Laminate flooring is one of the most popular types of floor covering in the U.S. This comes as no surprise considering how affordable, functional, durable, and easy to install it is.
There are many brands on the market, so the best laminate flooring brands for you boils down to your preference regarding looks, maintenance, and resistance to wear and tear.
Laminate Flooring Cost
The total cost of installing laminate flooring depends on the laminate type, labor costs, and the size of the designated space.
On average, homeowners will pay between $1,400 and $4,100. The national average for laminate floor installation comes in at around $2,800.
Laminate Flooring Cost By Square Foot
Installing laminate flooring generally costs between $3 and $8 per square foot, including materials and labor.
Below is a the laminate flooring cost breakdown based on the brand:
| Laminate Flooring Brand | Average Material Cost per Square Foot | Labor Cost per Square Foot | Total Cost per Square Foot for a 200-Foot Space |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pergo | $3 | $1.50-$7.50 | $900-$2,100 |
| Shaw Floors | $5 | $1.50-$7.50 | $1,300-$2,500 |
| Mannington | $3.50 | $1.50-$7.50 | $1,000-$2,200 |
| Tecwood | $5 | $1.50-$7.50 | $1,300-$2,500 |
| AquaGuard | $3 | $1.50-$7.50 | $900-$2,100 |
| TrafficMaster | $1 | $1.50-$7.50 | $500-$1,700 |
| Mohawk RevWood Plus | $3.50 | $1.50-$7.50 | $1,000-$2,200 |
| Mohawk RevWood | $2 | $1.50-$7.50 | $700-$1,900 |
| Tarkett | $2 | $1.50-$7.50 | $700-$1,900 |
What Is Laminate Flooring?
Laminate flooring is a floor covering that consists of a multi-layer composite of synthetic and organic materials.
Most laminate products include three layers.
- The base layer that gives the floor structure
- The image layer that gives the floor its color and looks
- The wear layer that protects the floor from damage
Thanks to its composition, laminate flooring is both durable and affordable while offering an authentic look.
Although laminate flooring primarily serves as an alternative to hardwood flooring, it can also mimic tile and stone.
Types Of Laminate Flooring
When installing laminate flooring, you’ll encounter a wide range of options, depending on the product’s material, installation, and surface type.
Material
In terms of material, you can choose between two options that differ in their composition, appearance, and price; engineered wood and plastic laminate.
Engineered Wood
The top layer of engineered wood is a thin piece of natural wood, allowing this laminate type to perfectly mimic the appearance of hardwood.
The bottom and core layers consist of plywood, fiberboard, or unfinished hardwood. All of these materials are pressed firmly together to form a plank.
Plastic Laminate
Plastic laminate flooring lacks the appearance and feel of authentic hardwood, since it lacks a layer containing natural wood.
This laminate type is more robust, making it a perfect choice for homeowners with children and pets.
Plastic laminate is more affordable than engineered wood.
Installation Type
The installation type of laminate flooring refers to whether or not you need glue to place the planks.
There are a few options:
- Click-together system
- Glued laminate
- Pre-glued laminate
Only the first click-together system doesn’t involve glue, making it the easiest and the cleanest installation method.
Although gluing laminate might be messy, it’s also the most durable installation method when performed properly.
Surface Type
The choice of surface depends on your preferences regarding the floor’s appearance and maintenance.
There are three surface types for laminate flooring:
- Smooth
- Textured
- Distressed
The smooth surface is the easiest to clean but resembles natural materials the least.
In contrast, the textured surface can fool almost anyone, but all the nooks and crannies make cleaning a hassle.
The distressed option is best for homeowners who want their floors to look antique.
Best Laminate Flooring Brand Overall
With so many laminate flooring brands on the market, it seems challenging to single out one as the best option.
But if you consider that the brand topping our list comes from the corporation that invented laminate flooring in the first place, the choice becomes much more manageable.
Did you know? Laminate flooring was invented by the Swedish company Perstorp in 1977. The innovative products were sold under the brand name Pergo.
Nowadays, Pergo is part of the world’s largest flooring company and has become synonymous with beautiful and practical flooring.
The brand offers over 200 laminate options of varying features.
Pergo products typically have an AC4 rating, making them ideal for all-around residential use and some light commercial use.
Thanks to the patented UltraDef technology, Pergo laminate flooring looks almost indiscernible from real wood.
On top of that, the brand’s WetProtect technology waterproofs most of the brand’s laminate flooring products.
Best Laminate Floor Brand In Durability
Shaw Floors is a staple brand in the flooring industry.
The brand offers around 200 different styles and colors of laminate flooring.
The Shaw Floors laminate boasts outstanding durability, easily rivaling authentic wood flooring.
Backing up the durability claims, the brand offers a limited lifetime warranty for its laminate products.
Best Sustainability Laminate Flooring Brand
Mannington stands out as the most sustainable brand among its laminate flooring competitors. The brand’s products are made with more than 70% post-industrial recycled content, and their installation requires no glues or adhesives.
Mannington laminate floors have been certified by FloorScore as low in VOCs, thus meeting the strictest air quality standards. The brand offers one collection, with over 60 styles to choose from.
Laminate Flooring Brand With Best Wood Finish
A wood component in the laminate composition is crucial to achieving the most authentic wood finish.
Tecwood laminate flooring features a protective layer with a natural wood veneer, resulting in realistic faux wood flooring at a much lower cost.
The brand offers more than 200 colors and designs, guaranteeing a perfect match for any room in your home.
Best Waterproof Laminate Flooring Brand
Due to its composition, laminate isn’t a 100% waterproof flooring option like tile or vinyl. Still, it can withstand water pooling on its surface for shorter periods.
With that in mind, AquaGuard laminate flooring is an excellent, reasonably waterproof option for most homes.
Best Priced Laminate Flooring Brand
Even the most expensive laminate flooring is still reasonably priced compared to other flooring options. As a result, the lower-end laminate flooring is available at incredibly low prices.
TrafficMaster is a brand that offers budget-friendly prices without compromising the quality of the products.
TrafficMaster’s laminate flooring comes in various finishes and styles and can hold up against moderate foot traffic.
Best Laminate Floors For Kitchens
Mohawk RevWood Plus laminate flooring is best suited for kitchens and bathrooms, thanks to the brand’s signature Hydroseal technology.
This innovative technology covers each plank in a waterproof coating. When the planks are placed, they’re locked in so water can’t infiltrate the seams between them.
Best Laminate Brand For Living Rooms
Since the living room is the most used room in the house, it requires flooring that can withstand regular wear and tear.
For this reason, Shaw Floors laminate flooring will be a perfect choice.
The brand’s products are resistant to water, scratches, fading, and stains, ensuring they can take everything you and your family might throw their way.
Best Laminate Floors For Bedrooms
Mohawk RevWood laminate flooring lacks the waterproof properties of the brand’s Plus line. These properties aren’t necessary for rooms that rarely come in contact with liquids, such as the bedroom.
Mohawk RevWood laminate products are much more affordable, and match the exact laminate quality necessary for rooms that don’t see heavy traffic.
Top Laminate Floors Brand For Offices
Tarkett laminate products are ideal for home or professional offices that experience a lot of foot traffic.
Thanks to their dent and scratch resistance, they can also withstand heavy office chairs.
Most Tarkett products carry an AC4 rating thanks to a melamine layer that makes them scuff- and stain-resistant.
Best Laminate Floor For Basements
Pergo’s Outlast Plus laminate flooring was designed to be waterproof, tough enough to handle commercial settings, and scratch- and scruff-resistant.
These properties check all the boxes for the perfect basement laminate flooring.
Are There Laminate Flooring Brands That Should Be Avoided?
When purchasing laminate flooring, it would be best to avoid products with an AC rating lower than three.
Besides durability, safety is another crucial factor in choosing which brands to avoid.
Be careful about the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) content in the adhesive agents that bond different layers of laminate.
In 2019, a brand called Lumber Liquidators was forced to pay a $33 million settlement for selling low-quality products with dangerous amounts of a VOC called formaldehyde.
The company rebranded as LL Flooring and is still selling laminate products.
Qualities To Look For In Laminate Flooring
Due to its affordable price, durability, and ease of installation, purchasing laminate flooring is a no-brainer.
Choosing the best laminate materials option requires some careful consideration. Here are the qualities you should look for when purchasing laminate.
Thickness
The strength of the laminate planks is crucial for the durability and life expectancy of this flooring.
The thicker the base layer, the stronger the floor.
Thicker flooring will cover uneven areas in the subfloor, absorb noise, and offer a real hardwood floor feel.
In general, laminate flooring thickness ranges from 7 millimeters to 12 millimeters.
The lower end will still perform well in residential settings, especially in areas with less foot traffic. As the top end of laminate thickness, 12-millimeter-thick flooring is ideal for commercial use and is commonly used in home areas such as hallways and stairs.
Pro Tip: Some manufacturers include the underlayment when listing the thickness of their laminate flooring, so make sure to determine the actual thickness of the base layer before purchasing.
Width
When it comes to plank width, the wider the planks, the more challenging the installation process.
In addition, homes where the subfloor is uneven should have narrower planks, since you’ll probably feel gaps under the wider planks.
Besides being easier to install, narrower planks will visually open up smaller rooms, making them the better choice for most homes.
In contrast, wider planks are better suited for open floor plans and larger spaces.
Underlayment
All laminate flooring should have foam underlayment.
This layer will make the flooring feel a bit softer and eliminate the clicking noise when you walk across it.
The underlayment also evens out minor inconsistencies in the subfloor, thus making the installation process easier.
Not all laminate flooring products come with this layer attached, so check the description or consult the manufacturer before you go through with the purchase.
Design
If your primary goal is to mimic quality hardwood flooring, look for laminate products with a wide selection of colors, patterns, and designs. This way, you’re more likely to find an exact visual match.
While color and design play an important role in the selection process, the pattern is what makes or breaks the overall impression. Namely, natural wood has irregular patterns, so laminate flooring with high variation in the pattern will look the most authentic.
AC Rating
Abrasion class (AC) rating represents one of the most essential indicators of laminate flooring quality.
The higher the product ranks on the AC scale, the more resistant to wear and tear it is. This rating system ranges from AC1 to AC5 and is broken down as follows.
- AC1: Intended for light home use only, like in guest bedrooms and closet space
- AC2: Can withstand moderate foot traffic, like in home offices
- AC3: Recommended for general residential use, including rooms with heavy foot traffic, like entryways
- AC4: Ideal for light commercial use, like in offices
- AC5: Best for heavy commercial use, like in shopping malls
Did you know? Although rare, laminate products with an AC6 rating have started to appear on the market. These products are intended for use in highly intensive commercial settings, such as airport terminals and train stations.
Texture and Finish
Thanks to the many advancements in the laminate industry, an average person can rarely differentiate between laminate and hardwood flooring.
This visual deception primarily relies on the texture and finish of laminate flooring.
Look for products manufactured with high-definition printing and embossing techniques aimed at replicating natural wood.
Like traditional hardwood flooring, you can also choose from various finishes. The most popular choices include the following:
| Laminate Flooring Type | Average Material Cost per Square Foot | Labor Cost per Square Foot | Total Cost per Square Foot for a 200-Foot Space |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry | $1 | $4-$6 | $1,000-$1,400 |
| Oak | $1 | $1.50-$4.50 | $500-$1,100 |
| Maple | $1 | $1.50-$4.50 | $500-$1,100 |
| Walnut | $1.50 | $1.50-$5.50 | $600-$1,400 |
| Hickory | $2.50 | $5.50-$7.50 | $1,600-$2,000 |
Choose Based On Lifestyle, Not Just Finish
While it might be tempting to choose laminate flooring solely based on its looks, this decision might do more harm than good in the long run.
High-gloss laminate flooring won’t fare well in homes with small children, pets, and many visitors.
When choosing the best fit for your home, consider your lifestyle and the expected daily wear and tear on your laminate flooring.
If you expect your flooring to withstand heavy foot traffic, choose an option with a low-gloss or distressed finish and a scratch-resistant protective layer.
Which Of The Top Laminate Floor Brands Are The Easiest To Install?
In general, laminate is among the best flooring options when it comes to ease of installation. Any average DIY-savvy homeowner should be able to complete this task without hassle.
If you want to put in minimum effort, choose brands that offer floating floor setups.
These floors use a click-together system that allows planks to snap together like puzzle pieces, thus eliminating the need for nails or glue.
Does Any Laminate Brand Make Easy-To-Repair Flooring?
If individual laminate planks get too damaged, the only solution is to replace them. Replacing will be much easier if you have a floating floor.
If ease of repair is essential for you, choose laminate brands that offer floating setups.
Pro Tip: Shallow scratches made by pets or furniture can be masked by a floor scratch repair kit.
Choices Galore
If you decide that laminate flooring is the best choice for your home, you’ll have plenty of options. The sheer number of choices can make choosing laminate flooring quite challenging.
Narrow down the selection process by focusing on the space you’re equipping, its characteristics, and foot traffic.
Factor in your budget and preferences, and you’ll have no trouble choosing the best-suited brand.
