It is important to know the key differences between the HVLP paint sprayers and Airless sprayers to understand which is better among them. You may be required to know this difference if you are a paint contractor, woodworker or a manufacturer of equipment. In this article, we will have a look at the reasons to choose HVLP Paint sprayer rather than the Airless Paint sprayer.

HVLP Paint Sprayer

First, it is important to understand, what is HVLP Paint Sprayer? The HVLP means high volume-Low Pressure and it is the way in which air is used in the paint that is being sprayed. Both the air stratum and paint stream are mixed in the case of HVLP sprayers as it leads to the atomization of the paint. This atomization is also known as breakup of your paint. The term HVLP means that the air is introduced and mixed with the paint in form of high volume and low pressure. A large volume of air is used in case of the HVLP paint sprayer. A compressor is required to deliver this high volume of air at the required pressure.

Reasons to choose HVLP Paint Sprayer over the Airless paint sprayer

  1. The first reason to use the HVLP Paint sprayer over the airless sprayer is that the HVLP paint sprayers are more efficient than the Airless ones. If the areas that you want to paint are not very large flat surfaces as well as you want finer control of your painting, than the HVLP paint sprayer is far better than the airless ones.
  2. Along with the increased efficiency, the fluid volume and air volume can be adjusted depending on you. Thus, a better control on painting can be achieved by the use of HVLP paint sprayers. A better overall quality of the paint can be achieved by having greater control over the painting by adjusting the volume of paint and air.
  3. A lesser clean-up is required in case of the HVLP paint sprayer as compared to the airless one. This helps in handling the paint equipment in a better way. If the HVLP spray gun that you are using has a gravity cup, it is easier in handling and having clean-up of the equipment.
  4. The HVLP paint sprayer is able to provide better breakup of the paint as atomization of the paint is carried out in this process. This process of atomization is absent in the case of an airless paint sprayer due to the absence of air. Hence, due to this atomization that is carried out in case of a HVLP Paint sprayer, it offers better quality of paint as compared to the airless one.
  5. When we ponder on the costs of both the HVLP paint sprayers and Airless paint sprayers, we find that the airless sprayers are higher in costs than the HVLP ones. Hence comparing the costs of both these different sprayers, the HVLP ones are better to choose. Also the number of parts that can get wear are more in case of airless sprayers as compared to the HVLP ones. Hence, in order to avoid unnecessary maintenance, the HVLP paint sprayers should be chosen.


Thus, we have seen in detail, what the HVLP paint sprayers are, and how they are different from the airless ones. We have also seen the different benefits of HVLP paint sprayers over the airless ones. You can refer to this article, if you want to choose between a HVLP and airless paint sprayer to understand how the HVLP ones are better. You should be cautious in your decision as a better decision will ultimately decide the quality of painting and the look and feel of your next project.