Some of the LVT tile (laminated vinyl tile) that comes in planks can be VERY realistic-looking. The applied designs and finishing can really fool the eye. We used to make a product called Genuewood that was a true hybrid LVT. It had a veneer of true hardwood that was sandwiched between a backing pvc layer and a clear top pvc wear layer. I don't think it is still made...it was a unique and wonderful product.

After reading the various threads and looking at the pics, I'm sold for the basement but we're also considering it throughout the first floor. I'm concerned about resale (though it's would be decades away). The homes in our neighborhood are selling for $700,000+, and the expectation of course is high end everything. I'm considering putting this in the main living area too due to the ease of care and who knows what I'll like in 10 years? Our last home we had extensive use of hardwood. I loved the look but the constant worry, and no shoe policy was unpleasant. I want a house that we can live in. For as cheap as this stuff is, we couldn't even have the floors refinished, for what this stuff costs new. We currently have hardwood in the front foyer, front bath, dinette, kitchen, and laundry room (I wouldn't say the previous owner made a wise move on that decision). With all the remodeling though, much of the wood will be trashed anyway, so it's like we'd be starting from scratch. Are we crazy to even consider vinyl (even for a decade) when we can afford the real thing (installation and all), when the expectation is high end? It's only my husband, myself, and a little dog on a daily basis.

Good bamboo (ie. the $12/sf price point) is very dense. Any wood floor can dent with heals. It depends on the size of the heal (is it a 'Queen Mum' wide-body heal or is it a 3" stiletto?) and the size of the human wearing it (the movie 'Kinky Boots' comes to mind). A 250 lb man in stilettos is going to put very big dents into pretty much any wood floor he walks on....the pounds per square inch come into play when dents are created. A bad bamboo or bad engineered hardwood is going to dent easily. They are perfectly fine on stairs. They are still rigid wood-like floors. In fact cork does very well on stairs (the softest hardwood in the world!!!). The FINISH is what scratches. The FINISH is what takes all the abuse. A bad factory finish will scratch like the dickens...and look like it needs to be refinished inside of 15 years. That's one of the differences between 'good' bamboo and 'bad' bamboo. A high-end bamboo product is going to cost you some SERIOUS money. I'm not kidding. It is HEAVILY engineered. In fact it can be 30% adhesive (glue...holding the grass together). It can be carbonized. It can have upto 15 coats of UV cured Aluminum Oxide urethane applied to it. Just because it is all produced in China doesn't mean it is cheap/cost effective to purchase. It isn't. The independent importers are very specific about who they source from (a bad batch can bankrupt them) and what type of product they sell. All of that 'human input' has a cost. The mature bamboo (7+ years old) is expensive. It is hard to harvest. It is harder to process (because it is so thick and strong). It requires VERY EXPENSIVE adhesives (allowed in the EU = darn near Zero VOC levels = very expensive). And the finish (15 layers) take ++ time to create and cure and stack, etc. Keeping it climate controlled is SUPER IMPORTANT = very expensive. It is required at time of creation, during transport (on the ship) and when it arrives in port/warehouse facility. And it is HEAVY. Heavy = dense = expensive to ship around the world. And THAT'S why $12/sf bamboo is worth it. But the $4.99/sf cr@p isn't. A solid white oak 3" plank (character grade) = $4.99/sf and WELL worth it.

We put in 3/4" hardwoods this year. My sister chose vinyl back in mid-2000s. My Dad chose Coretec brand LV planks in 2018 bc his house is a ski/mountain house and he wanted waterproof and low maintenance. My brother chose tile bc it's a beach place and they wanted easy vacuuming of sand. What is your personal preference as far as the look? Also, do you have pets? Does your condo have any rules about what you are allowed to put in (such as no hard surfaces unless you install a noise barrier for you neighbor below). There are a lot of choices and pros and cons to each choice. Maybe get some quotes from some flooring places for options and then see what makes sense financially in terms of the value of your condo, resale, etc. You wouldn't want to be upside down in terms of putting too much money into it if there is a possibility you will sell in the nearish future. But if that's not going to happen, the investment is less of a concern. If there is a possibility of resale, perhaps consult with a realtor to get an idea of the value and how much investment makes sense.