Nordikka vs Amtico vs Karndean – Which LVT Flooring is Best?

Nordikka, Amtico and Karndean are three of the most commonly compared LVT flooring brands in the UK. All three deliver durable, realistic wood and stone effect flooring, but they differ considerably in design approach, price, buying experience and who they suit best.

At Grosvenor Flooring we stock all three brands, which puts us in a useful position to give an honest comparison — we do not have a commercial reason to push you towards any one of them. If you are comparing options, you can also explore our complete LVT flooring range to see how every brand sits alongside each other.

Overview of Each Brand

Nordikka Flooring

Nordikka is a modern LVT brand with a Scandinavian design philosophy — clean lines, natural tones and a focused range that makes choosing straightforward. It includes glue-down LVT across four specifications — Living (entry level), Original (mid-range, 0.55mm wear layer), Select (0.55mm, glue-down or click SPC) and the new Nordikka Naturals (3.0mm / 0.7mm commercial-grade wear layer, plus plank, herringbone and tile formats) — alongside rigid core Click SPC and two herringbone options: Tromso Herringbone LVT (glue-down) and Bodo Herringbone SPC (click). It is positioned as a high-quality alternative to premium brands at a more accessible price.

Amtico Flooring

Amtico is one of the most established LVT brands in the UK, known for premium, design-led flooring with an extensive range of colours, patterns and bespoke laying options. Key collections include Amtico Signature (the flagship range with a 1.0mm wear layer), Amtico Spacia (the most popular mid-range collection) and Amtico First (the entry point). Amtico sits at the top of the UK LVT price bracket and is often chosen by customers who want the highest level of design flexibility or a fully custom result.

Karndean Flooring

Karndean is another leading UK LVT brand, known for highly realistic wood and stone designs with a slightly more traditional aesthetic than Amtico. Popular collections include Art Select, Van Gogh and Knight Tile. It occupies the mid-to-premium price bracket and is popular with customers who want natural-looking finishes with strong durability credentials.

Design and Style Comparison

• Nordikka: Focused range of clean, modern Scandinavian-inspired wood-effect designs. Easy to choose from — not overwhelming. Herringbone options available in both glue-down (Tromso) and click (Bodo) formats.
• Amtico: Widest design flexibility of the three. Extensive colour range, bespoke laying patterns, feature strips and custom options. Best for customers who want a tailored or statement result.
• Karndean: Highly realistic wood and stone designs, broader range than Nordikka, slightly more traditional feel than Amtico. Strong natural-look credentials.

For most homes, the visual difference in the final installed result is smaller than the brand names suggest. The strongest differentiation is in range breadth and design customisation — Amtico leads on this, Nordikka intentionally keeps it simpler.

Durability and Performance

All three brands offer strong durability for residential use. The key metric is wear layer thickness:

• Nordikka Naturals: 0.7mm commercial-grade wear layer — the highest specification in the Nordikka glue-down range.
• Nordikka Original and Select: 0.55mm wear layer — heavy residential and light commercial performance.
• Nordikka Living: 0.3mm wear layer — light to moderate residential use.
• Amtico: Ranges from 0.3mm (First) through 0.55mm (Spacia) to 1.0mm (Signature).
• Karndean: Typically 0.3mm to 0.7mm depending on collection — Knight Tile sits at the entry level, Art Select at the premium end.

At the 0.55mm wear layer level, Nordikka Original and Select sit on a par with the heavy residential tier of both Amtico and Karndean. Nordikka Naturals at 0.7mm now sits above that tier — level with Karndean Art Select and stepping into commercial-grade territory. Only Amtico Signature, at 1.0mm, carries a heavier wear layer. The practical durability difference for most homeowners is minimal when comparing equivalent specifications. What makes more difference to long-term floor life is how the floor is cared for — our Nordikka flooring aftercare guide covers the routine that keeps any LVT wear layer looking fresh over time.

Price Comparison

This is where the brands diverge most clearly:

• Nordikka: More accessible price point — strong value at both entry-level and premium specification.
• Karndean: Mid-to-premium pricing — higher than Nordikka, lower than top-tier Amtico.
• Amtico: Premium pricing — the highest of the three for most comparable collections.

For many homeowners, the visual result of Nordikka at the Original or Select specification is difficult to distinguish from more expensive options once the floor is installed. The price difference is real; the visible difference in a well-chosen design is often not.

How You Buy — A Key Practical Difference

One important practical difference that often goes unmentioned in brand comparisons: how you actually purchase the flooring.

Nordikka can be bought online at Grosvenor Flooring with full transparent pricing and a direct checkout. You can also order up to 5 free samples before you buy. If you would rather see Nordikka in person before ordering, our where to buy Nordikka flooring guide covers the in-person buying experience locally.

Amtico and Karndean operate on a request-a-price basis at Grosvenor Flooring — pricing is not displayed online and you cannot check out directly. Instead, you submit a price request (we can often beat quotes you have received elsewhere), start a WhatsApp conversation or call us. These brands do excellent business for us on a supply basis — customers who know exactly what they want and want the best possible price.

For customers who want a straightforward online buying experience with immediate pricing, Nordikka is the clearer path. For customers who are committed to Amtico or Karndean and want a competitive quote, we are well placed to help.

Ease of Choosing

Nordikka’s focused range is a practical advantage for customers who find larger collections overwhelming. Amtico and Karndean both offer extensive choices — which is excellent if you have a specific vision, but can slow down the decision-making process if you are still exploring options. For a full breakdown of every Nordikka range by specification and application, see our Nordikka flooring ranges explained guide; for herringbone specifically, our Nordikka herringbone flooring guide compares Tromso against Bodo.

Installation — Another Practical Difference

The three brands also differ in installation accessibility. Nordikka offers both gluedown and click SPC formats — the click SPC format is DIY-friendly for a confident installer, while gluedown and herringbone are better left to professionals. Amtico and Karndean are almost always installed by specialist fitters given the premium positioning and the warranty implications of DIY work on those brands.

If you’re going with Nordikka and planning your own installation, our install guides cover the specific methods for each format: the Nordikka LVT gluedown installation guide for Living, Original, Select gluedown and Tromso Herringbone; the Nordikka Click SPC installation guide for standard-plank click; and the Bodo herringbone fitting guide for the click herringbone format. Grosvenor Flooring also offers a supply and fit service across Cheshire and South Manchester for all three brands.

Which Should You Choose?

There’s no universal answer — the right LVT brand depends on what matters most to you.

Choose Nordikka if you want a high-quality finish at a more accessible price, prefer transparent online pricing with a clear buying process, want a focused range that’s easy to decide from, or need a DIY-friendly click SPC format for a renovation. For the heaviest residential use — or for a project that needs plank, herringbone and tile formats from a single product family — Nordikka Naturals at 0.7mm is the range to specify.

Choose Amtico if you want the widest possible design flexibility, a flagship-grade 1.0mm wear layer, bespoke laying patterns or a statement floor where design customisation matters most. Best served by professional installation and a competitive quote process.

Choose Karndean if you prioritise highly realistic wood and stone designs with a slightly traditional feel, want mid-to-premium quality from an established brand, and are happy to go through a quote-based purchasing process.

For a full Nordikka-specific assessment, read our Nordikka flooring review.

See All Three at Our Altrincham Showroom

Our Altrincham showroom displays Nordikka, Amtico and Karndean side by side at full scale — the easiest way to resolve a brand decision is to see the designs in person. The showroom operates on a 24/7 smart-lock system, so you can visit whenever suits you, including evenings and weekends. For Nordikka samples, order up to 5 free from the website and we’ll post them to you at no cost — a useful way to compare against any Amtico or Karndean samples you’ve already received.