The best 5mm acoustic underlays, compared.
Top pick: Network sonic gold 15 m² Best value: AcuStick sonic gold 15 m² – About £1.97 per square metre, with a stated gold foil and a printed 24 dB claim, from 682 ratings. Updated October 2026.
A 5 mm acoustic underlay sits under a floating laminate or wood floor. It is a gold-foil foam roll or a pack of XPS boards about 5 mm thick. You buy it to warm a concrete floor and soften foot noise. You tell it from car mats and wall foam by that job. Support under the click joints, and a vapour film the listing states, matter more than the thickness on the title. A printed decibel figure is a seller claim, not an Approved Document E result. Click vinyl, a damp slab, or underfloor heating often makes this thickness the wrong product. The [5mm acoustic underlay buying guide](/hub/flooring/5mm-acoustic-underlay/sub/5mm-acoustic-underlay-buying-guide) sets out floor type, moisture, strength, sound units, and tog before you rank the rolls.
A 5 mm acoustic underlay sits under a floating laminate or wood floor. It is a gold-foil foam roll or a pack of XPS boards about 5 mm thick. You buy it to warm a concrete floor and soften foot noise.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you laying?
The Network Flooring generic sonic gold roll is £29.50 for a stated 15 m², with bullets that say 25 dB, a gold foil, laminate and vinyl, and 0.9 tog. The amazon.co.uk line is 5.0 from one rating, and the listing notes have no review text, so that star is not a sample you can read. The part string HU-XI-164 matches the AcuStick listing. Using the usual tog conversion, 0.9 tog is about 0.09 m²K/W for the underlay alone, before the floor is added, which can sit inside a 0.15 m²K/W combined heating cap if the flooring maker's figure allows the total. The vinyl sentence is the listing's own claim. It sits against UK reviews on similar gold rolls, where luxury vinyl click unclipped, and against maker sheets that point click vinyl at a thin dense underlay. No seam tape is mentioned.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A buyer who wants a printed tog on a gold roll and will still follow the plank maker rather than the vinyl bullet.
Less suitable: Anyone using one star as evidence, or click vinyl without the flooring maker's written thickness.
Specifications
Common questions
How many UK reviews are on the listing?
The listing shows 5.0 from 1 rating. The listing notes have no review text.
Does the listing state vinyl and a tog figure?
Yes. Bullets say laminate and vinyl, 25 dB, a gold foil, and 0.9 tog.
Is underfloor heating answered on the listing?
A shopper question asks. The listing notes do not contain an answer.
Across 800 amazon.co.uk ratings the Royale Sonic Gold 5 mm roll sits at 4.6 stars and £29.34 for a stated 15 m², about £1.96 per square metre. The bullets name foam for wood or laminate and high acoustic properties, and they do not print a decibel figure or a foil. UK reviews still describe a gold face, winter warmth under bedroom laminate, and less foot noise than bare boards, including a gold overlap used on screed. That foil is a review observation, so you cannot treat it as a stated vapour membrane. Reviewers also report a roll about 1 m² short of 15 m², tearing if a sharp board edge catches the sheet, and awkward overlaps. Joining tape is not in the bullets, and reviewers say they bought it separately. One long-time fitter in the notes thought cheaper underlay was better, and the listing does not claim carpet.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A laminate or engineered-wood room where you want the largest UK rating sample at about £2 per square metre, and you will measure the roll before you start.
Less suitable: Click vinyl, a damp slab, or anyone who needs a printed decibel claim and a foil stated on the listing.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the listing state a decibel figure?
No. The bullets say high acoustic properties for wood or laminate and do not print a dB number.
Does the listing state a foil membrane?
No. Material is given as foam. Some UK reviews describe a gold face and overlaps.
Is seam tape in the box?
The bullets do not list tape. Reviewers say they bought joining tape separately.
The AcuStick 15 m² sonic gold roll is £29.50, about £1.97 per square metre, with 4.5 stars from 682 ratings. The bullets state 5 mm, a gold foil moisture membrane, sound absorption of 24 dB, a 1 m by 15 m size, and Barrier Pro X tape at the seams, for wood and laminate. That 24 dB line is the seller's claim, not an Approved Document E result. In the UK reviews, praise clusters around easy cutting, a warmer feel than thin white foam on concrete, and less noise in the room below. The same notes repeat tears while you walk the foam to lay boards, a crisp-packet crinkle that did not fade, and no tape in the box. One buyer measured under 12 m² against a stated 15 m² and was 40 cm short on a 3 m by 4 m room. A luxury vinyl click floor unclipped because the layer was too soft, and that reviewer pointed at 1 mm or 2 mm instead.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Wood or laminate over a dry floor when you want the foil and the decibel line written on the listing, at nearly the same price per square metre as the larger-sample roll.
Less suitable: Click vinyl, a room where you will not measure the roll and buy tape, or underfloor heating you cannot check against the flooring maker's limit.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this roll include a foil moisture layer?
Yes. The bullets state a gold foil moisture membrane for wood and laminate.
Is it stated for click vinyl?
No. The recommended use is wood and laminate. A UK review says luxury vinyl click unclipped on this thickness.
Is seam tape included?
No. The listing says to use Barrier Pro X tape to join the seams.
This AcuStick listing is titled as two rolls and 30 m² at £68.99. If that title coverage is right, the price is about £2.30 per square metre, above the 15 m² AcuStick roll at £1.97. The bullets still describe a 1 m by 15 m roll, the weight field is 3 kg, and a technical field says 322.117 square feet. The review text is the same block as B07WVFCS66, so the 4.5 from 682 ratings is not a second sample. The complaints travel with that block: tears, a short roll, crinkle, missing tape, and luxury vinyl that unclipped. Buy the twin only when you need two rolls and the live price has actually fallen per square metre. Until then the single roll states the same foil and the same 24 dB claim for less per square metre.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Someone fitting wood or laminate who has checked that the live price per square metre is lower than two single rolls.
Less suitable: Anyone treating 682 ratings as independent proof, or a click-vinyl floor.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a separate set of 682 reviews?
No. The review text is the same block as the 15 m² AcuStick ASIN B07WVFCS66.
What coverage does the listing claim?
The title says 30 m² as two rolls. A technical field says 322.117 square feet, and a bullet still says 1 m by 15 m.
Is seam tape included?
No. The listing says to use Barrier Pro X tape.
The FloorPro XPS pack is 21 boards, 590 mm by 790 mm, covering 9.79 m² at £24.77, about £2.53 per square metre, with 4.5 stars from 336 ratings. The bullets claim 5 mm, 23 dB and up to 2.2 tog, for wood and laminate. No foil is stated, and you are told to buy Barrier Pro X tape. At 2.2 tog the underlay alone is about 0.22 m²K/W, already above the 0.15 m²K/W combined limit often used for underfloor heating, before the floor is added. Reviews mention easy cutting, warmer concrete utility rooms, and some reduction of noise through an upstairs timber floor. Complaints in those notes include sheets that snap, one sheet taped over a hole, a flimsy feel, and foam that holds water if it gets through the laminate. Several reviewers used the boards under vinyl, carpet or as shed lining, which the listing does not claim.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Wood or laminate where you want boards rather than a roll, with no underfloor heating, and a vapour plan already decided.
Less suitable: Underfloor heating, a damp slab with no separate membrane, or click vinyl.
Specifications
Common questions
Are these boards or a roll?
Boards. The listing says 21 pieces, 590 mm by 790 mm, covering 9.79 m².
Does the listing state a foil?
No. Material is foam. You are told to tape the joints with Barrier Pro X tape, which is not in the pack.
What tog does the listing claim?
Up to 2.2 tog, and 23 dB sound reduction.
FloorPro Smoothfit is the short gold-foil roll: £21.50 for a titled 7.5 m², about £2.87 per square metre, with 4.0 stars from 32 ratings. The bullets say 5 mm, a gold foil damp-proof membrane, and wood or laminate. The item thickness field says 0.01 metres, which is 10 mm, so the listing disagrees with itself. Eight UK reviews in the listing notes include a camper fit, easier cutting than brittle foam, and one buyer who took it up because every step crackled. One kitchen report says the foam filled with water on concrete and the laminate lifted, with no leak in the room, and the reviewer put the wasted materials above £500. That is one room, not a rate, and it is why a gold foil is not a treatment for a wet slab. No decibel figure is printed.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A small wood or laminate room, after you have tested the slab and accepted the clash between a 5 mm title and a 0.01 m thickness field.
Less suitable: A wet concrete floor, or a room where you need a stated decibel figure and a large review file.
Specifications
Common questions
How thick is it on the listing?
The title says 5 mm. The item thickness field says 0.01 metres. Both are recorded; neither is corrected here.
Does the listing state a foil?
Yes. The bullets say a gold foil damp-proof membrane.
What did UK reviews say about damp?
One reviewer laid it on concrete as a damp proofer and reported the foam filling with water and the laminate lifting. That is one report.
Six amazon.co.uk listings were scored on 19 October 2026. Prices, star lines, and review themes come from those listings. This is not a floor test or a laboratory score. A 5.0 from 1 rating is not a better underlay than 4.6 from 800. The five weights below are the point maxima, and they sum to 100. Deductions for a single rating, a repeated review block, clashing coverage, a short roll, a thickness clash, or foam that held water sit outside those maxima.
Amazon stars
35%Maximum 35. Round half up from (Amazon stars divided by 5) times 35. The star line is not multiplied by 20 to make the editorial score.
Review volume
25%Maximum 25. 200 ratings or more scores 22, 100 to 199 scores 16, 20 to 99 scores 8, and under 20 scores 2. A repeated review block scores as under 20, not as a second sample of 682.
Listing detail
20%Maximum 20 for what the listing actually states: coverage, foil, a decibel line, tog, and whether the size lines agree. A missing foil or a clashing thickness lowers the mark. A printed decibel line is still only a seller claim.
UK review fit
10%Maximum 10 from the UK review notes. Warmth or less foot noise, named next to a short roll or a tear, scores higher than a short mixed sample or a listing with no review text.
Price
10%Maximum 10. About £1.96 to £1.97 per square metre with hundreds of ratings scores 8 or 9. Boards near £2.50 per square metre score 6. The same shelf price with one rating scores 5. A short roll near £2.87 per square metre, or a twin pack dearer than the single roll, scores 4.
Match the underlay to the floor the plank maker names before you compare the price per square metre. The six shelves below are amazon.co.uk prices on 19 October 2026, from about £21.50 for a 7.5 m² roll to about £68.99 for a twin pack. A printed decibel line is a seller claim. Seam tape is not in these boxes.
A 5 mm acoustic underlay is the layer under a floating laminate or wood floor: a gold-foil foam roll or XPS boards about 5 mm thick. You buy it in the UK to warm a concrete floor and soften foot noise, and you tell it from car mats and wall foam by that job. Support for the click joints, and a vapour film the listing actually states, matter more than the thickness on its own.
The same search returns car mats and wall foam. A 5 mm acoustic underlay is the layer under floating laminate or wood. Support for the click joints, and a vapour film the listing states, are the job. Thickness on its own does not make a mat into underlay.
Seam tape is named on the AcuStick and XPS listings and is not in the box. Reviewers report short 15 m² rolls, so measure before you start. Butt the joints. A second layer over hollows does not level the floor, and XPS boards do not fill hollows either.
A printed 23 dB, 24 dB, or 25 dB figure is not an ISLam result and not a pass under Approved Document E, Technical Booklet G, or the Scottish handbook. SITMA says a loose laminate underlay is not the soft covering used in a normal impact test. Royale's bullets do not state a decibel figure at all.
The plank maker's rule comes first. Five listings in this set say wood or laminate. Click vinyl needs a dense thin underlay, and Floor Depot warns that Sonic Gold 5 mm under 7 mm laminate can open the clicks. AcuStick reviews describe vinyl boards unclipping, and that reviewer pointed at 1 mm or 2 mm instead. The Network roll states laminate and vinyl. That sentence is the listing's claim, next to 5.0 from one rating and no review text, and the part string matches AcuStick.
On screed, test moisture first. Quick-Step UK cites under 2.5% CM or 75% RH, and a tighter limit with underfloor heating. Foil counts only when the listing states it, and only on a dry-enough slab. On timber, EPLF says a vapour-tight film can trap moisture. Gold foil does not waterproof a damp slab. One Smoothfit review reported the foam filling with water on concrete and the laminate lifting. That is one room, and it is why a damp-proof line on a bullet is not a treatment for a wet floor.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You are laying laminate or engineered wood and you want the largest UK rating sample near £2 per square metre. The Royale roll is 4.6 from 800 ratings at about £1.96 per square metre. The bullets do not state a foil or a decibel figure, and you should measure the roll before you start.
You want the gold foil and the decibel line written on the listing, at nearly the same price per square metre. The AcuStick 15 m² roll states both, at 4.5 from 682 ratings. Seam tape is named and is not in the box, and a UK review says luxury vinyl click unclipped on this thickness.
You want boards rather than a roll, for wood or laminate, and you already have a vapour plan. The FloorPro XPS pack is 21 boards covering 9.79 m², with 4.5 from 336 ratings. No foil is stated, and up to 2.2 tog sits above a typical heating cap before the floor is added.
The top pick is the Royale Sonic Gold 5 mm roll, score 83, at about £29.34 for a stated 15 m². That is the largest sample, 4.6 from 800 ratings, and the lowest price per square metre in this set, about £1.96. The bullets do not state a foil or a decibel figure, and UK notes include a short roll and tears from a board edge. The best value is the AcuStick 15 m² roll, score 81, at about £29.50, about £1.97 per square metre, with a gold foil and a 24 dB claim printed on the listing. That 24 dB line is a seller claim. The twin pack repeats the same review text and costs more per square metre if the title's 30 m² is right.
AcuStick sonic gold 15 m²
About £1.97 per square metre, with a stated gold foil and a printed 24 dB claim, from 682 ratings.
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 listed in the research digest. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are from amazon.co.uk on 19 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk with the 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 UK listing lines from 19 October 2026. We did not run a lab test.
