Sherwin-Williams NavalvsSherwin-Williams Salty Dog
Why this comparison: Two SW navies a shade apart; Salty Dog runs slightly deeper with more gray. Naval and Salty Dog are very close (ΔE 4.34). The difference shows up most in side-by-side comparison and under specific light.
Built from our full reviews of both colors — same measured data, same real-room photos. About the testing process →
The Numbers
LRV is essentially equal (4 vs 5) — both reflect light the same.
What Each Color Really Is
A saturated dark blue with just enough gray to keep it from looking like a child's paint set. That gray is the whole reason it works: it takes the edge off the blue without draining it, so Naval lands between a primary navy and the gray-blues everyone else calls navy. There is no green pull and no teal to speak of. When someone says a color "looks navy" from across a kitchen, this is usually the one they mean.
At LRV 4 it reflects almost nothing — the same neighborhood as a true black. Put it beside Tricorn Black (SW 6258, LRV 3) and you finally see the blue clearly; put it in a hallway with no lamp on and that blue disappears. Compared with Hale Navy (BM HC-154, LRV 6), Naval is a step deeper and clearly more colorful, where Hale Navy behaves like a soft charcoal that happens to be blue. That difference decides most of the arguments people have about these two.
Salty Dog (SW 9177) reads as blue / cool at LRV 5 — reads near-black.
Specs Side by Side
| Spec | Naval | Salty Dog |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams | Sherwin-Williams |
| SKU | SW 6244 | SW 9177 |
| Hex | #2F3D4C | #234058 |
| RGB | 47, 61, 76 | 35, 64, 88 |
| LRV | 4 | 5 |
| Undertone | blue / cool | blue / cool |
| Family | Blue | Blue |
How Light Changes Them
Direct sun lifts the blue and the color finally shows its saturation. Midday is its best hour.
Cool, soft daylight has nothing to bounce off LRV 4. Expect near-black walls with a hint of blue at the edges.
Warm 2700K lamps keep it rich and cozy. Cool 4000K LEDs push it cold and stark — swap bulbs, not paint.
Basements, interior hallways, windowless baths: it stops being a color and becomes a black surface.
At LRV 5, Salty Dog is about as dark as paint gets — it reads near-black on a wall and reveals its character only in direct daylight or under warm bulbs. 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. In rooms with little natural light it can feel heavy, so reserve it for spaces you want to feel enveloping.
Both Colors in Real Rooms
Photos from our full reviews — the same rooms and captions, so you can judge each color where it actually lives, not on a chip.
When to Pick Which
Kitchen islands and lower cabinets with white uppers · front doors and shutters · a study or bedroom with real windows · anyone who wants dark without going black
The room has one small window or none · you want every cabinet dark in a small kitchen · you hate wiping dust and fingerprints · a sun-baked deck or south-facing wall
Best when you want a cooler, more architectural read — pairs with chrome, steel, and crisp whites.
No comparison page can see your light. Upload one photo of your room and try both colors on the same walls, seconds apart.
Naval vs Salty Dog FAQ
Which is lighter, Naval or Salty Dog?
They are practically the same lightness — LRV 4 vs 5. Neither will make the room brighter than the other.
Which is warmer, Naval or Salty Dog?
They share the same undertone family — both read blue / cool. The difference between them is lightness and depth, not temperature.
How similar are Naval and Salty Dog?
Naval and Salty Dog are very close (ΔE 4.34). The difference shows up most in side-by-side comparison and under specific light. The only reliable test is seeing both in your own room and light — a side-by-side on a screen or chip flattens the difference.
Can I use Naval and Salty Dog together in one house?
Not in the same room, and be careful in the same house. At ΔE 4.34 they are so close that two walls in each will read as a tinting mistake, not a design choice. Pick one, or keep them on different floors where they are never seen together.
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