Vinyl Plank vs Laminate Flooring: Which Should You Buy?
By Nate Sawyer, Editor · Updated July 2026
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LifeProof 22 MIL Rigid Core Luxury Vinyl Plank
A 100% waterproof SPC plank whose 22 mil wear layer shrugs off pets, kids and rolling chairs in kitchens, baths and basements, clicking over most floors with a pre-attached pad. Downsides: a Home Depot exclusive you can't price-shop, and a rigid core that needs a flat subfloor and can still dent under point loads.
| Type | Rigid core LVP (SPC) |
|---|---|
| Wear Layer | 22 mil |
| Thickness | 7.5 mm |
| Waterproof | Yes / 100% |
| Install | Click-lock floating (attached pad) |
| Warranty | Lifetime residential / 20-yr commercial |
Pergo Outlast+ Waterproof Laminate Wood Flooring
A budget 12 mm waterproof laminate whose thick embossed planks look and feel close to real wood, with AC4 durability and a lifetime pet-scratch warranty at about $2.49-2.79/sq ft with a pad. But it is only surface-sealed, so a flood can still swell the core; keep it from full baths and basements, and it can't be refinished.
| Type | Waterproof laminate |
|---|---|
| Thickness | 12 mm |
| AC Rating | AC4 (heavy residential) |
| Waterproof | Yes (SpillProtect24 surface seal) |
| Install | Click-lock floating (attached 2mm pad) |
| Warranty | Lifetime residential + lifetime pet-scratch |
Our verdict
The real dividing line is water. Rigid-core vinyl like LifeProof is 100% waterproof and the safer choice for kitchens, full baths and basements, and its thicker wear layers handle pets well. Laminate like Pergo Outlast+ tends to look and feel more like real wood, resists scratches very well, and often costs less per square foot, but its wood-fiber core can swell if water sits on the seams. For a whole-home floor that must survive floods and mopping, choose LVP; for living rooms and bedrooms where you want the most convincing wood look on a budget, waterproof-surface laminate is a strong value. Both install as DIY click-lock floating floors over a flat subfloor.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is vinyl plank or laminate better for a bathroom?
- Rigid-core vinyl. It is 100% waterproof through the core, so full baths, kitchens and below-grade basements are all fair game. Laminate here is surface-sealed rather than waterproof — prolonged standing water can still swell the core.
- Which one looks and feels more like real wood?
- The laminate. A 12 mm plank with embossed texture reads closer to real wood than most vinyl, and its AC4 wood-fiber surface is very scratch-resistant with a lifetime pet-scratch warranty. Vinyl trades some of that realism for water immunity.
- Which is better with dogs?
- Both make a case. The 22 mil vinyl wear layer shrugs off dog nails and rolling chairs, while the laminate's AC4 surface carries a pet-scratch warranty. If accidents are the worry rather than scratches, vinyl wins because the core cannot swell.
- Do both need a flat subfloor?
- Rigid SPC vinyl especially — it telegraphs bumps and dips, so the subfloor must be flat within about 3/16 in over 10 ft. Laminate is more forgiving underfoot but sounds harder and hollower than vinyl.