RAL 850-2 vs Chelsea Gray
RAL 850-2 is a RAL Effect color while Chelsea Gray comes from Sherwin-Williams. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. At LRV 47 vs 44, Chelsea Gray will read as the brighter of the two — a 3-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. With a ΔE of 2.2, the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side to reliably tell them apart. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 850-2 vs Chelsea Gray in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. RAL 850-2 and Chelsea Gray 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
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. Chelsea Gray has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The brightness difference is modest but present — Chelsea Gray gives the walls a little more lift.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The brightness difference is modest but present — Chelsea Gray gives the walls a little more lift.
Color Details
RAL 850-2 vs Chelsea Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 850-2 on one side and Chelsea Gray 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 850-2 comparisons
See how RAL 850-2 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 44), opening up a space where RAL 850-2 encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (52 vs 44) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 30, RAL 850-2 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 44, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 44), opening up a space where RAL 850-2 encloses it.
RAL 850-2 reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 44 vs 43), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 44 and 44, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 84 vs 44, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 44), opening up a space where RAL 850-2 encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 44), opening up a space where RAL 850-2 encloses it.
RAL 850-2 reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
RAL 850-2 reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 44), opening up a space where RAL 850-2 encloses it.
RAL 850-2 reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
With LRVs of 45 and 44, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 44 vs 31, RAL 850-2 is decisively the brighter choice.