Purdy® Spirex™ Brush Review: A New Favorite (for a Reason Purdy Doesn't Even Market)
I'm Caleb at Rock's Painting in the Tri-Cities. A paint brush has to earn space in my kit — I cut in walls and trim every working day, and I've used Purdy XL brushes for years. When my Sherwin-Williams® store stocked the brand-new Spirex™ series this spring, I grabbed the 3-inch for a bedroom repaint. I bought it like anyone else — no sponsorship, no affiliation with Purdy®.
What Is the Purdy® Spirex™?
Spirex™ is Purdy's newest brush line, announced March 10, 2026 — built on a patent-pending spiral-wound filament technology. The filaments are a medium-stiff nylon/polyester blend, and Purdy's headline claims are about finish and productivity: a smoother finish and up to 50% more coverage compared to their own Purdy XL line when used with premium paints. It launched in three sizes — 2", 2.5", and 3" — and sells at Sherwin-Williams® stores.
| Series | Purdy® Spirex™ — launched March 10, 2026 |
| Filaments | Patent-pending spiral-wound nylon/polyester blend, medium-stiff |
| Sizes | 2", 2.5", 3" (we tested the 3") |
| Purdy's claims | Smoother finish; up to 50% more coverage vs Purdy® XL® with premium paints |
| Our headline | Cleans up in about a quarter of the time of a standard brush |
| Where to buy | Sherwin-Williams® stores |
How It Feels on the Wall
The first thing you notice is the feel: the Spirex™ is very soft, but with honestly the perfect stiffness. That sounds like a contradiction until you cut in with it. Soft filaments lay paint smoothly and don't leave harsh brush lines; stiffness is what gives you control of the line. Most brushes trade one for the other. This one genuinely doesn't — you can bend it into the areas you want it to go and it does what you ask, which is everything in cut-in work around trim, ceilings, and corners.
The Best Feature Isn't the One Purdy Markets: Cleanup
Here's the thing Purdy doesn't market, and it's the biggest selling point of this brush by a mile: cleanup. When it's time to clean brushes at the end of the day, the Spirex™ rinses out in about a quarter of the time a standard brush takes. My guess is the same spiral filament geometry that's supposed to carry more paint also lets go of it — whatever the reason, paint releases from this brush like nothing else I own.
If you paint occasionally, that's a nice bonus. If you're a professional who cleans brushes every single working day, you understand exactly what that's worth: minutes back at the end of every job, and a brush that actually rinses clean. On cleanability, the Spirex™ just runs away from every other brush I've used.
The First Job: A Full Bedroom Cut-In
We broke the Spirex™ 3" in on a real job — repainting a customer's bedroom from dark taupe to a soft slate blue with Sherwin-Williams® brand-new Emerald® Symmetry™ (full paint review at that link). All the cutting in around trim, doors, and ceiling lines in this video was done with this brush:
Who Should Buy the Spirex™
- Pros who clean brushes daily. The cleanup time is the single biggest reason to switch.
- Anyone who cuts in a lot of wall-to-trim lines. The soft-but-controlled filament blend is built for exactly that work.
- DIYers who hate cleaning brushes — which is all of them. A brush that rinses out fast is a brush that actually gets cleaned instead of thrown away.
Who should skip it? Honestly, after one full day I don't have a "skip it" case yet — I'll update this review as the brush ages, because how a brush holds up after months of jobs and cleanings is the real test. So far, it has been excellent.
My Verdict
The Spirex™ 3" is one of my favorite brushes I've ever used, and it earned that after a single day. Purdy markets the spiral filaments for finish quality and coverage — and the feel really is dialed in — but the story here is the one they're not telling: this brush cleans up faster than anything else in my kit, by a wide margin. For a tool you clean every single day, that's not a footnote. That's the feature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Purdy Spirex brush any good?
Yes — after a full day of cut-in work with the 3-inch, it's one of my favorite brushes I've ever used. It's very soft but with the perfect amount of stiffness, so you can bend it into the areas you want and it holds the line. And it cleans up in about a quarter of the time of a standard brush.
What is Purdy Spirex spiral filament technology?
Spirex is Purdy's patent-pending spiral-wound filament design, launched March 2026 — a medium-stiff nylon/polyester blend. Purdy claims it delivers a smoother finish and up to 50% more coverage than their own XL line when used with premium paints. In our use, the standout effect is how easily paint releases from the filaments at cleanup time.
What sizes does the Purdy Spirex come in?
Three sizes at launch: 2-inch, 2.5-inch, and 3-inch. We tested the 3-inch, which is the size we reach for on wall cut-in work.
Where can you buy the Purdy Spirex?
The Spirex series launched at Sherwin-Williams® retail stores in March 2026. That's where we bought ours — with our own money, no sponsorship.
Is the Purdy Spirex easy to clean?
This is the brush's best feature, and Purdy doesn't even market it. The Spirex rinses clean in about a quarter of the time a standard brush takes. If you clean brushes at the end of every working day, that single trait is the biggest reason to pick one up.
Is the Purdy Spirex better than the Purdy XL?
I've run Purdy XL brushes for years, and the Spirex is the first brush that's made me rethink the default. Purdy's own claim is up to 50% more coverage than the XL with premium paints. What I can say from my first full day: the Spirex's soft-but-controlled feel beats my XLs for cut-in work, and it cleans up dramatically faster. I'll update this review as it ages, but the XL suddenly has real competition in my kit.
Want a Crew That Sweats This Stuff?
We put new paint and tools through real jobs and tell you the truth about how they perform. Rock's Painting handles interior painting across Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol, and the Tri-Cities — request a free estimate or call (423) 207-2347.