Best Flooring Options for Bedrooms [2023 Guide]

We spend a lot of time in our bedrooms – they’re not only private spaces where we go to recharge and relax, but they’re also where we can freely express ourselves. One important component that changes your bedroom’s atmosphere – and one that is often overlooked – is your bedroom floor. How do you choose a great floor for your bedroom?

When it comes to bedroom floors, the main qualities to prioritise are comfort, style, and durability, as they ensure continued enjoyment of your floor for the years to come. In this article, we’ll look at 5 different types of flooring that we think are great for the bedroom, and their benefits and drawbacks.

Of course, flooring colour and design is also important for your bedroom floor – to learn more about that, explore our floor colour and design guide. 

Solid Timber Floors

A popular option that’s often touted as a ‘traditional’ choice, solid timber floors are great for bedrooms. Solid timber floors are made of real wood all the way down, so they’re not only durable and sturdy, but also exude tons of natural charm and beauty. 

Benefits of Solid Timber Floors

Solid timber flooring is durable and long-lasting

Solid timber floors have a tough top coating applied to them straight from the factory or during installation, which makes them very durable and scratch resistant. This makes them an ideal choice for bedroom floors that experience a lot of action.

When your floor starts to show its age years from now, solid timber floors have another trick up their sleeve – they can be sanded down and refinished to reveal a brand-new timber surface underneath! These floors are a solid choice for the long-run, as they can add value to (and even last as long as) your home.

Solid timber flooring is comfortable

Solid timber floors are great to walk on – not only are they relatively soft, but they have a natural warmth that helps you avoid frozen feet during those chilly winter mornings. As their name suggests, solid timber floors feel sturdy and aren’t slippery, which also helps to reduce noise.

Solid timber flooring is stylish and beautiful

From the creamy pale tones of blackbutt to the warm sunset-like hues of jarrah, there’s a multitude of species that you can choose for your solid timber floor. Each floor is unique and comes with natural variations such as knots and gum veins, so you’ll definitely find one that matches your style!

Solid timber flooring is healthy and environmentally friendly

Solid timber floors are one of the most natural types of flooring, as they don’t use any adhesives or other chemicals during their construction. They’re ideal for those with respiratory issues as you can install solid timber without glue and choose low-VOC (volatile organic compound) finishes that almost eliminate any off-gassing by the floor.

Solid timber floors are also highly recyclable, which reduces their environmental impact in the long run. 

Drawbacks of Solid Timber Floors

They are more costly than other types of floors

As solid timber floors require real wood to make, they’re one of the most expensive flooring options you can get depending on species, width and thickness. In NSW (Australia), a pre-finished solid timber floor can cost between $120 and $150per metre to supply and install (indicative).

Solid timber flooring is not waterproof

Although this isn’t too much of a problem in a bedroom, it’s important to keep in mind that solid timber floors don’t like long-term exposure to water, as this can cause creaking and buckling. It’s always good practice to clean up any spills and accidents as soon as they occur.

  

Engineered Timber Floors

If you like the look of solid timber floors but not the cost, engineered timber floors are a great alternative floor covering for the bedroom.

Engineered timber floors use a top veneer of real wood and replace the rest with layers of plywood, which is not only cheaper but also more resistant to expansion and contraction caused by changes in moisture and temperature. The result? Engineered floors look exactly like solid timber floors when installed but are more affordable and more structurally durable. 

Benefits of Engineered Timber Floors

It’s cheaper to install

Unlike solid timber floors, engineered timber flooring is a floating floor design, which means that they’re installed over the floor you already have. This makes them very easy to install – in fact, you could even install one as a weekend project! If you’d like to change your floor design in the future, they’re quite easy to uninstall too!

If you’d like to learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of floating floors, read more here.

There is a new type of engineered flooring – Hydropro timber with an 100% waterproof core

The majority of water damage comes from the subfloor rather than surface accidents. Whether it’s a leaky pipe or small water spills, our waterproof engineered timber flooring will be able to handle it without a problem.

It mostly keeps the same benefits as solid timber

As engineered timber floors essentially have the same surface as solid timber floors, this means that they mostly retain solid timber’s durability, comfort, and style. You’d be hard-pressed to tell a difference in everyday use!

Drawbacks of engineered timber floors

It doesn’t last as long as solid timber

Don’t get us wrong, engineered timber floors can last for ages if properly cared for! However, engineered timber floors have a thinner layer of real wood compared to solid timber, which means that they’ll have limited re-sanding potential in the future.

Engineered timber floors can also suffer from delamination if unnecessarily harsh chemicals are used on them, causing the layers of the floor to break apart over time.

Some engineered timber products may emit fumes

As engineered timber floors require adhesives to bond the various layers together, these adhesives may off-gas unhealthy VOCs depending upon the model. However, this is highly dependent on the model of flooring you choose, so make sure to check with your flooring supplier before committing to purchase a flooring model. Other multi-layer flooring types like laminate and hybrid floors can also have this issue.

Since we know that off-gassing is unpleasant (especially for bedrooms), FloorVenue only stocks engineered timber floors that meet the most stringent emissions safety ratings.

Laminate Floors

Another flooring type that we recommend for the bedroom is laminate, which packs a lot of value given its cost. Unlike solid and engineered timber floors which use real wood, laminate floors use a resin ‘print layer’, which is essentially a textured photo of a surface like wood or tile. This print layer is bonded to a HDF particleboard core and melamine base, creating a floor that’s stylish but doesn’t hurt your wallet.

Benefits of Laminate Floors

It’s very affordable

Laminate floors are one of the most affordable types of flooring you can get, and their low cost is also aided by its floating floor design. If you’re looking for a quick and cheap way to change the look of your bedroom, laminate floors are a great choice.

It’s stylish

It’d be a waste to install a brand-new floor if it doesn’t look nice. However, you don’t have to worry about laminate floors; not only do they sport a wide range of designs due to their use of a print layer, but technologies such as bevelling and micro-printing make laminate floors very realistically resemble the real surface.

It’s durable

Laminate floors are very durable as they’ve been pre-finished in the factory with a hard-wearing compound like aluminum oxide that resists scratches and fading from ultraviolet light. Furthermore, the HDF core used in laminate flooring helps prevent denting from impacts or knocks. This makes laminate flooring a great option for bedrooms that see a lot of activity on the floor, such as kids’ bedrooms.

Drawbacks of laminate floors

It’s not waterproof

Although this shouldn’t really be a big problem in bedrooms, it’s important to remember that laminate flooring is not waterproof and shouldn’t be subjected to long periods of moisture (whether from above or below the floor).

It doesn’t last as long as its timber counterparts

If well-maintained, laminate flooring can last for 10 to 30 years; however, laminate floors are limited in longevity as they can’t be re-sanded or polished when the top coating starts to wear away.

Hybrid floors

Hybrid floors are another great option for the bedroom. They’re quite similar to laminate floors in their floating floor construction, but substitute the HDF and melamine layers for a wood or stone composite. What does this mean for you? Essentially, hybrid floors are waterproof, and they’re also a little softer and more comfortable underfoot.

Benefits of Hybrid Floors

It’s 100% waterproof

Unlike laminate floors, hybrid floors are waterproof and can avoid issues like delamination in bedrooms that are in humid areas or are otherwise exposed to lots of moisture. This also means that hybrid floors are easier to clean in the event that spills do occur.

It mostly keeps the same benefits as laminate floors

As hybrid floors largely keep the same multi-layered composition of laminate floors, they also keep the same advantages. This includes a durable topcoat that’s UV and scratch resistant, a comfortable feel underfoot, and hundreds of designs for you to choose.

Drawbacks of Hybrid Floors

It’s a little more expensive than laminate flooring

Hybrid floors are a middle-of-the-range option – they’re cheaper than solid and engineered timber floors, but slightly more expensive than laminate and vinyl floors. Is it worth it? This would definitely depend upon whether the waterproofness of hybrid floors is worth a slight price premium to you.

It’s slightly less durable than laminate flooring

Whilst hybrid floors aren’t fragile, they are less scratch and dent resistant than laminate floors. Ultimately, do you need waterproofing or durability more?

Bamboo Floors

If you’re looking to get a modern, classy look for your bedroom, bamboo floors are a great option. They’re made of bamboo grass – yes, grass – that’s been shredded and compacted to make robust floating floorboards.

Benefits of bamboo floors

It’s stylish

Although you won’t be getting the look of different materials, bamboo floors exhibit a unique grain that can be stained different colours depending on what you want for your bedroom. From the dark tones of ‘Smoked Coffee’ to the warmth of ‘Coral Reef’ or the creamy tones of ‘Natural’ bamboo, you’re almost guaranteed to find a bamboo floor colour that suits you.

It’s environmentally friendly

Bamboo is a natural and fast-growing renewable material, which makes bamboo floors a great option for the environmentally conscious. However, be sure to check how your chosen bamboo flooring product has been created, as they’re not all equal. It’s always a good idea to check whether your floor has been certified by a body like the FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council), as well as whether it has been created using any adhesives that emit high levels of VOCs.

It’s durable

As bamboo is naturally quite hard, it makes total sense that bamboo floors – especially the strandwoven kind – are very durable and resistant to impacts.

Drawbacks of Bamboo Floors

Its design is polarising

Although bamboo floors are trendy and can give a contemporary look to your bedroom, we know that some people don’t like their unique look. Fortunately, FloorVenue offers free at-home consultations and can provide flooring samples across most of NSW, so you can rest assured that your bamboo floor will fit in great with you and your room.

It’s not waterproof

Bamboo floors come last when it comes to water-resistant. Excessive moisture or humidity can cause bamboo floors to swell and even grow mould, so make sure to avoid leaving any standing water on your bamboo floor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best flooring for bedrooms?

As bedrooms aren’t high-traffic areas or continually exposed to moisture, almost any type of flooring will work in your bedroom. Some of the flooring types we recommend include laminate flooring, hybrid flooring, solid timber flooring, engineered timber flooring, and bamboo flooring. These floors are comfortable and durable, which helps you enjoy your floor for the years to come. 

What is the cheapest flooring for a bedroom?

Hybrid and laminate floors are the cheapest types of flooring that you can get for a bedroom. Both are floating floors, which means that you can DIY install them over your existing floor. They’re both also very durable and scratch-resistant, so they’ll last for a long time too.

Is it better to have carpet or laminate in bedrooms?

Both carpet and laminate floors are great in bedrooms! However, laminate floors are much easier to clean, which makes them better for people with allergies. Carpet flooring is more comfortable underfoot, but can definitely trap dirt and dust in the carpet fibres. In all, we’d recommend laminate floors over carpet as you can keep them cleaner for longer with less maintenance.

Is carpet in bedrooms still popular?

Carpets are still a common option for bedrooms as they’re not only cheap, but also very soft and comfortable to stand or sit on. However, carpet floors are very difficult to clean thoroughly, so they’re not really a suitable option for allergy sufferers. More and more homeowners are switching from carpet to timber based flooring.

Should I put laminate flooring in my bedroom?

Laminate floors are excellent for bedrooms as they’re not only affordable, but also hard-wearing and stylish. They come in hundreds of realistic styles and textures like timber and tile, so you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to finding a floor that suits your bedroom. Laminate floors are also floating floor designs, which means that you can DIY install them over the weekend to get a stunning brand-new floor.

Should bedroom floors match throughout the house?

They don’t have to match – the beauty of bedrooms is that they’re personal spaces that you can change based on your style. In fact, having different types of flooring throughout the house can create a stunning look without losing cohesion in your space.