15 best manufacturers of laminate

Laminate can not be called "national flooring" - it is a premium flooring material, which is suitable for almost all rooms within an apartment or a private house. In addition to performing the function of a simple coating, laminate is an important element of the decor, giving the room a richer look. He is not afraid of scratches, but poorly resistant to water, which clearly indicates its delicacy.

A large assortment of laminate from leading manufacturers in Russia, Europe and Asia puts the domestic consumer in a difficult position. Huge selection, the number of brands and colors can confuse anyone, even the most experienced buyer. In this regard, we have selected for you the 15 best manufacturers of laminate in four main categories. Each applicant was selected according to the following criteria:

• brand popularity among consumers;
• recommendations of experts and professionals;
• assortment size;
• matching the price of products to the original quality.

All products from manufacturers included in the final rating are worthy of your first attention.

The best European manufacturers of laminate

4 HDM ELESGO

Concern HDM is a German enterprise with a half-century history of development. The Elesgo laminate collection stands out in its product range. It is produced using a patented technology that has a number of advantages. The basis of the material laid high density (900 kg / m³) Fiberboard, environmentally friendly (formaldehyde in it is not more than in natural wood) and resistant to mechanical stress. The characteristics of the carrier plate in combination with the innovative Unilin locking system provide for quick installation, rigid coupling of the slats and the possibility of multiple re-installations.

However, the main difference of the technology lies in applying a protective coating on the decorative layer in the form of an acrylate resin, while other manufacturers use melamine for this purpose. The difference between them is very significant: the risk of release of harmful substances into the atmosphere decreases, the surface acquires antistatic properties, it becomes more resistant to the effects of household chemicals and UV radiation. Excellent quality laminate "Elesgo" confirm and reviews.

Advantages:

• excellent appearance of the "mirror" coating;
• original castle connection with wax moisture insulating impregnation;
• high mechanical strength, scratch resistance.

Disadvantages:

• like any glossy surface needs some care.

3 Kaindl

A giant from the family of German woodworking companies, whose work has been going on for more than 120 years.Kaindl Flooring GmbH is a full-cycle manufacturer: the company grows wood on its own, processes material, manufactures and sells products all over the globe.

The company is especially fond of the USA, Canada, South America and Europe. In Russia, until a certain point, they were neutral, but the “boom” of the laminate brought Kaindl to the top manufacturers here. The only complaint about the product is cost: the entire line of laminate is distinguished by a high price, which is far from being accessible to all consumers.

Advantages:

• large selection of laminate for any interior;
• use of the densest bearing plate for laminate boards (950 kg / m³);
• The warranty period of the laminate is up to 30 years.

Disadvantages:

• high price.

2 Balterio

The year 2001 was crowned for the Belgian industrial corporation Spanolux SA with the opening of a new unit responsible for the release of promising developments of laminate flooring under the well-known brand Balterio. The company's business immediately went well - the systematic development of infrastructure helped, starting from the actual cultivation of wood and ending with logistic operations. Balterio is focused on producing high quality laminates from 32 to 34 wear 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:

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

Disadvantages:

• high price;
• products are often forged by small oriental companies.

1 Pergo

Premium laminate manufacturer, in fact, is its ancestor. The first batches of laminate boards left the assembly line in the distant 1979, and even then consumers were delighted with the overall quality. After nearly 40 years, their products are still the world-class benchmark, which only a few managed to grow to. Pergo production is distinguished by the strictest quality control of products at each stage of processing, which allows us to supply consumers with the best elements of the floor covering.

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

Advantages:

• TitanX topcoat protection system (effective protection against shock, wear, abrasion and discoloration);
• high level of environmental friendliness;
• guaranteed service life is 25 years.

Disadvantages:

• a large number of fakes on the market;
• All collections (12 lines) are very high cost.

The best Russian manufacturers of laminate

4 Kronospan

Kronospan, one of the largest wood-processing plants in Russia, produces not only MDF and chipboard, but also laminated flooring under the same-name brand. The 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 giving it is better to find no material.

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

Advantages:

• Straight line geometry and precise joining of joints;
• a wide choice of textures, gloss levels and shades for the realization of any design project;
• special solutions with antibacterial coating, micro-scratch protection and built-in noise insulation - Krono Xprotect, Krono Xonic;
• hygienic certification of VOC Emissions with Class A + marking (low emission of harmful volatile substances).

Disadvantages:

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

3 Tarkett

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

Advantages:

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

Disadvantages:

• there are boards with marriage of the upper and lower layers;
• Some series have poor ergonomics (slippery top layer).

2 Kronostar

One of the three firms (along with the Russian Kronoshpan and the German Kronoteks), which is part of the Swiss Krono Group. 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 left the assembly line in 2002 at the Russian plant of the company located in the Kostroma region. Produced 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 the declared parameters;
• The laminate line has a classic soft design and a set of colors without aggressive and non-trivial solutions.

Disadvantages:

• uniformity of sizes in the entire line of laminate;
• rejected boards (knocked drawing, surface defect, unusable locks) come across;
• poor choice of design.

1 Ritter

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

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

Advantages:

• 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 class.

Disadvantages:

• lack of models with a smooth coating or wood lettering.

Top Chinese laminate manufacturers

3 Praktik

Since the production facilities of Praktik are concentrated in China, it will be incorrect to compare its laminate with products of German grandees like HDM or Classen. But among the compatriots, this brand looks decent. Initially, consumers are attracted by the price of flooring: you can buy a 12 mm thick laminate for about 900 rubles. At the same time it is made of HDF plates with a density of 900 kg / m³, treated with water-repellent composition according to Aquastop technology.

Additional prevention of moisture ingress is provided by the impregnation of lock joints with synthetic wax. One of the buyers (by the way, a professional installer), based on his experience, said about the tightness in real conditions: after 2 hours 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 operation in kitchens and loggias look quite plausible.

Advantages:

• low price when using a quality carrier;
• availability of domestic and foreign certificates (PEFC, ISO, EPD, "Blue Angel");
• the ability to pick up all the necessary components (substrate, baseboards, sills) from a single brand.

Disadvantages:

• complexity with styling due to the abundant lubrication of wax locks;
• real wear resistance below the declared class.

2 Goodway

The case when originality fully compensates for mediocrity of quality. The Goodway laminate line came to the world market as an innovator - at that time (and the situation unfolded 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 was offered laminate in soft colors with light embossing, and for Arab countries in the first place came the abundance of small elements with intricate styling.

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 manufacture of collections for Russia and Norway) to the Russian branch of the company.

Advantages:

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

Disadvantages:

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

1 Floorwood

Nominally a Chinese company that employs the forces of Belarus, Russia and even the Belgian side.It is 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 plants located in Germany and Belgium. Further, geography prescribed the location of factories in Belarus and Russia, after which almost the entire load was transferred to Chinese production facilities. Laminate is still undergoing strict quality control, but products often have complaints from customers.

Advantages:

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

Disadvantages:

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

Best laminate manufacturers: groups of companies

4 Kastamonu

Since 1999, Kastamonu has been manufacturing laminated flooring under the Floorpan trademark. During this time, the products became so popular that for its release 10 new plants were built in different countries of the world, including Russia. The secret of success was originally laid by a unique combination of affordability, a wide (about 70 different decor options) range and ease of installation. Among the other advantages mentioned by the owners of houses and apartments where the material was used is the minimum percentage of defective lamellae and the willingness of the manufacturer to help solve difficulties, for example, getting 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 grade of abrasion and 4-sided chamfers. The beveled edges give the finished floor an expression and similarity with the parquet. In addition, the laminate with chamfers around the perimeter is considered to be more resistant to mechanical loads, masks the 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.

Disadvantages:

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

3 Egger

Egger was founded as a small producer of wood materials and in 50 years has grown into a real conglomerate, combining as many as 17 companies from all over Europe and Russia. The inexorable growth of production capacity allowed us to expand the range of manufactured products - now Egger produces not only laminate, but everything that is needed for interior decoration and furniture manufacturing.

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

Advantages:

• release of accompanying products, such as decorative profiles and cleaning products (non-aggressive for the upper protective layer);
• the possibility of installing laminate flooring and walls;
• shelf life of products ranges from 12 to 25 years.

Disadvantages:

• in the Russian series come across defective strips;
• 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 also actively applies to the production of laminate under this brand.

Belgians took a step towards popularizing and increasing the availability of products for Russian consumers. The only thing that can (and is quite enough) to say is that the calculation played exactly as the manufacturers had been waiting for. The level of sales has grown, and the line of laminate, which has entered the retail trade on the domestic market, has increased significantly.

Advantages:

• significant expansion of the model range when transferring production to Russia;
• a huge selection of laminate for any interior;
• antistatic coating;
• service life up to 25 years.

Disadvantages:

• Russian laminate is inferior to Belgian;
• presence of persistent chemical smell.

1 Berry alloc

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

Advantages:

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

Disadvantages:

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

How to choose a good laminate

Choosing a good laminate flooring for your apartment is not so simple as it may seem initially. In order not to lose money with the purchase, we recommend to pay attention to the following parameters:

The presence of chamfer. A chamfer is a small depression at the ends of laminate boards. If the floor does not differ ideally flatness, you should give preference to laminate with chamfers. They will visually smooth the surface due to the drawing of the boundaries of each board. If there is no chamfer, the floor will appear monolithic.

Laminate class. Perhaps the most important indicator in this category. The 31st is the lowest class of laminate board - such laminate, when installed 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 the structure is much more interesting. There are laminate boards with a smooth surface and embossed with wood and natural leather. We recommend paying attention to corrugated models, because a smooth laminate is less ergonomic for everyday use.

Board thickness Budget laminate has an average thickness parameter - about 8-10 millimeters. Anything less or more is much more expensive. It is recommended to choose a thick laminate board in the event that the room assumes the presence of heavy furniture or household appliances.

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

Popular vote - who is the best laminate manufacturer?
We vote!

Balterio

Kaindl

Pergo

Ritter

Kronostar

Tarkett

Goodway

Floorwood

Berry alloc

Quick step

Egger

Kastamonu

Praktik

Hdm

Kronospan

Another variant

Total votes: 250

Vote results