Top 20 laminate flooring companies

The best European laminate manufacturers

5 Classen

The German manufacturer has been in business for over 50 years. Produces over 300 laminate flooring decors. Adopts Click locking system with 4-sided chamfer. All factories are located in Germany, which guarantees the high quality of European products. The catalog contains the following lines: Casa, Wiparquet, Arteo, Comfort, etc. There is a separate moisture-resistant series for the kitchen and bathroom.

The chip of the manufacturer is the release of the skirting board in one tone to all shades of the laminate. This allows you to decorate the floors in a house or apartment in stylistic unity, and not visit dozens of stores to pick up at least something similar in color to your favorite laminate. In the reviews, buyers are satisfied with the resistance of the panels to moisture, but complain that dents remain after the phone or other heavy object falls.

Advantages:

• high quality products;
• easy laying thanks to the Click locking system;
• 300 shades of laminate;
• plinth release to match the floors.

Flaws:

• after heavy objects fall, dents remain.

4 wineo

The company was founded in 1991 and is based in Germany. Engaged in the manufacture of laminate, vinyl, biopol. The catalog contains products mainly of 32 and 33 wear resistance classes, which allows the use of floor coverings both for home and in public places, offices. The manufacturer stands out from the background of others with the release of rare shades of laminate, including: “champagne oak”, “silver Tyrolean oak”, “umbra matte”, “whiskey in a flask”, “California hotel”, etc.

A reliable Fold-Down locking system is used, which provides easy installation, the possibility of disassembly, and a reliable connection without gaps. Customers in the reviews like the moisture-resistant base of the laminate - the Aqua-Protect® plate, which allows the material to be used in the kitchen, bathroom and other areas with high humidity. The ends are additionally treated with wax, and the product warranty is 25 years.

Advantages:

• reliable locking system Fold-Down;
• rich palette of shades of laminate;
• the ends are waxed;
• Moisture-resistant board Aqua-Protect® is based on.

Flaws:

• high price.

3 Kindl

A giant from the family of German woodworking companies, which has been operating for more than 120 years.Kaindl Flooring GmbH is a full-cycle manufacturer: the company independently grows wood, processes the material, manufactures and sells products around the globe.

The company enjoys special love in the USA, Canada, South America and Europe. In Russia, up to a certain point, it was treated neutrally, but the "boom" of the laminate brought Kaindl to the top manufacturers here too. The only complaint about the products is the cost: the entire line of laminate has a high price, which is not affordable for all consumers.

Advantages:

• a large selection of laminate flooring for any interior;
• use of the densest carrier board for laminate boards (950 kg/m³);
• warranty period of laminate flooring up to 30 years.

Flaws:

• high price.

2 Balterio

The year 2001 was crowned for the Belgian industrial corporation Spanolux SA with the opening of a new division responsible for the production of advanced developments of laminate flooring under the well-known Balterio brand. The business of the company immediately went well - the systematic development of infrastructure helped, from the actual cultivation of wood to logistics operations. Balterio is focused on the production of high quality laminates from 32 to 34 wear resistance classes in the thickness range from 7 to 12 millimeters. The cost of the entire line is quite high, but the price is fully consistent with the reliability and durability of the finishing material.

Advantages:

• an extensive range of products;
• large size range (length from 1192 to 2039 mm, width from 134 to 392.5 mm);
• several connection systems under the assembler level.

Flaws:

• high price;
• products are often counterfeited by small Eastern companies.

1 Pergo

A premium manufacturer of laminate, in fact, is its ancestor. The first batches of laminate boards rolled off the assembly line back in 1979, and even then consumers were delighted with the overall quality. Almost 40 years later, their products are still a world-class standard, to which only a few managed to grow. Pergo's production is distinguished by the strictest quality control of products at each stage of processing, which allows us to supply consumers with the best flooring elements.

Another positive difference lies in the centralization and versatility of production: the laminate produced by the Belgian company is no different from what comes off the Swedish (original) conveyor.

Advantages:

• TitanX top layer protection system (effective protection against impact, wear, abrasion and fading);
• high level of environmental friendliness;
• guaranteed service life is 25 years.

Flaws:

• a large number of fakes on the market;
• all collections (12 lines) are very expensive.

The best Russian laminate manufacturers

5 wood style

Laminate is produced at a plant in Tomsk from raw materials supplied from Siberia. Among the assortment there is a large selection of plates with a thickness of 12 mm with 34 wear resistance classes. This allows you to lay the floor in office buildings, hospitals, government offices, and not just at home.With a relatively low price, the laminate has good characteristics. The product is accompanied by a certificate of environmental friendliness level E1 (low formaldehyde content). Such floors in the apartment will be safe, even if you drop a burning cigarette or match on them, since the flammability class is KM5 (do not burn). In reviews, the product is praised for moderately tight locks, a variety of textures, and similarity with shades of natural wood. But buyers note that sometimes after laying the panels turn out to be different in height.

Advantages:

• high strength panels with a thickness of 12 mm;
• affordable cost;
• ecological cleanliness of domestic raw materials;
• fire safety materials.

Flaws:

• there are height differences between the panels.

4 Kronospan

Kronospan, one of the largest wood processing plants in Russia, produces not only MDF and chipboard under the same name, but also laminated flooring. Reviews on it are quite contradictory, but in most cases they agree on one thing: for an economical solution, for example, finishing a rented apartment or a summer house, you can’t find better material.

As for reliability, it strongly depends on the thickness (ranges from 7 to 14 mm) and density (800 – 860 kg/m³ and above) of the carrier plate. For some collections (“Titan Prestige”, “Vintage Classic”, etc.), the manufacturer is ready to provide a guarantee of 25–30 years when used in an apartment or private house and 5 years in the industrial sector.

Advantages:

• smooth geometry of the slats and a clear docking of the joints;
• a rich selection of textures, gloss levels and shades for the implementation of any design project;
• availability of special solutions with antibacterial coating, protection against micro-scratches and built-in sound insulation - Krono Xprotect, Krono Xonic;
• VOC Emissions hygienic certification with an A+ label (low emission of harmful volatile substances).

Flaws:

• due to the spectacular design in stores, you can buy at an inflated cost;
• budget lines are not recommended for high traffic areas (office, hallway, corridor, kitchen);
• before laying, careful preparation of the base is required.

3 Tarkett

The company in which the share of the Russian is viewed the least. Tarkett was born back in 1987 as a manufacturer of carpet and vinyl flooring and wall coverings. Now it is one of the largest laminate manufacturers, the main division of which, as well as the head office, are located in Germany, while only manufacturing plants are located in Russia (place of production: Mytishchi). Let out production differs in high quality and reasonable price which is completely compensated by reliability and durability of production. The market is flooded with 30 collections of 32 and 33 wear resistance classes, which are very popular with users.

Advantages:

• service life varies from 15 to 25 years;
• overall quality and reliability of products;
• free access to the Russian market;
• acceptable price.

Flaws:

• there are boards with a marriage of the upper and lower layers;
• some series are characterized by poor ergonomics (slippery top layer).

2 Kronostar

One of the three companies (along with the Russian Kronospan and the German Kronoteks), which is part of the Swiss Krono Group. It specializes in the production of a wide range of wood products for floors, walls and ceilings: from chipboard to laminate and parquet. The first batch of laminate rolled off the assembly line in 2002 at the company's Russian plant located in the Kostroma region. The manufactured laminate flooring of 31-33 wear resistance classes is in stable demand, largely due to its low cost and acceptable reliability indicators.

Advantages:

• low cost;
• products strictly comply with all known parameters;
• The laminate line features a classic soft design and a range of shades without aggressive and non-trivial solutions.

Flaws:

• unity of sizes in the entire line of laminate;
• defective boards come across (knocked down pattern, surface defect, unusable locks);
• poor design choices.

1 Ritter

A fresh trend in the manufacture of laminate flooring came from where it was not expected at all. The large Russian concern RBC decided to establish the production of wood finishing materials, as a result of which the Ritter brand was founded.

Its main difference from others lies in the style of its products. Ordinary "wooden motifs" faded into the background - the company is engaged in the production of laminate with embossed leather. Originally, however, at first, the manufacturers faced the question of the relevance of their development.Six years have passed, but the original laminate is still in stable demand among domestic consumers.

Advantages:

• an atypical approach to development - stylization of the surface of the laminate under the skin;
• relative cheapness of products;
• the service life is 30 years;
• exceptionally high-quality laminate 33 and 34 wear resistance class.

Flaws:

• lack of models with a smooth finish or embossed wood.

The best Chinese laminate manufacturers

5 profile

The factory in China began operating in 1985. All products are produced on the equipment of the Homag brand. Strict quality control is in place. The company is ISO 9001 and 14001 certified. The catalog includes 8 and 12 mm thick laminate, but there are also very thin 5.5 mm boards for low-traffic areas. The chip of the manufacturer is the Parkett collection. These are boards measuring 1200x400 mm, the pattern of which imitates natural parquet. The U-bevel completes the design, creating the effect of gaps between the planks.

In the reviews, buyers note good moisture resistance of the ends due to impregnation with paraffin. Many others like the Synchron Parquet embossing and ease of installation. Each line has from 10 or more patterns and shades. The board does not have an unpleasant smell, it is hard to the touch, but the coating itself is very slippery.

Advantages:

• strict quality control;
• produced on Homag equipment;
• laminate with parquet design;
• U-chamfer.

Flaws:

• slippery flooring.

4 Imperial

The manufacturer uses German technology and industrial equipment from Germany to produce laminate, which ensures high quality products. In the company's catalog of the collection: Boucle, Atlas, Evolution, Absolute, Extra, etc. The coating is designed for private housing, cottages, offices. A moisture-resistant HDF panel is used, but most of the rulers have a board thickness of 8 mm. Each collection is presented in 10 or more colors. Almost the entire range belongs to class 34, and only a few items belong to class 33. Warranty for laminate flooring from 20 to 25 years.

In reviews, buyers note that the front surface of the laminate is difficult to scratch. This is especially important for pet owners whose claws inevitably leave marks. But the locks are quite rigid, so assembly is not always easy. There are wide panels of 240 and 300 mm, which allows you to quickly cover a large area when laying.

Advantages:

• produced on European equipment;
• scratch-resistant outer surface;
• designed for commercial use;
• panels of increased width 240 and 300 mm are produced.

Flaws:

• most panels are only 8 mm thick;
• hard locks.

3 Practice

Since the production facilities of Praktik are concentrated in China, it would be incorrect to compare its laminate with the products of German giants like HDM or Classen. But among compatriots, this brand looks worthy. Initially, the attention of consumers is attracted by the price of flooring: you can buy a laminate with a thickness of 12 mm for about 900 rubles. At the same time, it is made of HDF boards with a density of 900 kg/m³treated with water-repellent Aquastop technology.

Additional prevention of moisture ingress is provided by impregnation of key joints with synthetic wax. One of the buyers (by the way, a professional installer) reported on the tightness in real conditions based on his experience: after 2 hours of soaking the sample in water, the maximum change in thickness in several places barely reached 0.1 mm. Against this background, reviews that the material can withstand long-term use in kitchens and loggias look quite plausible.

Advantages:

• low price when using a high-quality carrier base;
• availability of domestic and foreign certificates (PEFC, ISO, EPD, Blue Angel);
• the ability to pick up all the necessary components (substrate, skirting boards, thresholds) from one brand.

Flaws:

• difficulty with styling due to abundant lubrication of locks with wax;
• real wear resistance is lower than the declared class.

2 good way

The case when originality fully compensates for the mediocrity of quality. The Goodway laminate line came to the world market as an innovator - at that time (and the case was unfolding in 2006), the solution proposed by the company looked like a very interesting and bold step. Creative genius was expressed in the creation of collections for each country separately. So, for England, a laminate in soft colors with light embossing was proposed, and for the Arab countries, an abundance of small elements with intricate styling came out on top.

In the past few years, the concept of production has changed: in order to make products more popular and affordable, China has given some orders (for the production of collections for Russia and Norway) to the Russian branch of the company.

Advantages:

• at the moment, seven collections of laminate are produced, each with 5-12 design options;
• service guarantee - 30 years;
• compliance with product quality standards.

Flaws:

• cutting locks sometimes leaves much to be desired;
• there are some problems with the geometry of the slats.

1 Floorwood

Nominally a Chinese company, in which the forces of the Belarusian, Russian and even Belgian side are involved. It was the interest of a large circle of owners in mutual success that contributed to the output of products to a good (competitive) zonal level, including the domestic domestic market.

Initially, the company was represented by only two factories located in Germany and Belgium. Further, geography prescribed to place factories in Belarus and Russia, after which almost the entire load was transferred to Chinese production facilities. Laminate still goes through strict quality control, but products often have complaints from customers.

Advantages:

• an abundance of model ranges and their constant updating;
• compliance of products with European and Russian certifications;
• service guarantee up to 25 years.

Flaws:

• a large number of marriages in Chinese divisions;
• the cost exceeds consumer expectations.

Top laminate manufacturers: group companies

5 THYS

The production of floor coverings has been established at factories in Belgium, Germany and France. The manufacturer has focused on the production of laminate 32 and 33 classes, providing a guarantee of 20-30 years for products. The range includes 8 and 12 mm thick slabs with a V-bevel on four sides. The width of the boards is 188 mm, the design is single-strip (one panel - one painted board). The entire plate is impregnated with antibacterial compounds, so even if water is spilled, the fungus will not develop.

According to reviews, the laminate of the THYS group is valued for increased sound insulation. A store, office, or loud neighbors downstairs won't cause trouble for those living on the next floor. Buyers also note pronounced anti-slip properties, and this increases the safety of operation in an apartment where some people walk without slippers. PVC surface does not attract dust. Maintaining cleanliness on such a floor is quite easy.

Advantages:

• guarantee from 20 to 30 years;
• good sound insulation;
• antibacterial impregnation;
• low formaldehyde content (class E1).

Flaws:

• only 5 collections.

4 Kastamonu

Since 1999 Kastamonu has been producing laminate flooring under the Floorpan trademark. During this time, the products became so popular that 10 new factories were built for its production in different countries of the world, including Russia.The secret of success was originally laid down by a unique combination of affordability, a wide range (about 70 different decor options) and ease of installation. Among other advantages mentioned by the owners of houses and apartments where the material was used are the minimum percentage of defective slats and the manufacturer's willingness to help in solving difficulties, for example, adding the missing quantity from a scarce collection.

The company pays special attention to the quality of the laminate: it uses high-quality fibreboard, provided for a protective layer of 31–33 abrasion class and the presence of 4-sided chamfers. The beveled edges give the finished floor an expressiveness and similarity to parquet. In addition, a laminate with chamfers around the entire perimeter is considered more resistant to mechanical stress, masks gaps that occur during temperature changes, and even helps to visually adjust the shape of the room.

Advantages:

• big choice;
• no unpleasant surprises in the form of defective parts;
• ease of installation.

Flaws:

• the effect of "dustiness" on matte coatings;
• weakness of the connecting locks.

3 Egger

Egger was founded as a small manufacturer of wood-based materials and over 50 years has grown into a real conglomerate, bringing together as many as 17 companies from all over Europe and Russia. The inexorable growth of production capacities made it possible to expand the range of manufactured products - now Egger produces not only laminate, but also everything you need for interior decoration and furniture manufacturing.

It is interesting that the German-Russian company produces products not only under its own brand, but also sells it, as they say, on the side. The corporation has a number of contracts signed with leading furniture manufacturers and small firms primarily engaged in marketing products around the world.

Advantages:

• production of accompanying products, such as decorative profiles and cleaning products (non-aggressive for the top protective layer);
• the possibility of installing a laminate on the floor and on the walls;
• the shelf life of products is from 12 to 25 years.

Flaws:

• in Russian series there are defective straps;
• quite high cost.

2 Quick step

Contrary to common sense, many people consider Quick-Step to be exclusively Belgian. It is all the more pleasant to report that the Russian division of the company is also actively involved in the release of laminate under this brand.

The Belgians took a step towards popularizing and increasing the availability of products for Russian consumers. The only thing that can be (and quite enough) to say is that the calculation played exactly as the manufacturers expected it. The level of sales has grown, and the range of laminate, which has entered retail trade on the domestic market, has noticeably expanded.

Advantages:

• significant expansion of the model range with the transfer of production to Russia;
• a huge selection of laminate flooring for any interior;
• the presence of an antistatic coating;
• service life up to 25 years.

Flaws:

• Russian laminate is inferior in quality to Belgian;
• persistent chemical odor.

1 Berry Alloc

The company is an important part of the transnational corporation Beaulieu International Group. It turned out as a result of the merger of the Belgian plant Berry Floor and the Norwegian company Alloc, which combined the already huge production capacities together. The main difference (it is also an advantage) from other companies lies in the method of manufacturing the board: instead of the standard pressing of the top layer, Berry Alloc uses HPL (High Pressure Laminate) technology. This leads to a significant increase in performance, which, judging by the feedback from users, is indeed the case. Therefore, a 30 year warranty on laminate flooring durability easily grows into 40 - a significant increase that matters to many consumers. The company's only problem is the high cost of products. And if for Europe this is not a big problem, then in Russia things are a little different.

Advantages:

• the highest quality of production;
• practical service life reaches 40 years.

Flaws:

• high cost of all models of the manufacturer's line.

How to choose a good laminate

Choosing a good laminate for your apartment is not as easy as it might seem at first. In order not to make a mistake with the purchase, we recommend that you pay attention to the following parameters:

The presence of a bevel. A chamfer is a small indentation at the ends of laminate boards. If the floor is not perfectly even, beveled laminate should be preferred. They visually smooth the surface by drawing the boundaries of each board. In the absence of a chamfer, the floor will appear monolithic.

laminate class. Perhaps the most important indicator in this category.The lowest class of laminate board is the 31st - such a laminate, when laid in a private house, will last no more than ten years. The highest class is the 34th - these boards can withstand up to 30 years of operation in a private house and up to 7-15 years in commercial and crowded premises.

Decor and structure. With the decor of the laminate, everything is simple - you should choose the most suitable color and pattern for the interior. But with the structure, everything is much more interesting. There are laminate boards with a smooth surface and embossed wood and leather. We recommend paying attention to corrugated models, since a smooth laminate is less ergonomic in everyday use.

Board thickness. Budget laminate has an average thickness parameter - about 8-10 millimeters. Anything less or more costs much more. It is recommended to choose a thick laminate board if the room is supposed to have heavy furniture or household appliances.

Moisture resistance. The maximum allowable moisture permeability of the laminate is 18%, but in premium options this parameter is 7-12%. Accordingly, the lower the moisture permeability, the more resistant to the perception of liquids is the laminate board.

-1 Liked the article?

Recommended

The 5 Best Laminate and Tile Sealants

10 tips for choosing laminate flooring

9 best laminate underlays

10 Best Online Flooring Stores

10 best floor cleaners

Top 10 electric underfloor heating companies

Top 10 Cork Floor Manufacturers

10 best floor mops

10 best vacuum cleaners for laminate and tiles