If you're shopping for laminate flooring, the AC rating is the single most useful number on the spec sheet. It cuts through the marketing and tells you, plainly, how much wear a floor can take. Here's what it means and how to choose the right one.

What is an AC rating?

AC stands for Abrasion Class. It's an independent durability rating that measures how well a laminate surface stands up to wear, scratching, impact and traffic. The scale runs from AC1 (light domestic) up to AC5 and beyond (heavy commercial). The higher the number, the tougher the wear layer. Because laminate has the hardest, most scratch-resistant surface of the timber-look floors, AC ratings are where that strength shows up on paper.

The AC scale at a glance

Rating Built for
AC1–AC2 Light domestic — bedrooms, low-traffic rooms only
AC3 General domestic — most rooms in a normal home
AC4 Heavy domestic & light commercial — busy family homes, hallways, offices
AC5 Heavy commercial — shops and public spaces

Which AC rating do you need?

For most Australian homes, AC4 is the sweet spot — and it's the rating our laminate carries. AC4 is built for heavy domestic and light commercial traffic, which means it comfortably handles the things that wear a floor out fastest: hallways, entryways, dragged dining chairs, kids, pets and high-traffic open-plan living. It gives you a genuine margin of toughness over the AC3 boards that only just meet everyday domestic use.

You'll sometimes see cheaper laminate at AC3. It's fine for a quiet bedroom, but in a busy household an AC4 surface is the one that still looks good years later. Stepping up to AC5 is really only worth it for commercial settings — in a home you're paying for durability you'll never use.

AC rating isn't the whole story

The AC rating tells you about the surface, but a great laminate floor is the whole package. Look at it alongside:

  • Thickness — a 12mm board feels more solid and quiet underfoot than a thin one. See our thickness guide.
  • Water resistance — a 72-hour waterproof surface protects against spills the AC rating says nothing about.
  • Underlay — the right underlay protects against moisture and softens sound.

Put simply: the AC rating tells you how tough the floor is, and AC4 is the rating that suits the way most families actually live.

Keep reading

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