Vinyl Plank Floor Brands That Look The Most Like Real Wood

When ranking the best flooring types, luxury vinyl plank floors aren't always given the recognition they deserve. When well-chosen and correctly installed, synthetic planks can have beauty like natural hardwood without any of the downsides. The most reputable brands design their vinyl planks based on real wood species, tones, and grain patterns that are difficult to distinguish from the real thing.

Below are eight reputable vinyl plank flooring brands that won't make you question whether vinyl plank flooring is right for your space. The following companies make synthetic flooring planks with gorgeous wood-like top layers that easily incorporate the look of natural and luxurious wood material in any room in your home. In addition to the rich aesthetic, we made sure these companies manufacture their planks with solid cores and cushioned underlays that ensure they are durable and sturdy underfoot so they'll stay looking pristine and keep fooling your guests for years to come.

One of the most popular vinyl plank floor brands offered at the largest United States home improvement retailer, Home Depot, is Lifeproof. This company is one of the better options for vinyl flooring brands. Some designs have up to a 22 mil or 30 mil wear layer, making this floor long-lasting and offering a high level of durability to keep them looking like realistic hardwood dupes. They also have a thick core which uses their ISOCORE technology to create a more solid and uniform base, and a built-in foam underlay that offers moisture resistance, thermal insulation, and sound insulation. The padded acoustics and temperature control are common characteristics of natural lumber, making this floor tantamount to true hardwood. The top-rated flooring options come in colors that emulate cherry, hickory, maple, and oak tree lumber, and the brand boasts grains, knots, and textures that look like real-life wood. 

Out of 175 Lifeproof wood-like vinyl plank options available at Home Depot, over 95% have received reviews of four stars and up. People leave comments on light and dark wood colors alike, and one reviewer praised how much the Lifeproof Sterling Oak Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring looks like real wood: "Wish I could do real wood in basement, but this was best option. Happy with results," and "The [feature] that [stands] out the most is that it looks like real wood." Some more discerning customers note that "it still has some 'stripes' in the look but much less than all of the other LVP offerings," showing how this vinyl company compares to other flooring options on the market.

MSI is another vinyl brand that makes textured panels that feel like real wood, using unique textured wood grain patterns. All but two of their wood styles on Home Depot have at least a 12 mil wear layer and rigid cores that ensure they hold up for longer than standard vinyl materials, freeing you from the fear of exposing your vinyl floor with unsightly cracks and dings. The warranty also guarantees its longevity, as most products have a 10-year warranty or longer.

The MSI Benson Hickory Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring and MSI Cassidy Beach Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring have the highest ratings on their Home Depot storefront, with 4.6 and 4.8 out of 5 stars, respectively. reviewers reported on their genuine appearance and feel, writing things like: "The texture of the floor is like real wood but waterproof." Another person said the Benson Hickory "[is] beautiful [and] it gave my kitchen and living room a country look of real wooden flooring." Although their vinyl planks are lauded for their appearance, be wary that only half of their products are above four stars. While buyers mostly agree that the flooring is gorgeous and authentic-looking, some complain it is hard to install.

The Home Decorators Collection is another brand of vinyl plank offered at Home Depot, and it has nearly 40 color options and patterns. They use authentic-looking wood grains and patterns, incorporating knots and other unique wood-like designs. Over 30 of those products have a 12 or 20 mil wear layer, helping the planks resist damage like an authentic hardwood floor. They also come with at least a 30-year residential warranty, ensuring these click-and-lock planks maintain their pristine look for many years.

Nearly 90% of the Home Decorators Collection on Home Depot has four stars or higher as people commended both the appearance and quality of the product, specifically the Home Decorators Collection Lathem Pine Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring, "This flooring exceeded my expectations in both looks and performance. The planks have a beautiful variation that makes the floor look like real wood." Another reviewer echoed this comment in reference to the Bralton Oak vinyl planks, writing,  "Beautiful flooring with wonderful texture! Looks like real wood. And it's easy to install. It's a win across the board." 

Many people are also happy with the cheaper pricing. The majority of their budget-friendly products still have a 12 mil wear layer, making these vinyl planks affordable but with superb aesthetics. One customer said: "Love how the floor came out. I wanted a natural-looking wood floor without the price that comes with that."

If you're looking for a more authentic rustic or distressed wood look, Deco Products has several weathered vinyl plank designs on the market. At least 20 of their vinyl planks have a 20 mil wear layer, an SPC core, and an extended width. Wide natural hardwood planks are considered luxurious since they need to be made custom, so broader vinyl planks are one of the flooring upgrades you should consider that is worth the extra cost. Despite the heavily distressed look, these vinyl pieces are just as waterproof as other vinyl plank offerings, and they're among the most popular waterproof brands on the market. The waterproofing keeps them from swelling, warping, and discoloring, which would otherwise take away from their authentic look.

All 27 of Deco Products' vinyl plank options listed on Home Depot have ratings above four stars. The quality never falters, even on the few products with a thinner 8 mil wear layer. This brand is also sold at popular retailers such as Lowe's and Wayfair. Since Home Depot and Lowe's both have great deals on vinyl flooring, you should double-check both sites before purchasing to get a better deal. Over half of Lowe's listed Deco Products options retain excellent ratings, and Wayfair's six products include stellar 4.5-star ratings. Reviews are similar across the board, as one Wayfair reviewer insisted the product was "easy to work with, install, realistic looking, and ... absolutely gorgeous!" People left similar comments on Home Depot's Deco Products Colors Multi-Tonal Luxury Vinyl Plank, stating, "Really great looking and adheres well. Feels great too, has the look of wood and texture."

Most CALI vinyl plank products have a higher price tag that directly reflects the boards' superior thickness and overall appearance. Most planks are wide or extra-wide at 7 inches across or more, and they sport 20 mil-and-up wear layers that add supreme durability. Most boards include a built-in underlayment pad for better acoustics and comfort, and the thicker feel is more akin to real wood. The brand also sells premium underlayment, adding to the sturdiness of the build. The planks come in different tones with various grains and patterns, emulating the look of natural acacia, elm, hickory, oak, pine, and more.

Out of the 75 products listed on Lowe's, over 70% have a four-star or higher average. Customers love the CALI Aqua Tough Vinyl Planks for their "very realistic, wood grain look and texture." Many customers voiced their appreciation that the vinyl planks fit seamlessly alongside authentic wood floors and are better than other brands. For example, one reviewer stated, "It blends beautifully with the exotic hardwood floor (Amendoin) outside my bedroom." At the same time another expressed, "I really like the look of this flooring as it is as close to real wood that I could find."

If you're looking for a hardwood flooring alternative, COREtec products are known for their superb quality. Every one of their vinyl plank offerings has a minimum 12 mil wear layer and WPC core. A WPC core isn't as indestructible as SPC but is more plush and comfortable underfoot. It's made of genuine wood pulp, which adds insulation and more wood-like temperature control, though it's softer underfoot than real hardwood. Their products are also built to emulate real species like acacia, hickory, oak, pine, walnut, and even pecan trees.

Out of the 31 designs and colors sold at Lowe's, over 90% of COREtec's Smartcore vinyl plank line has four stars or higher. Like the CALI brand, many customers expressed their excitement over how closely the COREtec SMARTCORE Lexington Oak Brown Wood Look matches true hardwood. "I installed this in my kitchen and it matched my dark walnut wood floors exactly," one reviewer shared. Another person stated, "The feel of the floor is incredible, the look of the floor is incredible, and all of the natural aspects to this floor really make it stand out from traditional luxury vinyl plank flooring."

Style Selections is a high-quality vinyl plank flooring brand with mid-tier pricing. Approximately half of their vinyl plank designs on the market have at least a 12 mil wear layer and an included underlayment. The company designs its vinyl planks with a realistic finish, and most of its products imitate oak specifically — though they also have hickory and pine color options. 

All rated and reviewed products from Lowe's are four stars or higher. Many customers love the mixture of hues in the color and grain of the Style Selections Natural Hickory Brown Wood Look, and left compliments like "the color and grain is unbelievably wonderful to look at it you would think it was real wood." People applaud the look just as much as they love the comfort of the material, saying it "feels like you are walking on real wood."

STAINMASTER PetProtect may be last on this list, but it certainly isn't last in quality. This brand has one vinyl plank product available at Lowe's in eight different colors. Despite the limited selection, numerous reviews applaud the manufacturing and appearance alike. It has a commendable 20 mil wear layer and an included acoustic underlayment with a WPC core. Since true wood has better acoustic resistance than vinyl, these combined layers make STAINMASTER PetProtect more akin to the real thing. There are eight color choices to choose from, all of which come in neutral shades emulating oak, walnut, willow, and other tree species. 

This brand and product has a 4.4-star average with comments appreciating these planks' wood-like grain and patterns, colors, and texture. One person even matched the STAINMASTER PetProtect Honeycomb Brown Wood Look to real hardwood in their home."Looks remarkedly like real wood," they wrote. "My woodwork in the [70-year-old] house I live in has a red oak stain on it, which was difficult to find a flooring match for, but this one from Lowe's is perfect!" Another customer claimed to have woodworking experience and was still impressed by STAINMASTER's design, writing, "I have always worked with real wood or wood looking tile so I was slightly more skeptical than most– The grain is felt with a fine texture– The sheen is great and the color has a real pop to it."

In order to choose the best vinyl brands that emulate real wood, we took several factors into account. First and foremost, we ensured their products were high quality by meeting three important qualifications. These stipulations included having a thick wear layer of at least 12 mil, either an SPC or WPC rigid core center, and an included underlayment layer for most products.

In addition to the physical characteristics, we chose brands with high numbers of reviews and high ratings for at least half of their vinyl wood plank products. Many of these brands have numerous four-star-and-up ratings, especially for designs with the aforementioned specifications. Once assured that these brands were reputable and high quality, we looked at their reviews, looking specifically for comments that compared their products to authentic and genuine hardwood. More than one person had to make comparisons, voicing how these items emulated real wood floors in their home.