Cool Charcoal vs RAL 860-5
Cool Charcoal (PPG) and RAL 860-5 (RAL Effect) come from different manufacturers. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 20 vs 20 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. ΔE 3.2 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cool Charcoal vs RAL 860-5 in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Cool Charcoal and RAL 860-5 are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
Living Room
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Color Details
Cool Charcoal vs RAL 860-5 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cool Charcoal on one side and RAL 860-5 on the other.
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 Cool Charcoal comparisons
See how Cool Charcoal stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 20), opening up a space where Cool Charcoal encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 20, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 20 vs 6, Cool Charcoal is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 20), opening up a space where Cool Charcoal encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reads slightly lighter (LRV 30 vs 20), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 20, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 20), opening up a space where Cool Charcoal encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 20, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (27 vs 20) makes Denim Drift the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 20), opening up a space where Cool Charcoal encloses it.
Cool Charcoal reflects far more light (LRV 20 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 20, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (20 vs 13) makes Cool Charcoal the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 20, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 20), opening up a space where Cool Charcoal encloses it.
With LRVs of 21 and 20, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 66 vs 20, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 20, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 20, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 20), opening up a space where Cool Charcoal encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (20 vs 12) makes Cool Charcoal the marginally brighter of the two.
A 12-point LRV gap (20 vs 8) makes Cool Charcoal the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 20, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 20), opening up a space where Cool Charcoal encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (20 vs 12) makes Cool Charcoal the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 20, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 20), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.