Freshaire Choice No VOC vs. Aura Low VOC paint review

  • Posted by DIYer
  • June 12, 2008

When considering paint for the baby’s room we wanted to get the healthiest paint option to limit my wife’s exposure while pregnant. She initially researched the No VOC paint so she could help me paint. Unfortunately we found out that it’s not recommended for you to paint while pregnant even with the greenest of paints because there are still chemical fumes released while it is wet.

freshairepaint

The first paint we tried was the Freshaire Choice paint you can buy at Home Depot. Freshaire requires you to prime the room before you paint for all applications. I learned the hard way a few years ago about not priming when it’s required. (Removing peeling paint is not fun.) So after we paid the nice automated check out robot $75 for a gallon of primer and a gallon of paint we were on our way.

primer paint

The primer went on easily but unevenly which I believe is normal for a primer. I thought the chemical smell was quite strong with the primer and my lungs felt kind of raw after finishing. So when it came time to use the paint I put on a chemical vapor mask just to be safe. The no VOC paint had an almost non existent odor and went on smoothly, but even with a primer it still required two coats. The dry paint looked really even after it was all dry and was probably my finest masterpiece yet.

There is no accounting for taste. As I found out afterward the no & low VOC paints are only available in limited colors, which was hastily chosen and needed to be repainted because babies don’t like neon pink I guess. So we went searching for another paint that could be applied in one coat and I ended up choosing Benjamin Moore’s Aura paint which is low VOC.

aura paint

The Aura paint also comes in a limited amount of colors, but since we wanted to do a really light color we figured that we could add tints from another color collection and the VOC’s added would be minimal. This paint seamed to have a very light smell that was much less offensive than the Freshaire primer. Unfortunately the paint still took two coats but it is also self priming so it’s one more step you can skip. This is good because the paint is expensive at around $50 a gallon, but compared to the $75 spent on Freshaire’s paint & primer it was a bargain. The paint is very thick and I kept thinking I was buttering the walls more than painting. I just barely finished the room with one gallon compared to the Freshaire which I had half a gallon left. The Aura paint looked streaky when drying, but when it dried completely it was very even in color and filled in a few flaws in the wall.

finished room

If I had to do another room right now I would choose the Benjamin Moore Aura paint over the Freshaire paint. Mostly for the fact that the Aura paint is self priming which cuts down on the painting time and I feel that the Freshaire primer was really toxic smelling. Though there was very little oder with any of the paints after it had dried. Plus you can buy the Aura paint in quart sizes but the Freshaire currently only comes in a gallon size. I also suspect that the Aura paint will hold up better against wear and tear. Which is good because after painting a room twice I won’t be ready to paint for awhile.

Here is a bit more info on neomommy.com

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June 12th, 2008
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Comment Number:
1
Written by:
Frank
Posted on:
June 25, 2008 at 1:59 pm

I’ve heard good things about yolo paint http://www.yolocolorhouse.com/

Comment Number:
2
Written by:
john
Posted on:
September 15, 2008 at 6:42 pm

Good review. One note though, Ben Moore Aura is available in all of Benjamin Moore’s Colors (over 3000) as well as countless competitor’s colors. The affinity colors were designed specifically for Aura, choosing a non affinity color does not add VOC’s (it still gets tinted with the aura tints)

Comment Number:
3
Written by:
Brant
Posted on:
October 29, 2008 at 10:54 am

Aura is one of the best covering paint on the market. I painted my kitchen in Garrison Red(a dark red) in a single coat. It is absolutely beautiful. Smooth even sheen with no lapmarks. The key to good coverage is to not spread the paint too thin. Use a 1/2″ roller or 3/4″ roller for heavy texture.

Comment Number:
4
Written by:
Anonymous
Posted on:
November 20, 2008 at 11:21 am

Yolo paint has a bad smell to it compared to the aura, not nearly the same coverage either. Yolo was sub standard.

Comment Number:
5
Written by:
Eva
Posted on:
March 16, 2009 at 1:17 pm

Thanks for the helpful review. We’re trying to decide on paint for our first home, and it’s nice to hear from someone else who’s definitely not a puppet for the paint company! :)

Comment Number:
6
Written by:
kim
Posted on:
April 3, 2009 at 8:56 pm

Thank you! Very helpful review.

Comment Number:
7
Written by:
Yvonne Holste
Posted on:
September 13, 2009 at 9:58 pm

I just finished painting my toddler’s room with Fresh Aire semi gloss and I really expected it to not have an odor, and it did. It smelled just like any other paint! Well, maybe not AS BAD, but still. I wanted him to be able to sleep in his room after I painted, but we had to wait quite awhile before he could go to bed. Next time I’ll try Ben Moore’s. Fresh Aire really does have limited colors too. I wish I had known about Ben Moore before I went to Home Depot.

Comment Number:
8
Written by:
Steve
Posted on:
December 20, 2009 at 1:51 pm

I just used the Freshaire product and was very not pleased. Lots of coverage issues, priming a must. It took three passes for decent coverage. Unfortunately only went to the reviews AFTER not being happy. Thanks for your review. I’ve always had good luck with Benjamin Moore products and won’t stray again.

Comment Number:
9
Written by:
Shannon
Posted on:
February 17, 2010 at 2:01 pm

I have not painted with Freshaire yet, but from what i’ve read, i understand the reason for the limited palatte is that the colors come from powdered tints. Hence 0 VOCs. Perhaps they elected to launch the product with an “introductory” palette and if successful, will expand the color selection.

Comment Number:
10
Written by:
Heidi K. Addison-Bier
Posted on:
May 6, 2010 at 7:49 pm

This product is disappointing. Caution to all potential customers. We chose a shade of red that resulted in a shade of nasty flesh pink. While at the Home Depot, I did ask the clerk after she processed the color (using the -instant color pack for the paint-) if the odd shade of pink would darken when applied to our home’s walls. She assured me it would-i.e.-be Rhythm Red. My husband spent a day applying the paint to our walls. It was awful. The color did not darken. It is a retching shade of flesh pink now. Do not trust this product!

Comment Number:
11
Written by:
DIYer
Posted on:
May 7, 2010 at 9:01 am

If the color is different than on the swatch you should be able to take it back to the store and at least get a refund for the paint. Tell your husband I feel for him. Best of Luck.

Comment Number:
12
Written by:
Beth
Posted on:
August 11, 2010 at 5:17 pm

Ben Moore low voc Aura is awesome. I used it when it first came out in my homes bedrooms. The quality is great. I have used other brands and this is the one I will stick with. Thicker quality paint will save you from color bleed thru, spotting in bathrooms from water and it is a very color true product (no almost mistakes). Ben Moore rocks!