Steel Blue
30BB 33/163 · #8A9BB8 · LRV 33 — cool blue tone, mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light.
- 1Hale Navy8
- 2Waterloo13
- 3Steel Blue33
- 4Resolute Blue40
- 5Honolulu Blue62
What Color Is Steel Blue, Really?
Steel Blue reads as a cool blue tone — mid-tone — versatile but shifts visibly with light. The notes below cover how Glidden 30BB 33/163 behaves in different light and the closest matches at competing US brands.
Best Rooms and Uses for Steel Blue
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.
How Lighting Changes 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.
Most complaints about Steel Blue are a light mismatch. Upload a photo of your actual room and see it on your walls — then ask for the same wall in north light or evening lamps before you buy a single sample.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Glidden 30BB 33/163 directly. If you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches, measured as ΔE2000. Under 2 is a difference you will not see on the wall.
| Brand | Closest color | ΔE | LRV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Behr | Periwinkle BlossomPMD-13 · Behr | 1.3 | 32 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Steel Blue823 · Benjamin Moore | 2.1 | 35 | Color page → |
| Valspar | House of Owen8003-47D · Valspar | 4.1 | 31 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Alaskan BluePPG1162-4 · PPG / Glidden | 4.8 | 33 | Color page → |
| Dutch Boy | Purplelicious241-4DB · Dutch Boy | 2.5 | 31 | Color page → |
| HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams | Purple PeoniesHGSW 1403 · HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams | 4.6 | 32 | Color page → |
Similar Glidden Colors
The 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.
WCAG 2.1: AA is 4.5 : 1 for normal text, 3 : 1 for large text, AAA is 7 : 1.
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.
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