Best Paint For Outdoor Metal Furniture of 2024: Top 6 Picks

By Eugene WilliamsLast update: 2024-07-11

Painting furniture on your own helps you make sure it fits the surrounding.

However, if your furniture is made of metal and left outdoors, there are certain things you need to consider before buying paint.

For instance, what type of paint to buy and spray or brush are among the things to take into account. Our post today will choose the best paint for outdoor metal furniture with this comprehensive guide.

Here are the best paint for outdoor metal furniture you can buy in 2024:

  • Best Flaking Resistant: Krylon K02732007
  • Best For Gloss Finish: Rust-Oleum 245196-6PK
  • Easy To Apply: Majic Paints 8-9403-2
  • Best Corrosion Resistant: Rust-Oleum 248072
  • Fast Drying: Rust-Oleum 7578838-6 PK
  • Best Peel Resistant: Krylon K09338000
6 Best Paint For Outdoor Metal Furniture
Best Flaking Resistant
Krylon K02732007
    Best For Gloss Finish
    Rust-Oleum 245196-6PK
      Easy To Apply
      Majic Paints 8-9403-2
        Best Corrosion Resistant
        Rust-Oleum 248072
          Fast Drying
          Rust-Oleum 7578838-6 PK
            Best Peel Resistant
            Krylon K09338000

              Best Flaking Resistant: Krylon K02732007

              Krylon K02732007
              Krylon K02732007
              Pros
              • Add a unique feel - Black matte finish
              • Long-lasting and flaking-resistant - all-purpose spray paint
              • Deliver maximum rust protection
              Cons
              • The spray pattern is quite narrow

              This paint is perfect for plastic items as it lasts long and hardly shows a sign of fading or flaking, at least due to our experience. Our plastic bench was painted using this product and after a year, it still lasts.

              It’s also rust-resistant and versatile. You can paint it on various surfaces, even on those items without priming or sanding, like tiles, PVC, metal, and wood.

              Our most favorite thing is its beautiful black matte finish after drying.

              It’s also easy to use, thanks to the easy-to-push large button spray tip. After finishing painting, you only have to wait for 20 minutes to retouch it or not due to preference.

              Krylon K02732007 Specifications

              Size

              12 Fluid Ounces

              Drying Time

              20 minutes

              Coverage

              25 sq. feet.

              Highlight Features

              Black matte finish

              all-purpose spray paint

              maximum rust protection

              Verdict

              We assure you there’s no option out there that can beat the Krylon K02732007 for flaking resistance capability.

              Best For Gloss Finish: Rust-Oleum 245196-6PK

              Rust-Oleum 245196-6PK
              Rust-Oleum 245196-6PK
              Pros
              • Give your items a new, fresh shine - a glossy, sleek finish
              • Resist chipping, fading, rust and corrosion - uniquely upgraded oil-based formula
              Cons
              • The tip is easily clogged

              If you want to give your old items a new, fresh shine, the Rust-Oleum 245196-69koPK is a great choice.

              It leaves a glossy, sleek finish after drying plus its corrosion and rust protection will keep your furniture hold up better weather and other kinds of impact.

              You will be worried-free about chipping or fading issues after a while of applying it on your items, thanks to its uniquely upgraded oil-based formula.

              Aside from metal, this paint can be used on other materials, such as vinyl, wicker, concrete, fiberglass, and plastic.

              Rust-Oleum 245196-6PK Specifications

              Size

              12 oz

              Drying Time

              30 minutes

              Coverage

              15 sq. ft.

              Highlight Features

              Leave a glossy, sleek finish

              uniquely upgraded oil-based formula

              Verdict

              For those who love coating a gloss paint finish on their outdoor metal furniture, we highly recommend trying the Rust-Oleum 245196-6PK

              Easy To Apply: Majic Paints 8-9403-2

              Majic Paints 8-9403-2
              Majic Paints 8-9403-2
              Pros
              • Easy to apply with less mess and more control – great adhesion
              • Pleasant to use – no odors
              • Deliver exceptional protection to furniture
              Cons
              • Brush marks are visible
              • Not really true to color

              The Majic Paints 8-9403-2 is pretty renowned in the DIY lovers’ communities because of its versatility, excellent color retention, and ease of applying.

              Its adhesion is dang good that it can stick to any surface without priming or sanding, no matter whether it is masonry, copper, plastic, aluminum, vinyl, tile, or steel. Compared to other paints, this one is far less messy with exceptional control.

              A big bonus is no odor.

              The finish left after dried is moderately glossed, smooth, and looks gorgeous. You don’t have to top it up with a protective polyurethane coat either.

              Majic Paints 8-9403-2 Specifications

              Size

              32 ounces

              Drying Time

              30 minutes

              Coverage

              62 square feet

              Highlight Features

              great adhesion

              no odors

              a beautiful smooth satin finish

              Verdict

              If your wish is choosing an easy-to-apply paint for your outdoor metal furniture, don’t overlook the Majic Paints 8-9403-2

              Best Corrosion Resistant: Rust-Oleum 248072

              Rust-Oleum 248072
              Rust-Oleum 248072
              Pros
              • Deliver top-notch rust prevention - signature Rust-Oleum oil-based formula
              • Ideal for outdoor metal furniture - excellent corrosion, abrasion, chipping, fading, and weather resistance
              • Minimize imperfections on furniture’s surface – leave a hammered metal finish
              Cons
              • Time-taking for drying
              • Not really true to color
              • Not stick to primer well

              This paint highlights the signature Rust-Oleum oil-based formula known for top-notch rust prevention and protection, which also means it can keep your metal furniture for a lifetime.

              It’s also praised for excellent corrosion, abrasion, chipping, fading, and weather resistance – perfect characteristics for applying on outdoor furniture.

              The best thing is this paint can minimize imperfections on furniture’s surface by leaving a hammered metal finish that also looks nice.

              However, you’ll have to wait for at least two hours for drying.

              Rust-Oleum 248072 Specifications

              Size

              12 Fluid Ounces

              Drying Time

              2 to 4 hours

              Coverage

              15 sq ft

              Highlight Features

              signature Rust-Oleum oil-based formula

              excellent corrosion, abrasion, chipping, fading, and weather resistance

              leave a hammered metal finish

              Verdict

              The Rust-Oleum 248072 is our proud choice for corrosion resistance. If your living area has harsh weather conditions and you have some metal furniture left outdoors, try this to keep them last longer.

              Fast Drying: Rust-Oleum 7578838-6 PK

              Rust-Oleum 7578838-6 PK
              Rust-Oleum 7578838-6 PK
              Pros
              • Offer fast project completion and higher working efficiency – dry time of 15 minutes
              • Able to be sprayed to tight angles - high output tip
              • Good at resisting color fading, corrosion, and rust - oil-based paint formula
              Cons
              • A bit expensive
              • One bottle is unable for spraying the large surface

              Taking only 15 minutes to completely dry out, the Rust-Oleum 7578838-6 PK beats our predecessor for fast drying (which took up to 20 minutes) and becomes the new award winner this year.

              It can recoat no longer than an hour, which is perfect for fast project completion and higher working efficiency.

              Just like other oil-based, it’s good at resisting color fading, corrosion, and rust. You can freely apply it on many surfaces, such as masonry, concrete, wood, non-ferrous metal, and ferrous.

              But what we like the most is its high output tip that can spray precisely even the hardest angle.

              Rust-Oleum 7578838-6 PK Specifications

              Size

              15 oz

              Drying Time

              15 minutes

              Coverage

              14 sq ft

              Highlight Features

              dry time of 15 minutes

              high output tip

              oil-based paint formula

              Verdict

              Combining incredibly fast-drying capability and beautiful finish, the Rust-Oleum 7578838-6 PK becomes one of our most favorite picks this year.

              Best Peel Resistant: Krylon K09338000

              Krylon K09338000
              Krylon K09338000
              Pros
              • Very affordable
              • Resist peeling, chipping, crack, fade, and rust well
              • Versatile – able to be used on laminate, masonry, concrete, ceramic, glass, and more
              Cons
              • It has unpleasant odors
              • Take time for drying out completely

              While chipping and peeling issues commonly happen in cheap paints, we’re pleasantly surprised that this one doesn’t.

              Regardless of its insanely low price point, the paint keeps its great performance over time with excellent rust, crack, fade, and peel resistance. You can use it on different surfaces or materials due to its decent adhesion.

              For the price, it’s hard to beat.

              Krylon K09338000 Specifications

              Size

              16 ounces

              Drying Time

              1 hour

              Highlight Features

              Fade, crack and peel resistant

              Spray any way tip

              Verdict

              If you’re looking for the best peel-resistant paint for outdoor metal furniture without breaking your bank, the Krylon K09338000 fits the bill.

              How To Choose The Best Paint For Outdoor Metal Furniture?

              Type of base

              When choosing paint for your metal furniture, you can choose between oil-based and water-based options. But you need to know which type is good for outdoor use, what benefits each of them offers.

              The oil type is suitable for outdoor items like patio furniture, fences, backyard grills, etc. It’s formulated with alkyds, pigments, or plant-based oil, along with solvent to form a coat that resists water, stains, scuffs, and dents.

              However, oil-based paint is more expensive and easier to crack or chip. It also fades over time, so choose a product with fade protection if you go with this type.

              Water-based paint is better for indoor use on metal furniture such as wall sconces, guest room tables, and bed frames.

              This type of paint costs less and dries faster. Unlike oil-based paint, the water-based type has lower fume emissions while offering resistance to chipping, cracking, as well as fading.

              Nevertheless, it’s more vulnerable to scuffs, stains, and dents. This type of oil also requires an oil-based primer prior to application to prevent rusts.

              Style

              When shopping for paint, you will also face a decision between spray paint and using a brush. Using large cans with brushes is probably the cheapest way to paint large objects.

              On the other hand, spray paints offer more convenience when you have to paint smaller objects and irregular contours like patio chair legs, bed frame poles, or light fixtures. In addition, spay paint covers the metal surface more smoothly than a brush can.

              Others

              • Rust resistance: any metal exposed to moisture can be rusted. So you should opt for paint that resists rust, protecting your furniture from moisture.
              • Heat toleration: this is especially important to objects like an outdoor grill or fire pit. Regular paint can peel at high temperatures, so make sure you choose heat-resistant paint for such furniture.

              Which Brands Make The Best Paint For Outdoor Metal Furniture?

              Rust-Oleum

              Since 1921, this brand has been working to change how we look at the objects we use daily. It focuses on protecting your stuff from the elements.

              Krylon

              Founded in 1947, this brand was born with the aim of revolutionizing the paint industry. It’s trusted by customers for offering high quality and innovation.

              FAQs

              What kind of paint do you use on outdoor furniture?

              To protect outdoor furniture, you should use oil-based spray paint that’s moisture-resistant.

              How do you paint a metal outdoor chair?

              • Step 1: Scrape the chair with a wire brush
              • Step 2: Sand off the remaining rust from the chair
              • Step 3: Hand sand the curves and crevices from the chair
              • Step 4: Clean the chair with solvent
              • Step 5: Apply primer on the chair
              • Step 6: Use spray paint to paint the chair
              • Step 7: Protect the result with sealer

              Is acrylic paint waterproof?

              Acrylic paint is a bit resistant to water but it’s not waterproof.

              Can I use a hairspray to seal acrylic paint?

              No, you can’t because hairspray is not waterproof and not permanent either.

              How do you seal acrylic paint on metal?

              • Step 1: Use alcohol wipes to clean the metal surface.
              • Step 2: Use a paintbrush to apply oil-based primer on the surface.
              • Step 3: Wait for the coat to dry.
              • Step 4: Apply acrylic paint.

              Conclusion

              We hope that through this post, you have figured out what to look for in the best paint for outdoor metal furniture. Keep in mind that your furniture will be left outdoor all the time, so always take the weather elements into consideration when choosing paint.


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