The best underlays, compared.
Top pick: FloorPro silver, 3 mm, 15 m² Best value: FloorPro silver, 3 mm, 15 m² – About £19.88 for a stated 15 m², about £1.33 per square metre, score 80 and 4.6 from 337, with no tear theme in the sample. Updated 23 October 2026.
Underlay is the separate sheet under a floating wood, laminate or compatible click floor in a UK home. It is not carpet felt, roof sarking or a tile tanking membrane. You buy it when the boards are loose-laid and the floor maker expects a layer for small dips, a taped seam, and sometimes a foil face on concrete. If the board already has a pad, do not add a second sheet. Click floors are often kept at or under 5 mm. On concrete, a foil line is not a hygrometer pass. A wet slab still needs a proper damp-proof membrane, and seam tape is often a separate buy. Where heat sits below the covering, the published limit covers the whole system, not the roll alone. An electric film on top of the sheet is the opposite case: the sheet should stop heat leaking downwards. A printed decibel is not a lease and not a site test of a separating floor. Many leases still require carpet. Measure the room, then the roll. The checks are in the [underlay buying guide](/hub/diy-supplies/underlay/sub/underlay-buying-guide).
Underlay is the separate sheet under a floating wood, laminate or compatible click floor in a UK home. It is not carpet felt, roof sarking or a tile tanking membrane.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What is going under the new floor?
The FloorPro 3 mm silver roll covers a stated 15 m², 1 m by 15 m, at £19.88 on the saved file, about £1.33 per stated square metre, the lowest rate in this set. Across 337 amazon.co.uk reviews the line is 4.6, and the score is 80, which is why it carries the best-value badge. The bullets name wood and laminate on concrete or timber, a silver foil damp-proof membrane, and the word acoustic, with no decibel and no tog. Sampled reviews do not describe tears, and they say the foil faces the floor on concrete. One review calls the foil overlap fiddly, so a flap may be there even though the bullet does not print its width. You still buy Barrier Pro X tape separately. The catalogue material field says aluminum and the dimension field prints a 10 mm cube, which do not describe a 3 mm foam roll, so treat those rows as catalogue noise.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are laying click laminate or wood on a dry floor, the maker allows 3 mm, and you want 15 m² at the lowest rate here.
Less suitable: You need a printed tog, a named sound test, or you will not buy seam tape.
Specifications
Common questions
Which way does the foil face?
The bullets do not say. UK reviews in the file say foil side down, or foil side to the floor, on concrete. One review calls the foil overlap fiddly.
Do I need extra tape?
Yes, on this listing. The bullets say you need Barrier Pro X tape to join the roll. The pack count is one roll.
Can it go under laminate?
The bullets say all wood and laminate flooring, on concrete or wood subfloors. The listing question is not answered in prose. Reviews describe laminate and engineered wood. One review used it under LVT.
The AcuStick Sonic Gold is a 5 mm gold-foil roll sold for wood and laminate, stated as 1 m by 15 m, at £29.50 on the saved amazon.co.uk file. Across 682 reviews the line is 4.5, the largest count in this set, which is why the score is 74 and why it carries the top-pick badge here. The bullets print sound absorption of 24 dB and do not name a test, so that figure is a listing line rather than a pass against a named method. One UK review says that roll was under 12 square metres and left a 3 m by 4 m room about 40 cm short. Another says the sheet crinkles, and a third says it tears while the wood goes down. Barrier Pro X tape is named for the seams and is not in the box, so £29.50 is the roll alone. At 3 kg on a stated 15 m² it is the only foam here with both a printed decibel and a 5 mm thickness, and you still measure the roll before the last row.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the thickest foam in this set on an unheated floor where the board maker allows 5 mm, and you will measure the roll.
Less suitable: You need a named sound test, a printed tog, or a room that a short roll would leave unfinished.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the 24 dB line name a test?
The bullet prints sound absorption of 24 dB. The saved file does not name a standard or say whether that is downstairs impact or noise in the room. One review says noise downstairs dropped. Another says it still sounds like crisp packets.
Is the roll actually 15 square metres?
The coverage field says 15 square metres, 1 m by 15 m. One UK review says that roll was under 12 square metres and left a 3 m by 4 m room about 40 cm short. That is one report, not a measurement of every roll.
Is joint tape in the box?
The bullets say to use Barrier Pro X tape on the seams. The included-items line is one roll. One review bought double-sided tape because nothing was stuck to the sheet.
The Grandismo sheet is the only roll here with a printed thermal figure: tog 0.35 on a stated 10 m², 1 m by 10 m, at £33.50, about £3.35 per stated square metre. Across 124 reviews the line is 4.5 and the score is 70. Thickness is not printed. Reviews call it very thin or ultra thin, and one calls it nice and thick, which is not a millimetre. Several UK reviews say it tears if you kneel on it or pull it, and one says it is not rigid enough to protect a heating mat. Another says it stays put and that heat comes through an electric mat. The bullets name wood, laminate, LVT, vinyl, and click, and they print about 17 dB with no test method. There is no foil sentence and no seam-tape line, so this is the heating sheet in the set, not a stand-in for 3 mm or 5 mm foil foam on a cold slab.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have underfloor heating, the system allows a thin sheet with a printed tog, and you will follow that maker.
Less suitable: You need a millimetre thickness, a foil membrane, or a sheet reviews describe as rigid over a mat.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the listing say it works with underfloor heating?
The title is an underfloor-heating underlay, and the bullets print tog 0.35. They do not say electric mat or wet screed. Reviews describe electric foil and sticky mats, with the sheet laid so heat comes through.
How thick is it?
No thickness is printed. Reviews call it very thin or ultra thin, and one calls it nice and thick. Those words are not a millimetre.
Will it tear over a heating mat?
More than one UK review says it tears if you kneel on it or pull it. One says it is not supportive enough to protect the heating. Another installer says it stays put and heat comes through.
The FloorPro Smoothfit white roll is the thinnest foam in this set: 2 mm, 1 m by 7.5 m, £14.50 on the saved file, about £1.93 per stated square metre. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.4 from 64, but only eight UK texts are in the file, and the score is held at 60. One review says the roll arrived torn and was thrown away. Another says the sheet tears easily and that air should be out before it is fixed. The title claims a foil damp-proof moisture membrane, the bullets say laminate and wood, and Barrier Pro X is named and not included. There is no decibel and no tog. A short review used it under vinyl tile on concrete with glue spray, which the bullets do not describe. It is a small-area 2 mm sheet with a handling complaint, so it does not take the best-value badge.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You need a stated 7.5 m² of 2 mm foil underlay and you will handle the sheet gently.
Less suitable: You want a quiet tear file, a printed sound figure, or 15 m² in one roll.
Specifications
Common questions
Is it waterproof?
The listing asks and does not answer. The title says a foil damp-proof moisture membrane. There is no sd-value and no separate waterproof test in the file.
Does it tear?
One UK review says the material tears easily and that air should be out before it is fixed. Another says the roll arrived torn and was thrown away. Other short reviews say it was easy to use.
Can it go under carpet?
The listing asks. The file does not answer. The bullets say laminate and wood. One review used it under vinyl tile on concrete, with glue spray, which is not in the bullets.
The FloorPro Smoothfit silver 3 mm roll is 1 m by 7.5 m at £16.50, about £2.20 per stated square metre, dearer per metre than the 15 m² FloorPro roll of the same stated thickness. The star line is 4.4 from 54, and the score is 68 because the saved texts are nine short notes, almost all praise, with no repeated defect. It prints a silver foil damp-proof membrane and the word acoustic, with no decibel and no tog. This file does not name Barrier Pro X, so the tape sentence on the 15 m² listing does not transfer. Reviews mention vinyl over tiles, bathroom cushion flooring, and a kitchen floor. The listing asks about carpet and the saved file does not answer. It is the smaller 3 mm cousin when 7.5 m² is enough and you accept a thinner review sample, and it carries no badge.
Pros
Cons
Best for: The room is about 7.5 m² or less, 3 mm is allowed, and you do not need the 15 m² pack.
Less suitable: You want the lowest price per metre, a named tape instruction, or a larger review sample.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this the same roll as the 15 m² FloorPro 3 mm?
Both are FloorPro, 3 mm, and silver foil, in their own files. This one is 1 m by 7.5 m at £16.50. It does not print the Barrier Pro X line that the 15 m² file prints. Do not copy that tape sentence across.
Can it go under carpet?
The listing asks. The saved file does not answer. The bullets say laminate and wood. Reviews mention vinyl over tiles, bathroom cushion flooring, and a kitchen floor.
Scores start from the saved amazon.co.uk star line, then drop where the file has no test figure or a fitting complaint. A 4.6 would be 92 on a 0–100 scale and is held at 80. A 4.5 from 682 would be 90 and is held at 74. This is not a BS EN 16354 result, and it does not measure compressive strength. A printed decibel or tog is not a named method. Prices are the amazon.co.uk figures in the files from 19 October 2026. The top pick is the 5 mm roll with the printed 24 dB line. Best value is the 15 m² roll at the lowest rate per stated square metre, even though its held score is higher. Neither badge is a laboratory win or a Building Regulations pass.
Star line
40%The amazon.co.uk star line is the start of the score. A 4.6 is 92 on a 0–100 scale, a 4.5 is 90, and a 4.4 is 88. The published score sits below that line.
Printed figures
25%Marks drop where the file has no decibel, no tog, no thickness, or a decibel with no named method. A printed figure is not a BS EN 16354 result.
Fitting notes
20%A short roll, crinkling, tears while the wood goes down, and a sheet that will not protect a mat are deducted. A repeated tear theme in a small sample still counts.
Listing clarity
15%A material field that says aluminum, a dimension field that is a 10 mm cube, tape named but not in the box, and a very short review sample all hold the score down.
You are choosing the sheet under a floating wood, laminate or click floor, not carpet felt and not roof sarking. The five amazon.co.uk listings captured on 19 October 2026 are four foil-foam rolls and one heating sheet. Shelf prices run from about £14.50 to about £33.50. None of them prints a compressive strength. The top pick is the 5 mm roll when the board maker allows that thickness and you will measure the length: it is the only foam with a printed decibel, and that decibel has no method.
Underlay here is the sheet under a floating wood, laminate or compatible click floor. It is not carpet felt, roof sarking or a tile tanking membrane. BS EN 16354:2018 is the specification for separate laminate underlays. It does not cover a pad already stuck to the board. None of the five saved amazon.co.uk listings prints a compressive strength or an sd-value.
Butt the joints. Overlapping builds a ridge under a click floor. If the listing names tape, buy it. These rolls do not include it. A UK laying note puts the foil down and leaves about 10 mm at the wall. One council leaflet turns the sheet up, so follow the floor maker when those details clash.
24 dB and about 17 dB name no test. You cannot subtract either figure from Approved Document E. A 5 mm roll is only suitable where the board maker allows it. Click floors are often capped at or under 5 mm. None of these listings prints a compressive strength.
If the board already has a pad, do not add another sheet. Three foil listings name Barrier Pro X and leave it out of the box. Skipping that tape leaves the seam the bullet told you to close. A short-roll review on a stated 15 m² pack means you measure the length on the floor.
The first check is the floor, not the colour of the foil. These foam listings name floating wood or laminate. If the board already has an attached pad, a second roll is the wrong buy. Thickness is a maker’s cap, not a race. A Classen English sheet caps that brand at 3 mm. Luxury Flooring tells its customers to stay at or under 5 mm for click floors. Those two limits are not one statute, and a 5 mm roll is only suitable where the board maker allows it.
Heat and sound come after the floor, and they are not the same check. When heat is below the floor covering, EPLF’s December 2022 bulletin and Quick-Step UK use 0.15 m²K/W for the whole system: underlay, board and any film. Only the heating roll prints a thermal unit, tog 0.35. BEAMA equates 1 tog with 0.1 m²K/W, so 0.35 tog is about 0.035 m²K/W for that sheet alone, not for the finished floor.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You are laying click laminate or wood on a dry floor, the maker allows 3 mm, and you want a stated 15 m². The FloorPro silver roll is best value at about £19.88, about £1.33 per stated square metre, with 4.6 from 337 reviews. Buy the seam tape. There is no decibel and no tog.
You have underfloor heating and need the only printed tog in this set. Grandismo states tog 0.35 on 10 m² at about £33.50, with 4.5 from 124 reviews. Thickness is not printed. Reviews describe a thin sheet that can tear, so the heating maker’s instructions still govern.
You want the thickest foam here and a printed sound figure, and you will read the lease before treating 24 dB as permission. The AcuStick roll is the top pick at about £29.50, stated 5 mm, 4.5 from 682 reviews. The decibel has no test method. Measure the roll: one review said it was short.
The top pick is the AcuStick Sonic Gold, 5 mm, at about £29.50. It is the only foam roll here with a printed sound figure, 24 dB with no method, and the greatest stated thickness, with 4.5 from 682 reviews. The score is 74, held below the star line because one review says the roll was short, one says it crinkles, and one says it tears. Best value is the FloorPro silver 3 mm, 15 m², at about £19.88, about £1.33 per stated square metre. Its score is 80, from 4.6 and 337 reviews, with no tear theme in the sampled reviews. Tape is a separate buy, and there is no decibel or tog. The higher score is the best-value award, not a second top pick. Neither badge is a laboratory win or a Building Regulations pass. The 2 mm roll is the lowest shelf price and is not best value, because a torn arrival is in the file.
FloorPro silver, 3 mm, 15 m²
About £19.88 for a stated 15 m², about £1.33 per square metre, score 80 and 4.6 from 337, with no tear theme in the sample.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Listings captured 19 October 2026. Updated 23 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures already stored for this set. This is not a laboratory test of compressive strength, sound or moisture.
