Benjamin Moore Edgecomb GrayvsBenjamin Moore Manchester Tan
Why this comparison: Manchester Tan leans yellow-beige while Edgecomb Gray stays greige — this one is a warmth question. Edgecomb Gray and Manchester Tan are very close (ΔE 2.66). The difference shows up most in side-by-side comparison and under specific light.
Built from our full reviews of both colors — same measured data, same real-room photos. About the testing process →
The Numbers
LRV is essentially equal (63 vs 63) — both reflect light the same.
What Each Color Really Is
A light warm greige — a gray with real beige in it, not a gray with a hint of beige. The measured hue sits in the orange-tan part of the wheel at 23 percent saturation, which is more color than a true neutral carries. That is why it never looks cold, and also why it can look tan on a big sunny wall instead of the soft gray people expect from the chip. The chip fools people because it is small and surrounded by white card stock; the wall shows the beige.
LRV 63 is the number that decides whether you will like it. Revere Pewter sits at 56, and that seven-point gap is exactly why so many people move here after seeing Revere Pewter go heavy in a hallway. But 63 is not bright — Pale Oak is 67 and Classic Gray is 74, and both of those look noticeably airier on the same wall. Edgecomb Gray is light enough to keep a normal room open and dark enough to go dull when the light runs out.
A real tan, not a greige. The chip sits in the warm yellow-to-orange range at moderate saturation, so on a big wall you read sand and warmth, not gray. What surprises people is the second half of that yellow: in cool light it can lean toward olive. This is the single most-repeated thing homeowners say about Manchester Tan — "is mine looking green?" — and it is not a mistint. Warm light pulls the orange side forward and it reads tan; cool light drains the orange and leaves the yellow, and yellow plus gray light is olive.
At LRV 63 it sits at the exact middle of the light scale, which is deeper than most people expect from a fan-deck chip. Next to Edgecomb Gray (HC-173) at LRV 63 it is clearly the darker, warmer, more colored wall, and even against Revere Pewter (HC-172) at 56 it reads a step heavier. That depth is the point in a foyer or dining room, where you want the walls to feel like a color. It is also the reason a windowless hallway can end up looking closed in.
Specs Side by Side
| Spec | Edgecomb Gray | Manchester Tan |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Benjamin Moore |
| SKU | HC-173 | HC-81 |
| Hex | #D9D3C4 | #DBD2BC |
| RGB | 217, 211, 196 | 219, 210, 188 |
| LRV | 63 | 63 |
| Undertone | red-orange / warm | red-orange / warm |
| Family | Neutral | Neutral |
How Light Changes Them
Steady warm light all day keeps it soft and creamy — the version everyone photographs.
Cool flat light drains the warmth and the gray-green side comes forward. Dim north rooms go drab.
Golden and tan at the sun hours, quiet gray after. West rooms can tip peach at sunset.
2700K bulbs push it to plain beige. 3000K to 3500K keeps the gray in it. Swap bulbs, not paint.
Warm sun brings the orange side forward. Rich, sandy, never olive — this is the color at its best.
Cool gray daylight strips the orange and leaves yellow, which reads olive. The number one complaint.
2700K bulbs deepen it to warm khaki — cozy in a dining room, heavy in a bedroom. 3000K is the sweet spot.
Lawn or leaves right at the window bounce green in all summer. Same wall looks fine in winter.
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 main floors with several windows · homes full of oak, beige tile or cream trim · kitchen cabinets with brass or black hardware · anyone who found Revere Pewter too dark
Your room has one small north window · your trim is a bright white and stays that way · you want a clean, cool gray · your counters and tile are cool blue-gray
Foyers, dining rooms and traditional millwork · houses with honey oak floors, doors or trim · open main floors that need one calm warm color · anyone who finds gray cold and true beige too yellow
Your room is north-facing and dim · your floors or tile are cool gray · you want a light, airy off-white · you run 4000K daylight bulbs
No comparison page can see your light. Upload one photo of your room and try both colors on the same walls, seconds apart.
Edgecomb Gray vs Manchester Tan FAQ
Which is lighter, Edgecomb Gray or Manchester Tan?
They are practically the same lightness — LRV 63 vs 63. Neither will make the room brighter than the other.
Which is warmer, Edgecomb Gray or Manchester Tan?
They share the same undertone family — both read red-orange / warm. The difference between them is lightness and depth, not temperature.
How similar are Edgecomb Gray and Manchester Tan?
Edgecomb Gray and Manchester Tan are very close (ΔE 2.66). The difference shows up most in side-by-side comparison and under specific light. 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 Edgecomb Gray and Manchester Tan together in one house?
Not in the same room, and be careful in the same house. At ΔE 2.66 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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