RAL 850-5 vs Porpoise
RAL 850-5 (RAL Effect) and Porpoise (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. RAL 850-5 reads as grey, while Porpoise reads as greige-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 14 vs 13 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. A ΔE of 2.1 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 850-5 vs Porpoise in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. RAL 850-5 and Porpoise 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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
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. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Color Details
RAL 850-5 vs Porpoise Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 850-5 on one side and Porpoise 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 850-5 comparisons
See how RAL 850-5 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
