Color spec
| Brand | Valspar |
| Name | Cadet Gray |
| SKU | 4001-2A |
| Hex | #8A8486 |
| RGB | 138, 132, 134 |
| HSL | 340°, 2%, 53% |
| LRV | 23.5 |
| Undertone | neutral with no strong undertone |
| Family | Gray |
About Valspar Cadet Gray
With an LRV of 23.5, Cadet Gray is a deep, dramatic shade. It soaks up light in north-facing rooms and looks richest where strong daylight hits it. Because it carries almost no measurable hue, it stays a true neutral and pairs cleanly with nearly any trim or floor. Warm artificial light softens it; cool LED can make it look flat, so match your bulbs to the mood you want.
Cadet Gray works best as a feature — a single wall, built-ins, a study or dining room — rather than wrapping a whole bright space. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.
Closest matches by brand
13 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 gray from that brand.
Behr
Benjamin Moore
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
Dunn-Edwards
Magnolia Home
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
Portola Paints
Kompozit
Similar Valspar colors
closest in the Valspar deckThe nearest shades to Cadet Gray within Valspar'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 #8A8486 in HSL space. Pair Cadet Gray 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.
Valspar Cadet Gray Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Cadet Gray 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 Valspar 4001-2A directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Behr Equivalent of Cadet Gray
At Behr, the closest color to Cadet Gray is Pewter Ring (UL260-4) — very close at ΔE 2.16, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 24 vs 23.5) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Pewter Ring swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Cadet Gray
Benjamin Moore has no exact twin of Cadet Gray. The nearest is Cinder (AF-705) at ΔE 3.99 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 23 vs 23.5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Cinder swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Cadet Gray
PPG / Glidden's nearest match is Pewter Mug (PPG1004-5), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.46). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 23 vs 23.5) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Cadet Gray without repainting risk. See the full Pewter Mug swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Cadet Gray
Glidden's nearest match is Pewter Mug (PPG1004-5), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.55). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 23 vs 23.5) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Cadet Gray without repainting risk. See the full Pewter Mug swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Cadet Gray
Dutch Boy has no exact twin of Cadet Gray. The nearest is Relaxed Gray (437-4DB) at ΔE 4.59 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 25 vs 23.5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Relaxed Gray swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Cadet Gray
At Dunn-Edwards, the closest color to Cadet Gray is Fallen Rock (DE6389) — very close at ΔE 2.45, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 23 vs 23.5) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Fallen Rock swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Cadet Gray
At Magnolia Home, the closest color to Cadet Gray is Pashmina Plum (JG-100) — very close at ΔE 3.38, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 24 vs 23.5) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Pashmina Plum swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Cadet Gray
Farrow & Ball has no exact twin of Cadet Gray. The nearest is Brassica (NO. 271) at ΔE 4.23 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 24 vs 23.5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Brassica swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Cadet Gray
At Diamond Vogel, the closest color to Cadet Gray is Captain Nemo (0542) — very close at ΔE 3.11, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 24 vs 23.5) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Captain Nemo swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Cadet Gray
Rodda has no exact twin of Cadet Gray. The nearest is Evening Traveller (R015) at ΔE 3.68 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 24 vs 23.5). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Evening Traveller swatch →
Portola Paints Equivalent of Cadet Gray
At Portola Paints, the closest color to Cadet Gray is Voodoo (VOODOO) — very close at ΔE 2.56, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 26 vs 23.5) and carries a true neutral undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Voodoo swatch →