Short answer: Kaindl High Gloss is the range we’d point you at if you want a mirror-finish floor without the price of real polished stone or the shortcomings of cheap laminate. It’s 8mm laminate made in Austria by one of Europe’s oldest flooring manufacturers, priced around £19 per m², and it’s the range we sell more of than any other. High gloss shows more marks than matt finishes though — it’s a real trade-off, and this guide walks through when to accept it and when to pick something else.
We’re an official Kaindl reseller. The reason we lead with this range on the flooring page isn’t margin — it’s that Kaindl builds the boards better than most laminate makers at any price point, and after two years of selling their products we’ve had almost no returns and only one warranty claim across all six designs. Take that context on board before the rest of the guide.
Who Kaindl actually is
Kaindl has been making wood-based products in Salzburg since 1897. They’re still family-owned, four generations deep, and they run one of the largest single-site laminate production facilities in Europe. The company sits in the mid-premium bracket of the European market — not the cheapest, not the most expensive, but consistently ranked in independent tests for surface durability and click-system integrity.
The bit that matters for a UK buyer: Kaindl still manufactures in-house rather than outsourcing to third-party factories. Every board is milled, printed, pressed and edge-finished in the same plant. That’s the reason the tolerances are tighter than budget laminate — you can lay a Kaindl floor without gaps or lipping between boards, which sounds obvious until you’ve tried to install one that wasn’t.
What “High Gloss” and “Easy Touch” actually mean
High gloss is a surface finish. It’s produced by pressing the decorative layer under a smooth, mirror-textured platen so the wear layer cures flat and reflective. The result is a floor that catches light and behaves visually more like polished stone than typical wood-effect laminate. It’s what makes marble-look laminates look convincing — a matt marble laminate rarely does.
Easy Touch is Kaindl’s name for their consumer-grade High Gloss line. It uses an 8mm HDF (high-density fibreboard) core, an AC4 wear layer, and Kaindl’s One-Click 2.0 locking system. AC4 is rated for general residential use plus moderate commercial — kitchens, hallways, living rooms all fine, commercial reception areas at the limit.
Aqua Pro is the step up. Same high-gloss visual finish, but built on a moisture-resistant core with waxed joints, rated for wet areas including bathrooms and utility rooms. Only one of the six Kaindl High Gloss designs in our range is Aqua Pro (the White Marble). If bathroom install is on the shopping list, that’s the one.
The honest downside of high-gloss laminate
High gloss shows every mark. That’s not a Kaindl issue, that’s what a mirror finish does — the same reflectivity that makes it beautiful is what makes small scratches, footprints, and dust visible in raking light. It doesn’t damage the floor. It’s cosmetic. But it’s the single thing owners regret about high-gloss floors, and the marketing never mentions it.
The practical mitigations are: a good doormat at every entrance to keep grit off the floor, felt pads on chair legs, and a soft-cloth mop rather than an abrasive one. Live with it that way and a Kaindl High Gloss floor will look as new in five years as it did on install day. Neglect the doormat and it’ll dull faster than the same design in a matt finish would.
The Kaindl High Gloss range we actually stock
Six designs, four categories. Every one is 8mm except the Aqua Pro at 8.5mm. Prices below are per m² and include the wear layer, the click system, and Kaindl’s residential warranty.
- Kaindl Bravo Hickory — warm mid-brown wood look with visible grain and knots. Our best-seller and the design we’d point most buyers at first. £19.22/m².
- Kaindl Fresno Snow Oak — pale, cool-toned oak. Scandi-modern rooms, north-facing spaces. £19.22/m².
- Kaindl Oak Stone — grey-brown oak with a subtle stone tone. Halfway between wood and stone look. £19.22/m².
- Kaindl Up Town — dark grey urban oak. Industrial, statement floors. £19.22/m².
- Kaindl Calacatta Gold Marble — cream marble with gold veining. The design that made buyers stop asking us for real marble tiles. £19.75/m².
- Kaindl White Marble (Aqua Pro) — pure white marble, waterproof core, 8.5mm. The bathroom option. £24.08/m².
Technical specs — the full picture
| Spec | Easy Touch (5 designs) | Aqua Pro (White Marble) |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | 8mm | 8.5mm |
| Core | HDF (high-density fibreboard) | Moisture-resistant HDF with waxed joints |
| Wear class (AC rating) | AC4 — heavy residential / moderate commercial | AC4 |
| Locking system | Kaindl One-Click 2.0 | Kaindl One-Click 2.0 with waxed edges |
| Water resistance | Splash-resistant, wipe up promptly | Fully waterproof (bathroom-rated) |
| Pack coverage | ~1.99 to 2.7 m² depending on design | 2.35 m² |
| Board dimensions | 1383 × 244 mm (typical) | 1383 × 244 mm |
| Warranty (residential) | 25 years | 25 years incl. waterproof warranty |
| Underfloor heating | Compatible (max 27°C surface) | Compatible (max 27°C surface) |
| Install method | Floating, click-lock, no glue | Floating, click-lock, no glue |
Where it works, where it doesn’t
Living rooms, hallways, bedrooms. Works everywhere the standard Easy Touch line is rated for. AC4 gives you a big buffer over daily residential use — you’d have to run a corner shop through the room to wear the surface out.
Kitchens. Easy Touch is fine for kitchens provided you wipe up spills within a reasonable window (minutes, not hours) and use felt pads under stools. The click joints are tight but they aren’t submarine-grade. If your kitchen sees a lot of standing water — dogs bringing in wet paws, kids splashing at a sink — pay the extra for the Aqua Pro.
Bathrooms and utility rooms. Aqua Pro only. Standing water on Easy Touch will lift the joints within a year. This is not a Kaindl weakness — it’s true of every 8mm laminate that isn’t built for wet areas.
Stairs. Not recommended for either. High gloss on a stair tread is a slip hazard, and laminate flooring in general is not what stair-nose profiles are designed around. For stairs, look at LVT with matching stair-nose trim.
Conservatories. Fine with the standard caveat: laminate needs a stable temperature environment. A conservatory that goes from 5°C in January to 40°C in July will stress any floating floor. If yours does that, use expansion gaps at the max end of the spec (12mm at every wall) and consider the Aqua Pro for the tighter joint tolerances.
Kaindl High Gloss vs the alternatives
| Property | Kaindl High Gloss | Matt laminate | LVT (luxury vinyl) | SPC (stone plastic) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visual (marble effect) | Very convincing under light | Reads as printed | Convincing, softer sheen | Convincing, semi-matt |
| Shows scratches | Yes, in raking light | Less | Less | Less |
| Water resistance (standard) | Splash-resistant | Splash-resistant | Fully waterproof | Fully waterproof |
| Feel underfoot | Hard, warm-ish | Hard | Slightly softer | Hard, cool |
| Sound underfoot | Sharper (needs good underlay) | Sharper | Quieter | Sharper |
| Typical price per m² | £19 to £24 | £12 to £18 | £25 to £45 | £28 to £42 |
| Install method | Click, floating | Click, floating | Click or glue-down | Click, floating |
| Best for | Statement-look living rooms | Budget, low-key rooms | Bathrooms, quiet-underfoot priorities | Wet areas, high-traffic rentals |
What people actually ask us
Is Kaindl a good brand of laminate flooring?
Yes. In independent European laminate tests, Kaindl consistently sits in the top three for surface durability and top two for click-joint integrity. They’re the brand we’d buy for our own homes, and after two years of stocking six designs we’ve had almost no returns. The one caveat is that Kaindl is not the cheapest laminate on the market — if you’re comparing purely on price, brands like Krono or Egger can undercut by £3 to £6 per m². What you get for the Kaindl premium is manufacturing consistency and click-system tolerance.
What does “Easy Touch” mean on Kaindl High Gloss floors?
Easy Touch is Kaindl’s name for their consumer-grade High Gloss finish. It refers to the surface treatment — a smooth-pressed mirror finish over an AC4 wear layer on an 8mm HDF core, using Kaindl’s One-Click 2.0 locking system. It’s not a separate range from Kaindl’s premium lines, it’s the label on the residential High Gloss product. Aqua Pro is the step-up variant with a moisture-resistant core.
Can I put Kaindl High Gloss in a kitchen or bathroom?
Kitchen: yes for both Easy Touch and Aqua Pro, provided spills get wiped up promptly. Bathroom: Aqua Pro only — Easy Touch is splash-resistant but not built for standing water. The White Marble Aqua Pro is the one you want if the bathroom is on the list. It carries Kaindl’s waterproof warranty and has waxed joints that resist water ingress at the click.
Does high-gloss laminate scratch easily?
The surface itself is AC4-rated so it resists mechanical wear well — you can drag chairs across it without scoring the finish. What high gloss shows more than matt finishes is the small marks that would be invisible on a textured floor: shoe scuffs, dust, footprints in dry weather. The fix is a doormat at every entrance to keep grit outside, and felt pads under any furniture that moves. Do that and the finish stays perfect for years.
What’s the difference between Kaindl and Falquon high-gloss floors?
Both are respected European laminate brands with high-gloss ranges. Kaindl (Austria) tends to lead on wood-effect designs and manufacturing tolerances; Falquon (Germany) leads on stone-effect designs, particularly marble looks. Prices are similar per m², around £19 to £25 depending on design. At Aurino we stock both because they don’t fully overlap — if you want the warmest wood look go Kaindl Bravo Hickory, if you want the most convincing white marble look, look at both the Kaindl White Marble Aqua Pro and the Falquon Carrara range side by side.
What underlay do I need for Kaindl High Gloss laminate?
The three we recommend, in order:
- Concrete subfloor: 3mm XPS underlay with an integrated damp-proof membrane. Non-negotiable — concrete releases moisture for years after it’s laid.
- Wooden subfloor (chipboard or floorboards): 3mm fibreboard underlay for the best acoustic result, or 3mm XPS if you’re on a budget.
- Underfloor heating: A UFH-rated underlay with a thermal resistance no higher than 0.15 m²K/W — anything higher stops the heat coming through. We stock what we recommend at Aurino if you want the shortest possible spec conversation.
Skip cheap foam underlay. It compresses in months and the floor starts feeling hollow underfoot, and the click joints then start creaking. False economy on a 25-year floor.
Which design is right for you
Warm neutral room, want a wood look: Bravo Hickory
Mid-brown, visible knots and grain, warm undertone. This is the design most Kaindl buyers pick because it works in almost any room and the wood look is convincing enough that guests don’t clock it as laminate at first glance. Our best-seller for a reason.
Bright, cool room, Scandi aesthetic: Fresno Snow Oak
Pale oak with a cool undertone. Works especially well in north-facing rooms where warmer woods can look dull, and pairs cleanly with white walls and light furniture. Second-best-seller in our range.
Statement marble floor, dry room: Calacatta Gold Marble
Cream marble base with gold veining. The design that stopped buyers asking us for real marble tiles — the high-gloss finish reads convincingly as polished stone under warm lighting, and the veining pattern is deep enough to look natural rather than printed. Best in a well-lit living room or dining room.
Marble in a bathroom or wet room: White Marble Aqua Pro
Pure white marble on a waterproof core. The only Kaindl High Gloss we’d put in a bathroom. Slightly more expensive per m² than the standard range, but the peace of mind on a wet floor is worth the extra £5 per m². Also fine everywhere the Easy Touch line goes — think of it as future-proofing.
The Kaindl designs we actually recommend
Kaindl Bravo Hickory · Easy Touch 8mm
Warm mid-brown wood look with visible knots. The design we’d point new customers at first — works in almost any room, hides small marks better than the marble-look designs, and reads as convincing wood at a glance. AC4 wear layer, 25-year residential warranty.
Kaindl Calacatta Gold Marble · 8mm
Cream marble base with gold veining. The design that made buyers stop asking us for real polished-marble tiles. Best under warm lighting in a well-lit dining or living room. Not for wet areas.
Kaindl White Marble · Aqua Pro 8.5mm
Pure white marble on a waterproof HDF core with waxed joints. The only Kaindl High Gloss rated for bathrooms and utility rooms. Slightly thicker at 8.5mm and slightly pricier — worth it if wet areas are on the shopping list.
Browse the full laminate flooring collection at Aurino — Kaindl High Gloss, Falquon, Egger and Lignum ranges, 0% finance from £15/month, and free UK mainland delivery on orders over £500.
Also worth reading: Laminate, LVT, SPC or engineered — which flooring works where, the umbrella guide that steps back and compares laminate against the other flooring types.
