Vinyl "hardwood" planks - anyone use them before?
 

Looking at options to replace the carpet/vinyl at my rental townhouse. I was originally looking at laminate but the strata and management company is trying to convince me not to go that route. I was at King of Floors over the weekend and saw vinyl "hardwood" lookalike planks there. They look reasonably close to laminate/hardwood though slightly more pricier.

Just wondering if anyone has used these before and has any input as to it's durability and sound absorption ability. My townhouse is an upper floor unit so there are people below my main floor and I'd like to try to keep noise complaints to a minimum with the new flooring choice. I'm thinking vinyl maybe a viable "middle ground" between laminate/hardwood and carpet.

Anyone used these before and can provide an opinion on what they think of them?

Have luxury vinyl plank flooring, had engineered flooring before and it ended up getting a lot more scratched. When i bought it the price was similar/cheaper than hardwood. I went to Global Carpets in Vancouver.

They are basically same as laminate, but waterproof.
If you like the look, they are very practical and basically indestructible in residential use. (They are often used in commercial area like malls, gyms, office..etc)

To minimize the noise transmission, you need acoustic underpadding with a higher IIC rating. Your condo should tell you what their building requires.
I don't think there is a huge sound absorption difference between vinyl and laminate. (Vinyl is a bit softer, but they are also much thinner than laminate, e.g. 6mm vs 12mm)

average price range from my experience:
LVT/WPC Vinyl = $2-$4
Laminate = $1-$3
Engineered wood = $3-$7

For dry area, I personally prefer laminate because they are typically thicker, cheaper in price, similar durability, and have a nicer, more realistic touch and texture. Downside is they get damaged if you leave water on it.