The best Clear varnishes, compared.
Top pick: MeFay clay glaze 60 ml Best value: Baker Ross gloss craft 250 ml – Lowest consistent price per 100 ml among qualifying bottles, excluding the top pick. Updated October 2026.
Clear varnish is a transparent film you put over a dry surface so the colour underneath stays visible. In the UK you buy it for a painting, indoor wood, or small craft such as air-dry clay, and the name covers more than one chemistry. You tell a suitable tin by the job the listing names, the sheen, a pack that agrees across the title and the volume field, and a dry or re-coat time printed as a time you can follow. A floor word in the title is not enough when the item type says indoor wood. Trust a water or outdoor claim only when the field and the use line agree. Water-based varnish is the lower-odour option, with clean-up in water. Oil or solvent-borne varnish is sold for harder wear, with smell and white-spirit clean-up. Those checks are in the [clear varnish buying guide](/hub/paints-and-varnishes/clear-varnish/sub/clear-varnish-buying-guide). A non-toxic bullet is not a toy test or a food-safe claim. A picture varnish is the wrong film for outdoor timber. This category was not lab-tested.
Clear varnish is a transparent film you put over a dry surface so the colour underneath stays visible.
42 products checked · 56 hrs invested · +24,100 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you coating?
MeFay's 60 ml gloss clay glaze is £6.99, with a 24 hour cure in the bullet, and UK reviewers said it dried faster when the coat was not generous, often after two or three coats on air-dry clay. The star line is 5.0 from only five reviews, and four of those texts are in the file, all from the United Kingdom. A UK reviewer called the included brush tiny and fine for small items only, which matches a title that says with brush and an included-components field that says no. Listed weight is 20 g against a 60 ml title, and the model text WJT-1Oil Acrylic Pigments does not read like a clear glaze. Bullets say both waterproof and water-resistant. Five reviews cannot carry a best-in-set claim, however perfect the star looks.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A small air-dry clay piece where a tiny brush is enough and you treat five reviews as a hint, not a test.
Less suitable: A large surface, a floor, food use, or anyone who would buy it because 5.0 looks like a winner.
Specifications
Common questions
Can MeFay be used on ceramics?
The ceramics question is unanswered. A bullet names ceramics.
Does it include a brush?
The question is unanswered. The title says with brush. The included-components field says no. A UK review says the brush is tiny.
Is it waterproof?
The question is unanswered. The bullets say waterproof and water-resistant. There is no true/false field.
EIGTWEN's gloss and matte acrylic pair, part GJ-1007, is £14.36, and the title says 2 × 100 ml while the liquid-volume field says 100 ml, the unit count is 2 and the number of items is 1. It is 4.6 from 246 reviews, with only 11 of 50 captured texts from the United Kingdom and 21 from Germany, so the star line is not a UK sample. One UK reviewer called both sheens decent on a last coat, and another said it really stinks and to open the windows. UK notes also call it too thick and gloopy beyond a small project, and the containers smaller than expected. The use bullet says wait 24 hours. Coverage is 12 sq ft per 200 ml. There is no UV line in the captured bullets. A bag is the included component, not a confirmed pair of full 100 ml bottles until you open the parcel.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A small acrylic piece where you want both gloss and matte and you will check that two bottles actually arrived.
Less suitable: A large painting, a low-odour room, or a 4.6 you treat as British opinion.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be used on wood?
The wood question is unanswered. Compatible material includes canvas, wood and other household materials.
Does the listing say it blocks UV?
The UV question is unanswered. The captured bullets do not mention UV.
How big is the pack?
The title says 2 x 100 ml. The liquid-volume field says 100 ml, the unit count is 2, and the number of items is 1.
Baker Ross FE585 is a 250 ml water-based acrylic gloss craft varnish at £8.99, about £3.60 per 100 ml, the lowest consistent pack price here among UK-reviewed bottles at 4.5 stars or above. It scores 4.6 from 124 reviews, and 24 of 26 captured texts are from the United Kingdom. UK reviewers used it on painted rocks, egg cups and coasters, and one described a shiny finish on rocks. It is very thick and dries fast enough that a large canvas went lumpy or streaky for one reviewer, and another coat dried white and hid the colour. Dry time is not on the listing, so a twenty-minute line in one review is not a specification. The children question is unanswered: bullets aim it at children's painting and cite general product safety rules, with no age and no named toy test. It is the best value here for craft sealing, not a mouthing approval and not a substitute for an interior wood tin.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Craft, painted rocks and small handiwork where you want 250 ml of water-based gloss and will keep the coat thin.
Less suitable: A large canvas, a piece a child may chew, indoor joinery, or anything you need a printed dry time for.
Specifications
Common questions
Can children use Baker Ross FE585?
The question is unanswered. The bullets aim it at children who paint and cite general product safety rules. No age number and no named toy test are in the saved listing.
Which surfaces does the listing name?
The surfaces question is unanswered. The compatible-material field lists metal, plastic and wood.
Is FE585 waterproof?
Recommended uses include waterproofing handiwork. There is no waterproof true/false field. A UK review describes a shiny finish on painted rocks.
Hyleon's 60 ml high-gloss clay glaze, part ADCG0002, is £6.59, and the bullet asks for a 24 hour cure after a top coat on fully dry air-dry clay. The listing is 4.6 from 11 reviews, with only three short UK texts in the file, all positive and none describing a fault. One UK reviewer liked the shine on handmade clay ornaments painted with acrylic. The title says waterproof while a bullet says water-resistant, so those two words are not the same claim. The base is not named, and the best-seller rank sits in Glazes rather than Varnish. Small brushes appear in the bullet, not in a separate included-components field. Eleven reviews are too few to treat the 4.6 as a settled result for pottery you cannot replace.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A small air-dry clay ornament you can spare, where you will wait the 24 hour cure and accept a thin review sample.
Less suitable: Food containers, outdoor timber, or any piece where eleven reviews are not enough evidence.
Specifications
Common questions
Can Hyleon be used on pottery?
The pottery question is unanswered. The bullets name craft pottery, ceramics and air-dry clay.
Is it waterproof?
The question is unanswered. The title says waterproof and a bullet says water-resistant.
How many UK reviews are in the saved listing?
Three, all short and positive. The listing score is 4.6 from 11 reviews.
Ronseal RSLIVMCL250 is a 250 ml matt clear interior varnish at £10.68, polyurethane on the material line, with touch dry in 20 minutes and re-coat after 2 hours. It is 4.5 from 408 reviews, and all 50 texts in the saved listing are from the United Kingdom, the largest UK sample in this set. Reviewers coated oak shelves, a door, banisters and a guitar, and one used under a third of the tin for three coats on three oak shelves. Coverage is listed as 2.5–3 m² per 250 ml, and the uses name wood veneer, floors and built-in wardrobes. It goes on milky or white and often dries clear, though one UK reviewer got a white cast on a light oak bed and stopped after one coat. Brush marks showed for another reviewer, and the number-of-items field says 6 against one 250 ml tin. It is the top pick here for indoor wood when you want matt and a deep UK sample, not a gloss picture bottle.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Indoor wood, veneer and wardrobes where you want a matt film and the largest UK review sample in this set.
Less suitable: A gloss painting, air-dry clay, or a pack count you need to reconcile before you trust the tin is one 250 ml.
Specifications
Common questions
Can Ronseal RSLIVMCL250 be used on wood?
The wood question is unanswered. Compatible material is wood, and the uses name wood veneer, floors and built-in wardrobes.
Does this matt varnish protect against stains?
The stain question is unanswered. The bullets name heat, scratches and water, not stains.
Why does the tin look milky?
UK reviews say it looks milky or white in the tin and often dries clear. One UK review reported a white cast on a light oak bed and stopped after one coat.
Vividye VF116 is a 200 ml resin high-gloss air-dry clay varnish at £9.99, with 4.5 from 247 reviews and 43 of 50 captured texts from the United Kingdom. UK reviewers used it on painted pebbles, pots and air-dry clay, often after shaking a milky liquid that then dried clear, and several wanted two or three coats because it is watery. One reviewer said about six coats before the sheen looked right. The bullet says it is not for food utensils or containers, so a non-toxic line without a named test does not make a plate safe to eat from. Coverage is printed as 20–30 m² per 200 ml, which sits far above the wood tins here and should not be used as a spreading rate. Reviews mention a small lid brush that the included-components line does not name. Some reviews describe two 100 ml bottles, which the number-of-items field does not confirm.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Indoor air-dry clay, pebbles and small ceramics where you will shake the bottle and accept several thin coats.
Less suitable: Plates and cups, outdoor timber, or a job you sized from the 20–30 m² coverage line.
Specifications
Common questions
Can Vividye be used on ceramics?
The ceramics question is unanswered. Recommended uses and compatible material include ceramics.
Is it safe on a plate you eat from?
The bullet says it is not for food utensils or containers. A non-toxic claim in another bullet does not name a test.
Does it come with a brush?
The question is unanswered. The included-components line says clay gloss varnish. UK reviews describe a small brush in the lid.
Johnstone's 250 ml clear gloss, model 309296, is £10.37 and scores 4.5 from 172 reviews, with all 34 captured texts from the United Kingdom. UK reviewers used it on cupboards, bedside tables, handrails and a banister, often two coats on old wood and three on new, with a light sand between the later coats. They say the tin looks white, blue-tinted or like PVA and then dries clear. The title says gloss floor varnish while the usage field says interior and the bullets name doors, windows, staircases and skirting. The base is not named, and there is no dry-time field; one UK review recoated after about four hours when warm and overnight when cold. Coverage is 9 m² per litre. Reviewers also called it thin and watery, which suited thin coats and is a poor match if you wanted a heavy floor film.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Interior doors, skirting and furniture where you want a gloss that UK reviewers saw dry clear, and you ignore the floor word in the title.
Less suitable: A specified floor system, outdoor wood, or a job that needs a named base and a printed re-coat time.
Specifications
Common questions
Can this Johnstone's tin be used on outdoor wood?
The outdoor question is unanswered. The usage field says interior. The bullets name doors, windows, staircases and skirting.
Is it a floor varnish?
The title says gloss floor varnish. The usage field and the bullets describe interior woodwork, not a separate floor system.
What colour is it in the tin?
UK reviews say it looks white, blue-tinted or like PVA, then dries clear. There is no dry-time field.
EIGTWEN gloss acrylic varnish, part MF-UKGY-0720, is a 200 ml bottle at £14.99 for acrylic painting, and the use bullet says wait 3 hours after the paint is thoroughly dry. It is 4.4 from 252 reviews, and 14 of 50 captured texts are from the United Kingdom. UK reviewers liked a finish that did not smudge acrylic paint pens, and one used a two-inch flat brush and washed it with soap and water. A UK buyer who searched for waterproof outdoor ornaments then found the label was for pictures. Another said it smells while drying, and the bottle was smaller than expected. A bullet also names oils and drawings, which the oil-painting question leaves unanswered. There is no waterproof field. It is a picture bottle, not outdoor timber protection.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A dry acrylic painting or small indoor wooden object where you can wait 3 hours and you do not need an outdoor film.
Less suitable: Outdoor ornaments, a low-odour room, or a job sized as if 200 ml were a furniture tin.
Specifications
Common questions
Can this EIGTWEN gloss be used on oil paintings?
The oil-painting question is unanswered. A bullet says the varnish can be used for acrylics, oils and drawings.
Is it non-toxic?
The question is unanswered. The gloss bullet calls it a non-toxic acrylic clear coat. No certificate name is in the saved listing.
Will it waterproof outdoor ornaments?
A UK reviewer searched for waterproof outdoor use and then found the label was for pictures. The listing has no waterproof field.
Nicpro AAVHL-02 is sold as a water-based gloss acrylic varnish at £12.99, and the bullet asks for two or three thin coats, 1–2 hours between them, then 24 hours lying flat. It is 4.3 from 331 reviews, and 16 of 50 captured texts are from the United Kingdom. UK reviews describe a gloss that lifts colour when the coats stay thin, and also a tacky film, smudged acrylic, and a watery body that needed three or four coats. The title says 250 ml and 8.45 oz while the volume field says 16.9 fl oz, so the bottle you receive may not match the title until you check it. A soft brush is named in the bullet. The non-toxic line says certified without naming the certificate. Compatible materials are wood, canvas and crafts, which is still a picture and craft film, not a floor system.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A dry acrylic painting or small craft where you will follow the thin-coat schedule and check the bottle size against the title.
Less suitable: A floor, a piece that must not stay tacky, or a buy based on the 250 ml title alone.
Specifications
Common questions
Can Nicpro gloss be used on wood?
The wood question is unanswered. Compatible material lists wood, canvas and crafts.
Is it non-toxic?
The question is unanswered. The title and a bullet say non-toxic and certified non-toxic. The certificate name is not in the saved listing.
How should the bullet be followed?
The bullet says 2–3 thin coats, 1–2 hours between coats, then 24 hours flat. UK reviews also describe a tacky film and smudged acrylic.
PEBEO's 59 ml acrylic gloss, model 097884, is listed at £3.30 for indoor journaling, cardmaking, wood and canvas, with a 1.5 hour dry time and a 2 hour full cure. Across 145 amazon.co.uk reviews it sits at 4.3, and all 24 texts in the saved listing are from the United Kingdom. One UK reviewer put two coats on cardboard storage boxes, and another got a gloss on acrylic that did not wipe the paint off. The waterproof field is false while the water-resistance line says water resistant, so a splash claim is not a soak. The coverage cell is 52.36 cc, which is a volume, not an area you can plan a canvas from. It was too thick to thin finely enough for one reviewer's airbrush, and 59 ml runs out if you expected a furniture tin. It is made in France, and no brush is listed.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Small indoor pieces of journaling, cardmaking, canvas or wood where a 59 ml gloss bottle is enough and you keep the coat thin.
Less suitable: Metal, an airbrush, a soak, or any job that needs a furniture-sized tin.
Specifications
Common questions
Can PEBEO 59 ml be used on metal?
The metal question is unanswered. The surface list is canvas, paper, plaster and wood.
Is it waterproof?
The waterproof field is false. The water-resistance level says water resistant.
Is it non-toxic?
The question is unanswered. The captured bullets do not say non-toxic.
Johnstone's model 309306 is titled a 250 ml gloss floor varnish at £6.81, while the item type says indoor wood varnish and the paint type is oil. It is 4.2 from 24 reviews, and only two UK texts are in the saved listing: one called it a good product and a little expensive, and one said the tin arrived opened, used, and with the lid taped back on. The size field says 1 ml against an item volume of 250 ml, so the low price is not a confirmed 250 ml bargain until the tin in your hand matches the title. Full cure is printed as 2 hours and dry time as 19.2 hours, which is not one clock. Waterproof is false and the water line says water repellent. The bullets name interior doors, windows, staircases and skirting, which is joinery, not an exterior floor system.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Interior joinery only after you have checked that the tin is the 250 ml oil gloss the title describes.
Less suitable: Outdoor wood, a floor system, or a buy you make because £6.81 looks cheap while the size field still says 1 ml.
Specifications
Common questions
Can B0743DHB81 be used outdoors?
The outdoor question is unanswered. The indoor/outdoor field says indoor and the uses say interior.
Is it waterproof?
The waterproof question is unanswered. The waterproof field is false and the water-resistance level says water repellent.
How long does the listing say it takes to dry?
Full cure is 2 hours and dry time is 19.2 hours. Those two figures are both on the listing.
Mont Marte Signature gloss acrylic varnish, model MAMD0009, is a 250 ml bottle at £12.99 with a brush in the box and a bullet that says about 30 minutes to a clear gloss. The listing is 4.0 from 521 reviews, but only 15 of 50 captured texts are from the United Kingdom, so the headline is not a UK-only sample. UK reviewers liked the sheen on a vase, wooden coasters and a painted wine glass, and one said it goes on milky and dries clear. Another UK reviewer reported a yellowish tinge that ruined three pieces and a sickly feel for days, and several called it too thick to level on a larger painting. The waterproof field is false while the water-resistance level says Waterproof, and the indoor/outdoor field says outdoor while the use line says art studio. Full cure is printed as 3E+1 minutes, which is not a time you can follow. Listed weight is 100 g for a 250 ml bottle.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A small acrylic painting or craft where you want gloss, a brush in the box, and you can work the film before it skins.
Less suitable: A large canvas, outdoor timber, or anyone reading the 521-review line as a UK test.
Specifications
Common questions
Can Mont Marte Signature be used on wood?
The wood question is unanswered. The surface field says canvas. UK reviews also mention a vase, wooden coasters and a painted wine glass.
Is it waterproof?
The waterproof field is false and the water-resistance level says Waterproof. The indoor/outdoor field says outdoor, while the use line says art studio.
How fast does the listing say it dries?
The bullet says about 30 minutes to a clear gloss. Dry time is 0.5 hours. Full cure is printed as 3E+1 minutes.
Twelve amazon.co.uk clear varnish listings were scored from the stored files, read 20 October 2026, not in a lab. Prices are the raw-file figures and they move. Stars add round(stars × 14), up to 70. The review count adds up to 18. A named base, one dry time that does not fight a second time, and surfaces that do not clash with a floor title add up to 8. Points come off for a count under 15, a captured sample under 40% from the UK, a pack or waterproof field that contradicts itself, a coverage line that is not credible beside the wood tins, and a number-of-items field of 6 against one 250 ml tin. Those three caps are 96 points. The weights below show them as shares of 100: 73, 19 and 8. The top pick is the unique highest score. Price per 100 ml is not inside the score. It decides the best value among bottles with a UK majority in the captured texts, at least 4.5 stars, a pack that agrees with itself, and a score of at least 70, excluding the top pick.
Star line
73%Stars add round(stars × 14), so a 4.5 line scores 63 and a 5.0 line scores 70, before the other checks. The star line is the amazon.co.uk listing header, not a British trial and not a lab film test.
Review sample
19%The review count adds up to 18: 18 at 400 or more, 14 at 200–399, 10 at 100–199, 3 at 20–49, 1 at 10–19, and 0 under 10. A count under 15 also subtracts 8. A captured sample under 40% from the United Kingdom subtracts 4.
Listing detail
8%Three points if the base is named. Three points if one dry or re-coat time is printed and does not fight a second time on the same listing. Two points if the surfaces are named and the title does not call the tin a floor varnish while the use line says interior. A pack, volume or waterproof field that contradicts itself subtracts 3.
Start with the job the listing names, then the carrier and the sheen, then whether the pack agrees with itself, then a dry time you can follow, then whether the captured reviews are from the United Kingdom. The notes below follow that order. None of these listings was lab-tested.
Clear varnish on amazon.co.uk is a transparent film, not one chemistry. This set mixes acrylic bottles for paintings, a polyurethane interior tin, oil-type wood varnish, and small gloss bottles for air-dry clay. The usual failure is the wrong family, not a missing star. Artist and craft bottles here run from about £3.30 to about £14.99 and are a different job from an interior-wood tin. Judge a listing by the named job, the sheen, a pack size that agrees with itself, and a dry time you can use.
A UK buyer who searched for waterproof outdoor ornaments then found a picture label. A waterproof bullet is not outdoor timber protection unless the field and the use line agree. In this set they often do not.
Two gloss tins are titled floor varnish while the item type or the usage field says indoor or interior wood. The bullets name doors, windows, staircases and skirting. That is joinery, not an exterior floor system.
UK reviews describe lumpy, streaky or white films when the coat is generous, and a milky or white tin that often dries clear. A 5.0 from five reviews is not a test. Shake a milky water-based bottle and keep the coats thin.
The first check is the job named on the listing: a dry acrylic painting, indoor wood, or small craft and air-dry clay. A floor word in the title is not enough when the item type says indoor wood varnish, or when the usage field says interior while the bullets name doors, windows, staircases and skirting. Artist bottles are sold for paintings and canvas. The indoor polyurethane tin names wood veneer, floors and built-in wardrobes. Clay bottles name air-dry clay, ceramics and small ornaments.
The pack has to agree across the title, the volume field and the item count. One gloss-and-matte title says 2 × 100 ml while the volume field says 100 ml, the unit count is 2 and the number of items is 1. One acrylic title says 250 ml and 8.45 oz while the volume field says 16.9 fl oz. One oil-type gloss prints 250 ml in the title and 1 ml in the size field. One interior tin has number of items 6 against one 250 ml tin. One 60 ml clay bottle lists a weight of 20 g.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want water clean-up on a dry acrylic painting or small craft, and you should ignore a floor title. EIGTWEN gloss 200 ml is the highest-scoring picture bottle here, at about £14.99, with a 3 hour dry bullet and 4.4 from 252. Only 14 of 50 captured texts are from the UK, and a buyer who searched for outdoor waterproofing found a picture label.
You are coating indoor wood, so read the item type and not only a floor word in the title. Ronseal matt interior 250 ml is the top pick: polyurethane, touch dry in 20 minutes, re-coat after 2 hours, 4.5 from 408, with all 50 captured texts from the UK. It goes on milky and often dries clear. One UK review reported a white cast on light oak.
You want a bottle for painted rocks, air-dry clay, or a children's painting, and you will keep the coat thin. Baker Ross gloss craft 250 ml is the best value at about £8.99, 4.6 from 124, with 24 of 26 captured texts from the UK. The children question is unanswered: no age and no named toy test. Vividye says it is not for food utensils.
The top pick is Ronseal matt interior 250 ml at about £10.68. It is the unique highest score, 87, on 4.5 from 408 reviews, with all 50 captured texts from the United Kingdom. The material line says polyurethane, with touch dry in 20 minutes and re-coat after 2 hours. It is matt. The number-of-items field says 6 against one 250 ml tin, and one UK review reported a white cast on light oak. The best value is Baker Ross gloss craft 250 ml at about £8.99, about £3.60 per 100 ml. That is the lowest consistent pack price among bottles with a UK majority, at least 4.5 stars, a pack that agrees with itself, and a score of at least 70, excluding the top pick. It is 4.6 from 124, and it is a craft bottle, not an interior wood tin.
Baker Ross gloss craft 250 ml
Lowest consistent price per 100 ml among qualifying bottles, excluding the top pick.
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.
