RAL 860-5 vs Pure White
RAL 860-5 (RAL Effect) and Pure White (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, RAL 860-5 belongs to the grey family and Pure White to the beige-greige family. The 64-point LRV gap — 84 for Pure White vs 20 for RAL 860-5 — means Pure White will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 42.2 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 860-5 vs Pure White in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing RAL 860-5 and Pure White in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Living Room
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than RAL 860-5.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Pure White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Pure White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Pure White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. Pure White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
RAL 860-5 vs Pure White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 860-5 on one side and Pure White on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.
More RAL 860-5 comparisons
See how RAL 860-5 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 20), opening up a space where RAL 860-5 encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 20, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (30 vs 20) makes Evergreen Fog the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 20, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 20), opening up a space where RAL 860-5 encloses it.
Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 20), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 20, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 20), opening up a space where RAL 860-5 encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 20), opening up a space where RAL 860-5 encloses it.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 20), opening up a space where RAL 860-5 encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 20), opening up a space where RAL 860-5 encloses it.
RAL 860-5 reads slightly lighter (LRV 20 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
RAL 860-5 reads slightly lighter (LRV 20 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 20), opening up a space where RAL 860-5 encloses it.
RAL 860-5 reads slightly lighter (LRV 20 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 20), opening up a space where RAL 860-5 encloses it.
A 12-point LRV gap (31 vs 20) makes Pale Green the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 20 vs 7, RAL 860-5 is decisively the brighter choice.