RAL 870-2 vs Iron Ore
Where RAL 870-2 belongs to RAL Effect's range, Iron Ore is a Sherwin-Williams color. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. RAL 870-2 (LRV 30) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 24 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 32.8, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 870-2 vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing RAL 870-2 and Iron Ore 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
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The LRV gap is large enough that RAL 870-2 will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. RAL 870-2 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
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. RAL 870-2 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. RAL 870-2 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. RAL 870-2 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Color Details
RAL 870-2 vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 870-2 on one side and Iron Ore 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 870-2 comparisons
See how RAL 870-2 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 30), opening up a space where RAL 870-2 encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 30, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 30 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 60 vs 30, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 30), opening up a space where RAL 870-2 encloses it.
With LRVs of 30 and 27, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 43 vs 30, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 30), opening up a space where RAL 870-2 encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 30), opening up a space where RAL 870-2 encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 30, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 30), opening up a space where RAL 870-2 encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 30), opening up a space where RAL 870-2 encloses it.
RAL 870-2 reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
RAL 870-2 reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 30), opening up a space where RAL 870-2 encloses it.
RAL 870-2 reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 30), opening up a space where RAL 870-2 encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 31 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 30 vs 7, RAL 870-2 is decisively the brighter choice.