Behr Swiss CoffeevsBenjamin Moore Swiss Coffee
Why this comparison: Same famous name from two different brands — and they are not the same color. Swiss Coffee and Swiss Coffee are visually nearly identical (ΔE 1.14). Most eyes can't tell them apart on a wall — pick whichever is easier to source.
Built from our full reviews of both colors — same measured data, same real-room photos. About the testing process →
The Numbers
Swiss Coffee is slightly lighter (LRV 85 vs 82, 3-point delta).
What Each Color Really Is
A cream that gets away with calling itself a white. Swiss Coffee's hue sits at the orange edge of yellow, and unlike most off-whites it does not gray that warmth down — there is no dose of taupe or greige holding it back. What saves it is lightness: at 87 percent lightness the warmth spreads thin and reads as soft cream instead of yellow paint. Cover a whole room, though, and the warmth stacks up. The gallon behaves warmer than the chip, which is the single most common surprise people report.
LRV 87 puts it in bright-but-not-blinding territory. Against Behr Ultra Pure White (1850) at LRV 92 the difference is not subtle — Swiss Coffee suddenly looks like coffee with a lot of milk in it, and that twelve-point gap is exactly why bright white trim can make these walls look unwashed. Against Benjamin Moore's Swiss Coffee (OC-45) at LRV 84, Behr's version is the deeper, creamier of the two. It has body, and in a dim room you can see it.
A creamy off-white with real pigment in it — the cream is not a rumor. The hue sits at 44 degrees, squarely in the yellow-gold part of the wheel, and there is a faint green-gray drag on top of it that keeps the yellow from going candy-sweet. That drag is why designers describe Swiss Coffee as "soft" rather than "buttery," and it is also why a few people swear their walls flashed green next to a cool gray floor. Both reactions are the same paint doing the same thing under different neighbors.
At LRV 82 it reflects almost as much light as the brightest whites, and that is the part most people get wrong. Next to White Dove OC-17 at LRV 85, Swiss Coffee is not darker in any meaningful way — it is warmer. Compare it to Alabaster SW 7008 at LRV 82 and Swiss Coffee is actually the lighter of the two, just more golden. So the choice is never about brightness. It is about how much cream you want to see, and how warm your light already is before the paint goes on.
Specs Side by Side
| Spec | Swiss Coffee | Swiss Coffee |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Behr | Benjamin Moore |
| SKU | 12 | OC-45 |
| Hex | #F1EDE0 | #EEECE1 |
| RGB | 241, 237, 224 | 238, 236, 225 |
| LRV | 85 | 82 |
| Undertone | yellow / warm | yellow / warm |
| Family | White | White |
How Light Changes Them
Cool gray daylight cancels some of the cream. This is where Swiss Coffee is at its most balanced — warm, not yellow.
Steady warm sun pushes it to soft butter around midday. Most people like it; sample a big patch anyway.
2700K bulbs are where the complaints start. Try 3000K–3500K before you blame the paint.
Richest at sunrise in east rooms, at sunset in west ones. Quiet and near-white the rest of the day.
Cool daylight cancels the gold. Reads as a plain, easy soft white — its safest room.
Direct sun pushes the cream forward. By late afternoon the walls can glow yellow.
2700K lamps deepen it toward butter. 3500K–4000K bulbs pull it back to white.
At LRV 82 it lifts a dark room beautifully — as long as the bulbs are not warm.
Both Colors in Real Rooms
Photos from our full reviews — the same rooms and captions, so you can judge each color where it actually lives, not on a chip.
When to Pick Which
Whole-house walls in homes with oak or walnut floors · older houses with lots of trim · kitchen cabinets with brass and butcher block · anyone who finds bright whites cold
Your ceiling and trim stay builder bright white · your counters are stark white quartz · your floors are cool gray LVP · you want a crisp modern gallery look
Whole-house walls and trim in one soft color · dim hallways, stairwells and windowless baths · kitchen cabinets with wood counters and brass · older homes with heavy millwork and warm floors
Your ceiling or trim stays a bright builder white · a south-facing room blazes all afternoon · your floors, tile or counters are cool gray · you want a crisp modern gallery white
No comparison page can see your light. Upload one photo of your room and try both colors on the same walls, seconds apart.
Swiss Coffee vs Swiss Coffee FAQ
Which is lighter, Swiss Coffee or Swiss Coffee?
Swiss Coffee is lighter: LRV 85 vs 82. Swiss Coffee is slightly lighter (LRV 85 vs 82, 3-point delta).
Which is warmer, Swiss Coffee or Swiss Coffee?
They share the same undertone family — both read yellow / warm. The difference between them is lightness and depth, not temperature.
How similar are Swiss Coffee and Swiss Coffee?
Swiss Coffee and Swiss Coffee are visually nearly identical (ΔE 1.14). Most eyes can't tell them apart on a wall — pick whichever is easier to source. The only reliable test is seeing both in your own room and light — a side-by-side on a screen or chip flattens the difference.
Can I use Swiss Coffee and Swiss Coffee together in one house?
Not in the same room, and be careful in the same house. At ΔE 1.14 they are so close that two walls in each will read as a tinting mistake, not a design choice. Pick one, or keep them on different floors where they are never seen together.
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