Pressure-sensitive paints (PSP) and thermal-sensitive paints (TSP) are functional coatings that study the surface pressure and temperature of objects by optical means. The gas permeation mechanism in polymers and the oxygen quenching and thermal quenching mechanisms of luminescent molecules were briefly introduced. The polymer binders commonly used in PSP and TSP at home and abroad were reviewed, and the future development direction of polymer binders for PSP and TSP was also prospected. Both coatings consisted of a polymer binder and a luminescent molecular probe. PSP produced changes in photophysical behavior to reflect the pressure through the interaction of luminescent probes and oxygen molecules, while TSP reflected the temperature through changes in photophysical behavior caused by the changing luminescent probes with the surface temperature of the model. Currently, polymer binders used in PSP are mainly silicon-containing polymers and acrylate polymers with high oxygen permeability. Polymer binders for TSP are mainly polystyrene, polyacrylonitrile, polyurethane, etc. with low oxygen permeability. The main chain structure of polymer binders, the type and polarity of side groups, the intermolecular packing density, and the interaction with light-emitting molecules will affect the photophysical properties and mechanical properties of the coating as well as the binding force with the substrate. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the polymer binders in PSP and TSP for the optimization of the two technologies in the future and the application under certain special requirements.