Gibraltar Cliffs vs Cadet
Gibraltar Cliffs (Benjamin Moore) and Cadet (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. These are both blue-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue-grey to land. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 32 vs 31 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Where Gibraltar Cliffs leans blue, Cadet reads neutral — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 1.9 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Gibraltar Cliffs vs Cadet in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Gibraltar Cliffs and Cadet 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.
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. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Color Details
Gibraltar Cliffs vs Cadet Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Gibraltar Cliffs on one side and Cadet 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 Gibraltar Cliffs comparisons
See how Gibraltar Cliffs stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 32), opening up a space where Gibraltar Cliffs encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 32, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
Gibraltar Cliffs reflects far more light (LRV 32 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 32, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 32 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 32), opening up a space where Gibraltar Cliffs encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 32, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 32), opening up a space where Gibraltar Cliffs encloses it.
Gibraltar Cliffs reads slightly lighter (LRV 32 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 11-point LRV gap (43 vs 32) makes French Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 32 vs 4, Gibraltar Cliffs is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 32), opening up a space where Gibraltar Cliffs encloses it.
Gibraltar Cliffs reflects far more light (LRV 32 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hardwick White reads slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 32), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 32, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (32 vs 21) makes Gibraltar Cliffs the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 32), opening up a space where Gibraltar Cliffs encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 32), opening up a space where Gibraltar Cliffs encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 32), opening up a space where Gibraltar Cliffs encloses it.
Gibraltar Cliffs reflects far more light (LRV 32 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 32), opening up a space where Gibraltar Cliffs encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (41 vs 32) makes Dix Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 32, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (32 vs 25) makes Gibraltar Cliffs the marginally brighter of the two.
Gibraltar Cliffs reflects far more light (LRV 32 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 32), opening up a space where Gibraltar Cliffs encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 32 vs 31), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 32 vs 7, Gibraltar Cliffs is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (32 vs 24) makes Gibraltar Cliffs the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 32, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.