RAL 870-3 vs Iron Ore
RAL 870-3 is a RAL Effect color while Iron Ore 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 12 vs 6, RAL 870-3 will read as the brighter of the two — a 7-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 13.4, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 870-3 vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing RAL 870-3 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
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. RAL 870-3 has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The brightness difference is modest but present — RAL 870-3 gives the walls a little more lift.
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 — RAL 870-3 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 — RAL 870-3 gives the walls a little more lift.
Color Details
RAL 870-3 vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 870-3 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 870-3 comparisons
See how RAL 870-3 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 12, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 12), opening up a space where RAL 870-3 encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 12), opening up a space where RAL 870-3 encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 12), opening up a space where RAL 870-3 encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 12, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 12, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 12), opening up a space where RAL 870-3 encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 12, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 12, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 12), opening up a space where RAL 870-3 encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 12, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 12, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 12, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 12, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 12), opening up a space where RAL 870-3 encloses it.
RAL 870-3 reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cement grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 12), opening up a space where RAL 870-3 encloses it.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 12), opening up a space where RAL 870-3 encloses it.