Vinyl Plank vs Laminate Flooring: Which Should You Buy?
By The DIYPicks Team · Updated July 2026
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LifeProof 22 MIL Rigid Core Luxury Vinyl Plank
Home Depot's toughest big-box LVP tier, with a pet- and water-proof 22 mil surface that suits almost any room if your subfloor is flat.
| 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-friendly, thick-plank waterproof laminate with excellent scratch resistance, best kept out of rooms that flood.
| 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.