Best Types of Flooring for Bedrooms (2024 Guide)

Selecting new bedroom flooring that looks stylish, feels cozy, and withstands daily use can be tricky. 

In this guide, we compare all the best flooring for bedrooms in detail so you can determine what best suits your lifestyle and budget. We’ll look at how carpet, luxury vinyl, laminate, hardwood, cork, and other flooring upgrades differ in comfort, durability, noise insulation, style, and cost. 

Best Types of Flooring for Bedrooms

Here are seven bedroom flooring options:

• Bamboo
• Carpet
• Cork
• Engineered hardwood
• Hardwood
• Luxury vinyl plank
• Tile

Bamboo Flooring

For an eco-friendly wood flooring option, consider bamboo. Bamboo is a fast-growing grass that offers a sustainable alternative to traditional hardwoods. It has a light tan color and bold linear grain pattern. While durable, bamboo floors dent more easily than wood.

Carpet

Carpet wins when it comes to comfort. Its plush, cushiony fibers feel great on bare feet and provide insulation from cold floors. Carpeting also absorbs sound and offers endless style options to match any bedroom’s decor. Of course, carpet requires frequent vacuuming and occasional deep cleaning to keep it looking fresh.

Cork Flooring

Cork is a natural, renewable material harvested from the bark of cork trees that is growing in popularity among homeowners and interior designers. It has a spongy, cushioned feel underfoot that provides comfort rivaling carpet. Cork flooring resists mold, mildew, and pests while providing sound and thermal insulation. Over time, UV exposure causes discoloration.

Engineered Hardwood Flooring

Engineered wood flooring fuses multiple layers of plywood topped with a thin hardwood veneer. This construction makes engineered floors more resistant to moisture damage and allows for installation in rooms like basements. Engineered wood costs less than solid hardwood but doesn’t last as long.

Hardwood Flooring

Genuine hardwood flooring features thick planks of solid oak, maple, hickory, or exotic woods. This timeless look pairs nicely with any style of bedroom furniture, from modern to farmhouse. Hardwood is durable but expensive to install and easily shows scratches and dents.

Luxury Vinyl Flooring

Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring features a durable, scratch-resistant top layer fused to a waterproof vinyl core. Vinyl plank flooring has the look of real wood or stone with enhanced resistance to moisture, pets, and heavy foot traffic. The easy snap-together installation makes LVP a great DIY flooring choice.

Tile Flooring

Glazed ceramic, porcelain, or natural stone tiles create a stylish focal point in bedrooms. Tiles come in endless colors, shapes, sizes, and patterns to design stunning floors. However, the grout lines trap dirt, require special cleaners, and feel unpleasant under bare feet.

Factors to Consider With Bedroom Flooring

Bedroom floors must check off certain boxes to promote restful sleep and withstand years of use. As you evaluate options, keep these top considerations in mind:

• Comfort and warmth: Flooring directly underfoot as you rise, rest, and sleep should feel cozy. Plush textures add softness, while materials like carpet better retain heat. Cushioning also prevents injury from falls.
• Noise reduction: No one wants creaky floors or echoes keeping them or others awake. Extra dense padding blocks reduce noise transmission between floors.
• Durability and stain resistance: Bedrooms see lots of use daily, meaning chosen floors must resist scratching, scuffing, and staining from spills over decades.
• Easy maintenance: Look for low-maintenance materials that won’t require intensive upkeep. Surfaces that are water-resistant and repel dirt, debris, and spills keep cleaning quick and simple.
• Affordability: Carpet and vinyl cost far less than premium materials like hardwood or natural stone. Set a flooring budget beforehand when comparing options.
• Style: Ensure your new bedroom floors align with your interior design taste and decor. Balance visual appeal with functionality when selecting materials.
• Continuity: uniform flooring can create a polished, pulled-together look in open-concept homes. It also makes spaces appear larger and more continuous.

What Increases Home Value

While new floors can enhance your home’s appearance, some home improvement options add more resale value than others. 

We came across a recent flooring study by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), which indicates that homes with hardwood floors sell faster and have a higher return on investment compared to other flooring materials.

According to wood flooring research conducted by Public Opinion Strategies and the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), two-thirds of home buyers said they either prefer or strongly prefer hardwood flooring. The timeless look and easy maintenance of wood floors appeal to many of today’s prospective homeowners.

Based on our research on home buyer preferences, here are bedroom flooring options that tend to increase resale value the most:

• Hardwood flooring
• Engineered hardwood flooring
• Tile flooring
• Luxury vinyl plank flooring
• Carpeting

Laminate flooring can also boost value thanks to its updated appearance and durability. However, it doesn’t enhance value as much as natural wood floors.

Ultimately, new floors only increase your home’s value if they are neutral colors that age well,  are well-installed and do not show any noticeable existing damage. Paying extra for high-quality materials and professional installation gives you the best chance of recouping your investment.

Comparing Bedroom Flooring Options

Many homeowners struggle to weigh aesthetic appeal against practicality when selecting new floors. Use the comparisons below to learn how top bedroom flooring materials differ across key factors.

Installation

Installing new bedroom flooring on your own can save on labor costs. Engineered, laminate, and vinyl plank floors have easy click-lock systems for DIY-friendly installation.

If you opt for carpeting or solid hardwoods, it’s best to hire a professional installer.

To install flooring in a bedroom, follow these steps:

1. Remove existing flooring and furniture from the room.
2. Prep the subfloor by cleaning debris, filling cracks with floor leveler, and installing foam underlayment.
3. Lay out planks to map the layout and determine the size of the last row. Cut planks to stagger seams.
4. Click the end seams together first, then press down the sides until they lock in place.
5. Use spacers against walls for expansion gap and cut the final row to fit.
6. Install trim pieces as needed to finish exposed edges.

So, What Type of Bedroom Flooring is Best?

When deciding on what type of bedroom flooring is best for your lifestyle and home, first narrow down your options based on budget, style preferences, and ease of installation. 

Carpet, vinyl, engineered, and unfinished hardwood floors often appeal most to DIYers thanks to forgiving installation.

If noise absorption ranks important, we recommend soft carpeting. Easy-cleaning, pet-friendly, durable surfaces like vinyl better suit mess-prone families. Those wanting to add resale value may splurge on solid wood or high-end engineered hardwood. The eco-conscious might choose renewable wood, cork, or recycled carpet as sustainable upgrades. 

If our research has taught us anything, it’s to carefully weigh factors like sound insulation, comfort, durability, and style based on your family’s needs. Prioritize practicality suited to a bedroom over striking yet high-maintenance or damage-prone options. Thoroughly research how each material withstands real-life use from kids, pets, and mobility devices before deciding.