If you are choosing luxury vinyl tile in the UK, you will end up comparing Karndean and Amtico. They are the two best-known brands, they compete for the same customers, and they are both very good. That is what makes the choice difficult: there is no bad option, only a better fit for your room, your budget and your taste.
Kent Flooring UK is an approved installer for both brands and we have fitted thousands of square metres of each across Kent, London and the South East. This is the comparison we give customers in the showroom, without the sales pitch from either manufacturer.
The short version
Both are premium glue-down LVT with excellent design, strong guarantees and a long track record in UK homes. Amtico is made in Coventry and is generally the more design-led of the two, with a bespoke laying-pattern service and a slightly higher price. Karndean is designed in the UK and manufactured overseas, offers a wider spread of price points, and is the easier brand to buy at a mid-range budget. In the same wear-layer class, the performance difference in daily use is small.
Karndean vs Amtico at a glance
| Karndean | Amtico | |
|---|---|---|
| Made in | Designed in UK, manufactured overseas | Coventry, UK |
| Main glue-down ranges | Knight Tile, Van Gogh, Opus, Art Select, Da Vinci, Kaleidoscope | Amtico Spacia, Amtico Form, Amtico Signature |
| Wear layer options | 0.3mm (Knight Tile) to 0.7mm (Art Select) | 0.55mm (Spacia) to 1.0mm (Signature) |
| Guarantee (residential) | Lifetime on Art Select and Da Vinci; 25 to 35 years on others | 25 years (Spacia) to lifetime (Signature) |
| Guarantee (commercial) | 10 to 20 years depending on range | 10 to 20 years depending on range |
| Bespoke laying patterns | Kaleidoscope range and set patterns | Signature range: extensive bespoke pattern service |
| Rigid core / click ranges | Korlok, Korlok Select | Amtico Click Smart |
| Price position | Entry, mid and premium | Mid and premium |
| Typical room | Any; strongest at the mid-range | Statement floors, herringbone, feature patterns |
Design and appearance
Both brands photograph real wood and stone and print the image onto the vinyl with an embossed texture that follows the grain. At the top of each range, the results are very convincing.
Amtico’s strength is pattern. The Signature range can be cut into stripping, borders, chevrons, basketweaves and bespoke layouts, and the design service will produce a plan for your room. If you want a floor that looks like a designed object rather than a wood effect, Amtico is usually the answer.
Karndean’s strength is breadth. Across its ranges there are more individual designs to choose from, more formats (planks, tiles, herringbone, parquet blocks) at more price points, and a better chance of finding the exact tone you have in mind without going to the top tier. Our complete guide to Karndean flooring walks through the ranges in more detail.
Wear layer and durability
The wear layer is the clear top coating that protects the printed design. It is the single most important number when comparing LVT. Thicker means longer-lasting, and it is what the guarantee is based on.
- Karndean Knight Tile has a 0.3mm wear layer, which is fine for bedrooms and light-use rooms but not what we would recommend for a family kitchen.
- Karndean Van Gogh, Opus and Amtico Spacia sit at 0.55mm, the practical minimum for a busy home.
- Karndean Art Select and Amtico Form are 0.7mm.
- Amtico Signature is 1.0mm, the thickest domestic wear layer of either brand and the reason it carries a lifetime guarantee in commercial-style use.
Compare like for like. A 0.55mm Karndean against a 0.55mm Amtico will perform almost identically. The mistake is comparing an entry Karndean with a top Amtico and concluding one brand is more durable than the other.
Guarantees
Both brands offer long guarantees, but they are only valid when the floor is fitted by an approved installer over a correctly prepared subfloor and maintained with the manufacturer’s recommended cleaners. Ask your installer to confirm approval status for the brand you choose; we hold it for both.
Price
Amtico starts higher than Karndean. There is no Amtico equivalent of Knight Tile, so if your budget is at the entry end of LVT, Karndean is the practical choice. In the mid-range, Karndean Van Gogh and Amtico Spacia are close. At the top, Amtico Signature is the more expensive product, and it earns that through the wear layer and the design service.
Fitting costs are the same for both. What changes the labour is the pattern: a herringbone or a bordered design takes longer than straight planks in either brand.
Cleaning and care
Both brands need the same care: a dust mop or vacuum with the beater bar off, a damp mop with the manufacturer’s own cleaner or a pH-neutral alternative, and no steam mops or abrasive pads. Both recommend felt pads on furniture and a barrier mat at external doors. Our guide on how to clean Karndean flooring properly applies almost word for word to Amtico.
Which should you choose?
Choose Karndean if: you want the widest choice of designs at a mid-range budget, you are flooring a whole ground floor and want a consistent product at a sensible price, or you like the look of a specific Karndean design.
Choose Amtico if: you want a bespoke laying pattern, a statement herringbone or bordered floor, the thickest available wear layer, or a product made in the UK.
Either is right if: you are choosing a straight-plank wood effect for a kitchen, hallway or living room at the 0.55mm to 0.7mm level. Pick the colour and texture you prefer in the showroom under your own lighting, because at that level the brand matters far less than the design.
Getting the fitting right
Whichever you choose, the floor will only be as good as the subfloor beneath it. LVT is thin and follows every imperfection, so a smooth, level, dry base is essential. That usually means a latex screed over concrete or a plywood overlay on floorboards, and always a moisture test. The Contract Flooring Association explains why using an accredited contractor matters for exactly this reason.
See both brands side by side
The best way to decide is to see the two ranges together. Our Medway showroom stocks both, and we will bring samples to your home so you can check them against your walls, kitchen and light. Visit our Amtico flooring page to book a showroom appointment or a free home survey.
