McMillan Floors vs. Flooret: A Tale of Two Approaches

Picture two flooring stores, side by side.

You walk into the first one. The salesperson hands you a menu. “Good, Better, Best,” it says. The Good option looks nice in the showroom. The Better option is a little more. The Best option is the one you’ll actually want once you understand the difference. “So why would anyone buy the first two?” you ask. They smile politely.

You walk into the second store. There is no menu. Every floor on the wall is built to the same standard. The only question is which color and material suits your home.

That’s not a hypothetical. That’s the actual difference between Flooret and McMillan Floors.

The Short Answer

Flooret is a solid direct-to-consumer flooring brand with a tiered product range. Their entry-level Modin Base line uses a 20 mil wear layer and a 5mm plank. Their premium Signature and Craftsman lines upgrade to 40 mil and 7mm. If you pick the right tier, you get a quality product. If you don’t, you get something that looks similar but wears differently. McMillan doesn’t offer tiers. Every floor in the range is built to premium spec - 27 mil wear layer, 6.5mm SPC core, GREENGUARD certified. No entry-level option to accidentally land on. No upgrade required.

The Problem With “Good, Better, Best”

Tiered product ranges exist for a reason: they let brands serve different budgets. And there’s nothing wrong with that philosophy in principle.

But here’s what happens in practice. A homeowner browses Flooret’s Modin collection. The Base model looks beautiful. The photos are the same. The color names are the same. The only difference, at a glance, is the price.

What’s actually different: the Base model runs a 20 mil wear layer on a 5mm plank. The Signature model runs a 40 mil wear layer on a 7mm plank. That’s not a minor specification footnote. Wear layer thickness is the single biggest determinant of how long a vinyl floor lasts.

A 20 mil wear layer is well above average for the category, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. But 40 mil is twice that. And the difference shows up not in year one, but in year eight. Year twelve. In the high-traffic hallway. Under the dining table. By the back door where the dog comes in.

Flooret’s own website says it plainly: “Opt for the thickest one you can afford so you can enjoy floors that look great and last for years to come.” That’s honest advice. It’s also an admission that the cheaper tier is a compromise.

McMillan’s answer to this is simple: we don’t offer a compromise.

The Numbers, Side by Side

 

 

Note: McMillan’s 27 mil wear layer sits between Flooret’s Base (20 mil) and Signature (40 mil). McMillan specs are consistent across every product. Flooret’s Signature is their best product and competes closely at the premium level - the key difference is you’re always guaranteed premium with McMillan.

The Hidden Cost of Choosing a Tier

Here’s a scenario that plays out more often than flooring brands like to admit.

A homeowner finds Flooret. They like the brand. The photography is beautiful. The reviews are strong. They start comparing models. Base is $X. Signature is more. They read the specs. They feel the samples. They end up in a spreadsheet at 11pm, trying to calculate whether the wear layer upgrade is worth it for a room that doesn’t get heavy traffic, while also wondering if they should go Signature everywhere just to be consistent, which now changes the budget entirely.

This is decision fatigue. It’s not Flooret’s fault; they’re just offering options. But options have a cost. And the most insidious part is that if you make the wrong call and go Base in a high-traffic area, you won’t know for years.

With McMillan, the decision is simpler. Which floor looks right in your home? That’s the only question. The quality is already decided.

Where Flooret Is Strong

This isn’t a takedown. Flooret makes good floors. Their Signature and Craftsman lines, with 40 mil wear layers and EIR texturing, are premium products. They’ve built a strong community around the brand, their content is decent, and their direct-to-consumer model is genuinely customer-friendly.

Their Silvan Resilient Hardwood and Provence Natural Hardwood lines are newer additions that expand the brand into wood-feel and real wood territory - a move that shows ambition and range.

If you land on a Flooret Signature floor and install it well, you’ll have a beautiful floor.

The question isn’t whether Flooret makes bad floors. It’s whether you want to navigate the tier system to find the good ones or whether you want every option to already be the good one.

Why McMillan Took a Different Path

McMillan was founded in Los Angeles in 2010 by people who spent decades in flooring manufacturing, sales, and distribution. They understood the industry’s habit of building wide product ranges that include entry-level products to win price comparisons, while hoping customers upgrade. They decided not to do it.

The McMillan philosophy - thicker wear layers, stronger cores, certified non-toxic materials - isn’t a tagline on the homepage. It’s the baseline spec for everything in the range. Every SPC Vinyl floor ships with a 27 mil wear layer, a SupremeCORE SPC core tested at 2000+ PSI, and a Shore D 73 hardness rating. Every Engineered Hardwood floor uses a 4mm wear layer and a refinishable veneer. Every Laminate in the range is AC4-rated for residential and light commercial use.

There is no tier below that. There is no “entry-level McMillan.”

The Floor That Tells Its Own Story

A floor isn’t a purchase you make once and forget. You walk on it thousands of times a year. You spill on it. Your kids fall on it. Your pets scratch it. Guests comment on it. Contractors work around it. It’s the surface that connects everything in your home.

When we say “feels like home,” we mean something specific. It means the floor underfoot is confident and solid. The surface doesn’t feel hollow. The color doesn’t shift in a way that reveals the print. The grain you see is the texture you feel.

Customer reviews put it plainly: “Think of it as the BMW of floors.” “Tough to beat the type of beauty and toughness combination McMillan has.” “By far the best laminate locking system.”

Those aren’t people who bought a floor at the right tier. They bought the only tier there is.

McMillan vs. Flooret: The Summary

• Flooret Base: Good floor. 20 mil wear layer. 5mm plank. Fine for low-traffic rooms. But it’s not their best.

• Flooret Signature/Craftsman: Genuinely premium. 40 mil wear layer. 7mm plank. Strong product if you pick it intentionally.

• McMillan SPC Vinyl: 27 mil wear layer. 6.5mm plank. SupremeCORE SPC. GREENGUARD Gold certified. No tier below it. Every product is this.

If you want the best Flooret has to offer, you need to know to ask for Signature. If you want the best McMillan has to offer, you just need to pick a color.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Flooret or McMillan better?

At the top of Flooret’s range (Signature, Craftsman), the products are genuinely competitive. McMillan’s advantage is that its entire range is built to premium spec - you don’t need to research tiers. For homeowners who want consistent quality without navigating model comparisons, McMillan is the cleaner choice.

Does McMillan Floors have a budget or entry-level option?

No. McMillan doesn’t offer a tiered range. Every SPC Vinyl floor, Laminate, and Engineered Hardwood meets the same core specification. The only variable is design and material type.

What is Flooret’s entry-level product?

Flooret’s Modin Base is their entry-level LVP, featuring a 20 mil wear layer on a 5mm plank. It’s above average for the category but significantly below their Signature line (40 mil, 7mm). Flooret themselves recommend opting for the thickest wear layer you can afford.

Is McMillan GREENGUARD Gold certified?

Yes. All McMillan floors carry both FloorScore and GREENGUARD Gold certification, the stricter of the two standards. Flooret carries FloorScore. You can learn more about McMillan’s certifications on the certified safe page.

Can I see samples before ordering from McMillan?

Yes, and we strongly recommend it. Order samples here. McMillan provides 12-inch cuts from real planks so you can test texture, colour, and finish in your own space under your own lighting.

Ready to Find Your Floor?

If you’ve made it this far, you know exactly what to ask for. A floor built to one standard. Not a tier you had to find. Just a floor that’s right from the first plank.

Shop SPC Vinyl →

Shop Laminate →

Shop Engineered Hardwood →

Order Samples →

See Why McMillan Outperforms CoreTec, Pergo & Bruce →

Disclaimer: Product specifications for Flooret are based on publicly available information from flooret.com as of March 2026. McMillan Floors specifications sourced from mcmillanfloors.com. Always verify current specs directly with each brand before purchasing.