Haymes Vs Dulux Comparison: Which Paint Is Better for Australian Homes?

Choosing the right paint for your Australian home is about more than just picking a colour. The brand you choose can affect how well your walls handle daily wear, how long the finish lasts, and how your home looks years to come.

In this detailed Haymes vs Dulux comparison, we take a closer look at two of Australia’s most trusted paint brands. From interior walls to exterior surfaces exposed to harsh UV, coastal air, and changing weather conditions, we compare how each brand performs in real Australian homes.

Whether you’re planning an interior painting, updating your exterior, renovating a rental property, or tackling a DIY painting project, understanding the differences between Haymes and Dulux can help you make the right decision for your budget and long-term results.

In this guide, we’ll compare coverage, durability, finish quality, washability, ease of application, and overall value for money along with practical insights from real painting projects across Australian conditions.

Quick Comparison of Haymes Paint Vs Dulux

About Haymes Paint

Haymes is a trusted Australian paint brand known for quality. It has a dedicated cult following among painters who care about quality over brand recognition.

Their most popular product lines include:

• Ultra Premium Low Sheen — a premium interior paint with a 99% VOC-free formula and outstanding finish
• Expressions Interior — the go-to for washable, durable interior walls with a 7-year mould protection guarantee
• Solashield Exterior — one of Australia’s best-rated exterior paints, with a 20-year warranty and superb UV resistance
• SolaShield Roof Paint — trusted for Australian roofs in harsh weather climates

Haymes also releases a yearly colour forecast developed by professional colour consultants. The result is a curated, considered palette that works beautifully in heritage homes, period properties, and modern interiors alike. 

About Dulux Paint

Dulux is one of Australia’s most recognised paint brands. It reportedly holds around 45% of the Australian paint market and that didn’t happen by accident. It’s been a trusted brand for generations of homeowners, and for good reason.

It’s available at Bunnings, Mitre 10, and most major hardware chains, which is a huge practical advantage when you’re mid-project and need to grab another tin without hunting for a specialist store.

Key Dulux product lines include:

• Wash & Wear — the benchmark interior paint for washability and scuff resistance in high-traffic areas
• Weathershield — a trusted exterior paint with a 25-year guarantee against peeling, flaking, and blistering
• UltraAir — low-odour formula ideal for bedrooms and spaces with limited ventilation
• Aquanamel — a premium semi-gloss for trim, doors, and furniture

Dulux is also known for its massive colour range, thousands of options available in-store and via their Colour Wall tool online. For homeowners who love having endless choices, Dulux’s colour system is hard to beat. 

Haymes Vs Dulux: Paint Quality Comparison

This is where things get interesting. Both brands are genuinely premium but they feel different in the bucket and on the wall.

Consistency and Coverage

Haymes: Haymes has a noticeably thick, creamy consistency. When you dip your roller, it holds more paint and lays down a richer coat. On most surfaces, Haymes covers well in two coats, even over darker colours.

Dulux: Dulux Wash & Wear is slightly thinner in consistency. It’s easy to work with, especially for DIY painters but you may find yourself going back for a third coat on dramatic colour changes.

Finish Quality

Haymes: Haymes Ultra Premium delivers an exceptionally smooth, deep finish with beautiful colour depth. It dries to a consistent low-sheen appearance that looks expensive.

Dulux: Dulux’s finish is reliable and professional, but some painters notice it’s slightly flatter compared to the richness of Haymes. On smooth plaster walls, both look excellent. On textured surfaces, Haymes tends to fill and cover better.

Application Experience

Haymes: Haymes is creamy and satisfying to roll. It doesn’t splatter, maintains a wet edge well, and blends easily on larger walls.

Dulux: Dulux Wash & Wear is also easy to apply, possibly more forgiving for beginners because the thinner consistency means fewer drag marks if you’re new to rolling.

Bottom line: Experienced painters often prefer Haymes for quality. Dulux may be easier for first-time DIY painters to use.

Which Paint Lasts Longer? 

Durability is most important, especially in Australia, where UV radiation, coastal salt air, and wild temperature swings are just part of life.

Interior Durability

For interior walls, both brands are very durable when correctly applied. Dulux Wash & Wear is made specifically for scrubbability and holds up extremely well in kitchens, hallways, and family rooms where walls take a daily hammering.

Haymes Ultra Premium is also hard-wearing, but it’s more of an all-rounder, great finish, great durability, and excellent low-VOC performance.

Exterior Durability

Both brands Dulux vs Haymes paint have strong exterior ranges for Australian conditions, but there are differences worth knowing.

Haymes Solashield comes with a 20-year warranty and has an outstanding reputation for UV resistance and colour retention, especially in high-UV inland areas and coastal environments. Independent real-world testing has shown minimal colour fading even after six months of direct UV and salt spray exposure.

Dulux Weathershield carries an impressive lifetime residential guarantee against peeling, flaking, and blistering, and includes protection against mould, fungus, and algae. In independent testing, it also performs strongly in moisture-prone areas.

For coastal homes specifically, both products deserve serious consideration. The quality of the surface preparation still matters more than the brand, no paint will perform well on poorly primed or damaged surfaces.

Haymes Vs Dulux Paint for Interior Walls

Most homeowners spend more time thinking about interior paint than anything else and rightly so. You live with it every day.

Dulux Wash & Wear

This is the gold standard for washable interior paint. It’s been the go-to for painters working in family homes with kids and pets for years, and it earns its reputation. Coffee spills, handprints, crayon marks they wipe off easily with a damp cloth.

Dulux Wash & Wear also has excellent scuff resistance and holds up well to vigorous scrubbing. Touch-ups blend reasonably well, though under certain lighting you may notice a slight difference from the original coat.

Haymes Ultra Premium Low Sheen

Where Haymes really shines is in rooms where you want a beautiful finish with minimal chemical exposure. Its 99% VOC-free formula makes it the top pick for bedrooms particularly children’s rooms and any space where ventilation is limited.

The colour retention is excellent. Even in rooms with direct sunlight, Haymes Ultra Premium holds its depth without yellowing or fading. It’s also genuinely washable, though Dulux Wash & Wear has a slight edge in the very toughest scrub tests.

Low-VOC Performance

Both brands now offer low-VOC options across their premium interior ranges, and both meet the VOC limits required by the Green Building Council of Australia for Green Star-rated buildings. Haymes Ultra Premium pushes slightly further with its 99% VOC-free claim.

Haymes Vs Dulux for Exterior Painting

Australian homes take a beating. Intense sun, heavy rain, temperature extremes, coastal salt air, exterior paint needs to work hard.

Haymes Solashield

Haymes Solashield is the brand’s premium exterior offering and its most acclaimed product. Tradies who work extensively in coastal areas swear by it, particularly for its ability to resist UV fading and salt air damage. Its self-cleaning feature really works, rain helps remove surface dirt and keeps the paint looking cleaner for longer.

The 20-year warranty is backed by real-world performance. On homes in high-UV regions like Central Queensland or the Western Australian coast, Solashield consistently outperforms affordable alternatives.

Dulux Weathershield

Dulux Weathershield has been a staple of Australian exterior painting for decades. The lifetime residential guarantee against peeling, flaking, and blistering gives homeowners real confidence, and the formula’s built-in protection against mould, fungus, and algae is particularly valuable in humid areas.

For most residential exterior projects in moderate climates, Dulux Weathershield is an excellent choice. It’s also easier to find quickly, which is helpful for larger projects.

Which Brand Do Professional Painters Prefer?

Here’s the honest answer: it depends on the painter and the job.

Tradies with experience, particularly those who’ve been painting for 10+ years tend to have a strong preference for Haymes. The thick, pigment-rich formula means fewer coats on most work, which saves time and labour. For high-end residential work where the client expects a magazine-worthy finish, Haymes is the premium choice.

Haymes also has a strong following among painters who work on heritage and period homes. The curated colour palettes are perfect for properties where getting the period-correct tone matters.

Dulux, on the other hand, is the most widely used paint by volume across commercial and residential painters. One reason is availability, you can easily buy it from Bunnings when you need it, which helps on tight deadlines.

For commercial and volume work, Dulux’s trade support is also excellent. The technical backup, dedicated trade reps, and widespread availability make it the practical choice for bigger projects.

Price Comparison of Haymes and Dulux Paint Brand

Haymes

Price Range: Haymes premium paints are generally priced between $95–$120 for a 4L tin, depending on the specific product line.
Coverage: Haymes is well known for its thicker consistency and excellent coverage, which can reduce the need for extra coats.
Value for Money: Haymes offers strong long-term value thanks to its high coverage, durable finish, and professional-quality performance.

Dulux

Price Range: Dulux premium paints usually cost around $100–$125 for a 4L tin, depending on the product range and finish.
Coverage: Dulux provides smooth application and solid coverage, although some colours and surfaces may still require two coats.
Value for Money: Dulux is a great option for homeowners looking for a trusted brand with easy availability, wide colour choices, and DIY-friendly application.

Pros and Cons of Both Brand

Haymes Pros

• Australian family-owned, made in Ballarat, Victoria.
• Thick, pigment-rich formula, excellent coverage.
• Ultra Premium is 99% VOC-free best for bedrooms and children’s rooms.
• Outstanding exterior durability, Solashield 20-year warranty.
• Beautiful, curated colour palettes preferred for heritage homes.
• Highly rated by professional painters for finish quality.
• Excellent long-term value, fewer coats needed on most jobs.

Haymes Cons

• Less widely available, not stocked in Bunnings as extensively.
• Specialist stockists can be harder to find in regional areas.
• Smaller colour range than Dulux.
• May require research to find the right Haymes product for each application.

Dulux Pros

• Australia’s most recognised paint brand with 45% market share.
•  Available at Bunnings, Mitre 10, and major hardware chains nationwide.
• Dulux Wash & Wear is the industry benchmark for interior washability.
• Weathershield exterior comes with years of warranty.
• Massive colour range with thousands of options.
• Consistent, reliable results across a wide range of applications.
• Strong trade support and technical backup.

Dulux Cons

• Now overseas-owned (Nippon Paint), which matters to some buyers.
• Wash & Wear is slightly thinner and may need an extra coat on dark colour changes.
• Some users report inconsistent sheen levels between batches.
• Customer service experiences have been mixed in some user reviews.

Final Verdict: Which Paint Brand Should You Choose?

There’s no single winner here, because the right paint depends on what you’re painting, where you are, and what matters most to you.

Choose Haymes if:

• You want the best possible finish on a high-end interior or exterior.
• Low VOC content is a priority, especially for bedrooms or children’s rooms.
• You’re painting a heritage, period, or architecturally detailed home.
• You’re doing an exterior repaint in a high-UV environment.
• Your painter recommends it, trust their experience.

Choose Dulux if:

• You need paint available at Bunnings right now.
• You’re painting high-use family areas and washability is top priority.
• You want access to a huge colour range.
• You’re managing a large commercial or volume residential project.
• You want consistent results across a big job with multiple painters.
• You’re a first-time DIY painter who wants an easy-to-apply product.

Both brands Haymes vs Dulux are genuinely excellent. You won’t make a bad choice with either. The gap between them is narrower than many people think, what matters more than brand is proper surface preparation, the right primer, and good application technique.

Still unsure whether Haymes or Dulux is right for your place? Shine Coating can help. Our experienced painters provide expert recommendations based on your home, budget, and goals. Get in touch today for a free quote and personalised advice.

Frequently Asked Questions