Hardback is a deep brown from COAT. As a premium paint, it’s a popular colour to seek out close matches and value-brand alternatives to.
Sarsaparilla by Johnstone's is the closest match from any other brand (near-identical) — and it holds Hardback’s lightness, warmth and saturation alike. It’s also the best-value tier of the close matches — unusual, as the nearest match and the best-value one usually differ. 3 of the 8 other brands have a near-identical match. LRV is estimated from each brand’s swatch, so order testers before committing.
Below is every genuinely close match to Hardback from the other eight brands — ranked purely by closeness, so where one brand has several near-misses, they all appear. For the single best match per brand, see the Hardback colour page.
The nearest Dulux colour is Dipped Chocolate (near-identical). It won’t be pixel-perfect, so order a tester before committing.
Of the close matches, Sarsaparilla by Johnstone's is the best-value option (value, near-identical).
The list shows every genuinely close match from other brands, ranked nearest-first by perceptual colour difference — including several from one brand where they’re all close. Screens differ from paint on a wall, so treat these as a shortlist and always order tester pots.
Search any paint name in the tool to see its closest matches across every UK brand.
See the full Hardback colour page →