Home Improvement Interior Remodel Flooring & Stairs

11 Popular Bedroom Flooring Options to Consider

Including the Pros and Cons of Each Material

The flooring in your bedroom is a particularly intimate surface. It is the first thing your bare feet step onto in the morning and the last thing they touch before climbing into bed each night. The effect of bedroom flooring on a person is physical and psychological, making your choice of materials a significant design decision. You want it to be comfortable for bare feet, attractive, durable, easy to maintain, and complementary to the bedroom’s decorating style.

Interiors of a bedroom

Glow Decor/Getty Images

One of the biggest questions you may ask is which flooring is better. The answer depends on your use. Is it for you, a child, or an older adult? Are you concerned about environmental issues? For instance, does the flooring have off-gas chemicals, is it created in a green manner, and will it be recyclable someday when it is time to replace it? Do you plan on selling your home sooner rather than later? Some elements may be more important to you than others, but all should be considered when choosing your bedroom flooring.

Here are 11 flooring materials, including their advantages and disadvantages.

Carpeting

Price: $3–$13 per square foot (wall-to-wall, not including padding)

Carpet is a prevalent choice for a bedroom flooring surface in North America, mainly because it is soft and warm on the feet—an obvious advantage in a room where you are often barefoot. That tactile comfort helps to create a sense of lush luxury in many colors and patterns in the room while also dampening sounds.

Most notably, the price of carpet for a bedroom can vary widely. The most luxurious plush wall-to-wall carpeting—the kind that feels great on bare feet in a bedroom—can cost more than most other flooring materials. There are ways to buy medium- to high-pile carpet for your bedroom while sticking to a budget. For example, choose an inexpensive synthetic fiber rather than wool. Or look for closeouts and in-stock styles at a carpet warehouse.

Carpet comes in two major categories: cut pile and loop pile. The fiber loops are cut for cut pile carpets, and they are left uncut in loop pile carpets. Saxony, textured, and frieze are variations of cut pile carpets, while Berber and level loops are the main types of loop pile carpets. Textured cut-pile carpeting is the most popular type for bedroom use. It's soft, has a casual look, and resists dirt reasonably well.

Note that carpets are notoriously hard to keep clean, especially the ones with a higher pile. They can attract dust, dirt, and other particles that can contribute negatively to the indoor air quality of your bedroom. So remember this if you're debating whether you prefer carpet or hardwood floors in your bedroom. Carpet has another downside: it's not an environmentally-friendly option due to off-gassing and taking up landfill space as it very slowly biodegrades.

Pros
  • Thermal insulation: Combined with a good-quality pad, it insulates against heat loss, keeping a room warm

  • Sound-dampening: Absorbs footfalls and outside noises, keeping a bedroom quieter

  • Economical: Can cost $3 per square foot installed, a considerably cheaper option than most; high-end fibers are more expensive

  • Cushioned surface: Can be safer for bedrooms used by children or older adults; falls are less likely to cause injury; a good-quality pad increases cushioning

Cons
  • Difficult to keep clean and allergen free: Liquid can seep deep into padding, remaining permanently; tends to attract dust and small microscopic organisms, affecting air quality; traps pollen and allergens

  • May give off chemicals: May off-gas chemicals, such as formaldehyde, which can cause respiratory issues

  • Short lifespan and usually not recyclable: Shorter lifespan than hardwood and tiles; most is destined for landfills after use

  • Develops wear patterns: After a couple of years of use, lanes of "traffic" may appear in the carpet

Carpet flooring
The Spruce / Margot Cavin

Hardwood Flooring

Price: $5–$12 per square foot; refinishing $1.50–$5 per square foot; engineered hardwood $4–$7 per square foot

Next to carpeting, hardwood flooring is the most popular choice for bedroom flooring for its warmth and natural beauty. Genuine hardwood is also regarded as one of the best flooring materials among real estate professionals. It's relatively durable and biodegradable, making it an environmentally friendlier surface.

Hardwood flooring is one of the most expensive bedroom flooring materials. However, it is the best option for home resale, with the greatest return on investment. To save money, refinish existing hardwood floors instead of replacing them or choose a less expensive engineered wood floor.

Strip, plank, and parquet are the three most common wood flooring styles. For bedroom use, strip and plank are by far the most popular. Both are traditional, linear pieces of wood; planks are wider than the strips, giving it a more casual vibe. While there are dozens of types of hardwood used for flooring, some of the most popular are ash, walnut, oak, and maple. The two basic types of wood flooring are solid and engineered wood.

Solid wood floors are full-length pieces of wood from top to bottom, while engineered wood floors are manufactured using three to nine layers of solid hardwood veneers. Engineered hardwood flooring is designed so it won't warp or bow like hardwood, and it should have a protective moisture barrier so you get all the beauty of hardwood, along with easy care and maintenance.

As with vinyl and laminate, an engineered wood floor depends on the quality and durability of its top wear layer. But in a low-traffic bedroom, that should mean it lasts long. Also, as with natural hardwood flooring, engineered hardwood can creak and pop. So consider that if you're looking for a quiet bedroom floor.

Pros
  • Warmer and softer than tile and stone: Not as soft as carpeting but has some yield; can be combined with throw rugs and area rugs, softening footfalls

  • Buyers prefer hardwood to carpet: Sought-after flooring, homes may sell faster and for a slightly higher selling price

  • Attractive, durable, long-lasting material: Has a warm, natural beauty, varying by wood species and finish; when cared for properly, can last as long as a house; rarely need replacement and can be resurfaced

  • Recyclable material: Old planks can be sold second-hand; recycling centers accept old planks; breaks down naturally

  • Good for people with allergies: Easy to sweep and wipe clean of dust, pollen, and other allergens; ideal flooring for allergy sufferers

Cons
  • Maintenance is tricky: Fairly resistant to stains and damage, but when damaged, it can be hard to repair; needs to be sealed occasionally and may eventually need to be stripped and refinished

  • Relatively expensive: Solid hardwood can cost $6 to $25 per square foot, depending on the type of wood; engineered hardwood is a little less expensive

  • No thermal or sound insulation value: Noisy, with no sound absorption, dampening effect, or heat insulation

  • Harder than cork, carpeting, or rubber: Not a fully rigid surface like tile, still a child or older adult on hardwood flooring has higher risk of injury from falls

  • Some hardwoods are not sustainably sourced: Only eco-friendly if it's ethical and sustainable hardwood flooring from forests that are managed, monitored, and protected

Hardwood flooring
The Spruce / Margot Cavin

Bamboo Flooring

Price: $7-$20 per square foot

Bamboo flooring is often lumped in with hardwood flooring since the products are similar in quality and use the same installation methods. However, the bamboo plant is a form of grass, not wood. Bamboo grows very quickly, making it a completely renewable material, and flooring made from bamboo fibers is harder than most hardwoods, making it very durable.

This easy-to-care-for flooring usually costs $2 per square foot for materials, with installation adding about $5 per square foot. At this price, it is comparable to mid-range hardwood flooring. The look is unique. It's worth checking into bamboo flooring if you are already considering hardwood.

Bamboo flooring comes in strips and planks that fit tightly together, like wood and laminate flooring. There are many grain and color options available.

Pros
  • Warmer, softer than tile and stone, contemporary look: Softer and warmer underfoot than tile and stone; combine with throw and area rugs, softens footfalls; clean look in blond, stained, or carbonized tones

  • Durable, long-lasting material: As durable as traditional hardwood flooring, in some cases, harder; can be refinished, depending on the thickness of the planks

  • Eco-friendly and recyclable material: Fast-growing grass available in vast quantities, a rapidly renewable resource; preserves exotic wood species

  • Good for people with allergies: Easy to sweep, vacuum, and wipe clean of dust, pollen, and other allergens

Cons
  • Can get scratched: Durable, but can easily get scratched; darker-toned carbonized bamboo flooring is even more susceptible to scratching

  • Relatively expensive: Pricier than carpeting; can cost $7 to $20 per square foot, depending on the quality

  • Quality can vary: Cheaper types are more prone to scratches, dings, and water damage; may be made with toxic resin adhesives

  • Not water resistant: May absorb more moisture than some hardwoods

Bedroom bamboo floor

The Spruce / Margot Cavin

Cork Flooring

Price: $3-$14 per square foot; average cost is about $7.50

Cork flooring is most often used in kitchens due to its durability and comfortable support when standing for long periods. However, it is still a relatively unusual material; natural cork flooring is used in bedrooms. One of cork flooring's most important features is its ability to insulate between floors, providing soundproofing and helping keep heat and air conditioning where they belong.

When stepping onto cork flooring with heels, your shoe will make an indentation into the cork, but the cork particles bounce back after you lift your feet. Over time, heavy furniture can leave permanent indentations. Cork flooring is eco-friendly, available in many colors, and exceptionally durable. It's expensive, though.

Pros
  • Spongy and soft underfoot: A yielding surface, extremely comfortable on the feet; gentle falling surface

  • Insulation value: Filled with millions of tiny air bubbles, offers thermal and sound insulation; warmer than hardwood, though not as cozy as carpeting

  • Easy maintenance: Relatively hassle-free as long as the surface seal is properly applied and periodically reapplied; virtually immune to stains

  • Anti-allergy, anti-microbial: Naturally resistant to microbes and dust-trapping static; much better option than carpeting

Cons
  • Less "green" than hardwood: Although made of natural materials, it is manufactured with resins and adhesives that use synthetic chemicals; may not be recyclable but still better for the environment than carpeting, vinyl, or laminate flooring

  • Easily scratched: Relatively soft material that will easily scratch from pet claws, furniture legs, and high heels

  • Shorter lifespan than hardwood: Will have to be replaced periodically, although may be able to be refinished; can last about 25 years

  • Relatively expensive: Nearly as expensive as hardwood; thicker, higher quality, longer-lasting types cost as much as many hardwood options

Cork flooring
The Spruce / Margot Cavin

Vinyl Flooring

Price: $0.50–$4 per square foot; $7 per square foot for luxury vinyl planks

Vinyl is one of the most versatile and cheapest ways to cover a bedroom floor. Composed of thin, resilient sheets, vinyl is a synthetic material resistant to stains, rips, tears, damage, and water penetration. It can be printed with a nearly endless variety of patterns and colors and even be made to resemble natural materials, such as stone and hardwood. The options are endless.

Vinyl flooring options include sheet vinyl, tiles, or newer luxury vinyl flooring (LVF) tongue-and-groove planks. If you use sheet or tile vinyl, the flooring will be hard and thin if placed directly over plywood. A cork or foam-padded underlayment in a bedroom can soften the feel beneath your feet. However, underlayment can significantly add to the cost of the installation.

Luxury vinyl flooring is a thicker material fabricated in planks to look like hardwood, though not as hard as hardwood or tile. It snaps together for a snug fit, much like plastic laminate flooring planks. While it costs more, luxury vinyl flooring adds more value to your home than basic sheet vinyl or vinyl tile.

The biggest downside is that vinyl is a plastic material; it off-gases chemicals, also known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and cannot be recycled. VOCs can temporarily compromise the air quality of your room. In the 1970s, vinyl replaced linoleum in popularity, primarily because of its cheaper price.

Pros
  • Easy to install and maintain: Easy for DIYers to install and is kept clean by sweeping and occasional damp mopping

  • Inexpensive: Vinyl costs $0.50 to $7 per square foot to install, price varies by quality and if installed yourself

  • Durable and nearly waterproof: Depending on foot traffic, a good quality vinyl floor can last 10 to 20 years; water resistance is great for bedrooms with adjoining en suite bathrooms

Cons
  • Not a "green" choice: Vinyl is relatively bad for the environment; it's made with non-renewable petroleum resources; it requires considerable energy to manufacture

  • May off-gas chemicals: New vinyl installations use glues for adhesives that may emit VOCs and hazardous chemicals such as formaldehyde for several weeks after installation

  • Not recyclable: Vinyl is not recyclable and takes centuries to break down; linoleum is a better option and is compostable

Luxury Vinyl flooring
The Spruce / Margot Cavin

Linoleum Flooring

Price: $2–$5 per square foot

Linoleum, made from linseed oil and other natural ingredients, was a popular floor covering from the 1860s to the 1970s before falling out of disfavor when vinyl entered the flooring scene. It is the original resilient flooring. It is durable, resistant to stains, difficult to scratch, and easy to maintain, with occasional sweeping and mopping. Linoleum has most of the same virtues as vinyl but is a more environmentally sound choice.

Homeowners concerned about the environmental impact of vinyl flooring are starting to return to linoleum. It does not use non-renewable resources like vinyl in its manufacturing process. You also don't have to worry about the off-gassing of VOCs. Linoleum is worth looking into if you are considering a resilient flooring material that is 100% biodegradable. It's a durable choice that can last for up to 40 years.

Linoleum in tile or sheet form can be a comfortable choice for bedroom flooring. It is slightly more expensive than most types of vinyl flooring, and design choices may be more limited, but now it can replicate natural materials and take on artistic patterns to match your decor.

Linoleum needs a padded backing layer to make it comfortable for a bedroom. It is also slightly less durable than vinyl and doesn't have the same impervious resistance to water penetration. Other downsides: Chairs or heavy objects can leave indentations, and the oils in the material are susceptible to yellowing when exposed to direct sunlight. Be mindful that when wet, this surface is extremely slippery.

Pros
  • Durable, long lifespan: Resists wear and tear; can last for up to 40 years

  • Environmental friendly: 100% biodegradable; does not emit VOCs

  • Easy to maintain: Resists scratches and mops or wipes clean; hides wear patterns well

  • A lot of style choices: Comes in many patterns and colors

Cons
  • Requires professional installation: Installation can be expensive, unlike other DIY options

  • Can turn yellow with age: Oils oxidize over time, potentially giving the covering a yellow tinge

  • Slippery when wet: Freshly waxed, it can get hazardous when wet

  • Can develop dents: Chair feet may leave indentations

Laminate Flooring

Price: $2–$10 per square foot

Laminate flooring in the bedroom has its pros and cons. It's a frugal choice with unlimited and attractive design options, but walking on it can be hard and noisy. It doesn't offer any thermal or sound insulation, although good-quality underlayment may help dampen the sound somewhat. If choosing between carpet or laminate and sound dampening is your main concern, carpet wins every time.

Laminate flooring is made from a thin plastic layer printed with a design, bonded to a base layer of high-density fiberboard (HDF), and topped with a clear wear layer or protective plastic coating. It is a remarkably versatile material that can be manufactured to look like almost any material, including hardwood, stone, or even metal.

Laminate is probably the best option for a DIY floor installer as it's made specifically for easy installation and is a reasonably simple weekend project. It's also a low-cost alternative, much less expensive than hardwood, and still offers an attractive appearance. Although, it is viewed as a bargain-basement choice when compared to hardwood, porcelain or ceramic tile, or luxury vinyl

Laminate holds up quite well to daily wear-and-tear but is susceptible to scratching and can also buckle if water or other liquids puddle on it. It is almost impossible to repair. You can disassemble and replace individual planks, but it's more often fully replaced. You can't refinish it, so its lifespan is limited to the durability and quality of its protective wear layer. The material will be exposed and quickly deteriorate when the wear layer breaks down. However, laminate flooring can last longer than usual in a low-traffic bedroom.

Pros
  • Easy to install: Uses a modified form of tongue-and-groove or "click-lock"; one of the easiest flooring materials for DIYers to install

  • Many design choices available: Infinite range of styles and designs, many are good mimics of hardwood or natural stone

  • Inexpensive: Can purchase for less than $3 per square foot, with installation adding $2 to $8 per square foot; only slightly more expensive than vinyl

Cons
  • Can be scratched or break: Clear wear layer can get scratched; better quality laminates have thicker, more durable wear layers

  • Hard surface with no sound or thermal insulation: Falls can cause injuries; may not be the best choice for young children or older adults; no thermal protection and tends to echo sound in a hollow fashion

  • Not recyclable: Made from plastic, a non-renewable petroleum product; may take centuries to break down in a landfill

Laminate flooring
The Spruce / Margot Cavin

Ceramic or Stone Tile

Price: $5 to $20 square foot; price driven by type of tile

Ceramic tile and stone are rarely used in bedrooms since they are usually considered too cold, hard, and noisy for the bedroom. Still, ceramic or porcelain tile or stone works beautifully when incorporated with certain decorating styles, notably Mediterranean, Tuscan, tropical, Spanish, or Moroccan themes.

It has many plusses, such as being easy to maintain, lasting a long time, and coming in many cost-affordable options. Some of its other disadvantages, besides its hardness and inability to retain heat, are that it can chip, crack, or get scratched, and the grout lines need continuous upkeep and maintenance to look clean.

Pros
  • Easy to maintain: Does not absorb stains, dirt, or liquids (unless in the grout line); easy to mop or wipe clean; can vacuum or sweep loose debris and dirt

  • Many design choices available: Comes in many colors, patterns, and sizes

  • Durable: Can last up to 20 years or more; in case of severe impact, you can replace damaged tiles individually

  • More affordable than hardwood: Costs $5 to $20 per square foot with installation and depending on the material you choose; cheaper than most hardwood flooring but more expensive than carpet

Cons
  • Tiles can get damaged: Clay ceramic tiles can chip, crack, and scratch easier than stone types; all tiles may crumble with time or get loose

  • Hard surface: A fall on a tile floor will hurt and perhaps injure; not the best choice in a bedroom for young children or older adults

  • No insulation value: Tile surfaces are cold and echo sound

  • Grout issues: Grout is porous and can be permeated by moisture and dirt; it can get stained, crumble, and develop mold; in high-traffic areas, needs thorough cleaning

ceramic tile

The Spruce / Margot Cavin

Decorative Concrete

Price: $1 per square foot for a fresh pour; $2–$15 per square foot for decorative etching and artistic treatments

You probably wouldn't think concrete is a good bedroom flooring idea, but it has its perks. If you live in a warm climate in a home built with a concrete slab foundation resting directly against the ground, you might be able to remove the existing floor surface coverings and use the existing concrete as an economical option. It's also one of the best environmentally friendly options—it's sustainable, has no VOC emissions, and has hardly any carbon footprint.

Concrete is easy to keep clean, and if you are looking for concrete to keep the room cool, it can. However, its coolness can also be considered a negative factor in a cool-weather climate, making it hard to keep a room warm in winter. You also have to watch out for dampness seeping up if the room is on the basement level.

The hardness of the surface is perhaps the biggest pet peeve with this material, but to make it warmer and easier on the feet, you can add area rugs.

Concrete also will last and is extremely durable and resilient. However, it is prone to cracks with repeated impacts. You can have it decoratively finished with stains, etching, and polishing to create the best flooring color for your bedroom space.

Pros
  • Easy to maintain: Does not absorb stains, dirt, or liquids; can withstand impacts

  • Many design choices available: Takes well to dyes, acid stains, stamping, stencils, motifs

  • Eco-friendly: Sustainable material, requires little energy to produce, does not release VOCs, recylable

Cons
  • Can develop cracks: It's a durable surface but can develop cracks that enlarge and get worse

  • Hard surface: A fall on a concrete floor will hurt and perhaps injure; not the best choice in a bedroom for young children or older adults; fallen glass items will likely shatter

  • Cool and susceptible to dampness: Does not retain heat well; in basements, water can seep up this into porous surface

Area Rugs

Price: Varies widely based on size, material

Although you can layer area rugs over carpet, they are typically used to soften hard flooring, such as wood or laminate. When choosing an area rug for your bedroom, there are endless options of size, color, pattern, weave, and material. Swapping out a different area rug is easy, and you can easily roll it up and take it when you move.

Your personal preference is the best guide to the right rug for your bedroom: choose one that feels soft and cozy to your feet, has a non-slip backing (if not, place a non-slip pad underneath), adds a dose of style to your bedroom, and complements the overall decorating theme.

While there's no need to break your budget on an area rug, it's also true that a good quality rug will generally last longer, look and feel better, and shed less than a cheap bargain brand. In terms of size, if the bed is placed on top of it, the rug should be large enough to extend at least two feet from both sides and the bed's foot. Smaller rugs used at the base of the bed or along its side should be large enough to fill most of the space. They can help keep a bedroom free from noise. 

Pros
  • Easy to install and maintain: Rearrange without much hassle; easy to clean when dirty; switch them out, take them with you if you move, or can change the color scheme and style of a room easily

  • Inexpensive: Inexpensive compared to wall-to-wall carpeting

  • Cushioning, sound dampening: Cushions and protects from jolt of cold, hard surface; dampens sound of footfalls

Cons
  • Trip hazard: Raised or curled up edges of rugs can cause people to trip, even slip resistant types

  • Non-consistent through the room: Bare feet feel differences of area rug to non-covered floor when moving around the room; look is not consistent

  • Easy to get dirty: Highly trafficked rugs, especially runners alongside a bed can get dirty quicker than most

bedroom area in a studio apartment

The Spruce / Christopher Lee Foto 

Rubber Flooring

Price: $3-$8 per square foot for the material, factor in an additional $4 to $12 for installation

Rubber flooring is made of virgin or recycled rubber. It is durable, sometimes lasting for more than 30 years, and can be an excellent alternative for a child’s bedroom or playroom. It can withstand dropped weights and is less likely to scuff, dent, wear, or tear. Besides its durability, it’s also easy to clean and maintain. It comes in various colors and styles, including tile and sheet versions and flat or patterned looks.

Rubber is resistant to fire and burns and is non-toxic when burned. Rubber is manufactured from renewable rubber sap harvested from rubber trees without harming the tree or the environment. Recycled rubber floors are made from rubber car tires, saving them from going to landfills.

Pros
  • Spongy and durable: Extremely comfortable on the feet; safer flooring for falls than most; can stand up to dropped weights; can last for up to 20 years or more

  • Insulation value: Spongy quality muffles loud noises and the sound of footfalls

  • Easy maintenance and anti-microbial: Easy to wipe up spills and sweep away dirt; naturally resistant to bacteria, fungus, mold, and other allergens

  • Eco-friendly: Made from rubber sap without harming the environment; non-toxic if burns

Cons
  • Slippery when wet: Slippery when wet; water can permeate the seams and get down to the subsurface

  • Cheap look: Works well for gyms and playgrounds, aesthetically it can leave something to be desired for bedrooms

  • Rubbery smell: Rubber has a characteristic odor that some people do not like

  • Relatively expensive with installation: More expensive than ceramic tiles; costs upwards of $7 per square foot

Eco-friendly rubber floor tiles

Margot Cavin​ / The Spruce

FAQ
  • What type of flooring is best in bedroom?

    The best bedroom flooring is a matter of personal preference, but key factors to consider include softness, durability, and sound-dampening. Laminate and hardwood can be relatively noisy floors compared to carpet, but carpet will typically have the best sound-dampening and softness.

  • What is the cheapest way to cover a bedroom floor?

    Vinyl is often the cheapest way to cover a bedroom floor, though the price can surpass other flooring materials if you opt for luxury vinyl planks. Linoleum, laminate, carpet, and concrete also can be economical bedroom flooring options.

  • Do people prefer carpet or hardwood floors in bedroom?

    It is common to see carpet in bedrooms, even if the rest of the home has a different flooring material, such as hardwood. Hardwood adds more value than carpet, and many like its look better. But carpet is softer, quieter, and cozier—all ideal qualities for the bedroom. A good compromise could be a large area rug over hardwood.

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Carpets and rugs. American Lung Association.

  2. Identifying greener carpet. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.