About KILZ
KILZ has been a fixture of the American paint aisle since the brand launched at the 1974 National Paint Show, built around a stain-blocking primer formula that made its name on jobs standard latex couldn't cover. The company behind it, Masterchem Industries, manufactures out of Imperial, Missouri and has been part of Behr Paint Company (a Masco Corporation subsidiary) since Masco's 2000 acquisition. In 2024 Behr marked 50 years of KILZ, and the lineup now spans oil-based and water-based primers (KILZ Original, KILZ 2, KILZ 3 Premium), stain-blocking ceiling paint, and the TRIBUTE paint-and-primer-in-one line sold in matte, eggshell, satin, and semi-gloss.
The TRIBUTE line is KILZ's answer to the paint-and-primer category, and its semi-gloss and satin finishes carry GREENGUARD Gold certification: independent testing by UL Environment against more than 360 chemical emissions, a bar most mainstream interior paints don't clear. KILZ backs the TRIBUTE line with a lifetime limited warranty, a policy the 40-plus-year-old brand can afford to stand behind. KILZ was also named Paint Brand of the Year in the Harris Poll EquiTrend rankings, a recognition built on the stain-blocking reputation the Original primer established decades ago.
Brand website: kilz.com
What KILZ makes
KILZ's range runs wider than the products we review. The lines we know best from our own testing are marked with a star:
KILZ TRIBUTE Paint and Primer
acrylic paint-and-primer-in-one in matte, eggshell, satin, and semi-gloss; semi-gloss and satin are GREENGUARD Gold certified — featured on DIYRated
KILZ Stainblocking Ceiling Paint
flat acrylic ceiling paint with a pink-to-white application indicator and built-in stain blocking — featured on DIYRated
KILZ Original Oil-Based Primer
the brand's founding stain-blocking primer for water, smoke, and odor sealing
KILZ 2 All-Purpose Primer
water-based interior/exterior primer for light-to-medium stains and new drywall
KILZ 3 Premium Primer
heavier-hiding primer, sealer, and stainblocker for medium-to-heavy stains
Why we recognized KILZ
The DIYRated Top Brand recognition isn't paid for and can't be applied for. We award it to the brands whose products consistently stand out in our hands-on category reviews. KILZ earned it on the strength of the products below, evaluated the same way every product on this site is: bought, put to work on real jobs, and judged on merit.
KILZ products we rated highly
KILZ TRIBUTE Paint and Primer, Interior, Semi-Gloss, White Modern, 1 Gallon
GREENGUARD Gold certified, meaning UL Environment independently tested it against more than 360 chemical emissions for indoor air quality, with built-in stain-blocking that handles crayon, water rings, and kitchen splatter. In our testing it held 4.5 stars across 162 reviews, and KILZ backs it with a lifetime limited warranty drawing on the brand's 40-plus years making coatings. The semi-gloss sheen scrubs clean with mild detergent, making it a strong option for kitchens, baths, and trim where indoor air quality is a priority.
Read the 7 Best Interior Paints for Walls in 2026 (Tested by a Licensed Contractor) guide →
KILZ Stainblocking Interior Ceiling Paint, White, 1 Gallon
A ceiling paint built specifically to block water, smoke, nicotine, and grease stains that bleed through standard ceiling paint, with a built-in pink-to-white indicator that shows exactly where you've already rolled. In our testing it held 4.4 stars across 631 reviews, a deeper review base than most ceiling-specific paints on Amazon carry. It's the pick we reach for on basement ceilings under old roof leaks and formerly-smoking rental properties, where a standard ceiling paint would let the stain telegraph back through within months.
Read the 7 Best Interior Paints for Walls in 2026 (Tested by a Licensed Contractor) guide →What earned KILZ the recognition
- The TRIBUTE semi-gloss and satin finishes are GREENGUARD Gold certified, an independent UL Environment test against more than 360 chemical emissions that goes well beyond standard low-VOC labeling.
- A 50-plus-year manufacturing history through Masterchem Industries (part of Behr Paint Company / Masco Corporation) out of Imperial, Missouri, with the brand's stain-blocking reputation dating to its 1974 launch.
- The TRIBUTE line ships with a lifetime limited warranty, a commitment few paint brands in this price tier back their product with.
- KILZ Stainblocking Ceiling Paint's pink-to-white application indicator is a genuinely useful feature for a category where even coverage is otherwise hard to judge by eye.
- Recognized as Paint Brand of the Year in the Harris Poll EquiTrend rankings, reflecting broad consumer trust built over decades in the stain-blocking primer category.