What's the best protection for chalk paint on a heavily used item?

Use several coats of minwax poly over the paint.

I like General Finishes High Performance Top Coat.

Thank you. I know a lot of people say wax but who wants to apply and then reapply.

You will need sealer. Wax is not a sealer! You can use the Mixwax Poly but if you can't tolerate the odor, you should use a sealer made specifically to be used with the brand of chalk type paint you used. For instance, I use Heirloom Traditions paint and it has sealers in matte, satin, and gloss plus one for exterior use. All but the exterior use are low VOC and therefore low odor. You can get the sealers at HeirloomTraditionsPaint.com. Save 10% by using code DSD at checkout.

#HeirloomTraditions