Laminated flooring hit the ground running, as it were, a few years back, and from the onset there were a few misgivings. Thoughts of 70’s vinyl came to mind, peeling, ageing and just not lasting long, were on the top of the list.
In particular, around wear and tear, and its vulnerability to water spillage. However, a few years on, and laminated flooring has evolved quite nicely.
The manufacturers have applied their minds, and put together products that can survive in our high traffic, high heeled, and high maintenance lifestyles.
The only issue now is what to choose from, as there are so many options out there. From our research, we can safely say that the best laminate flooring should be chosen according to your needs.
So, we have, not only given you a quick-see as to which are best laminate flooring options when it comes to quality, but also with regards to budget and environment/usage.
Our List of the Best Laminated Flooring
- American Concepts Berkeley Lane Anderson Laminate Flooring – Best Wearability
- Dekorman Laminate Flooring Chocolate Mocha – Best Versatility
- Armstrong Rustics Premium Reclaimed American Aged Chestnut Laminate Flooring – Best Aesthetic Look
- TrafficMASTER Handscraped Saratoga Hickory Laminate Flooring – Best Realistic Wood Feel
- Home Decorators Collection High Gloss Distressed Maple Ashburn Laminate Flooring – Best Residential Usage
- ELESGO Gloss Finish Laminate Flooring – Best High Gloss Look
1. American Concepts Berkeley Lane Anderson Laminate Flooring
This great product, locally made in the USA, but utilizing material from both North America and Europe, has some solid history behind it.
The American Concept brand has been around for a good many years now, and they always bring us quality and durable offerings.
We chose the Berkeley Lane Anderson Oak, in the Dark Grey color, mostly because it is a very versatile hue, that suits most interiors, but also because it hides the dirt easily.
Perfect for residential and most light commercial areas, you can be assured of a long-lasting floor, that will look good and wear well over the years.
The pack come in a set of 8 planks, measuring 12mm x 4.96″ x 50.79″ and covering a 14 per square foot area.
The price is a midway option and the floating/glueless installation process is fairly simple. Be sure, though, to purchase your underlayment, trimmings and moldings in addition to the planks, as they are not included.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Life Time Residential Warranty
Floating and glueless easy installation Fair price |
No underlayment included
No trim and moldings included |
2. Dekorman Laminate Flooring Chocolate Mocha
Who doesn’t love a warm, mocha chocolate? And, on your floor it is just as appetizing.
Dekorman brings us a click-locking system, so simple to install and finished off with a crystal surface and v-grooving, which leaves an attractive and effective look.
You get 10 planks in the box, measuring at 47.8 x 5 x 0.6 inches and covering 16,48 per square foot.
Again, be sure to work out how much trim, moldings and underlayment you need, as well as measure well, to ensure you purchase enough boxes.
Perfect for both residential and commercial areas, this rich and warm laminate flooring will suit your winter and summer seasons.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 25 years residential warranty
15 years commercial warranty Good price |
No underlayment included
No trim and moldings included |
3. Armstrong Rustics Premium Reclaimed American Aged Chestnut Laminate Flooring
Armstrong’s Visionguard and G3 wear layer finish system, means you are receiving a flooring that is, not only, hard wearing, but also beautiful to look at.
It has an easy lock and fold installation method, whereby you spend less time working on it, and more time admiring it. Perfect!
With a low gloss look and a lovely aged coloring, you can use this both in residential rooms and light commercial.
Take this 15,11 square feet of laminate flooring, measuring in at 47.8 x 6.5 x 0.5 inches, and pop it up together in no time.
Matching trimmings and moldings will finish this flooring off perfectly and have your neighbors green with envy.
Add in some contrasting wooden furniture, bright coloring in your blinds, curtains or other window accessories, and you will have stepped up any room in seconds.
Priced real nice, we rate this selection very high, and we know you will too.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 30 years limited residential warranty
10 years light commercial warranty Great price |
No underlayment included
No trim and moldings included |
4. TrafficMASTER Handscraped Saratoga Hickory Laminate Flooring
Simply beautiful, is a phrase that is often heard after a TrafficMASTER laminate flooring has been installed. And, we are not surprised.
If you cannot afford solid wood flooring these days, this is the next best thing.
The 7 mm Thick x 7-2/3 in. Wide x 50-5/8 in. length planks will cover 24,17 square feet and they will cover it in a most effective manner.
This dark rich color, Saratoga Hickory, will offset most furniture, no matter the wood or fabric type, and will bring a lovely glow to your living or small commercial space. If warmth and durability is what you are looking for, look no further than the TrafficMASTER selection.
If you were wondering whether your kids and/or pets will ruin your new laminate flooring, well wonder no more, as the TrafficMASTER brand wont scratch or dirty easily.
It’s been finished off in such a manner that it has a high resistance to most accidents and damages.
We think the price is a wee high, but worth it in so many other ways. To boot, you don’t need to lay any underlayment, as it is perfect to lay as it is, on most surfaces.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No need to install an under padded layer
Easy to install, tongue and groove paneling |
A little on the high price range
No trim and moldings included |
5. Home Decorators Collection High Gloss Distressed Maple Ashburn Laminate Flooring
You get a whole lot when you buy into the Home Decorators Collection. All 8 mm Thick x 5-5/8 in. Wide x 47-7/8 in Length of planks scream sophistication.
A high gloss finish is best in a low traffic area, such as a dining room or light commercial office, that doesn’t see much feet.
The distressed Maple Ashburn look is dark enough to blend with most types of wooden furniture, fabric, and décor. Just remember, it isn’t real wood, so pair it well with other real wood furniture items.
We suggest taking a sample with you to the furniture store, to avoid landing up with too much clashing.
In each case you will be able to cover 18,7 per square foot of flooring, and you will be happy to know installation is just a few clicks away.
No mess, no fuss – that’s the Home Decorators way, and you can use your flooring as soon as its installed, no wait necessary.
Home Decorators Collection brand has one of the highest residential warranties, but note it is only against wear, fade and stain, which, in fact, are the major concern areas with laminate.
Price is reasonably high, but then again Home Decorators Collection has been around for many years, providing us with many varied products, from flooring to furniture.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 30 Year residential warranty against wear, fade and stain
Easy install and quick use |
Not for commercial usage
No underlayment required No trim and moldings included |
6. ELESGO Gloss Finish Laminate Flooring
The Germans do know how to make perfection, and with the ELESGO brand, they have pretty much sealed that theory.
The Unilin Click-Lock technology allows you to install in a few heart beats and be able to walk on it straight away. And, when you do walk, you won’t hear that typical laminate flooring sound of “clickity click”. Oh No!
ELESGO has designed their flooring to be super quiet and is their first sound-absorbing offering to the market. We are sure you will very impressed by this, especially if you do own a little pooch, or love your heels.
Another benefit is the heat resistant ability of the flooring. It is perfect for under floor heating.
You get 8 in a pack, with a thickness of 8,7mm and covering a square footage of 20,66.
With a high resistance to most types of damages, such as scratches, high temperatures, stains, household chemicals, UV-exposure, high heels and even smoldering cigarettes, we are super impressed with the ELESGO offering.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 20 Year residential warranty
High impact resistance |
Not ideal for commercial areas
High gloss, high slip area |
Your Best Laminate Flooring Check List:
Before you go out and buy a few boxes, bouncing with excitement at installing it yourself, and showing it off within just mere hours, consider these few important factors first.
Where is the Flooring Going?
First question is all about where is the flooring going to be. And broken down even further is whether its residential or commercial.
Most families will look to laminating their lounge, dining area, passages, and sometimes the bedrooms, leaving the bathrooms and kitchen to be tiled.
Decide if you will be laminating right through like this, or even using different laminates in each room/area. If you are leaning towards different laminates, make sure they don’t clash too much, unless that is the look you are going for.
Commercial areas can look very professional and welcoming with a good laminate flooring, but be sure that they are light commercial areas, i.e. not for heavy manual type labor or very high traffic.
An office situation is perfect, whereby the waiting area, boardroom and passages are laminated, leaving the high traffic offices and kitchen/bathroom areas to be tiled or carpeted.
What Kind of Traffic Will My Flooring Be Exposed to?
Again, the amount and type of traffic is vital to the durability and longevity of your laminated flooring.
Kitchens generally can have a high traffic ratio when compared to bedrooms, as is the case for entrance halls and passageways.
You want to be looking for the best laminate flooring that can withstand that type of traffic. There is nothing worse than a lovely long worn path in a laminate flooring … NOT!
High gloss, low gloss, and matt, are also options to look into, as they may not suit various traffic. High gloss is most definitely not for high traffic areas.
What Are My Surrounding Furniture Items Like?
If you are putting down laminate into an already furnished area, consider the surrounding furniture, paint work, wall features, window features, and other décor before selecting the color and texture of the laminate.
You want it to blend in, rather than stand out, unless it is in the standing out that makes the overall picture work.
For an empty palate, consider that very “out there” laminates, may be hard to match up with other furniture and surrounding accessories.
The general rule of thumb is that the floor shouldn’t be the focal point.
What Size is the Room?
However, when ordering your boxes of laminate flooring, be sure to have measured each room and area perfectly.
While you can order another box, some manufacturers will tell you that the grain and look of each box batch may differ slightly.
If you order sometime after the last order, you may end up with the same color, but a totally different shade.
Take into account the finishing and underlayment when ordering, as well.
What Extras Will I Need?
Most manufacturers don’t include the trimmings and the moldings when selling their planks by the box. And, very few of them include the underlayment. On that note, some laminate floorings don’t need underlayment.
Make sure you read the description carefully, or you may either order the wrong underlayment for your particular room or order unnecessarily.
Check out how many planks you will be receiving, normally in a pack of 8 or 10. Similarly, you should check their dimensions as well. So that you can be sure to buy the correct trimmings and moldings to match up.
In Conclusion …
The best laminate flooring can be just a quick click away. If you want to ensure you don’t waste time, energy and money, try to do your homework first.
We hope that you have been able to narrow down your perfect selection with our guided tour of the best laminate flooring.
