El Capitan vs Teal Zen paint color comparison

El Capitan vs Teal Zen

El CapitanBehrvsTeal ZenJotunΔE 31.8Very different colors

El Capitan is a Behr color while Teal Zen comes from Jotun. Both sit in the blue family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. At LRV 47 vs 25, Teal Zen will read as the brighter of the two — a 22-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — El Capitan's blue character against Teal Zen's cool — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 31.8, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

El Capitan vs Teal Zen in Real Spaces

3 real rooms side by side. Seeing El Capitan and Teal Zen in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.

Living Room

Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Teal Zen returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

El CapitanBehr El Capitan living room interior

Visualization

Teal ZenJotun Teal Zen living room decor

@hoksrod

Bedroom

Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Teal Zen will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than El Capitan would.

El CapitanBehr El Capitan bedroom

Visualization

Teal ZenJotun Teal Zen bedroom picture

@hoksrod

Kitchen

Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The LRV gap is large enough that Teal Zen will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than El Capitan would.

El CapitanBehr El Capitan kitchen painted backsplash

Visualization

Teal ZenJotun Teal Zen kitchen paint

@barehjem

Color Details

El Capitan
Behr · MQ4-56
Hex#2ba8da
LRV24.9
BrandBehr
NumberMQ4-56
UndertoneBlue
TemperatureCool
BrightnessDark
Teal Zen
Jotun · 4423
Hex#a5bcc3
LRV46.8
BrandJotun
Number4423
Undertone
TemperatureCool
BrightnessMedium

El Capitan vs Teal Zen Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see El Capitan on one side and Teal Zen on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.

More El Capitan comparisons

See how El Capitan stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

El Capitan
White Dove
El Capitan
White Dove
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25

White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 25), opening up a space where El Capitan encloses it.

El Capitan
Ammonite
El Capitan
Ammonite
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

At LRV 69 vs 25, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.

El Capitan
Iron Ore
El Capitan
Iron Ore
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25

El Capitan reflects far more light (LRV 25 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.

El Capitan
Purbeck Stone
El Capitan
Purbeck Stone
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25

At LRV 52 vs 25, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.

El Capitan
Evergreen Fog
El Capitan
Evergreen Fog
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25

A 5-point LRV gap (30 vs 25) makes Evergreen Fog the marginally brighter of the two.

El Capitan
Mizzle
El Capitan
Mizzle
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 25), opening up a space where El Capitan encloses it.

El Capitan
Agreeable Gray
El Capitan
Agreeable Gray
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25

At LRV 60 vs 25, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

El Capitan
Accessible Beige
El Capitan
Accessible Beige
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25

Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 25), opening up a space where El Capitan encloses it.

El Capitan
Denim Drift
El Capitan
Denim Drift
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25

With LRVs of 27 and 25, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

El Capitan
French Gray
El Capitan
French Gray
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25

At LRV 43 vs 25, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

El Capitan
Naval
El Capitan
Naval
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

At LRV 25 vs 4, El Capitan is decisively the brighter choice.

El Capitan
Tranquil Dawn
El Capitan
Tranquil Dawn
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25

Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 25), opening up a space where El Capitan encloses it.

El Capitan
Bancha
El Capitan
Bancha
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

El Capitan reads slightly lighter (LRV 25 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

El Capitan
Hardwick White
El Capitan
Hardwick White
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25

Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 25), opening up a space where El Capitan encloses it.

El Capitan
Pure White
El Capitan
Pure White
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25

At LRV 84 vs 25, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.

El Capitan
Artichoke
El Capitan
Artichoke
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

A 4-point LRV gap (25 vs 21) makes El Capitan the marginally brighter of the two.

El Capitan
Balboa Mist
El Capitan
Balboa Mist
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25

Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 25), opening up a space where El Capitan encloses it.

El Capitan
Shoji White
El Capitan
Shoji White
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25

Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 25), opening up a space where El Capitan encloses it.

El Capitan
Snowbound
El Capitan
Snowbound
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 25), opening up a space where El Capitan encloses it.

El Capitan
Pewter Green
El Capitan
Pewter Green
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25

El Capitan reflects far more light (LRV 25 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.

El Capitan
Skimming Stone
El Capitan
Skimming Stone
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25

Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 25), opening up a space where El Capitan encloses it.

El Capitan
Dix Blue
El Capitan
Dix Blue
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

At LRV 41 vs 25, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.

El Capitan
Calamine
El Capitan
Calamine
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

At LRV 68 vs 25, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.

El Capitan
Treron
El Capitan
Treron
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 25 vs 25), so neither reads brighter in a room.

El Capitan
Vintage Vogue
El Capitan
Vintage Vogue
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25

El Capitan reflects far more light (LRV 25 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.

El Capitan
Saybrook Sage
El Capitan
Saybrook Sage
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25

Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 25), opening up a space where El Capitan encloses it.

El Capitan
Pale Green
El Capitan
Pale Green
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

A 6-point LRV gap (31 vs 25) makes Pale Green the marginally brighter of the two.

El Capitan
Pine Needle
El Capitan
Pine Needle
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25

At LRV 25 vs 7, El Capitan is decisively the brighter choice.

El Capitan
Cement grey
El Capitan
Cement grey
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 25 vs 24), so neither reads brighter in a room.

El Capitan
Guilford Green
El Capitan
Guilford Green
Behr
El Capitan
MQ4-56 · LRV 25

At LRV 57 vs 25, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.