Color spec
| Brand | Glidden |
| Name | Fresh Water Blue |
| SKU | 50BG 72/170 |
| Hex | #B8DFF0 |
| RGB | 184, 223, 240 |
| HSL | 198°, 65%, 83% |
| LRV | 72 |
| Undertone | cool blue-green tone |
| Family | Blue |
About Glidden Fresh Water Blue
At LRV 72, Fresh Water Blue is a light color that bounces daylight around a room without tipping into stark white. Its teal undertone is the part to watch: it gets picked up by whatever sits next to it, so test it against your trim, floor and the room's main light before committing. It holds its undertone in most exposures, which is what makes light shades like this so forgiving room to room.
Fresh Water Blue is an easy whole-room color for living spaces and bedrooms, and light enough to carry onto trim or a ceiling if you want a soft, seamless look. Blues calm a room, which makes them popular in bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices.
Closest matches by brand
12 brands within ΔE 5The closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Only colors within ΔE 5 (close enough to substitute on a wall) are shown — brands with no real match are left off. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all blue from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Behr
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
C2 Paint
Kompozit
Similar Glidden colors
closest in the Glidden deckThe nearest shades to Fresh Water Blue within Glidden's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #B8DFF0 in HSL space. Pair Fresh Water Blue with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
Accessibility (WCAG contrast)
WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.
Glidden Fresh Water Blue Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Fresh Water Blue from a different paint counter? Below is the single closest color in each major US deck and how close it really is. Remember that any paint store can also custom-tint Glidden 50BG 72/170 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Fresh Water Blue
Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Fresh Water Blue. The nearest is Minor Blue (SW 6792) at ΔE 3.5 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly darker (LRV 68 vs 72). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Minor Blue swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Fresh Water Blue
Behr's nearest match is Life At Sea (M510-2), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.26). It runs slightly darker (LRV 69 vs 72) and carries a cool blue-green undertone, so it substitutes for Fresh Water Blue without repainting risk. See the full Life At Sea swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Fresh Water Blue
Benjamin Moore's nearest match is Morning Glory (785), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.23). It runs slightly darker (LRV 68 vs 72) and carries a cool blue-green undertone, so it substitutes for Fresh Water Blue without repainting risk. See the full Morning Glory swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Fresh Water Blue
The closest Valspar equivalent of Fresh Water Blue is Quiet Nook (8002-42A). At ΔE 0.82 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same cool blue-green undertone and runs slightly darker (LRV 69 vs 72). If Valspar is your counter, order Quiet Nook and you'll get the same color. See the full Quiet Nook swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Fresh Water Blue
Dutch Boy's nearest match is Blue Crab Claw (137-2DB), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.94). It runs slightly darker (LRV 67 vs 72) and carries a cool blue-green undertone, so it substitutes for Fresh Water Blue without repainting risk. See the full Blue Crab Claw swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Fresh Water Blue
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Fresh Water Blue. The nearest is Snow Mountain (HGSW 1367) at ΔE 3.5 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly darker (LRV 68 vs 72). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Snow Mountain swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Fresh Water Blue
At Dunn-Edwards, the closest color to Fresh Water Blue is Azure Sky (DE5834) — very close at ΔE 2.07, though not an exact twin. It runs noticeably darker (LRV 64 vs 72) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Azure Sky swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Fresh Water Blue
Diamond Vogel has no exact twin of Fresh Water Blue. The nearest is Empress Lila (0636) at ΔE 4.4 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 71 vs 72). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Empress Lila swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Fresh Water Blue
At Hirshfield's, the closest color to Fresh Water Blue is Empress Lila (0636) — very close at ΔE 3.43, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 71 vs 72) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Empress Lila swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Fresh Water Blue
At Kompozit, the closest color to Fresh Water Blue is Empress Lila (0636) — very close at ΔE 3.43, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly darker (LRV 70 vs 72) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Empress Lila swatch →