract 15 when captured reviews exist and none of them are from the United Kingdom. That takes a 4.7 line from 94 to 79. Listings whose captured texts are from the United Kingdom keep the star-line score. There is no extra bonus. Price per 100 ml is not part of this score.
Start with the chalk you already use, then the pack against the area, then whether the indoor or outdoor lines agree, then the cure time on that tin, then the VOC label. The notes below follow that order. None of these listings was lab-tested.
Chalkboard paint, also sold as blackboard paint, is a matt coating meant to take chalk and then erase, for a UK kitchen wall, menu board, door, or small craft surface. Shoppers on amazon.co.uk choose a brush-on tin, a small tester, or an aerosol, and they often confuse it with decorative chalk paint, which is a furniture finish. A useful film holds a chalk stick and clears after the cure time on that tin and a chalk rub across the whole face. Blackboard and chalkboard are the same writing job.
Decorative chalk paint is a furniture finish. Chalkboard paint is meant to take chalk and then erase. A title can say chalkboard while the paint-type field says chalk paint. Blackboard and chalkboard are the same writing job.
amazon.co.uk Rust-Oleum fields say 0.75 hours dry and 2 hours full cure. A Rust-Oleum US sheet says 3 days before writing and 7 days before a damp cloth. DIY Doctor and Ideal Home also differ. Follow the tin in your hand.
Rust-Oleum’s bullet names conventional chalk. e-concreto UK reviews say liquid chalk pens did not wipe off with soapy water. Rainbow’s bullet names pens, and a UK review says pens stained. Do not treat those as one result.
Rainbow’s listing prints about 2.5 m², about 3 m² (32 square feet), and 10–15 m² per 250 ml. The B&Q figure of about 5 m² per litre is not the coverage field on amazon ASIN B00GZL2UL0, which says 10–12 m² per litre per coat.
Conventional chalk sticks and liquid chalk pens are not interchangeable. Rust-Oleum’s bullet names conventional chalk and a clean erase. Rainbow’s bullet names dry chalk sticks and liquid chalk pens, and a UK review says pens stained and stayed visible. e-concreto UK reviews say pens did not wipe off with soapy water, while stick chalk wiped with a damp cloth. American Crafts’ bullets say chalk or chalk markers, and a Singapore review said markers left for three to five days would not erase.
Read the bullet and the indoor or outdoor field separately when they disagree. Rust-Oleum says interior and exterior, waterproof false, and water resistant. Rainbow’s waterproof field is true, the indoor or outdoor field says indoor, and the bullet mentions exterior walls and garden signs. e-concreto does not state indoor or outdoor. American Crafts is indoor and not water resistant. BURAKH’s uses line says interior and exterior, and dry time, cure, coverage and water resistance are not stated.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a litre for a kitchen or hallway wall and you write with stick chalk. e-concreto at about £21.87 has the unique highest score, 94, and UK reviews of stick chalk wiping with a damp cloth. Liquid chalk pens stained in those reviews. Coverage and dry time are not stated on the listing.
You already use conventional chalk and you want the lowest price per 100 ml among the UK-reviewed tins at 4.5 stars or above. Rust-Oleum at about £10.39 for 750 ml is about £1.39 per 100 ml. The score is 92. Several 2026 UK reviews describe lumpy or solid paint.
You are painting a menu board, a door or a play table, and 250 ml is enough for two or three coats. Rainbow at about £10.26 has UK reviews, including an outdoor play fort after rain. The coverage lines do not match, and a UK review says chalk pens stained.
The top pick is e-concreto blackboard paint, 1 litre, at about £21.87. It has the unique highest score, 94, from 4.7 and 4,062 reviews, and all 50 stored texts are from the United Kingdom. Stick chalk wiped with a damp cloth in those reviews. Liquid chalk pens stained. The best value is Rust-Oleum chalkboard paint, 750 ml, at about £10.39, about £1.39 per 100 ml, the lowest price per 100 ml among UK-reviewed tins at 4.5 stars or above. The score is 92, not the highest. Several 2026 UK reviews describe tins that were lumpy, unmixed, or solid at the bottom.
e-concreto blackboard paint 1 L
Unique highest score, 94, with UK review texts and stick chalk that wiped in those reviews.
Rust-Oleum chalkboard paint 750 ml
Lowest price per 100 ml among UK-reviewed tins at 4.5 stars or above, about £1.39 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 sources from the research digest, last checked on 20 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 lab-tested.
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 lab-test these coatings.
