Color spec
| Brand | Glidden |
| Name | Steel Blue |
| SKU | 30BB 33/163 |
| Hex | #8A9BB8 |
| RGB | 138, 155, 184 |
| HSL | 218°, 24%, 63% |
| LRV | 33 |
| Undertone | blue / cool |
| Family | Blue |
About Glidden Steel Blue
Steel Blue sits in the mid-range at LRV 33, so it shifts visibly through the day — lighter and more open in morning light, deeper and moodier after dark. Its blue 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. South-facing rooms will pull it lighter and warmer, while north light cools it down.
Steel Blue is versatile enough for full rooms but has enough depth to anchor a space, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and cabinetry alike. Blues calm a room, which makes them popular in bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices.
Closest matches at every US brand
20 brands · top 5 each5 closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. 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
Magnolia Home
Farrow & Ball
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Clare
Portola Paints
Annie Sloan
Backdrop
Rust-Oleum
Kompozit
Similar Glidden colors
closest in the Glidden deckThe nearest shades to Steel 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 #8A9BB8 in HSL space. Pair Steel 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 Steel Blue Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Steel 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 30BB 33/163 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Steel Blue
Sherwin-Williams doesn't make a true equivalent of Steel Blue — the nearest deck color, Bluesy Note (SW 9064), is clearly different (ΔE 5.06). For an exact match, any Sherwin-Williams retailer can custom-tint Glidden 30BB 33/163 instead. See the full Bluesy Note swatch →
Behr Equivalent of Steel Blue
Behr's nearest match is Periwinkle Blossom (PMD-13), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.25). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 32 vs 33) and carries a cool blue undertone, so it substitutes for Steel Blue without repainting risk. See the full Periwinkle Blossom swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Steel Blue
At Benjamin Moore, the closest color to Steel Blue is Steel Blue (823) — very close at ΔE 2.09, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 35 vs 33) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Steel Blue swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Steel Blue
Valspar has no exact twin of Steel Blue. The nearest is House of Owen (8003-47D) at ΔE 4.08 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly darker (LRV 31 vs 33). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full House of Owen swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Steel Blue
PPG / Glidden has no exact twin of Steel Blue. The nearest is Alaskan Blue (PPG1162-4) at ΔE 4.77 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 33 vs 33). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Alaskan Blue swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Steel Blue
At Dutch Boy, the closest color to Steel Blue is Purplelicious (241-4DB) — very close at ΔE 2.46, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly darker (LRV 31 vs 33) and carries a cool blue undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Purplelicious swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Steel Blue
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams has no exact twin of Steel Blue. The nearest is Purple Peonies (HGSW 1403) at ΔE 4.6 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 32 vs 33). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Purple Peonies swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Steel Blue
Dunn-Edwards doesn't make a true equivalent of Steel Blue — the nearest deck color, Charcoal Dust (DE5927), is clearly different (ΔE 5.81). For an exact match, any Dunn-Edwards retailer can custom-tint Glidden 30BB 33/163 instead. See the full Charcoal Dust swatch →
Magnolia Home Equivalent of Steel Blue
Magnolia Home doesn't make a true equivalent of Steel Blue — the nearest deck color, Winter Solstice (JG-89), is clearly different (ΔE 10.11). For an exact match, any Magnolia Home retailer can custom-tint Glidden 30BB 33/163 instead. See the full Winter Solstice swatch →
Farrow & Ball Equivalent of Steel Blue
Farrow & Ball doesn't make a true equivalent of Steel Blue — the nearest deck color, Stone Blue (NO. 86), is clearly different (ΔE 11.19). For an exact match, any Farrow & Ball retailer can custom-tint Glidden 30BB 33/163 instead. See the full Stone Blue swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Steel Blue
Diamond Vogel has no exact twin of Steel Blue. The nearest is North Sea (0625) at ΔE 3.75 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 34 vs 33). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full North Sea swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Steel Blue
Hirshfield's has no exact twin of Steel Blue. The nearest is North Sea (0625) at ΔE 4.06 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 34 vs 33). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full North Sea swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Steel Blue
Rodda doesn't make a true equivalent of Steel Blue — the nearest deck color, Rainfall (CA196), is clearly different (ΔE 10.22). For an exact match, any Rodda retailer can custom-tint Glidden 30BB 33/163 instead. See the full Rainfall swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Steel Blue
C2 Paint doesn't make a true equivalent of Steel Blue — the nearest deck color, Bahamas (C2-748), is clearly different (ΔE 7.74). For an exact match, any C2 Paint retailer can custom-tint Glidden 30BB 33/163 instead. See the full Bahamas swatch →
Clare Equivalent of Steel Blue
Clare doesn't make a true equivalent of Steel Blue — the nearest deck color, Blue Ivy (PNT100-MD-39), is clearly different (ΔE 10.85). For an exact match, any Clare retailer can custom-tint Glidden 30BB 33/163 instead. See the full Blue Ivy swatch →
Portola Paints Equivalent of Steel Blue
Portola Paints doesn't make a true equivalent of Steel Blue — the nearest deck color, Twin Peaks (TWIN PEAKS), is clearly different (ΔE 9.04). For an exact match, any Portola Paints retailer can custom-tint Glidden 30BB 33/163 instead. See the full Twin Peaks swatch →
Annie Sloan Equivalent of Steel Blue
Annie Sloan doesn't make a true equivalent of Steel Blue — the nearest deck color, Provence (PROVENCE), is clearly different (ΔE 19.29). For an exact match, any Annie Sloan retailer can custom-tint Glidden 30BB 33/163 instead. See the full Provence swatch →
Backdrop Equivalent of Steel Blue
Backdrop doesn't make a true equivalent of Steel Blue — the nearest deck color, Polly Wants (BD-PW), is clearly different (ΔE 10.19). For an exact match, any Backdrop retailer can custom-tint Glidden 30BB 33/163 instead. See the full Polly Wants swatch →
Rust-Oleum Equivalent of Steel Blue
Rust-Oleum doesn't make a true equivalent of Steel Blue — the nearest deck color, Blue Harbor (371675), is clearly different (ΔE 14.46). For an exact match, any Rust-Oleum retailer can custom-tint Glidden 30BB 33/163 instead. See the full Blue Harbor swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Steel Blue
Kompozit has no exact twin of Steel Blue. The nearest is North Sea (0625) at ΔE 4.06 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 32 vs 33). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full North Sea swatch →