Best Underlayment for Vinyl and Laminate Flooring
By The DIYPicks Team · Updated July 2026
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The right underlayment makes a floating floor quieter, warmer, and better protected from slab moisture. The wrong one, or a double layer, can void a warranty or leave the floor spongy. The picks below are proven underlayments with real sound and moisture specs. Just as important, we explain when to skip separate underlayment entirely because your planks already ship with an attached pad.
A premium recycled-felt underlayment with an attached moisture barrier and top-class IIC 71 sound rating. Ideal under laminate or engineered wood over concrete, especially in upstairs rooms where quiet matters.
- Laminate and engineered wood over concrete
- Upstairs rooms needing sound control
- Floors that do not have an attached pad
Pros
- Dense recycled-fiber felt delivers excellent IIC 71 sound absorption for upstairs rooms
- Attached vapor barrier lets you install directly over concrete without a separate sheet
- GREENGUARD Gold certified with low VOC emissions for indoor air quality
Cons
- At 3 mm it is best for laminate and engineered wood, not thin click LVP that needs a firmer base
- Should not be stacked on flooring that already has an attached pad
- Costs more than plain foam underlayment at roughly 50 cents per square foot
A 2 mm XLPP foam underlayment with a built-in moisture barrier, self-sealing seams, and top-tier acoustic ratings. A convenient all-in-one choice for floating laminate and engineered wood over concrete.
- Floating laminate and engineered wood
- Concrete slabs needing a moisture barrier
- Maximum sound isolation
Pros
- Closed-cell XLPP core is its own moisture barrier, no separate poly sheet required
- Self-sealing adhesive overlap lip makes seams fast and watertight
- Class-leading IIC 74 / STC 73 acoustic numbers for serious sound isolation
Cons
- Thin 2 mm foam smooths minor imperfections but will not bridge an unlevel subfloor
- Priced above basic foam at about 65 cents per square foot
- Not intended to be added under click LVP that already ships with an attached pad
Still deciding? Compare them
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I need underlayment if my flooring has an attached pad?
- No. If your laminate or vinyl already has an attached pad, do not add a second separate underlayment. Stacking pads makes the floor too soft, can overstress the click joints, and often voids the warranty. Over concrete you may still need a thin poly vapor barrier under an attached-pad floor if the manufacturer requires one.
- What underlayment is best over concrete?
- Use an underlayment with a built-in moisture or vapor barrier, such as QuietWalk Plus or FloorMuffler UltraSeal, or add a separate 6-mil poly sheet. Concrete releases moisture vapor that can damage flooring, so a barrier over any on or below grade slab is essential.
- What is a good sound rating for upstairs floors?
- Look at the IIC (impact) and STC (airborne) numbers. IIC 60 and above is good, and IIC 70-plus is excellent for reducing footstep noise to the room below. QuietWalk Plus (IIC 71) and FloorMuffler UltraSeal (IIC 74) both perform very well for upstairs installations.