Polyflor vs Gerflor vs Altro: safety flooring brands compared

Polyflor, Gerflor and Altro are three of the best-known names in commercial safety flooring and buyers often ask which is best. The honest answer is that all three manufacture products independently tested and classified to the relevant slip-resistance and product standards, so for most commercial areas any of them will do the job well and the right choice comes down to the specific range, finish, availability and price rather than the badge. This guide sets out what each brand is known for and how to choose between them, so a buyer can compare them sensibly instead of defaulting to the most familiar name.

Key takeaways

• All three are reputable. Polyflor, Gerflor and Altro all make safety vinyl tested to the relevant slip-resistance and product standards, so none is a wrong choice for mainstream commercial areas.
• They overlap heavily. Each offers wet-area, kitchen, healthcare and general safety ranges that meet the same standards.
• Choose on range, not brand. The specific product, slip rating, finish and colour matter more than which of the three logos is on it.
• Installation decides performance. Whichever brand, the floor is only as good as the subfloor prep, welding and coving.
• A survey narrows it down. A contractor matches the area to a suitable range from whichever brand fits best on spec and availability.

What are these three brands?

All three are established manufacturers of commercial resilient flooring, each with a deep safety flooring range. Altro is a family-owned British company credited with developing the original slip-resistant safety floor and its name became the generic shorthand for the category, which our Altro flooring explained post covers. Polyflor is a major UK manufacturer, part of a long-established British group with a broad safety and commercial vinyl range widely specified across sectors. Gerflor is a large international maker with a strong presence in healthcare, education and sport, known for its hygienic and safety ranges. Between them they supply a very large share of the UK commercial safety flooring market and a specifier will come across all three regularly. The important thing to understand is that these are peers competing in the same space rather than one leader and two also-rans, which is why the comparison is about fit rather than ranking.

What is each brand known for?

They have different reputations and strengths even though their ranges overlap.

• Altro. The category originator, strong across wet areas, kitchens and general safety flooring with a wide range and the brand recognition that comes from defining the market.
• Polyflor. A broad, well-established UK range with strong availability, widely specified across commercial, healthcare and education sectors.
• Gerflor. Particularly strong in healthcare and education hygienic flooring and in sports surfaces with a large international product range.

These are generalisations rather than hard lines, because each maker covers most commercial applications and the ranges move as products are updated. A buyer should treat brand reputation as a starting point and then compare the actual product proposed for their area, because within each brand there are ranges pitched at different uses and price points.

How different are they in practice?

Less than the marketing suggests, because comparable products are designed to meet the same recognised performance standards. A safety floor from any of the three grips through hard aggregate carried through the wear layer, welds into a continuous surface and coves up the wall and each brand’s equivalent range is tested and classified to the relevant slip-resistance and product standards. That means for a given area, a washroom, a kitchen, a wet room, a corridor, all three will offer a product that meets the required slip rating and does the job. The visible differences a buyer will notice are in the finish and the colour and pattern options, where each brand has its own look and its own decorative ranges and sometimes in availability and lead time, which can matter on a tight programme. There can also be differences in specific technical ranges, for example a particularly high-grip kitchen range or a specialist healthcare range, where one brand’s product happens to fit a demanding area better. But for mainstream commercial areas the choice between them is genuinely close, which is why it should be driven by the specific range and practicalities rather than a belief that one brand is categorically better.

Which brand should I choose?

The one whose specific range best fits the area, its slip rating and your practical constraints, which is a decision made per project rather than once and for all. Because the three are so comparable, there is rarely a reason to insist on a single brand across every job. Instead the sensible process is to set the specification the area needs first, the slip rating, the conditions, the look and then see which brand’s range meets it best on finish, colour, availability and price. Sometimes there is a good practical reason to pick a particular brand, such as matching an existing floor elsewhere in the building, staying consistent with a maintenance regime the cleaning team already knows or a lead time that suits the programme and those are all legitimate. What is not a good reason is simply that one name is more familiar, because that can lead to over-paying or overlooking a better-fitting range. Our guide to choosing commercial flooring sets out how to decide the specification, which comes before the brand.

Does the installer matter more than the brand?

In most cases, yes. A safety floor’s real-world performance depends heavily on the installation, the subfloor preparation, the moisture control, the quality of the hot welding and the coving and a premium branded floor laid badly will fail while a mid-range floor from any reputable brand laid well will last for years. This is worth stressing because buyers sometimes put a lot of weight on the brand decision and very little on who lays the floor, when the second is at least as important. The seams and coving help create a continuous, water-resistant floor finish and they are only as good as the person forming them, which is why safety flooring is specialist work whatever the product. So while it is worth comparing brands, it is at least as worth making sure the floor is laid by a contractor who does this regularly. Our installation and detailing guide explains what a proper installation involves and why it decides the outcome.

Get the right floor and installer with a free survey

Rather than agonising over the brand, the most useful step is to have the area surveyed so the specification and a suitable product can be matched together. Surface Specialists helps businesses find the right safety flooring contractor by arranging a free site survey and matching projects with vetted contractors. The contractor assesses the area, recommends a suitable range and provides a written quotation, then carries out the installation. For how to decide the specification see our choosing commercial flooring guide and slip ratings guide, or start at our commercial safety flooring hub. Contact us to arrange a survey.

Frequently asked questions

Which is best, Polyflor, Gerflor or Altro?

There is no single best. All three are major manufacturers making safety vinyl tested to the relevant standards, so any of them will suit most commercial areas. The right choice comes down to the specific range, finish, availability and price for your area rather than the brand name.

Is Altro better than Polyflor or Gerflor?

Not categorically. Altro originated the category and has strong recognition, but Polyflor and Gerflor make comparable ranges certified to the same standards. For a given area all three will typically offer a product that meets the required slip rating.

What is Gerflor known for?

Gerflor is particularly strong in healthcare and education hygienic flooring and in sports surfaces with a large international range. It also makes general safety and commercial vinyl that competes across the usual commercial areas.

Does the brand of safety flooring really matter?

Less than the specification and the installation. The major brands meet the same standards, so the slip rating for the area and a proper install matter more. A well-laid floor from any reputable brand will outperform a premium floor laid badly.

How do I choose between safety flooring brands?

Set the specification the area needs first, then compare which brand’s range meets it best on finish, colour, availability and price. A survey is the practical way to match the area to a suitable product from whichever brand fits.