RAL 170-4 vs Breathtaking
RAL 170-4 (RAL Effect) and Breathtaking (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. These are both blues, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue to land. The 6-point LRV gap — 69 for RAL 170-4 vs 63 for Breathtaking — means RAL 170-4 will open up a space more effectively. ΔE 3.5 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 170-4 vs Breathtaking in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. RAL 170-4 and Breathtaking are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. RAL 170-4 has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
RAL 170-4 vs Breathtaking Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 170-4 on one side and Breathtaking on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.
More RAL 170-4 comparisons
See how RAL 170-4 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 69, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
RAL 170-4 reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
RAL 170-4 reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
RAL 170-4 reads slightly lighter (LRV 69 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 12-point LRV gap (69 vs 58) makes RAL 170-4 the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 69 vs 27, RAL 170-4 is decisively the brighter choice.
RAL 170-4 reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 55, RAL 170-4 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 69 vs 44, RAL 170-4 is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 69), opening up a space where RAL 170-4 encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (69 vs 66) makes RAL 170-4 the marginally brighter of the two.
A 5-point LRV gap (74 vs 69) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 69 vs 12, RAL 170-4 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 69 vs 8, RAL 170-4 is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 69 vs 68), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 69 vs 12, RAL 170-4 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 69 vs 45, RAL 170-4 is decisively the brighter choice.
RAL 170-4 reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.