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Updated February 8, 2023
Let’s talk a bit about LifeProof vinyl flooring! Home Depot’s in-house brand is relatively inexpensive, decently durable, and increasingly popular. But is it one of the best types of vinyl flooring out there?
That’s a loaded question—and to be fair to LifeProof, it requires a thorough response.
👉 👉 If you just want the quick summary, we would recommend other brands besides LifeProof. There are many other brands that have similar price points, but have better consumer reviews and were rated better when we need our durability tests. Check out brands like Proximity Mills, Newton, and TruCor.
We wanted to dive deeper, so we polled our readers, and the most popular alternative to LifeProof in 2023 is the Yukon River collection from Proximity Mills.
With that said, let’s face it—if you happened to read our review of the cork flooring Lowes sells, you might think that private-label hardwood floor alternatives from big box stores might be of… well, let’s call it “mixed” quality. And you wouldn’t be wrong.
That’s why below, we’re going to show you everything you need to know about LifeProof vinyl flooring. We’ll talk about its pros and cons, the collections it comes in, and talk about the most common themes that pop up in LifeProof vinyl flooring reviews. Finally, we’ll compare it to some of the other best, luxury vinyl plank flooring brands on the market.
By the end of this guide, you should have a good idea of whether LifeProof flooring is right for you!
If you are like us, and just want the answer, we can shoot it to your straight. LifeProof spends more money on marketing than any other brand in the industry, but we would not recommend their flooring. We highly recommend you look at other options.
If you want to jump straight to the “is LifeProof worth it” answer and see how it compares to other brands, click here!
Table of Contents
LifeProof is Home Depot’s in-house brand of vinyl plank flooring (aka LVP)—one of the most robust and popular types of flooring on the market today.
One of LVP’s biggest selling points is that it’s a fantastic fake wood flooring choice. LifeProof vinyl flooring certainly leans into that, and if you check it out on Home Depot’s website, you’ll find it in endless patterns that mimic dozens of wood flooring types.
That said, there’s a big gap between high-end vinyl plank and budget vinyl plank—and below, we’ll show you where LifeProof flooring fits on that scale.
Again, LifeProof flooring can only be bought at Home Depot. The entire product line is Home Depot’s in-house brand.
Some options are available in-store at your local Home Depot location, but if you want to view the full LifeProof vinyl flooring catalog, you’d be better off visiting the store’s website.
LifeProof is sold exclusively at Home Depot, and many LifeProof vinyl flooring reviews note that the manufacturer is actually Halstead New England Industries.
If you’re unfamiliar with this brand, don’t worry—you’re not alone. Halstead isn’t exactly a household name.
Home Depot contracts Halstead to produce LifeProof flooring, and if you peruse Halstead’s website, you’ll notice that some of its offerings are suspiciously similar (read: identical) to LifeProof’s.
Translation: LifeProof is basically just Halstead’s normal LVP, but branded as “LifeProof” for Home Depot. To be fair, this sort of thing is actually pretty common in the business world, where it’s known as “white-labeling”.
As to whether Halstead can be considered one of the best vinyl plank flooring brands: we’ll let you be the judge.
Anyway, let’s get to the fun stuff! LifeProof vinyl flooring comes in tons of wood floor designs and colors. If you want something like ebony flooring (but don’t want to spend a million dollars trying to buy the real thing) LifeProof might offer a decent substitute.
In fact, one of the best things about LifeProof flooring is the huge range of hardwood species it can look like. We’re not just talking normal stuff like sterling oak and hickory—we’re talking darkened and bleached wooden floor finishes that make for gorgeous contrasts.
So: if you want mixed-species wood floor patterns, you can totally achieve them with LifeProof vinyl.
There’s a lot to like about LifeProof vinyl flooring, but we’d be lying if we said there weren’t some concerns too. Let’s start with the product’s advantages.
LifeProof flooring generally costs between $3 and $4 per square foot, which isn’t too bad. However, the price is dependent on the thickness of the wear layer (which we’ll discuss below).
And it’s worth mentioning: the average cost to install vinyl plank flooring hovers between $1.50 and $6.00 per square foot, which makes buying and installing LifeProof significantly lower than the average price of buying a hardwood floor.
Even the cost to install engineered hardwood floors is higher than that—and don’t get us started on how it compares to the price of installing parquet flooring!
Lots of the LifeProof reviews we read mentioned that the product’s residential warranty is excellent. The policy includes a limited lifetime warranty for factory defects, water damage, fading, stains, and general wear if the print pattern has been damaged.
This is definitely one of LifeProof flooring’s best features. But there’s also a less-great side to the warranty that we’ll cover below.
Low-VOC flooring, or flooring with a smaller concentration of volatile organic compounds, is becoming more popular than ever. Because it’s, well, healthier.
And that means many companies now offer products like low-VOC carpet and low-VOC vinyl flooring. LifeProof flooring, for example, is low-VOC-certified.
Of course, low-VOC doesn’t mean non-existent-VOC. If you want something even safer, you’ll probably want to look at something like solid hardwood or non-toxic laminate flooring.
A frequent point in LifeProof vinyl flooring reviews is that it’s a pretty good product for DIY-ers. And you can even install it as a floating floor if you get the right supplies, like spacers and a tapping block. However: as with the warranty policy, there’s a catch here we’ll explore below.
PS: if you’re not savvy on floating floors, check out this guide: What is a Floating Floor?
On the surface (no pun intended), LifeProof vinyl is a scratch-resistant flooring choice. Like all LVP, it’s great for mudroom flooring or anywhere that might get wet or dirty. And it doesn’t require any special maintenance.
In theory, you’ll never have to refresh LifeProof flooring like you might have to refinish bamboo flooring or even hardwood (the upside being that you’ll never have to worry about the cost to refinish hardwood flooring, either).
But: some reviewers have noted that LifeProof doesn’t compare favorably in scratch-resistance to the best wood flooring for dogs—which is a problem because most wood-look vinyl is bought specifically for dogs and children. Yikes.
LifeProof vinyl flooring is marketed as being compatible with radiant heat (aka floors heated from below). So, if you’re wondering whether to use carpet or hardwood in a bedroom, maybe the real answer is LifeProof. You don’t have to sacrifice the warmth of a carpet, but you can still get the look of wood floors!
Okay, so, this is a “pro”, but there’s definitely a catch.
LifeProof flooring is thin and lightweight. This means it’s much easier to ship and install—but there’s a general rule about flooring (and maybe anything that’s supposed to be durable) that more weight means more strength. There’s a reason the most durable wood flooring also tends to be the heaviest.
So, LifeProof vinyl flooring is sacrificing something for its light weight—and we’ll touch on that soon.
One more thing: when searching through LifeProof vinyl flooring reviews, you’ll notice people talking about a ton of different products. And that’s because LifeProof comes in an endless array of styles.
One of Lifeproof’s most popular styles is Sterling Oak, which is a greyish brown color. Sterling oak is only one of among dozens of options available.
You can get LifeProof that looks like wide plank wood flooring. You can find LifeProof that looks like ash flooring, Douglas fir flooring, or even hickory flooring (but without the, you know, disadvantages of hickory flooring).
Want teak flooring without the price tag? LifeProof may offer what you’re looking for. The point is, you have options.
Another advantage of LifeProof vinyl flooring: it comes with its own underlayment. It’s not the only brand to do so, but this is an advantage nonetheless.
PS: If you’re not sure about the difference between underlayment, subflooring or concrete slabs, check out this guide: What is Subflooring?
And here’s where the disadvantages of vinyl plank flooring really start to show. Because unfortunately, LifeProof seems to accentuate vinyl plank’s inherent flaws rather than solve them. Here’s why:
Being made of plastic, LifeProof flooring is not a particularly eco-friendly flooring choice. It’s hard to recycle, and the production process isn’t sustainable.
If environmentally-friendly flooring is important to you, maybe consider sustainable wood flooring or hemp flooring instead.
And here’s the first knock on LifeProof flooring’s warranty policy: it only applies to the first owner/original purchaser. So, if the first owner sells their property and the flooring gets damaged when a second owner moves in, that second owner can’t redeem the warranty.
Put plainly, LifeProof’s warranty policy doesn’t even come close to the policies offered by most of the best vinyl plank flooring brands—or even the best hardwood floor brands, for that matter.
To this point, we’ve only mentioned the residential warranty. And that’s because LifeProof vinyl flooring’s commercial warranty is… not great. The average commercial warranty only lasts five years, and doesn’t cover a host of common occurrences like wear.
This begs the question, is LifeProof flooring even intended for heavy-traffic areas? According to many LifeProof vinyl flooring reviews, the answer seems to be no.
Of course, none of those problems even come close to “the big issue”. Namely, that many LifeProof vinyl flooring reviews note that the product’s interlocking tabs (which are used to install the flooring) break super easily.
And if you break these tabs, which is apparently easy to do, the entire plank is virtually useless. That produces A) a lot of waste B) a lot of frustration and C) a lot of wasted money.
In fact, for a product that’s supposed to be some of the easiest flooring to install, a lot of LifeProof owners note that they damaged at least a few planks during installation.
That begs yet another question: do you need to hire a professional to install LifeProof flooring? Because if so, it might be more economical to buy higher-end vinyl plank flooring that’s easier to install by yourself.
If you’re looking for outdoor flooring options, keep looking. Vinyl plank flooring, in general, can often be used outdoors. However, some products do fade in direct sunlight (even indoors).
Unfortunately, lots of the reviews for LifeProof vinyl flooring mention that it’s especially vulnerable to sunlight. So it’s probably best to keep it indoors,
We’re not going to say that LifeProof is terrible. There are many lower-end EVP flooring options that are a lot worse.
But many reviewers who compare LifeProof to other products—particularly other vinyl products—tend to prefer the other options. That’s not a good sign.
So, does LifeProof make its way onto the list of best vinyl plank flooring options? Eh.
The fact is, there’s nothing overly innovative about LifeProof vinyl flooring—many of its features are industry standards. (Now, if you want something truly innovative, check out the magic that is magnetic flooring.)
How to Clean LifeProof Vinyl Flooring:
LifeProof sells their own marketed cleaning products designated specifically for their flooring in-store and online at Home Depot, but you don’t really need it. A mixture of vinegar and warm water will do just fine. A good ratio is generally one cup of vinegar per gallon. Before you mop, sweep or vacuum any debris.
If you’re looking for water-resistant wood flooring, a fake wood substitute like LifeProof is actually a great way to go. But, there’s nothing about LifeProof’s waterproof qualities that makes it better than any other waterproof option.
Even laminate flooring has waterproof choices nowadays, like Mohawk’s RevWood. Check out our vinyl plank vs. laminate guide if you’re curious to see how they stack up.
LifeProof has better water-resistant properties than real wood, but otherwise, it’s pretty standard. If you want the best in waterproof flooring, check out some Pergo Extreme reviews—it’s super-popular for a reason.
Another “feature” of LifeProof vinyl flooring is that it has authentic texturing. This is true, but most modern vinyl plank options have this.
As we’ve discussed before, one of LifeProof’s big selling points is that it’s (supposedly) DIY-friendly because it can be installed in a floating style. (Read up on the disadvantages of floating floors here.)
However, considering that most LifeProof flooring reviews mention how easy it is to break the interlocking clasps… maybe it’s not really that DIY-friendly after all.
So, we won’t go super in-depth here (because the concept is pretty straightforward) but one noticeable pattern in lots of LifeProof vinyl flooring reviews is that the thicker the wear layer, the better the review. And if you didn’t know, wear layers are measured in mil (aka 1/1000 of an inch).
So what are the best vinyl plank flooring brands out there and how does LifeProof compare? Below we’ve selected four top brands (though by no means the only top brands) and stacked them up against LifeProof flooring.
Proximity Mills is one of the most popular flooring brands in the country—and for good reason. The company’s products are similarly-priced to LifeProof’s, but with better warranties, thicker wear layers, and a much better buying experience (they only sell Proximity Mills at certain flooring stores for more boutique-style customer service).
Plus, Proximity Mills is ethically-sourced and fully recyclable. So if you’re looking for a floor in this price range, we’d recommend going with a brand like Proximity Mills instead.
If you’re looking for vinyl plank flooring that looks amazing (along with being seriously durable), we’d recommend looking into Doma. This company sells, hands-down, the boldest and most trendy designs in the world of LVP.
Like Proximity Mills, Doma is ethically-sourced and they only sell low- and zero-VOC vinyl products—so you know your family’s health will be taken care of.
In terms of price, Doma’s LVP offerings are a bit more expensive than LifeProof’s—but not by nearly as much as you’d think.
COREtec is known for its COREtec Plus line, which uses cork in its base layer for strength. Don’t worry—you don’t have to worry about the pros and cons of cork flooring here—it just adds bounce and sound-dampening properties to the floor. COREtec is the original creator of WPC vinyl flooring. And while it’s more expensive than LifeProof flooring, we believe it’s also more innovative.
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly LVP option, we’d recommend going with a brand like Newton over LifeProof. Newton’s LVP specs are superior to LifeProof’s, for the most part, but at a lower price (and with an arguably superior look).
That said, LifeProof offers way more products than Newton does, so you’re more likely to find a look you love in LifeProof’s catalog.
Armstrong vinyl flooring is also notably more expensive than LifeProof, but it also uses synthesized diamonds in its ultra-strong wear layer.
This feature increases Armstrong vinyl’s durability—and frankly, LifeProof doesn’t offer anything similar.
NuCore costs about the same as LifeProof flooring, but you don’t have to pay a premium for its 20-mil wear layer. It comes with a lifetime residential warranty and 15-year commercial warranty (that isn’t as restrictive as LifeProof’s). And it’s one of the other brands that comes with a built-in underlayment.
We’ve delayed our judgment long enough! Is LifeProof vinyl flooring any good? Our take: it’s okay.
The simple truth is that there are better options available in similar price ranges (especially Proximity Mills.) LifeProof’s best selling point might be that it’s relatively easy to find, since there’s a Home Depot in virtually every county in the U.S. That said… well, we’ve all been to Home Depot. That’s all we’ll say.
LifeProof flooring in the 6.5-mil category may compare favorably to low-end LVP products, but not by much and not for the price.
If you look at the LifeProof vinyl flooring in the 12- to 22-mil wear layer price range—and don’t mind the narrower selection—then you might actually end up with a decent floor.
LifeProof flooring is still vinyl plank—so you don’t have to worry about any solid or engineered wood disadvantages. But if you’re going in expecting high-performance luxury vinyl, there are better choices out there.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: if you want vinyl plank flooring, you’re probably better off looking elsewhere. LifeProof vinyl plank flooring isn’t terrible, but it doesn’t bring anything new to the table. And at its most affordable price point, it doesn’t offer a great product.
So if you’re ready to find a great LVP floor for your home, don’t go to a box store. Go straight to an actual flooring expert by finding a top-rated flooring store near you. They can steer you in the right direction.
Or, if you still have questions, reach out to our expert team for 1-on-1 help. And don’t forget to read up on:
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