Benjamin Moore Aura vs Regal Select — is the $30/gallon upgrade worth it?
Both are premium Benjamin Moore lines. Aura costs ~50% more. Coverage, washability, and color retention differ in specific ways — here's where each one shines and where you're wasting money.
Benjamin Moore Aura and Regal Select are both premium-tier paints, both 100% acrylic, both available in unlimited custom colors. Aura runs ~$95/gallon at contractor pricing; Regal Select runs ~$65/gallon. On a typical 3-bedroom repaint requiring 12 gallons, that's a $360 paint cost difference. Whether it's worth it depends on the room and the color.
Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | Aura ($95/gal) | Regal Select ($65/gal) |
|---|---|---|
| Contractor price per gallon | ~$95 | ~$65 |
| Coverage (sqft per gallon) | 400+ on prepped surface | 350 on prepped surface |
| One-coat hide (dark to light) | Often achievable | Usually needs 2 coats |
| Washability | Scrub-rated (10,000+ cycles) | Highly washable (5,000+ cycles) |
| Color retention (10 years) | Excellent — minimal fade | Very good — slight fade in saturated colors |
| Sheen options | 5 (matte, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, gloss) | 5 (same) |
| Touch-up forgiveness | Excellent | Very good |
| VOC level | Very low (under 5 g/L) | Low (under 50 g/L) |
| Tinting depth (deep / saturated colors) | Best — proprietary Gennex colorant | Very good — same colorant available |
When to pick which
Spec Aura when…
- Going from dark to very light — Aura's one-coat hide saves a coat (often offsets the $30/gal premium).
- High-traffic rooms — kitchen walls, hallways, kids' areas where wipe-downs happen weekly.
- Saturated / deep colors — Aura's Gennex colorant produces richer reds, greens, blues that hold their saturation longer.
- Color you'll keep 10+ years — Aura's color retention is the real durability win for long-term homes.
- Bathrooms — moisture resistance + scrub-ability are critical here.
Spec Regal Select when…
- Same-family color refresh — light gray over light gray, off-white over off-white. The one-coat hide premium isn't needed.
- Bedrooms + low-traffic rooms — washability isn't the priority; eggshell Regal Select cleans well enough.
- Budget projects — $360 savings on a 3-bedroom repaint is real money on jobs around $5-7K.
- Pastel / lighter palette — color retention difference is invisible on light shades.
- Selling within 3 years — Regal Select still photographs identically to Aura on day 1.
The default we spec on most projects
For a typical Metro West Massachusetts whole-home repaint, we default to:
- Regal Select on bedrooms, living room, dining room (most of the square footage)
- Aura on kitchen, bathrooms, hallways (the surfaces that get wiped)
- Aura on accent walls with saturated colors (where color retention matters)
- Benjamin Moore Advance on trim, doors, casings (waterborne alkyd — different category, factory-smooth)
This mix delivers the durability where it matters without paying Aura pricing on 1,500 sqft of bedroom walls. Net savings vs all-Aura: typically $200–400 on a 3-bedroom. Net upgrade vs all-Regal-Select: the kitchen + baths last 3–5 more years.
What about Sherwin-Williams equivalents?
Aura ↔ Sherwin-Williams Emerald (similar tier, similar price). Regal Select ↔ Sherwin-Williams Cashmere (similar tier, slightly cheaper per gallon). The brand wars are real but the formulations are very close at each tier. We'll spec either based on color availability, store proximity, and contractor pricing on the project — see our full Benjamin Moore vs Sherwin-Williams comparison.
Pricing impact on a real Massachusetts quote
Most homeowners assume paint cost is the biggest line on a painter's quote. It's not — labor is 70-80% on most interior projects. The Aura premium adds ~$30/gallon × 12 gallons = $360 on a typical 3-bedroom repaint. On a $7,000 quote, that's 5%. For a 50% upgrade in finish lifespan, it's usually worth it on the surfaces that matter. See our full interior painting cost in MA breakdown for paint-tier impact across the full project.
Common questions
Is Aura's one-coat hide claim real?
On color-to-color refresh: usually yes. Going from medium gray to medium gray, Aura covers in one coat in most lighting conditions. On dramatic color change (dark navy to light cream): no paint covers in one coat, including Aura. Two coats is still the safe spec for any color change. Aura saves a coat reliably only on same-family refreshes.
Will Aura outlast Regal Select by enough to justify the price?
In a normal-traffic bedroom: marginal difference. In a kid's room or bathroom: yes — Aura's wash-resistance keeps the finish looking new 2-4 years longer. In a kitchen: definitely yes. The premium pays back on surfaces that get cleaned regularly; it doesn't on surfaces that don't.
Can I mix Aura and Regal Select in the same home?
Yes — that's our default recommendation. The two paints have slightly different sheen characteristics within the same labeled sheen (Aura eggshell is fractionally less reflective than Regal Select eggshell). On adjacent rooms with different paints this is invisible. On the same continuous wall: don't mix; pick one for that wall.
Does Aura really have lower VOCs?
Slightly. Aura is under 5 g/L; Regal Select is under 50 g/L (both qualify as low-VOC). For asthma sensitivity, fresh nursery, or anywhere windows can't open for ventilation: Aura's edge is real. For general residential interior: both meet Massachusetts indoor air quality recommendations and EPA low-VOC standards.
Which one do you actually spec by default at AJ Painting?
Regal Select on bedrooms / living / dining (most square footage), Aura on kitchen + bathrooms + saturated accent walls + high-traffic hallways. Benjamin Moore Advance on all trim. This mix delivers Aura-tier durability where it matters and saves the homeowner $200-400 on a typical 3-bedroom repaint vs all-Aura.
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