I would consider quartz that looks similar to marble since marble is a porous stone that can stain underneath items like soap dispensers and toothbrush holders.

Housekeeping and maintenance vary. Google "etched and stained marble photos " Or put it in YOUR bath and forget putting it in a kids bath. Or have the kids live next door. If happy with all considered, knock yourself out and have at it.

Mine are not stained, but they are very etched. I can feel it when I run my scrubby across them to clean and I can see it when the light reflects off the surface. These particular counters are in the master bath. I didn't install them. There is no way I would put them in a child or adolescent's bath. I would put a lower end man made sink/counter unit in a child's bath in a very plain finish. You can easily replace it when they leave home.

Honestly, I agree with homechef. And I'm talking as someone who just installed onyx countertops in my master.

So you don’t use a scrubby to clean your marble for starters. I don’t have a marble counter , would love it in my kitchen but too much other stone. We do stay in a hotel in Rome that has an all marble bathroom , cararra, it has been there since the late 40’s with the exception of a new shower in the 70’s it looks awesome and very well used but has this soft patina which I love. The only thing they ask for guests to not use in there is hair dye . I think in a kids bathroom it might not be the best choice unless they are boys that have outgrown the marker age or girls that don’t use hair color . IMO children should be taught respect for your home but stuff happens.

I have marble counter tops in my bathroom and they are not etched or stained. However I am diligent about wiping them down after I use them. I highly doubt kids are going to do that lol!

Quartz is no match for kids. Better go Corian marble look alike, please.

Joseph - why do you say that Quartz is no match for kids? Would you say the same about granite?

I can't show you my completely worn out marble tops, they went to the dump 2 years ago. Replaced with Cambria Quartz and love them.

@Joseph, Quartz is the most indestructible surface. It is impervious to everything and maintenance free for life. Zodiaq is either crap, or that piece is defective, or that post is a scam trying to discredit the Quartz industry.

I’ve seen marble in kitchens where the people aren’t fanatics and they look fine after a decade or so. Some etching but that isn’t something that bothers them or would bother me because you only see it if you look for it. One friend used part of her slab as the kitchen table which gets plenty of abuse and isn’t stained or horrible looking after about 15 years.

However I wouldn’t put marble in a child’s bathroom because odds are that a child is not likely to perform even minimal housekeeping. You can always change a counter relatively easily when and if you wanted to upgrade for some reason.

We have (not white and gray) marble or maybe limestone in our master bath. after almost a year and a half, it does have some etching. no photos-you won't see it on photos. I see it because I look for it lol. You need to see how the light hits the surface in order to see the etching.

Then I'm pretty protective over it, and watch my DH who destroys surfaces with the easiness that I'd find amazing, if I chose to be amazed.

In kids' bathroom..I'd say would depend on a)kids' ages b) kids' personalities etc

say my son is a very tidy boy. Naturally tidy.

my daughter, on the other hand, would ruin marble anything in a day.

On the other hand I had limestone countertops for years and years(other country; most people have limestone/marble) and one really gets used to patina and possible etching etc. Obviously my kids used them too. So depends also on how set you are on having something flawless as possible.

BTW I agree with Joseph about Corian, we had in our previous kids bath(solid white, not marble look) and it looked very nice while being really easy to clean. And my DD had so much stuff on these countertops I didn't have in my entire life.

(she grew out of it but age 14-16..gosh)

"Joseph - why do you say that Quartz is no match for kids? Would you say the same about granite?"

Did you click on the highlighted link? That would answer your first question. Granite is more repairable and less likely to suffer child abuse than quartz. Corian is more kid proof than either.

funny, I thought quartz was the best of both Granite AND Corian?

No, it isn't. Quartz has the low heat tolerance of Corian, but unlike Corian damaged from heat, it isn't easily or sometimes even possible, to repair. Corian is nearly impossible to stain, quartz not so much. You still can't put hot pots on it, but granite is more heat tolerant then either and repairs more easily than quartz.

Marble installed for 8 years. Some etching but almost imperceptible to the eye.

My friends daughter died her hair blue for spirit week in her bathroom, She now has a purple marble counter in that bath. She also said toothpaste does a number on it. My kids are all grown so I risked it and am putting Carrara in my bathrooms in my new build but went with Carrara looking quartz for the kitchen.

Thanks all! Thank you for the photos Janetmm and My3dogs! I ended up going with plain white quartz.