Reef Blue
S490-3 · #93BDCF · LRV 47 — cool blue-green tone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
- 1Charcoal Blue19
- 2Resolute Blue40
- 3Reef Blue47
- 4Honolulu Blue62
- 5After Rain68
What Color Is Reef Blue, Really?
Reef Blue reads as a cool blue-green tone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Behr S490-3 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Reef Blue
Reef Blue is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. Blues calm a room, which makes them popular in bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices.
How Lighting Changes Reef Blue
Reef Blue sits in the mid-range at LRV 47, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. Its teal 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. South-facing rooms will pull it lighter and warmer, while north light cools it down.
Most complaints about Reef Blue are a light mismatch. Upload a photo of your actual room and see it on your walls — then ask for the same wall in north light or evening lamps before you buy a single sample.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Behr S490-3 directly. If you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches, measured as ΔE2000. Under 2 is a difference you will not see on the wall.
| Brand | Closest color | ΔE | LRV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams | Rest AssuredSW 9061 · Sherwin-Williams | 3.1 | 49 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | DaydreamCSP-615 · Benjamin Moore | 1.4 | 50 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Angel Sol8002-43C · Valspar | 1.4 | 47 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Kingston AquaPPG1150-4 · PPG / Glidden | 4.6 | 46 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Soft Bahama Blue30BG 50/183 · Glidden | 2.8 | 50 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Earth's Harmony237-5DB · Dutch Boy | 3.1 | 46 | Color page → |
Similar Behr Colors
The nearest shades to Reef Blue within Behr's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
WCAG 2.1: AA is 4.5 : 1 for normal text, 3 : 1 for large text, AAA is 7 : 1.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #93BDCF in HSL space. Pair Reef Blue with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
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