Battleship Gray → Sherwin Williams
The closest Sherwin Williams matches for Behr Battleship Gray (PPU18-04), ranked by perceptual color distance.
Finding a Sherwin Williams Equivalent for Battleship Gray
If you love Behr Battleship Gray but need a Sherwin Williams alternative, you are not alone. This is one of the most common cross-brand paint matching searches, whether you are working with a painter who prefers Sherwin Williams, your local store does not carry Behr, or you simply want to compare prices across brands before committing.
Battleship Gray (PPU18-04) is a dark gray with cool dark gray undertones. A cool, dark gray with minimal undertone. Named for the steel hulls of warships. Strong, serious, and commanding. Darker than Cathedral Gray, cooler than Anonymous. To find a good Sherwin Williams match, we need a color that captures not just the right depth (LRV 16) but also that specific undertone character. That is where Delta E color science comes in.
We calculated the perceptual color distance between Battleship Gray and every Sherwin Williams color using the CIE2000 Delta E formula, which measures how different two colors look to the human eye. A Delta E under 2 means most people cannot tell the colors apart. Between 2 and 4, you might notice a difference in certain lighting. Above 5, the difference is clearly visible side by side.
The results are decent but not perfect. The closest Sherwin Williams option is Online (SW 7072) with a Delta E of 4.4, which is a "good match" level match. Online is warmer and greener. Battleship Gray is cooler and more neutral. You will want to test a sample before committing, as the difference may be noticeable in certain lighting.
Sherwin Williams Matches for Battleship Gray
Online is warmer and greener. Battleship Gray is cooler and more neutral.
| Battleship Gray | Online | |
|---|---|---|
| LRV | 16 | 17 |
| Hex | #868381 | #868581 |
| Undertone | Cool Dark Gray | Warm Dark Gray |
| Family | Gray | Gray |
Undertone Comparison
Battleship Gray has cool dark gray undertones. A cool, dark gray with minimal undertone. Named for the steel hulls of warships. Strong, serious, and commanding. Darker than Cathedral Gray, cooler than Anonymous.
Online has warm dark gray undertones. A warm, dark gray with subtle green undertones. Deeper than Gauntlet Gray, warmer than Anthracite. Named for the connected, modern world it represents. A strong choice for contemporary accent walls.
The undertone difference is worth paying attention to. While they are close in overall appearance, the different undertones mean they may diverge in certain lighting. Battleship Gray's cool dark gray quality may read differently than Online's warm dark gray character, especially in rooms with strong directional light or colored accents that could pull out one undertone more than the other. Test a sample in your specific room before committing.
How These Colors Behave in Different Lighting
Battleship Gray in Your Room
Stays neutral and clean even at this dark depth. In bright light, reads as a solid cool gray. In dim rooms, approaches a sophisticated dark neutral. Does not pull warm or cool strongly.
Online in Your Room
In bright light, the green lean is subtle but present. In dim rooms, it reads as a solid dark gray with warmth. The depth provides drama without the starkness of black.
LRV and Brightness
Battleship Gray has an LRV of 16, while Online has an LRV of 17. These two colors reflect a very similar amount of light, so you should not notice a significant difference in room brightness when switching between them. The room will feel approximately the same in terms of light and space, which makes this a smoother transition.
Best Rooms for Battleship Gray
Behr recommends Battleship Gray for: accent wall, exterior, front door, cabinets, office. With an LRV of 16, this is a dark color that absorbs more light than it reflects. It makes a bold statement and works beautifully on accent walls, front doors, exterior trim, and features where drama is the goal. In a full room, make sure you have good lighting and bright white trim for contrast.
Online is recommended for: accent wall, exterior, cabinets, office, powder room. Both colors are recommended for similar applications, which confirms that this is a practical cross-brand match. You can use Online in the same rooms you planned for Battleship Gray.
Battleship Gray in Other Brands
Looking for Battleship Gray equivalents in other brands besides Sherwin Williams? We have matches across all major paint brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
The closest Sherwin Williams match for Battleship Gray (PPU18-04) is Online (SW 7072) with a Delta E of 4.4, which rates as a "good match" match. Online is warmer and greener. Battleship Gray is cooler and more neutral. Delta E measures perceptual color distance on a scale where under 2 means nearly identical, 2 to 4 means close with subtle differences, and over 5 means clearly noticeable.
No, they are not identical. Battleship Gray is a Behr color with cool dark gray undertones and an LRV of 16. Online is a Sherwin Williams color with warm dark gray undertones and an LRV of 17. With a Delta E of 4.4, you will likely notice a difference, especially in bright or direct lighting. Paint formulations differ between brands, so even colors with similar values can look slightly different due to pigment concentration, binders, and finish.
With a Delta E of 4.4, the difference is enough that they should not be used on adjacent walls in the same room. You can use them in separate rooms of the same house, but be aware that walking from one room to the other may reveal the difference, especially if the rooms have similar lighting. For the most consistent look, pick one brand for all connected living spaces and reserve the other brand for visually separate rooms like bathrooms or bedrooms behind closed doors.
There are several practical reasons to look for a Sherwin Williams equivalent. Price differences between brands can be significant on large projects. Availability matters if your nearest paint store or home center specializes in Sherwin Williams. Some painters have strong preferences for one brand's formula based on coverage, dry time, or workability. And if you are touching up existing Sherwin Williams work, matching within the same brand gives you the best consistency for seamless results.
Match calculations use Delta E (CIE2000) computed from Lab color space conversion. Color data sourced from manufacturer specifications. Last reviewed: March 22, 2026.