The closest Benjamin Moore match to Behr Midnight Blue (N480-7, LRV about 9) is Hale Navy HC-154 (LRV about 6.3). It shares the same smoky, gray leaning navy character and is the color most decorators reach for as a stand in. It runs a couple of points deeper, so expect a slightly darker read.
If you want to hold the depth closer, Van Deusen Blue HC-156 (LRV about 7.7) sits nearer to Midnight Blue's lightness with a slightly softer, truer blue cast. On the Sherwin-Williams side, Indigo Batik SW 7602 (LRV about 8) is the closest match on depth, leaning a hair more indigo and less gray.
Every delta here is small but real, and none of these is an official equivalent. Confirm the winner on your own wall before you commit.
Behr Midnight Blue is a deep, smoky navy that a lot of people fall for at the chip rack, then need to reorder in a brand their painter actually carries. The catch: no two brands mix the same pigment recipe, so a cross-brand match is always an approximation, never a clone. If you want the full method behind these picks, start with our guide to how cross-brand paint matching works. Below are the closest Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams colors, with the LRV and undertone gaps spelled out so you know exactly what you are trading.
The closest matches, side by side
| Color | Brand and code | Approx LRV | Undertone vs Behr Midnight Blue | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Behr Midnight Blue (reference, hex approx #4C565E) | Behr N480-7 | ~9 | Reference: smoky, slightly green leaning navy | The color you are matching |
| Hale Navy (hex approx #4C555C) | Benjamin Moore HC-154 | ~6.3 | Same smoky gray navy, a touch grayer and deeper | Closest overall, runs a couple of points darker |
| Van Deusen Blue (hex approx #4E5C6B) | Benjamin Moore HC-156 | ~7.7 | Softer, a hair more true blue, less smoky | Closest Benjamin Moore on depth |
| Indigo Batik (hex approx #3E5063) | Sherwin-Williams SW 7602 | ~8 | Leans a touch more indigo, a touch less gray | Closest Sherwin-Williams match |
Try it on your house
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LRV and hex values are approximate digital figures gathered from public brand data and match tools, not official cross-brand charts. Screens shift color, and paint tint bases vary batch to batch, so treat these as a shortlist, not a guarantee. The only authoritative reference is a physical chip on your wall.
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Why there is no exact Behr Midnight Blue equivalent
No brand publishes an official cross-brand equivalent, and Behr Midnight Blue is a clear example of why. Behr colors are formulated for Behr bases sold at The Home Depot. Benjamin Moore mixes with its own colorants, and Sherwin-Williams uses a different dispersion system again. When another brand's spectrophotometer reads N480-7 and spits out a formula, it is chasing a target across a different pigment set, so the result lands close in bright daylight and can drift under warm bulbs or cool north light. Midnight Blue in particular carries a faint green cast inside the navy, and that green is the first thing to move when a machine translates it into another brand's colorants. That is the whole reason we talk about a closest match and a numeric delta rather than an equivalent.
There is a second wrinkle: light reflectance value. Behr Midnight Blue reads around 9, deep but not the darkest navy on the rack. Hale Navy sits a few points lower near 6.3, so a wall in Hale Navy soaks up a little more light and can feel heavier, especially in a room that already runs dim. Van Deusen Blue and Indigo Batik land closer to Midnight Blue's lightness, but each nudges the undertone a step in its own direction. You are always trading one small gap for another, which is exactly why a physical test beats any chart, including this one.
When the Benjamin Moore match works (and when to stay Behr)
- Reach for Hale Navy HC-154 when your painter buys Benjamin Moore by the case and a special Behr order would slow the job or bump the price. It is stocked everywhere and tinted in minutes.
- The match holds up best on a large exterior or an accent wall in bright, even light, where a 2 to 3 point LRV gap disappears to the eye.
- Go Benjamin Moore across the board if you already run their trim or ceiling paint, so touch ups later come from one brand instead of two.
- Stay with genuine Behr Midnight Blue when you are matching an existing Behr wall, cabinet, or door and need the exact film, not a near copy, or when the room is dim and north facing where the LRV gap shows up most. Read the source profile first: Behr Midnight Blue undertones and best rooms.
Not sure how to judge two navies fairly, especially in low light where they collapse to the same dark shape? Our step by step on how to compare paint colors keeps the lighting and sheen honest so you are comparing the color, not the conditions.
Related matches
Chasing a Behr color into another brand is a common move, and the method is always the same: match on LRV first, then undertone. If your project also leans into near black, see the closest Benjamin Moore equivalent of Behr Black Magic. For a soft neutral going through the same treatment, our breakdown of the Benjamin Moore equivalent of Behr Dove uses the same LRV first approach. Whichever direction you go, the last step never changes: get the real color onto the real surface, in the real light, before the store mixes a gallon you cannot return.
Frequently asked questions
What is the closest Benjamin Moore equivalent of Behr Midnight Blue?
The closest widely recommended Benjamin Moore match is Hale Navy HC-154 (LRV about 6.3). It shares Behr Midnight Blue's smoky, gray leaning navy character and is the color decorators reach for most often as a stand in. It reads a couple of LRV points deeper, so it can look slightly darker on the wall. Van Deusen Blue HC-156 (LRV about 7.7) holds the depth a little closer if you want a lighter navy.
Is there a Sherwin-Williams version of Behr Midnight Blue?
There is no official Sherwin-Williams version, but Indigo Batik SW 7602 (LRV about 8) is the closest match on depth. It leans a touch more indigo and a touch less gray than Behr Midnight Blue, so confirm the undertone on your own wall before committing to a full gallon.
Is Behr Midnight Blue the same as Benjamin Moore Hale Navy?
No, they are close cousins rather than twins. Behr Midnight Blue (N480-7) sits a little lighter (LRV about 9 versus about 6.3) and can look a hair more blue, while Hale Navy leans slightly grayer and deeper. Side by side on a wall the difference is visible, though in isolation most people would call them the same color family.
How can I test the Behr Midnight Blue match before buying paint?
Order peel and stick samples of Behr Midnight Blue and its Benjamin Moore or Sherwin-Williams match, then view them on the actual wall across morning and evening light. You can also upload one photo to FacadeColorizer and preview the shades side by side for free before you spend anything on samples.
1 HD render plus 3 free color variations.
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