Color spec
| Brand | Behr |
| Name | Express Blue |
| SKU | M500-6 |
| Hex | #225389 |
| RGB | 34, 83, 137 |
| HSL | 211°, 60%, 34% |
| LRV | 8 |
| Undertone | cool blue tone |
| Family | Blue |
About Behr Express Blue
At LRV 8, Express Blue is about as dark as paint gets — it reads near-black on a wall and reveals its character only in direct daylight or under warm bulbs. Its blue undertone is the part to watch: it gets picked up by whatever sits next to it, so test it against your trim, floor and the room's main light before committing. In rooms with little natural light it can feel heavy, so reserve it for spaces you want to feel enveloping.
Express Blue earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Blues calm a room, which makes them popular in bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices.
Closest matches by brand
11 brands within ΔE 5The closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Only colors within ΔE 5 (close enough to substitute on a wall) are shown — brands with no real match are left off. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all blue from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
Dunn-Edwards
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Portola Paints
Kompozit
Similar Behr colors
closest in the Behr deckThe nearest shades to Express Blue within Behr's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #225389 in HSL space. Pair Express Blue with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
Accessibility (WCAG contrast)
WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.
Behr Express Blue Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Express Blue from a different paint counter? Below is the single closest color in each major US deck and how close it really is. Remember that any paint store can also custom-tint Behr M500-6 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Express Blue
The closest Sherwin-Williams equivalent of Express Blue is Frank Blue (SW 6967). At ΔE 0.37 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same cool blue undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8). If Sherwin-Williams is your counter, order Frank Blue and you'll get the same color. See the full Frank Blue swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Express Blue
Benjamin Moore's nearest match is Blue Suede Shoes (798), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.69). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 8) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Express Blue without repainting risk. See the full Blue Suede Shoes swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Express Blue
Valspar's nearest match is Strong Will (8001-44G), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.43). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Express Blue without repainting risk. See the full Strong Will swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Express Blue
PPG / Glidden's nearest match is Brilliant Blue (PPG1161-7), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.98). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Express Blue without repainting risk. See the full Brilliant Blue swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Express Blue
Glidden's nearest match is Brilliant Blue (PPG1161-7), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.94). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Express Blue without repainting risk. See the full Brilliant Blue swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Express Blue
The closest Dutch Boy equivalent of Express Blue is Rich Cobalt (139-7DB). At ΔE 0.37 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same cool blue undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8). If Dutch Boy is your counter, order Rich Cobalt and you'll get the same color. See the full Rich Cobalt swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Express Blue
The closest Dunn-Edwards equivalent of Express Blue is Follow My Blue Bliss (DEFD52). At ΔE 0.82 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same cool blue undertone and runs slightly lighter (LRV 10 vs 8). If Dunn-Edwards is your counter, order Follow My Blue Bliss and you'll get the same color. See the full Follow My Blue Bliss swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Express Blue
Diamond Vogel has no exact twin of Express Blue. The nearest is Dancing Sea (0641) at ΔE 3.62 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 8). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Dancing Sea swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Express Blue
At Hirshfield's, the closest color to Express Blue is Dancing Sea (0641) — very close at ΔE 2.43, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 10 vs 8) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Dancing Sea swatch →
Portola Paints Equivalent of Express Blue
Portola Paints's nearest match is Cobalt (COBALT), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.69). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Express Blue without repainting risk. See the full Cobalt swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Express Blue
At Kompozit, the closest color to Express Blue is Dancing Sea (0641) — very close at ΔE 2.43, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 8 vs 8) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Dancing Sea swatch →