In the Navy vs Hale Navy: The Comparison That Actually Helps You Decide
In the Navy and Hale Navy are both dark blues, but one is pushed toward black and the other is softened toward grey. In the Navy, from Sherwin-Williams, absorbs almost everything. Hale Navy, from Benjamin Moore, reflects roughly twice as much and wears its blue lightly. On a paint card both read as navy. On a full wall, one feels like midnight and the other like slate.
I have used both across residential projects, and the choice is rarely close once the room is known. In the Navy delivers drama and depth. Hale Navy delivers softness and a historic, livable quality. Clients asking for a dark navy are usually picturing one of these without realizing they are opposites in mood. Here is exactly how I tell them apart.
This guide covers the real difference in saturation and undertone, how each color behaves in north and south light, where each belongs on walls and cabinets, and a one-day light test that settles the decision.
At a Glance
| In the Navy | Hale Navy |
Brand | Sherwin-Williams | Benjamin Moore |
LRV | ~4 (3.7) - very dark; absorbs nearly all the light that reaches it | ~8 - still very dark, but reflects roughly twice as much as In the Navy, enough to show tonal movement across the day |
Colour category | Blue-black neutral - a navy that behaves like a softened black | Blue-grey slate navy - a lifted, muted navy that sits between charcoal and true navy |
Undertones | Cool, deep blue with ink-like weight (hex #283849) - the blue is present but buried in the depth | Cool blue-grey with low saturation (hex #434B56) - the grey leads and the blue plays a supporting role |
Character | Dramatic, enveloping and tailored; deepens a room and pulls the eye toward art, brass and pale furniture | Soft-spoken, historic and slightly dusty; reads as a refined slate navy, more relaxed and traditional than a true dark navy |
North-facing | Risky if you want navy - drops to flat blue-black in cool, low light and the blue vanishes | Safer on mood but shifts grey - holds a readable slate tone, but can turn flat and cold without warm lighting |
South-facing | Excellent - strong light reveals the blue depth and stops it reading as plain black | Beautiful - sunlight brings out the blue and lifts it from slate toward a soft navy; its most flattering condition |
Open-plan | Strong as an anchor when contained to a feature wall or built-in - deep and steady across zones, but heavy as a full-room wrap | More forgiving across zones - the muted blue-grey blends into mixed light and materials without announcing itself |
On walls | A full-room wrap that feels deep and decisive; shrinks perceived space and flatters artwork and warm wood | A softer, more atmospheric dark wall; reads as a muted blue-grey in most light and feels more relaxed than a true navy |
On cabinets | Reads close to black against white stone and brass; the choice for a dramatic kitchen with a navy cast | Reads as a classic slate navy against marble and brushed metals; the safer cabinet choice when blue-black feels too severe |
Use together? | Not on adjacent surfaces - beside In the Navy, Hale Navy looks washed out and grey, so the pairing reads as an error | Yes, in separate spaces - a Hale Navy living room and an In the Navy study coexist, provided no sightline connects them |
Trim for each | Pure White SW 7005 or Extra White SW 7006 for crisp, graphic contrast against the blue-black | Chantilly Lace OC-65 or Simply White OC-117 for clean, crisp definition |
Style fit | Modern traditional, library and study, dark kitchen, moody contemporary | Traditional, historic, transitional, painted cabinetry, front doors and period homes |
Architect's pick | When the brief is dramatic depth, a near-black with a navy cast, in a room with daylight or warm materials to show the blue | When the brief is a softer, more livable dark blue, a muted slate navy that stays composed across changing light |
Sherwin-Williams In the Navy SW 9178 - What It Really Looks Like
In the Navy has an LRV of approximately 4, which puts it firmly in the very-dark category. At that depth a color stops reflecting and starts absorbing. In the Navy takes this far enough that it reads as blue-black in most rooms, with the navy appearing only when strong light finds it. The hex value, #283849, shows a cool, deep blue with real weight behind it. There is nothing soft about it.
The character is drama. The blue sits behind the depth and gives the room a tailored, enclosed quality that suits libraries, studies, dining rooms and kitchens with brass and pale stone. In daylight it reads as ink. After dark, under lamps, it can slip toward black entirely. That is either the effect you want or the problem, depending on the brief.
Before you commit to a full-room dark, the In the Navy review breaks down exactly how it behaves on walls, doors and cabinets in different light directions, which is worth reading if In the Navy is already your front-runner.
Benjamin Moore Hale Navy HC-154 - What It Really Looks Like
Hale Navy has an LRV of approximately 8, which keeps it in the very-dark category but well above In the Navy. At #434B56 it reads as a muted, blue-grey slate navy rather than a true navy. The grey is the defining trait.
In good daylight the blue emerges and it looks like a refined, softened navy. In low light it moves toward charcoal. It has a historic quality, which is fitting: it comes from Benjamin Moore's Historical Colors collection. It does not shout. It settles into a room.
To see how Hale Navy holds up against a deeper, more saturated Sherwin-Williams navy, the Naval vs Hale Navy guide covers the same saturation gap this comparison turns on, using a navy that sits close to In the Navy on the Sherwin-Williams side.
The Real Difference Between In the Navy and Hale Navy
The simplest way to put it: In the Navy is a navy pushed toward black. Hale Navy is a navy softened toward grey. Hold the chips together and the difference is weight. In the Navy is deeper, bluer and more dramatic. Hale Navy is lighter, greyer and more relaxed.
Unlike many close pairs, the LRV gap here is real. In the Navy sits at approximately 4 and Hale Navy at approximately 8, so Hale Navy reflects roughly twice as much light. Both are still very dark. But that lift, combined with Hale Navy's lower saturation, is what makes it read as slate while In the Navy reads as ink. One absorbs. The other holds a little back.
The trim story is straightforward. Both navies want a clean, bright white on joinery. In the Navy takes Pure White or Extra White best, because near-black depth turns crisp white into graphic contrast. Hale Navy suits Chantilly Lace or Simply White for the same clean definition. Neither forgives a dingy off-white. If In the Navy feels too black and you want a closer look at its nearest neighbour, the In the Navy vs Naval guide shows how a similar Sherwin-Williams navy shifts the balance between depth and blue.
Not sure which one is right for your room? A Color Direction consultation gets you a full custom palette built around your space - book yours here. |
When to Choose In the Navy
Choose In the Navy when you want drama: a dark neutral that behaves like black but keeps a navy cast. These are the conditions where it is the right answer:
Rooms with strong natural light, south or west facing, where the blue depth has light to work with. Studies, libraries, dining rooms and snugs where an enclosed, tailored mood is the brief. Kitchens with brass hardware and white or pale stone, where cabinets should read as nearly black without the severity of true black. Spaces with pale furniture and warm wood to carry the contrast. Walls that need to recede behind artwork.
Avoid In the Navy in dim north-facing rooms with no lighting plan, where it will read as flat black and lose the navy entirely. Avoid it in small, windowless spaces where cozy tips into heavy. And avoid it anywhere the brief is a soft, muted blue. It will not deliver one.
When to Choose Hale Navy
Choose Hale Navy when you want a softer, more livable dark blue that stays composed in changing light. These are the conditions where it outperforms In the Navy:
Traditional and period homes where a historic, slightly dusty navy is part of the design intent. Painted kitchen cabinets and built-ins where blue-black feels too severe. Living rooms and bedrooms where a dark wall should feel atmospheric rather than enclosing. Front doors and exteriors that want a refined navy rather than a dramatic one. Open-plan spaces where a muted blue-grey blends across zones.
Avoid Hale Navy in dim north-facing rooms with cool lighting, where the grey can turn flat and cold. Avoid it if you want real drama, because the lift in LRV makes it feel gentler. And avoid it beside warm, saturated accents that expose its muted character.
How the Pairings Differ
For In the Navy on walls, Pure White or Extra White on trim gives the sharpest definition, because crisp white against blue-black reads graphic and deliberate. Skip warm creams, which look muddy beside it. In the Navy on walls and trim together is a strong move for a fully enveloping study or library.
For Hale Navy on walls, Chantilly Lace or Simply White on trim gives clean contrast while keeping the scheme soft. Hale Navy on cabinets against Chantilly Lace walls is a classic, dependable pairing. Hale Navy on walls and trim together suits a calm, tonal room.
For flooring, both colors work with warm wood. In the Navy loves mid and dark oak, herringbone and warm stone, where the warmth lifts the blue-black. Hale Navy suits warm oak, aged boards and natural stone, where the warmth stops the grey from going cold. Cool grey tile beside either one pushes the room toward cold.
For hardware, aged and unlacquered brass suit both. In the Navy also takes brushed nickel well. Matte black hardware disappears against it, so avoid it on cabinets. Hale Navy has just enough lift for matte black to register, and it also pairs well with polished nickel.
Architect's Verdict - In the Navy or Hale Navy?
Neither is the safer default, because they fail in opposite directions. In the Navy fails by going flat and black. Hale Navy fails by going flat and grey. The right choice depends on which failure your room can tolerate.
For drama, In the Navy is the stronger choice. It gives you the weight and mood of a near-black without the harshness of one, and it lets art, brass and pale furniture do the talking. In a south-facing study with warm wood and good daylight, it is the more commanding of the two. It earns that on depth.
For a softer, more livable dark blue, Hale Navy is the stronger choice. It keeps a readable slate blue where In the Navy would slide toward black, and it feels at home in traditional rooms, on painted cabinets and on front doors. It is gentler. That is its strength.
The test I always use: buy sample pots of both and paint two large patches, at least two feet square, side by side on the darkest wall in the room, the worst case for any dark navy. Check them at 8 am on an overcast morning, then again at 9 pm under your usual lamps. In the Navy passes if it keeps a visible blue cast in both; if it reads flat black, choose Hale Navy. Hale Navy passes if it still reads blue rather than flat charcoal; if it looks grey and dull, choose In the Navy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hale Navy lighter than In the Navy?
Yes, noticeably. Hale Navy has an LRV of approximately 8 against approximately 4 for In the Navy, so it reflects roughly twice as much light. It is also greyer and less saturated, which makes it read as a slate navy while In the Navy reads closer to black.
Which is better for kitchen cabinets?
In the Navy for a dramatic near-black, Hale Navy for a softer slate navy. In the Navy reads close to black against white stone and brass. Hale Navy reads as a refined blue-grey against marble and brushed metals. Sample both on a cabinet door in your actual kitchen before committing, because countertop and hardware undertones shift the result.
Which is better for a north-facing room?
Hale Navy holds a readable tone better, but both are risky. In the Navy tends to collapse toward blue-black in cool, flat light, while Hale Navy keeps a slate-blue character but can turn cold. Both are dark, so plan layered warm lighting for either one.
Can I use In the Navy and Hale Navy in the same house?
Yes, in separate rooms. Avoid putting them on adjacent surfaces or in connected sightlines. Beside In the Navy, Hale Navy looks washed out and grey, so the pairing reads as a mistake rather than a contrast. Using the same white trim across both keeps the house cohesive.
Does Hale Navy look grey?
In low light, often yes. Hale Navy is a blue-grey, so the grey side shows in dim rooms and north light. Good daylight brings out the blue. If you want a navy that stays clearly blue, In the Navy is deeper and more saturated.
What is the LRV of In the Navy vs Hale Navy?
In the Navy has an LRV of approximately 4 and Hale Navy approximately 8. To one decimal place In the Navy is 3.7, and Hale Navy is listed at around 8.4 by most sources. Both are very dark, but Hale Navy reflects about twice as much light.
Final Thought
In the Navy and Hale Navy are both excellent dark blues. The choice between them is not about quality. It is about how much drama the room should carry.
If you want depth, drama and a near-black with a navy cast, In the Navy will give you a tailored, commanding room. If you want a softer slate navy with a historic, livable feel, Hale Navy will give you a color that settles into the room. Paint two large patches side by side on the darkest wall, then check them at 8 am and again at 9 pm under lamps. Choose the one that still looks like the room you imagined. The answer will be clear within 24 hours.
Want a complete colour scheme built around In the Navy or Hale Navy? Our design packages cover full palette selection, finish recommendations, and 3D visualisations - see our packages. |
About the Author
Beril Yilmaz is a qualified architect and interior designer based in the UK. She runs BY Design And Viz, a design platform covering paint colour reviews, interior design guidance, and residential design projects. Beril has specified both In the Navy and Hale Navy across residential projects in the UK and internationally - In the Navy in studies, libraries and dark kitchens with brass hardware and pale stone, Hale Navy in period homes, painted cabinetry and front doors where a softer, historic navy was the brief, occasionally within the same home in separate rooms.
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