either you want real wood, or you want fake. because fake does not look like the real stuff.
And engineered wood is real wood. Often it's stronger than a solid wood plank.
look at the Janka hardness test and choose accordingly. One of the hardest is a Fossilized Bamboo. it's up above 3500 on the scale. (oak is about 1300 or so)
But remember, 120 year old homes still have the original wood flooring in them. So to say that a wood floor can't stand up to a toddler, a small dog and a messy cook is silly.
look into a solid white oak, stained on site. see how that price compares w/an engineered hardwood.
How about a wide plank French Oak? You needn't have to get hand scraped.
I would never do 1500 sq ft of the vinyl plank. oh heck no. And, if you want the really good, long lasting LVP, it's about the same price as a good hardwood.
or find a quality wood-look tile
oh, and the last place I'd buy any of those products is at a big box store. They don't exactly deal in the best quality items. Go to an actual flooring place where that's all they specialize in dealing. they more choices, better quality, and better pricing.
Q
Still one of my favorites of all!
Q