Short answer: yes, 12mm laminate is generally the better pick for most Australian homes. It’s more stable, quieter underfoot, and the embossing reads more like real timber. But 8mm still has a place — in low-traffic rooms, rentals, or jobs where the budget has to stretch. The longer answer comes down to the core, the wear layer, and the room you’re laying it in.
What the millimetres actually mean
The 8mm or 12mm figure is the total plank thickness, not the wear layer. Almost all of that thickness is HDF (high-density fibreboard) core. The decorative print and the clear melamine wear layer on top only add a fraction of a millimetre regardless of the plank you buy. So when you compare 8mm to 12mm, you’re really comparing core thickness — and that’s where the real differences come from.
Two specs matter more than the millimetre figure on their own:
- HDF density. A dense 8mm core can outperform a cheap 12mm one. Look for an HDF density of around 850-950 kg/m³.
- AC rating. AC3 is fine for most residential rooms; AC4 or AC5 is what you want in busy hallways, kitchens and rentals.
Durability and impact resistance
A 12mm plank has more core material absorbing the impact of a dropped pan, a dragged dining chair, or a kid’s scooter. The click joint is also taller, so 12mm planks tend to lock together more solidly and stay locked over time. We see fewer joint-separation callbacks on 12mm than on 8mm, particularly in open-plan rooms where the floor runs unbroken across 8 m or more.
That said, durability isn’t only about thickness. The click system matters too. A modern 5G drop-lock joint on a quality 8mm plank will outlast a basic 2G angle-tap joint on a budget 12mm plank. We’ve covered the difference in our 5G and 2G clicking system guide.
Sound and feel underfoot
This is where 12mm earns its money. A thicker core dampens the hollow click that thinner laminates make when you walk on them in hard-soled shoes. With a quality acoustic underlay, 12mm reads close to engineered timber underfoot. 8mm always sounds and feels a little harder and more drum-like, even with the same underlay.
If the floor is going into a bedroom or upstairs living room where footfall noise matters, the 12mm spend pays back every day you live in the house. For a deeper look at room-by-room picks, see our best flooring for bedrooms guide.
Realism: embossing and bevel
12mm laminates carry deeper embossed-in-register textures and proper micro-bevels around each plank. The grain you see lines up with the grain you feel. On 8mm planks, the embossing is shallower and the bevel is often pressed rather than cut, so the plank reads flatter and more printed-looking under angled daylight. If realism matters — and on a feature floor it usually does — 12mm is worth the difference.
Where 8mm still makes sense
8mm laminate isn’t a bad product, it’s just a more cost-conscious one. It suits:
- Rental properties where the floor needs to look smart and reset cheaply between tenants
- Spare bedrooms, studies, and other low-traffic rooms
- Renovation jobs where the budget is locked and the rest of the spec (underlay, install, skirting) is being done properly
A note on water resistance
Thickness on its own doesn’t make a laminate waterproof. Both 8mm and 12mm laminates rely on a sealed HDF core and tight joints to resist water. Some ranges (like Aquastop) carry a 24-hour water-resistance rating, but for genuine wet-zone use — kitchens, laundries, bathrooms — hybrid or SPC is the safer call. We’ve covered the options in our what flooring is waterproof guide, and rounded up the better SPC and hybrid ranges in our best hybrid flooring brands in Australia roundup.
The call
For a primary residence you plan to live in, go 12mm with an AC4 rating, a 5G click and a quality acoustic underlay. The extra cost over 8mm is small compared to the install labour, and you only lay the floor once. For rentals, low-traffic rooms, or short-term fitouts, a well-specced 8mm plank does the job. If you’re not sure which way to jump, bring the room dimensions and a photo of your existing kitchen joinery into our Sydney or Brisbane showroom — we’ll match a thickness and colour to the way the room actually lives.
Ready to shop? Browse our full laminate flooring range online, or drop into our Sydney or Brisbane showroom to see the range in person.