Minwax Navy: wood stain color review

Considering adding a blue wood stain to your wood project? Check out Minwax Navy – our full review & how it looks on 4 types of wood!

Adding wood stain to a woodworking or furniture project can completely transform the finished look.

Usually you might decide between a light brown and a dark brown, or maybe even more of a gray tone.

But – what about a blue wood stain?

There are several really nice blue wood stain colors that can be used to add a pop of color and interest to your wood project.

Let’s talk about Minwax Navy and see how it looks on different types of wood!

Minwax Navy

Minwax is a brand commonly carried at Lowes.

Navy is a classic color that can work in a variety of home decor styles.

So, I was really excited to pick up Minwax Navy wood stain.

However, I found that all wasn’t as expected.

The most important think to note about this stain color is that it is not nearly as dark as it looks on the can.

For real – the can makes it look almost black it’s so navy. In my experience, across several wood types, it reads as more of a dark, bright, royal blue than a navy.

That being said, this is a good stain color – you just need to correct expectations. I personally love a dark stain color on cheaper wood, as it helps to disguise dark knots and give the wood some interest.

Here is how Minwax Navy looked on each of four wood types!

How does Minwax Navy stain look on oak?

Oak is a really beautiful wood with natural red undertones.

Oak is a hard wood and does not absorb much stain – it tends to settle into the grain a bit, and wipe off elsewhere.

Because of the natural beauty of oak and the way the stain takes on it, this is not my favorite combo. I feel like the red of the oak and the blue of the stain make for a weird combo.

How does Minwax Navy stain look on pine?

Pine wood has natural yellow tones with some slightly darker graining.

Because pine is a soft wood, Navy absorbs pretty heavily into it. I actually LOVE this color on pine and think that it gives a lot of rich dimension to what is sometimes otherwise a boring wood type.

How does Minwax Navy stain look on poplar?

Poplar has natural green and some purple undertones.

Poplar has little almost dashes it it’s wood grain which gives it the look of a lot of texture.

Minwax Navy gives poplar pretty solid, darker coverage. Because of that textured look to poplar, Navy (and all dark colors) tend to settle into the “dashes” and make them more pronounced.

Because of that, this isn’t my favorite combination, but it’s not terrible!

How does Minwax Navy stain look on a 2×4?

2x4s are usually very light wood with darker knots and holes. Most people don’t use 2×4 for projects you would really stain, but we still tested it for you!

2x4s have grain that varies widely between white and golden yellow. I find that stain takes to this grain differently, giving it a striped look.

Navy absorbs heavily into a soft 2×4, giving it a ton of pigment. I actually prefer this look – if you are going to stain a 2×4, you probably want full coverage.

Plus, the darker color is perfect for helping to disguise or downplay the darker knots in the wood!

Any more questions about Minwax Navy?