The closest widely recommended Benjamin Moore match for Sherwin-Williams Naval (SW 6244, LRV 4) is Hale Navy (HC-154), around LRV 6.3: a step lighter and a shade grayer, but the same confident, near-black navy in a room. If you want Naval's exact depth, Old Navy (2063-10), near LRV 5, sits closer.
On the Behr deck, the closest easy match is Behr Very Navy, around LRV 5, a touch cooler and cleaner than Naval.
The delta between all of these is small, so the numbers only get you to the right shelf. The only way to be sure is to confirm the winner on your own wall, in your own light, before you buy a gallon.
Sherwin-Williams Naval is one of the most loved deep navies in the country, so it is no surprise that people painting with Benjamin Moore or Behr want the same look without switching brands. The honest answer up front: no paint company publishes official cross-brand equivalents, and none of these three will ever certify a competitor's color as a match. What we can do is line up the numbers that actually matter, LRV (how light or dark a color reads) and undertone (the subtle cast underneath the navy), and find the closest fit. If you want the full method, here is how cross-brand paint matching works. For Naval specifically, matching is about landing within a point or two of LRV 4 while keeping that cool, faintly violet navy character.
The closest matches, side by side
| Color | Brand + code | Approx LRV | Undertone vs Naval | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naval (approx #2E3D4E) | Sherwin-Williams SW 6244 | 4 | Reference: cool navy, faint violet-black base | The color you are matching |
| Hale Navy (approx #434A54) | Benjamin Moore HC-154 | ~6.3 | A step lighter, slightly grayer and softer | Closest widely recommended BM match |
| Old Navy (approx #2C3340) | Benjamin Moore 2063-10 | ~5 | Nearly the same depth, a hair more saturated | Best BM pick for Naval's darkness |
| Very Navy (approx #333F4C) | Behr (confirm code on current fan deck) | ~5 | A touch cooler and cleaner, slightly brighter blue | Closest easy Behr match |
Try it on your house
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LRV figures are approximations of each brand's published data and can shift with batch and sheen. The hex values above are digital renderings meant to show relative tone on a screen, not exact color: a physical paint chip under your own lighting is the only authoritative reference.
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Why there is no exact Naval equivalent
Every brand builds its colors on its own tint bases and its own colorants, then measures them on its own equipment. That means two navies can share the same LRV on paper and still read differently on a wall, because the pigments that create the color are not identical. Naval leans on a cool, faintly violet cast sitting over a near-black base. Benjamin Moore and Behr each reach a similar place with a slightly different recipe, so the undertone drifts: Hale Navy picks up a hair more gray, Behr Very Navy a touch more clean blue. None of that is a flaw. It is simply why a cross-brand match is always a close approximation, never a certified twin.
Deck differences matter too. A fan deck chip is printed or drawn-down under controlled light, but your room has its own mix of daylight, warm bulbs, and reflected color from floors and trim. A navy at LRV 4 is dark enough that these variables get amplified, because there is very little light bouncing back to soften the reading. So the same gallon can look inky and dramatic on a north-facing wall and almost black in an evening hallway. This is exactly why we treat the numbers below as a starting shelf, not a final answer.
When the Benjamin Moore match works (and when to stay Sherwin-Williams)
The right call usually comes down to the rest of your palette and how deep you need the navy to go.
- Choose the Benjamin Moore match when your trim, ceiling, and coordinating grays are already Benjamin Moore, so your whole project stays inside one fan deck and one store.
- Stay with Sherwin-Williams Naval when you want the deepest, most saturated navy of the group, especially on a front door or an accent wall where LRV 4 reads almost black at night. See Naval undertones and best rooms for where that depth shines.
- If you are torn between Hale Navy and Naval specifically, our Hale Navy and Naval side-by-side comparison shows exactly how the two behave in the same light.
- Go with Old Navy or Behr Very Navy when depth matters more than the exact brand, since both land nearer Naval's LRV than Hale Navy does.
Related matches
Hunting equivalents for other Sherwin-Williams staples? See the Benjamin Moore match for Tricorn Black, the near-true black, and the Benjamin Moore match for Iron Ore, the soft charcoal. Same method, same honesty: closest LRV and undertone, then a test on your own wall.
Frequently asked questions
What is the closest Benjamin Moore equivalent of Naval?
The closest widely recommended match is Benjamin Moore Hale Navy (HC-154), around LRV 6.3. It reads a step lighter and a shade grayer than Naval (SW 6244, LRV 4), so it behaves like a slightly softer navy. If you want to match Naval's depth more precisely, Old Navy (2063-10) sits closer to LRV 5. There is no official equivalent, so test either one on your own wall before you commit.
Is there a Behr version of Naval?
Behr Very Navy is the closest easy Behr match, sitting near LRV 5 with a slightly cooler, cleaner blue cast than Naval. It is not an official equivalent, and Behr mixes in a different base and colorant system, so the undertone can shift under your lighting. Paint a sample board and check it against Naval in the actual room before ordering a full gallon.
Does Benjamin Moore Hale Navy match Sherwin-Williams Naval?
They are close cousins, not twins. Hale Navy (LRV around 6.3) is lighter and slightly grayer, while Naval (LRV 4) is deeper and a touch more saturated. In a bright room the difference narrows; in low light Hale Navy can look softer and Naval closer to black. For a direct look, see our Hale Navy and Naval side-by-side, then confirm on your wall.
Can I get an exact Naval match at Benjamin Moore or Behr?
Not officially. No paint brand publishes exact cross-brand equivalents, and each brand uses its own bases and tints, so LRV and undertone always shift a little. Some paint counters can scan a Naval chip and mix a custom color-match into their own base, which gets you very close, though sheen and coverage can still differ. The only way to be sure is to test the match on your own wall in your own light.
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Trademark notice. Sherwin-Williams and Naval, Benjamin Moore, and Behr are trademarks of their respective owners. FacadeColorizer is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by these companies. Brand and color names are used descriptively (nominative fair use). Hex and RGB values are approximate digital renderings; the only authoritative reference is a physical paint chip.
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