1 qt. Matte Soft Touch Polyurethane (2-Pack)

I used this over the weathered wood accelerator in order to attempt to keep it looking velvety and not shiny. It did exactly what I wanted with next to no color change (maybe made it a TAD darker but in a good way). Has held up on our heavily used kitchen cabinets. No scratches, no fingerprints, no bubbles, no yellowing. 100% awesome. My ONLY complaint is that I used to be able to find it easily in store, summer of 2017 and now none of the Home Depots carry them in store anymore so I don't know what's up with that. It's irritating though.

Water based product achieved the look my customer was looking for. The finish really is print resistant. Love this feature. It was easy to use and easy to clean up.

I used this on Ash posts on a bed made in my shop. The product goes on smoothly using a bristle brush. If the surface is smooth to begin with the finish is smooth when dry and it dries quickly. I was able to complete this piece with three coats and there's a lot of product left. The can comes with tabs to keep it tightly closed which may be for shipping but they are easy to reuse. A picture is worth a thousand words.

This is a very good product - though I still miss the Rust-Oleum brand matte poly that this Varathane replaces. It seems to dry with more of a sheen than what I am used to or would prefer but it still outperforms many of the other matte polys that I've tried. I own a small online home decor business and use both the Varathane matte and the satin poly finishes exclusively on my reclaimed wood artwork and home decor items. I find them both to be excellent sealers that do not leave fingerprints behind. In addition, even though I wish Home Depot would carry this product in stock I have found that ordering it on-line and picking it up for free in the store is very easy to do and often just as quick.

I used this poly on a black, high gloss, antique credenza. After distressing it, I wanted a matte finish, and that is exactly what I got. Even the areas that I did not sand completely came out in a true matte. It looks like I refinished the piece with expensive and time consuming chalk paint and wax.

A good product for a special need. The matte finish worked well for my customer's needs.

Varathane polyurethane is the perfect final step in topcoating and protecting. I used it on a wood medicine cabinet that was beginning to show deterioration with a lot of dry spots on the finish. After two coats, the appearance is dramatically improved and it looks so much better conditioned. It works really well at protecting other indoor projects including faux finishing, stenciling and decoupaging. Several of my decoupage projects were finished with Varathane's matte sheen polyurethane and I loved how it protects without taking away from the antiquing effect of the faux finishes. It's water based formula makes super easy clean up.

I am an expert wood finisher and have written many blogs on the subject. In my spare time I make furniture and other wood items. I have about 25 different types of finishes at my disposal because there really is no one-size-fits-all wood finish. Waterborne finishes have been growing in popularity lately and the professional grade stuff (post catalyzed polyurethanes and water white Lacquers) are on par with their solvent based brethren. The consumer level stuff however, still has flaws I do not like. This product is more pro grade. One thing I am not at all a fan of with waterborne finishes is the color tone. An easy comparison would be comparing a full spectrum photo grade lightbulb to an LED. the LED light is white to the point of being blue. Most consumer level waterborne finishes suffer from this too. There is a notable bluish tinge. This product did not do that. In addition getting a high quality Matte finish out of a can is difficult. There is always some level of gloss that needs to be knocked back; or there is a noticeable film built that refracts light in the corners letting you know it's there. Again this did not do either. I did use 4 coats to provide the desired protection so there was a considerable build, but not a noticeable one. This product did not alter the woods appearance any more than water would. It looks completely natural and untreated although the wood is sufficiently protected. Now before you run out and replace all your oil based finishes, there are a few things you should know. I see a lot of waterborne finishes getting negative reviews for what I am about to mention - but this is the nature of the product. 1. This will raise the grain upon initial application. The can says sanding between coats isn't required; but it is at least until the wood is sealed off 2. you HAVE to use a high quality synthetic bristle brush. A cheap brush or a foam brush will not do well. This finish dries fast and will actually dry on your brush if you do not use one that is capable of proper flow control. You will be dragging dried finish around your piece creating runs and sags. 3. This will not highlight or accentuate figured species. This will leave the wood grain fairly flat and natural looking. That is the goal of this finish. If you have figured wood or you want a rich tone, either use an oil based finish, an oil modified waterborne acrylic, or apply a washcoat of dewaxed blonde or amber shellac before applying this finish. In the attached picture you can see the difference this finish makes. This is a piece of walnut sanded to 220 grit. One side is finished with a natural Danish oil - which also is very Matte in appearance. The other is finished with this. As you can see the Varathane side looks like there was never anything applied. Also the tactile feel of this finish is amazing. Nothing plasticy about it. If you are into the natural look, this is your stuff.

I have used this twin pack for years on my painted and stained refinished furniture. Now, have not been able to get it as it is never in stock. I have signed up for notification when it's back in stock over year ago. This is the only one that is truly a matte finish. The other you have that says it is matte is way too shiny. I bought several two packs of that and had to return it to my store as it looked like gloss on my furniture. Please get this product back in stock.

Protects but doesn’t change the finish like others. Great for milk or chalky finishes!