Today’s bedrooms serve a lot of purposes, which is why the best bedroom floor is different for every room. The right floor depends on whether the room is a sanctuary, a great place to snuggle with the pets, a child’s room, a comfortable TV room, gym, play room, or craft room.
Fortunately, there are quite a few bedroom floors durable enough to withstand all the activity that goes on in a bedroom. For do-it-yourselfers, many of these floors are also a fairly easy home project. The list of bedroom floors is long, which is why this breakdown sheds some light on the best flooring options, and the good and bad of each.
Best bedroom floors
Wood floors
Wood flooring is a classic choice for bedrooms, though today’s wood floors are available in traditional and modern styles. These beautiful floors add warmth to a bedroom and make it feel upscale. The latter may be the reason that wood floors add to the value of a home.
These floors are available in rich wood and modern tones that fit with almost any décor. Wood floors come in narrow and wide planks. Once installed, wood floors are easy-to-clean, though they can be damaged and stained by spills and standing water. Because they are susceptible to damage from water and moisture, wood floors are not recommended for basement bedrooms.
Unfortunately, wood floors are cold underfoot, though area rugs can make the hardness a bit more comfortable. Area rugs can also keep wood floors looking like new, though they may need a backing to protect the flooring. (Ask a flooring professional when ordering or purchasing the rug.)
Pros: Durable, available in many different finishes and styles, adds value to a home, easy-to-clean, can be sanded and refinished when worn
Cons: Can be damaged by spills, not an easy DIY project, hard underfoot
Carpet
Carpet is one of the most popular bedroom flooring choices because it is soft underfoot. There’s just something about the plush feel of carpet underfoot, making it a great choice for a child’s room. Plush carpet may be hard to clean after a spill, though there are new carpets with stain-resistant features. Some carpets are hypoallergenic and stain-resistant, perfect for bedrooms. Other carpets keep water from soaking through to the carpet pad. Ask a flooring pro to see carpets with stain-resistant features when browsing through bedroom flooring options.
Pros: Durable, available in many different colors and styles, soft underfoot, perfect for a child’s room
Cons: May be stained by spills, not an easy DIY project
Luxury vinyl plank
This modern flooring is the best of all worlds. It is durable enough for high-traffic spaces (like kids bedrooms!) Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) is water-resistant and won’t be damaged by spills. It is easy-to-clean and available in a variety of colors and styles. LVP is a fairly easy bedroom floor install for do-it-yourselfers. (Some LVP floors can be installed as a floating floor without adhesive.)
Most LVP floors resemble wood flooring, though there are products that look like tile. Though they closely resemble wood floors, LVP won’t add value to a home like wood flooring. However, this bedroom floor is going to hold up under an extreme amount of foot and paw traffic.
Pros: Durable, water-resistant, easy-to-clean, easy DIY project, available in many different finishes and styles
Cons: Hard underfoot, may scratch
Engineered wood
These wood floors are an upscale addition to any bedroom. Engineered wood is manufactured in layers, with the top layer being solid wood. Because of their construction, engineered wood floors are a good flooring option for bedrooms in a basement.
Some engineered wood floors are manufactured with a top layer thick enough to be sanded down and refinished. (Ask a flooring pro to see engineered wood floors with a top layer suitable for refinishing.) These engineered wood floors are a long-term solution for bedrooms. Some engineered wood floors can also be installed as a floating floor, making them fairly easy-to-install.
Engineered wood floors are real wood flooring, which means they are susceptible to damage from spills and water. If water is spilled on engineered wood in a bedroom, the spill should be promptly wiped up. Beyond spills, engineered wood is easy-to-clean and maintain.
Pros: Durable, available in many different finishes and styles, adds value to a home, fairly easy DIY install, easy-to-clean
Cons: Can be damaged by spills
How to keep a bedroom floor looking like new
- Choose a water-resistant floor for a bedroom that is prone to spills.
- Clean up spills as quickly as possible. (Always blot, don’t scrub carpet.)
- Select a floor cleaning product that is recommended by the manufacturer and won’t void the warranty.
- Schedule a regular carpet cleaning.
- Choose a vacuum for the floor that won’t damage the flooring.
- If adding an area rug to a bedroom, ask a flooring pro whether the rug needs a backing to protect the bedroom flooring.
