Arctic Gray vs Pure White
Arctic Gray (Benjamin Moore) and Pure White (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Arctic Gray belongs to the green-grey family and Pure White to the beige-greige family. The 23-point LRV gap — 84 for Pure White vs 61 for Arctic Gray — means Pure White will open up a space more effectively. Where Arctic Gray leans green, Pure White reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 11.1 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Arctic Gray vs Pure White in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Arctic Gray and Pure White in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Living Room
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Pure White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Arctic Gray.
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. Pure White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Arctic Gray vs Pure White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Arctic Gray on one side and Pure White 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 Arctic Gray comparisons
See how Arctic Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reads slightly lighter (LRV 69 vs 61), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 83 vs 61, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 61 vs 6, Arctic Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Arctic Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 61 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Arctic Gray reflects far more light (LRV 61 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (61 vs 52) makes Arctic Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
With LRVs of 61 and 60, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
A 3-point LRV gap (61 vs 58) makes Arctic Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 61 vs 27, Arctic Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Arctic Gray reflects far more light (LRV 61 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
Arctic Gray reflects far more light (LRV 61 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (61 vs 55) makes Arctic Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 61 vs 13, Arctic Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 61 vs 44, Arctic Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Arctic Gray reflects far more light (LRV 61 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (66 vs 61) makes Balboa Mist the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 74 vs 61, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 61, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Arctic Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 61 vs 51), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 61 vs 12, Arctic Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 61 vs 8, Arctic Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (68 vs 61) makes Skimming Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
Arctic Gray reflects far more light (LRV 61 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
At LRV 61 vs 12, Arctic Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 61 vs 45, Arctic Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Arctic Gray reflects far more light (LRV 61 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Arctic Gray reflects far more light (LRV 61 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.