There's no single "best" laminate flooring — the right board depends on your rooms, your traffic and your budget. But choosing well isn't complicated once you know what to look at. Here's the checklist we'd give a friend.

1. Match the AC rating to your traffic

The AC rating is the toughness of the surface. For most Australian homes, AC4 is the sweet spot — built for heavy domestic and light commercial traffic, so it copes with hallways, open-plan living, kids and pets. It's the rating our range carries.

2. Choose a solid thickness

A 12mm board feels and sounds far better underfoot than a thin budget plank — more solid, quieter, and more convincing as timber. Thickness is something you feel every day, so it's worth getting right.

3. Check the water protection

Modern laminate should offer real spill protection. Ours carries a 72-hour waterproof surface, so everyday spills wipe up with no drama. Just remember laminate still isn't for bathrooms or wet areas.

4. Don't forget the underlay

Laminate needs a separate underlay beneath it for moisture protection and acoustics — it's sold separately, so build it into your plan and budget from the start.

5. Pick a colour that suits the room (and get samples)

Lighter tones make a room feel bigger and hide dust; darker tones feel rich but show more. Cooler greys suit modern interiors, warm honey and oak tones feel classic. The single best thing you can do is order free samples and look at them in your own light, at different times of day, before you commit. Colour is the most expensive thing to get wrong.

6. Weigh up the warranty

A longer residential warranty is usually a sign of a board built to last. Factor it into value — the cheapest board per m² isn't the best buy if it won't go the distance.

Putting it together

For most homes, the best laminate is a 12mm, AC4 board with a 72-hour waterproof surface, the right underlay, and a colour you've seen in person. Get those right and you've got a tough, great-value floor that looks the part for years. Still deciding between materials? Our hybrid vs laminate and laminate vs engineered timber guides will help.

Keep reading

See the colours in your own home before you buy — order free samples — or browse the full laminate flooring range.