Hybrid vs laminate flooring
Laminate vs hybrid flooring: most ranges of both click together as floating floors. The difference is inside the plank.
The main difference between hybrid and laminate flooring is the core of the plank. A laminate plank has a core of pressed wood fibre. A hybrid plank has a core of rigid plastic composite. Both have a printed design layer on top, and most ranges of both click together as a floating floor, which rests on the subfloor and is not fixed down. The core is the main reason the two floors behave differently with water. Noise, and problems from an uneven subfloor, depend more on the underlay (the sheet under the planks) and on how well the subfloor is prepared.
Hybrid and laminate side by side
| Hybrid flooring | Laminate flooring | |
|---|---|---|
| Core | Rigid plastic composite, most often SPC (limestone powder and plastic) | High-density fibreboard, made of pressed wood fibre |
| Top surface | A clear wear layer over a printed design layer; its thickness is given in millimetres | A hard clear layer over a printed design layer; its wear class is given as an AC (abrasion class) rating |
| How it is laid | Usually a floating floor with a click joint | Usually a floating floor with a click joint |
| Underlay | Attached to the plank in many ranges | Usually laid as a separate sheet; attached in some ranges |
| Water | The SPC core found in most hybrid ranges holds no wood fibre. The supplier states the rooms the range is made for | The wood-fibre core can swell if water gets into the joints. Check what the supplier states for the range |
| Look | Printed design | Printed design |
What each plank is made of
A laminate plank is built on high-density fibreboard, which is wood fibre pressed with resin. On top are a printed paper layer and a hard clear layer. A hybrid plank is built on a rigid board of plastic composite. On top are a printed design layer and a clear wear layer. Neither plank holds solid timber.
Water
Water is one of the main differences between the two. Wood fibre soaks up water. If water gets into the joints of a standard laminate floor and stays there, the core can swell, and a swollen plank does not return to its old size. The SPC core found in most hybrid ranges holds no wood fibre. But what a floor is made for is stated by its supplier, for laminate and for hybrid. Read that statement before you choose a floor for a kitchen, a bathroom or a laundry.
Wear and scratches
The two products measure wear in different ways. Laminate gives an AC rating, a wear class for the surface. Hybrid gives the thickness of the wear layer in millimetres. You cannot compare an AC rating with a millimetre number directly. So compare each floor with others of its own kind, and ask what traffic the supplier states the range is made for.
Noise
Most hybrid and laminate floors are floating floors, so both can sound different from a floor that is fixed down. The underlay does much of the work here. Many hybrid ranges have an underlay attached. Laminate is usually laid over a separate underlay. If you live in an apartment, ask your building what its noise rules require before you choose either floor.
The subfloor
The subfloor is the floor under your new floor. Both floors need a subfloor that is flat, dry and solid. Neither a hybrid floor nor a laminate floor hides an uneven subfloor.
Which one fits which home
- You want one floor through living areas and a kitchen: check the supplier's statement for each range, and compare both kinds.
- You want a floor for dry rooms only, such as bedrooms and a study: both are worth comparing.
- You live in an apartment: for either floor, start with the building's noise rules.
We sell hybrid flooring only.
Hybrid vs laminate: questions and answers
What is the difference between hybrid and laminate flooring?
Mainly the core. Laminate has a core of pressed wood fibre. Hybrid has a core of rigid plastic composite. Both have a printed design layer.
Is hybrid flooring better than laminate?
It is a different product, not a better or worse one. Which suits you depends on your rooms, your subfloor and the two ranges you compare.
Which is more scratch resistant, hybrid or laminate?
It depends on the two ranges. Laminate states an AC rating and hybrid states a wear layer in millimetres. Ask what traffic each supplier states its range is made for.
Which is quieter, hybrid or laminate?
It depends mostly on the underlay and on the subfloor, not only on the kind of floor. Many hybrid ranges have an underlay attached. Laminate is usually laid over a separate underlay.
Do hybrid and laminate floors look different?
Both have a printed design. The look depends mostly on the range, the plank size and the surface texture.