Consumer Reports Is Calling This Flooring A Great, Durable Choice For Bathrooms

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Imagine this: you spend countless hours searching for a flooring option for your bathroom. You search online. You talk to contractors. You do everything you can before installing it, only to realize that the flooring is full of scratches, stains, and damage only a few months later. Sounds frustrating, right? This is a common problem for many households, and people often debate which flooring choice works best for the bathrooms. Well, Consumer Reports might have an answer for you. They recently tested and rated a handful of flooring options and noted that porcelain is the most durable option for bathrooms, along with laundry and mudrooms.

Porcelain proved capable of resisting scratches, stains, water, and fading from sunlight in Consumer Reports' testing. Even better, porcelain tile is unexpectedly resistant to slipping even when wet, which comes with the added bonus of making your bathroom safer. And unlike other flooring materials like wood and laminate, porcelain is more resistant to mold and bacterial growth, which is another plus if you're using this material to renovate your bathroom floor.

However, that doesn't mean porcelain is perfect. For instance, it can crack if something heavy falls on it. Plus, it typically costs more upfront than ceramic or vinyl flooring. But thanks to its durability, you may save money on repairs and replacements in the long run, making porcelain a great choice for bathroom flooring material. You just need to make sure that you prepare the surface properly before installing it. Not doing so is one of the biggest bathroom flooring mistakes you need to avoid at all costs.

Three porcelain tile options rose to the top of Consumer Reports' rankings, and all three are worth considering for your bathroom. Each scored top marks in resisting foot traffic, scratches, stains, and water damage. However, they each received middling scores when it comes to resisting dents, though this is a common complaint about porcelain tiles in general. 

Out of Consumer Reports' recommendations, the highest-rated porcelain tile was the Florida Tile Home Collection Wind River Beige (CHDEWND016X24) The vast majority of Home Depot reviewers said that they'd recommend this product, with many appreciating the tiles' realistic wood appearance and easy-to-clean surface. There were, however, some complaints about inconsistent tile quality. Out of all of Consumer Reports' recommendations, this tile had the highest slip resistance.

The next runner up was Allen + Roth Ash 0600101. This tile is available at Lowe's, where buyers commended the versatility of its neutral colors and upscale look with minimal grout lines. That said, these tiles are longer, coming in at 48 inches long. Some buyers liked the look of this, while others found it harder to install. Consumer Reports' third recommendation was Marazzi Montagna Dapple Gray ULM7, which they praised for its competitive pricing — out of all three porcelain tile options, this is the cheapest, making it a good pick for a budget-friendly bathroom upgrade. Though some buyers complained that these tiles arrived broken, many described them as beautiful, durable, and relatively easy to install.