Alpha Blue (Behr M520-5)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Alpha Blue (Behr M520-5) is a deep, cool blue from Behr: LRV 23.8, so it reflects about 24 percent of the light that hits it.
Colors that go with Alpha Blue
Four Behr colors picked for Alpha Blue by this site's color math: a trim white, a deeper blue, a quiet contrast from another family, a dark accent. Behr did not choose these pairings.
Closest match in every other brand
Each brand's closest color to Alpha Blue, ranked by CIEDE2000 (deltaE): under 1.0 is indistinguishable, 1.0 to 2.3 very close, 2.3 to 5 noticeably different, over 5 clearly different.
| Brand | Closest color | Code | LRV | deltaE | How close |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams | Perfect Periwinkle | SW 9065 | 23 | 3.8 | noticeably different |
| Benjamin Moore | Lazy Sunday | 803 | 27.2 | 1.5 | very close |
| Valspar | Star Gazer | 4008-8B | 24 | 2.7 | noticeably different |
| PPG Paints | Ship's Harbor | 1161-5 | 21 | 2.6 | noticeably different |
Lighter and darker in Behr
The Behr blue colors nearest to Alpha Blue (LRV 23.8 (estimated)) by LRV.
Lighter than Alpha Blue
Darker than Alpha Blue
Color data
| Brand | Behr |
|---|---|
| Color code | M520-5 |
| Hex | #588BB4 |
| RGB | 88, 139, 180 |
| HSL | 207°, 38%, 53% |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 23.8 (estimated from the hex) |
| Lab L*, a*, b* | 55.9, -5.4, -26.8 |
| Undertone | Cool Blue |
| Temperature | cool |
| Color family | Blue |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Alpha Blue (Behr M520-5), published as #588BB4
#3D82B2
#7094B4
These swatches and the rooms above are a simulation, not a measurement. How the visualizer works
Similar shades from Behr
More from Behr
Common questions
- What is the LRV of Alpha Blue (Behr M520-5)?
- Alpha Blue has an LRV of 23.8 (estimated from its hex value). LRV runs from 0 (black) to 100 (pure white) and measures the share of light a surface reflects, so Alpha Blue is a deep color.
- What is the closest match to Alpha Blue in another brand?
- Lazy Sunday (BM 803) from Benjamin Moore, at a deltaE of 1.5 (very close).
- Is Alpha Blue warm or cool?
- Behr lists Alpha Blue as cool, with a Cool Blue undertone. Its Lab b* value is -26.8; a higher b* is warmer and yellower, a lower one cooler and bluer.
Sources: hex as published by the manufacturer, via PaintDB (CC BY 4.0); LRV is not published by Behr for this color and is estimated here from the color's own hex value. Color differences are CIEDE2000 values computed by this site from the hex values (data snapshot 2026-10-01). Color names and codes belong to their manufacturers.