RAL 180-5 vs Balmy
Where RAL 180-5 belongs to RAL Effect's range, Balmy is a Sherwin-Williams color. These are both blues, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue to land. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (68 vs 66), so they'll read as similarly Light in most lighting conditions. At ΔE 2.1, these are close — the kind of difference that matters when choosing between them, but doesn't read strongly in a finished room. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 180-5 vs Balmy in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. RAL 180-5 and Balmy 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.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Color Details
RAL 180-5 vs Balmy Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 180-5 on one side and Balmy 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 RAL 180-5 comparisons
See how RAL 180-5 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 68, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
RAL 180-5 reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
RAL 180-5 reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
RAL 180-5 reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 10-point LRV gap (68 vs 58) makes RAL 180-5 the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 27, RAL 180-5 is decisively the brighter choice.
RAL 180-5 reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 68 vs 55, RAL 180-5 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 44, RAL 180-5 is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 68), opening up a space where RAL 180-5 encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 68 vs 66), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 7-point LRV gap (74 vs 68) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 12, RAL 180-5 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 8, RAL 180-5 is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 68 vs 68), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 12, RAL 180-5 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 45, RAL 180-5 is decisively the brighter choice.
RAL 180-5 reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.