Luxury Vinyl Plank/Tile (LVP/LVT)——The Best Flooring for Kitchens

Luxury vinyl is a multilayered form of PVC flooring that’s incredibly durable, fully waterproof, and generally inexpensive to buy and install—especially compared to classic options like solid hardwood. It comes in both plank (LVP) and tile (LVT) forms, which offer convincing wood or stone looks, respectively.

Anyway, the best vinyl plank flooring is unbelievably versatile, so it can absolutely be installed as kitchen flooring.

Upgraded versions of LVP that use an enhanced core layer, usually called EVP or rigid core luxury vinyl flooring, are especially durable and should have no trouble standing up to daily wear and tear in a busy kitchen. However, even high-quality, flexible LVP can last for decades!

Note: for this article, it’s safe to assume that anytime we mention LVP we’re also talking about LVT.

Also: peel-and-stick vinyl plank flooring is commonly confused with LVP but they’re separate products. Peel-and-stick vinyl is generally less durable and usually intended as a temporary solution (i.e. it’s not ideal for long-term kitchen flooring).

Pros of Using Luxury Vinyl as Kitchen Flooring

LVP is an early contender for the best flooring for kitchen crown because it’s just so darn hardy.

The big draw: it’s completely waterproof and mimics hardwood very well (it’s a great way to get wood floor designs without worrying about spill damage). Plus, options like WPC flooring are incredibly comfortable too!

Also: the cost to install vinyl plank flooring really isn’t that bad compared to hardwood.

Cons of Using Luxury Vinyl as Kitchen Flooring

The only big disadvantages of vinyl plank flooring are that it’s not very eco-friendly (it’s plastic) and not all brands are created equal. There’s a lot of junk on the market, unfortunately.

However, if you stick with the good brands you’ll have few if any problems with luxury vinyl tile or plank!

Vinyl plank scores high marks across the board but buyers who don’t mind regular maintenance may prefer engineered or solid hardwood for their authenticity. Still, others may prefer tile as the traditional option; tile flooring is practically synonymous with the best kitchen flooring.