Masterson Sta-Wet Handy Palette Airtight Paint Palette Keeps Paint Fresh for Days, 8.5 by 7 Inches, Made in USA Review (2026)

What it is built for

The Masterson Sta-Wet Handy Palette is a compact airtight tray made for artists who need paint to stay workable across more than one sitting. It measures 8.5 by 7 by 1 inches, a footprint small enough to fit on a crowded hobby desk next to a paint rack or lamp. The palette comes with five reusable Sta-Wet acrylic paper sheets and one Sta-Wet sponge, so it is ready to use out of the box without buying separate refills right away. It is manufactured in the USA, and the design has been sold for decades as a standard acrylic palette before miniature painting adopted it as a wet palette. For someone painting models in short evening sessions rather than one long block of time, that is the core problem it solves.

How the wet system works

Inside the tray sits a sponge insert topped with a permeable paper sheet. Water in the sponge wicks up through the paper, keeping thinned acrylic paint from skinning over while it sits exposed on the surface. With the lid left off during a session, paint stays usable for hours, and once the lid snaps shut it can keep the same paint mixes wet for days or even longer. That matters for miniature painters who premix custom colors and do not want to remix a shade from scratch every time they sit down. The palette also works with watercolor, gouache, and water soluble oils, and the paper and sponge can be swapped out for a standard oil palette insert if someone wants to use it for oils instead.

Fit on a painting desk

At 8.5 by 7 inches, this is one of the smaller wet palettes sold for hobby painting, which is both a strength and a limit. It does not eat much desk space, so it sits comfortably next to a lamp, brush holder, or magnifier without crowding a compact setup. The tradeoff is mixing area. Painters who blend several colors at once or work on larger scale models may find the surface tight compared to palettes built specifically for miniature work with wider trays. For someone painting 28mm to 32mm scale figures with a handful of colors open at a time, the size is generally adequate, but it is worth measuring your desk space before assuming it fits your workflow.

Paper and long term costs

The included Sta-Wet paper sheets are reusable rather than disposable, which keeps ongoing costs down compared to palettes that ship with a one time paper supply. That said, hobbyists coming from miniature specific wet palettes often note the stock paper is thicker than the hydro sheets bundled with dedicated mini painting palettes, and some painters switch to parchment paper or thinner replacement sheets to get a finer paint film for detail work. That swap adds a small amount of setup time and an extra purchase, so factor it in if you plan to do a lot of fine blending or glazing. The sponge itself is a normal wear item and will need periodic replacement regardless of which paper you use.

Who should buy it

This palette suits painters who already know they want a wet palette and are looking for a well established, made in USA option at a reasonable size and price rather than the largest tray on the market. It is a reasonable starting point for someone testing whether wet palette painting fits their habits, since the airtight seal and included accessories mean there is little extra to buy at first. Painters who mix a lot of colors simultaneously, or who specifically want ultra thin hobby grade paper included from day one, may be better served by a wider dedicated miniature wet palette. For a compact desk and straightforward acrylic mixing, this is a solid, no frills choice.

Frequently asked questions