Laminate floors look stylish and modern, easy to clean and are not very expensive. Therefore, this material is very in demand. There is only one “but” - his choice is too great. Each manufacturer (and there are more than a dozen of them) has its own secrets of manufacturing this floor covering, with might and main advertising its own products. And consumers often have the question: which company laminate is better to choose. To navigate well among the variety of grades of this material, read our review. It will help you not to make a mistake when choosing a manufacturer.
Brands - Top Ranking: Best Quality
Quick step
Produced by Belgian and Russian companies, the Quick-Step laminate is highly regarded by Europeans, and in Russia it has become the most popular flooring. This laminate is made so skillfully that it is easy to confuse it with a solid wood board or parquet, both in texture and color. The unique technology makes the floor of this material extremely durable - only a sharp knife can leave a scratch on it. A laminate is easy to lay and not very experienced master, and the quality of the coating will please.
Pros.Great design - the flooring perfectly conveys the variety of textures of wood species. Special strength - the material of this class 32 company is more durable than the class 33 laminate produced by competitors.
Minuses.The price is quite high, as the material belongs to the premium segment. Class 33 does not have a very wide variety of colors. Therefore, the laminate of this company is best used in an apartment or small office.
Life time. This laminate is able to last at least a quarter century. Moreover, even in 20 years it will not become shabby and worn out.
Shop offers:
Kaindl
This laminate is made in Austria. European and American consumers rated it very highly. Kaindl Flooring, its manufacturing company, has membership in EPLF and Certified European Quality. And this says a lot - these organizations have the greatest weight in the production of laminate, as well as wood products. The popularity of Kaindl material is due to a number of its features.
- The management of this company foresaw in advance the trends in customer demand, or rather, that over time, environmental friendliness will come to the fore. Therefore, back in 2003, the company began to produce chipboards with an environmental class E0. This indicates an extremely low formaldehyde content in the boards - even less than in natural wood. Such HDF boards are safer than wooden boards or parquet. Only a film of the protective layer, which is made on the basis of melamine resin, contains a small fraction of formaldehyde. And therefore, the environmental friendliness class of the laminate is E1.
- Special synchronization technology allows you to get material that is completely indistinguishable from wooden parquet. And not only externally, but also to the touch.
- The manufacturer gives a thirty-year guarantee on his laminate - this is much more than that of other companies.
- There is a special “trick” - the FloorUp wall system. Thanks to it, you can easily mount this laminate not only as a floor, but also as a wall covering. It is fashionable today in European homes.
- Kaindl class 32 laminate, laid on the floor of an apartment, does not lose its attractiveness for 15 or 20 years. Moreover, he is guaranteed to lie for 30 years without collapsing. In an office where it is not very crowded, it can be used for about 15 years. If the loads are high, then the laminate can withstand from 3 to 5 years.
Shop offers:
Berry alloc
This material, which belongs to the leaders in world quality, is made by Belgium and Norway. This manufacturing company relies on technical innovations and advanced technologies. Therefore, each type of laminate flooring from numerous collections has its own "highlight" in technical terms. High popularity with moisture resistant varieties of laminate. So, for example, the budget collection Riviera has a class of 32, and Titanium - a class of 33.
Pros. Due to the "advanced" technologies, this company is often one step ahead of its competitors. In terms of moisture resistance, the laminate made of HDF boards produced by it is unrivaled. And the brand of material with aluminum locks on the board surprises consumers with its special durability.
Minuses. Like any material of the premium segment, this laminate cannot be called cheap. In addition, its colors do not sparkle with variety, and there are few designs with a synchronization effect.
Life time. The manufacturer gives a lifetime warranty on this material (provided that it is used in the apartment). And for at least 15 years he will continue to delight the eye with his pristine appearance. In the office where they walk a little, the operational warranty is 15 years. If the office is crowded, then about 5 years the laminate flooring is guaranteed.
Shop offers:
Parador
This laminate is made in Germany. He is loved by designers and originals. What kind of drawings and inscriptions he does not have - no manufacturer shows so much imagination! Although this material is “average” in technical parameters, its unique design often attracts creative lovers.
Pros. Laminate Parador is unique and original. Not one famous European designer had a hand in the drawings on its surface. As for the technical parameters, then they are quite acceptable. 10 years, this flooring can last without losing its appearance.
Minuses. The original design has a downside - it costs the consumer quite expensive. Moreover, the technical characteristics of the laminate are average.
Shop offers:
Balterio
The Belgian manufacturing company is a member of the EPLF. She makes laminate at the level of Kaindl and Quick-Step, but sets a higher price for it.
Pros.Technical parameters are at a high level. And the design of the laminate flooring is very diverse. It perfectly reproduces the texture of a living tree of various species.
Minuses. This stuff is pretty expensive. But to scratch it is still easier than a similar coating made by Kaindl and Quick-Step.
Shop offers:
Haro
This laminate is manufactured by a company from Germany. It is distinguished by excellent quality and good performance. Consumers often choose a collection that has a long (over 2 meters) board. But there are few drawings with the effect of synchronization in this laminate.
Pros.For an excellent imitation of a luxurious solid board there is a unique collection of Tritty 100 Gran Via 4V. Her board has the following dimensions: 220 by 24 centimeters.
Minuses. This laminate is very expensive.
Shop offers:
Thus, the leaders in the ranking of laminate manufacturers are listed. Now let's talk about companies that produce cheap, but very decent flooring.
Laminate brands with a good price - quality ratio
EPI
This French laminate is very beautiful, and its quality is fully consistent with European standards (class E1). Therefore, it is quite popular. And its cost is not higher than that of the material of Russian or Chinese manufacturers. Epi laminate is available in thicknesses from 0.7 to 1.2 centimeters. Chamfers may be present on the board. The class of material is usually 32 or 33. Since this is a budget option, the density and moisture protection of HDF boards is at an average level.
Shop offers:
Kronotex
The famous German brand can often be found in construction stores. This material, like the previous one, is a budget option.
Pros. The main advantage is the low price. It can also be noted that with this laminate all the parameters will correspond to the passport data. Pedantic German manufacturers strictly follow this.
Minuses. Board chamfers are not laminated, moisture protection is medium, HDF boards are not very dense. The similarity to natural wood coatings is not as great as that of the premium segment laminate.
And now we’ll tell you what the choice is most often made by those who decide which laminate flooring is best to buy.
Shop offers:
The most sought after laminate brands
Egger
This German laminate is known to many, but mainly in our supermarket building its inexpensive brands are represented. Premium collections are not so in demand.
Pros. Very low price. This material will not be a pity to lay at the cottage or in other places where you want to save.
Minuses. The design of this material is too simple, and its colors are not very bright. You can find a laminate with a more interesting pattern at the same price.
Shop offers:
Tarkett
The product of Russian manufacturers is quite popular, which is facilitated by the abundance of advertising. Basically, this laminate can be found in large construction supermarkets. In stores with a narrow specialization, you can hardly find it.
Pros. There are good original colors. Laminate is widely known to all consumers, as the amount of expensive advertising just “rolls over”.
Minuses. It may be inferior to competitors' products in the same price category in design and technical parameters. So, you can buy a European laminate with a similar pattern, but much cheaper.
So the list is ready. We made the rating solely from our own experience with these floor coverings. Now you can navigate and understand the laminate of which company is better to choose for an apartment or a house. After all, it all depends on which room the material is placed in, what requirements you set for the design, and what kind of apartment you see ideally.
Shop offers:
What about the Chinese laminate flooring?
The highly prestigious EPLF Association, mentioned above, does not have a single company with production in China. This will not contribute to a good image. If some company claims the opposite, then it is a little tricky. It is usually registered somewhere in Europe, and the laminate itself does not produce, but purchases it at a Chinese factory, then giving it its name.
So the Chinese laminate is clearly “not up to European standards”. If this is class 33, then in Europe it will be labeled with a maximum of 21 classes. But, in principle, this is not criminal. After all, manufacturers who are not members of the EPLF association have the right to label their products as they please. He wants - marks the pack of laminate in class 33, wants - 34. Therefore, you need to be more careful with the Chinese laminate.
Video: How to choose a laminate
