Today we are reviewing ECOS Paints, a product line that has been manufactured and sold in Britain since 1988, but only recently opened up manufacturing and distribution in the United States.  Available in a large variety of finishes and specialized application formulas, ECOS promotes itself as being solvent free, odorless, and free of all toxins.  In fact, it was invented by a paint chemist, Ian West, who discovered he was chemically sensitive after feeling ill for some time.  According to ECOS, their paints and varnishes are so pure you can actually eat them, although they warned they were still pretty nasty tasting, so I decided not to add that to the testing procedure!

Here are the results for what I did test –

Manufacturer:  ECOS Paints

Paint: Soft Sheen Wallpaint

Cost:  $49.95 for White and $58.95 for colors in 1.32 gallon size – retail (online)

Composition: Can include some or all of the following: Water, acrylic dispersion, vinyl acetate dispersions, titanium dioxide, pigments (various), thickeners – cellulosic and polymeric, barytes, limestone, clay, synthetic wax, dispersing aids (various)

VOCs: none

Certifications: EN71 compliant (Nursery paint only)

Color range: 108 colors, divided up into 8 groups

Coverage: Estimate 350 700 sf per 1.32 gallon can (corrected)

Testing results

Paint odor in can – Very little detectable odor, and none at all when more than 6″ from can.

Consistency of paint – Very thick and smooth.

Coverage – The first coat was enough to effectively cover up most of the existing dark tan paint, but a second coat was applied to fill in any small texture gaps.

Drying time – 30 minutes till dry to touch.

Odor after one day – None.

Adhesion after one day – No residue visible on tape after removal.  Tape did not affect painted surface.

Note:  Paint provided by ECOS Paints for our use in test.

Conclusion:  Very good hideability, and smooth, no splatter application.  Very nice consistency.  Odor is virtually none existent.  Especially good choice for those with chemical sensitivities or for use in a nursery or child’s bedroom.  White is the brightest and purest of all whites tested so far.  Definite sheen to paint.  Overall I was very pleased with the paint, and will consider it for future projects.

Note: We chose not to apply paint under ideal conditions, including the use of a primer, so your results may vary.  To read more about how we approached our review process, please read this post.

To see previous paint reviews, please click here.

If you have any experience with this paint, please feel free to add your comments below.  The more people who share their knowledge, the more useful these reviews will be.