Our Home Experts Have Found the Best Laminate Flooring Options

There’s a reason sales of laminate flooring are surging. Once the ugly duckling of residential flooring — flimsy, cheap, unattractive — today’s laminate looks better than ever and is also some of the toughest flooring to pass through the Good Housekeeping Institute Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab’s rigorous testing. “The laminate flooring winners in our most recent tests were very stain- and scratch resistant. They also come in easy to miss patterns. real hardwood flooring” Rachel RothmanGH Institute, Executive Technical Director.

While the enhancements have driven up the cost of laminate a bit, especially at the higher end of the category, it’s still one of the most affordable flooring materials Available on the marketplace. Easy to install with tongue-and groove planks, which snap together on any surface that is stable and smooth. Although wood-look is the most popular, you can also choose stone or tile from major brands.

These are our top picks

Once you’ve taken a spin through our list of winners, read on for more about how we test flooring and advice on laminate flooring, including installation costs and the best places to shop.