Maybe you've seen Sunshiny laminate on our shelves and wondered whether a 15mm plank at a low price is a bargain or a warning sign. This review gives you the numbers so you can decide. We carry seven Sunshiny laminates in our laminate flooring collection, priced from $1.33 to $1.99 per sq ft, and all seven are in stock right now. The short version is that a thicker plank isn't automatically a better floor, and with these planks the price doesn't follow the thickness. Three of the four 15mm AC3 planks cost less per square foot than the 12mm ones. The fourth costs more.
Quick answer: is Sunshiny 15mm laminate worth considering?
- Price: $1.33 to $1.99 per sq ft across all seven, with boxes from $18.25 to $32.99 before HST.
- Rating and install: six of the seven carry an AC3 rating in their names, and all seven are click-lock floors. The seventh, SL7386, has no AC rating in its name.
- 15mm against 12mm: the four 15mm AC3 planks run $1.33 to $1.78 per sq ft, and the two 12mm planks are $1.59. Thicker doesn't mean pricier here.
- The catch: boxes hold anywhere from 13.75 to 19.75 sq ft. Compare the price per square foot, not the box price.
- Who it suits: anyone who puts price first and is happy with an AC3 floor. If you want a higher rating at 12mm, look at the Krono plank at $2.99 per sq ft further down.
The seven Sunshiny laminates side by side
A 13.75 sq ft box and a 19.75 sq ft box can't be compared at face value. So we divided each box price by its coverage to get a price per square foot, rounded to the cent.
| Model | Name shows | Box price | Sq ft per box | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunshiny SL009 | 15mm, AC3 | $18.25 | 13.75 | $1.33 |
| Sunshiny SL588 | 15mm, AC3 | $18.25 | 13.75 | $1.33 |
| Sunshiny SL712 | 15mm, AC3 | $18.25 | 13.75 | $1.33 |
| Sunshiny SL112 | 15mm, AC3 | $24.49 | 13.75 | $1.78 |
| Sunshiny SL1052 | 12mm, AC3 | $31.40 | 19.75 | $1.59 |
| Sunshiny SL1123 | 12mm, AC3 | $31.40 | 19.75 | $1.59 |
| Sunshiny SL7386 | No AC rating shown | $32.99 | 16.58 | $1.99 |
Prices checked October 4, 2026.
SL009, SL588 and SL712 share the same $18.25 box and 13.75 sq ft of coverage, so choosing between them comes down to which look you like. SL112 matches them on thickness, rating and box size but costs $0.45 more per sq ft ($1.78 against $1.33). Nothing in the listing explains that gap, so before you pay the premium, set the planks side by side and see whether the difference is worth it to you.
Is thicker laminate better? What the 15mm number does and does not tell you
Thickness is a single number for the whole plank. The North American Laminate Flooring Association explains that laminate is built in layers: a protective wear layer, a decorative layer, a wood-based core and a backing layer. In its overview of laminate construction, it says the core provides "strength, stability" and calls the wear layer a "clear, durable layer". The thickness figure doesn't tell you how those millimetres are split between the layers.
NALFA also treats underlayment as a separate layer, one that "smooths out sub-floor irregularities, reduces walking noise, and adds a touch of comfort underfoot." So it's worth finding out whether a thickness figure includes an attached pad. Before you order any laminate, ask these three questions:
- What does the thickness include? Just the board, or the board plus a pad?
- What AC rating does this exact plank have? On our Sunshiny planks the rating is in the product name. Six of the seven are AC3.
- How high will the finished floor sit? A thicker plank raises the surface, so check your door clearances and the spots where the new floor meets the old one.
The table shows why thickness doesn't work as a quality ranking. The 15mm AC3 planks at $1.33 per sq ft cost $0.26 less than the 12mm planks at $1.59. If you were paying for thickness, it would be the other way round. Look at the AC rating, the box size and the price per square foot together. If you're comparing 12mm with something thinner, our thickness comparison for thinner laminate covers that end of the range.
Three Sunshiny listings up close
Sunshiny SL7386: the highest-priced Sunshiny at $1.99 per sq ft
SL7386 comes in a $32.99 box covering 16.58 sq ft, which works out to $1.99 per sq ft. Like the rest of the line, it's a click-lock floor. It's also the only Sunshiny without an AC rating in its name, and you'll need to confirm its thickness with us, so ask about this one first. It costs $0.30 more per sq ft than Krono K6207, a 12mm AC3 plank at $1.69, so find out what that extra money gets you.
Sunshiny SL1052: 12mm and AC3 with the largest box
SL1052 is a 12mm AC3 plank sold in a $31.40 box of 19.75 sq ft, the biggest box in the Sunshiny line. That's $1.59 per sq ft, and SL1123 has the same price and coverage. Bigger boxes mean you buy fewer of them for the same room, which you'll see in the 400 sq ft example below.
Sunshiny SL112: the 15mm listing at $1.78
SL112 is a 15mm AC3 plank in a $24.49 box of 13.75 sq ft. It's the most expensive of the four 15mm AC3 planks per square foot, though still $0.21 under SL7386. The specs match the $1.33 planks, so pick SL112 over them only if its colour is the one you want.
Sunshiny against Krono: what the extra money buys on paper
Krono K6207 is the closest match to SL1052. It's also 12mm and AC3, at $23.00 for a 13.61 sq ft box, or $1.69 per sq ft. That's $0.10 more per sq ft than the Sunshiny 12mm planks. Our four Krono AC3 laminates run from $1.69 to $2.39 per sq ft. The K6207 name includes Germany, while the Sunshiny names don't state a country of origin. For more on German-made options, see our guide to budget German-made laminate.
If the rating matters more to you than thickness, the step up is Krono K8254. It's a 12mm AC5 plank at $51.94 for a 17.37 sq ft box. That's $2.99 per sq ft, or $1.66 more than the $1.33 Sunshiny planks. Our guide to AC5 laminate brands in Toronto covers that tier in more detail.
What 400 sq ft costs in material
We use the same maths for every laminate quote. Here it is for a 400 sq ft room. Add 5% for waste: 400 sq ft × 1.05 = 420 sq ft. Divide 420 by the coverage of one box and round up to whole boxes. Multiply the boxes by the box price, then add 13% HST.
| Listing | Per sq ft | Boxes | Material before HST | With 13% HST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunshiny SL588 (15mm, AC3) | $1.33 | 31 | $565.75 | $639.30 |
| Sunshiny SL112 (15mm, AC3) | $1.78 | 31 | $759.19 | $857.88 |
| Sunshiny SL1052 (12mm, AC3) | $1.59 | 22 | $690.80 | $780.60 |
| Sunshiny SL7386 | $1.99 | 26 | $857.74 | $969.25 |
| Krono K6207 (12mm, AC3) | $1.69 | 31 | $713.00 | $805.69 |
| Krono K8254 (12mm, AC5) | $2.99 | 25 | $1,298.50 | $1,467.31 |
Two things stand out. The 12mm SL1052 needs only 22 boxes, compared with 31 for the 15mm AC3 planks, but its material cost is still $125.05 more than the $1.33 15mm plank. And in a room this size, the $0.10 per sq ft gap between K6207 and SL1052 adds up to $22.20.
Because you buy whole boxes, you also pay for the leftovers. Thirty-one boxes of a 13.75 sq ft plank cover 426.25 sq ft, which is 6.25 sq ft more than the 420 you need. Twenty-two boxes of SL1052 cover 434.50 sq ft, or 14.50 sq ft extra. Check the leftover as well as the price per square foot.
These totals don't include underlay, installation or delivery, since those depend on your floor and building. Our flooring budget estimator can add them for your own room sizes.
Which one to choose
- Price comes first: start with the $1.33 planks (SL009, SL588 and SL712). They come to $565.75 in material for a 400 sq ft room before HST.
- You want 12mm and AC3 at a modest price: SL1052 or SL1123 at $1.59 per sq ft, in the bigger box.
- You'd like a Krono name on a 12mm AC3 plank: compare with K6207 at $1.69 per sq ft.
- You want a higher rating: K8254 at $2.99 per sq ft is rated AC5.
- You like the look of SL7386: ask us about its thickness and rating first, because its name doesn't show a rating.
Still choosing between laminate and other floors at this price? Our budget flooring roundup compares them side by side.
Sunshiny and 15mm laminate FAQ
Is Sunshiny laminate flooring any good?
Six of our seven Sunshiny laminates are AC3 floors priced from $1.33 to $1.78 per sq ft. Whether that's right for you depends on the room. For a hallway or entry with heavy foot traffic, compare them with an AC5 plank such as Krono K8254 (covered above) before you decide.
Is 15mm laminate better than 12mm?
Not on thickness alone. Three of the four 15mm AC3 Sunshiny planks cost less per sq ft than the 12mm ones, and the fourth costs more. They're all rated AC3, and the 12mm boxes cover more floor. Check the rating and ask what the thickness includes before you treat the bigger number as an upgrade.
How many boxes of Sunshiny laminate do I need?
Add 5% for waste, divide by the box coverage and round up. For 200 sq ft of SL588, that's 200 × 1.05 = 210 sq ft, and 210 ÷ 13.75 = 15.27. You'd buy 16 boxes at $18.25 each, or $292.00 before HST.
How do Sunshiny and Krono laminate differ on your shelves?
The 12mm AC3 Sunshiny planks cost $0.10 per sq ft less than Krono K6207, and the Krono range goes up to AC5 with K8254. The K6207 and K8254 names include a country and the Sunshiny names don't. Ask us about anything else you want to know.
Get a laminate quote in Toronto and the GTA
Send us your room sizes and the planks you're considering, and we'll work out the box count and totals with you. You can request a quote online to get started.
Top Floorings Depot
3781 Victoria Park Avenue, Unit 1, Toronto, ON M1W 3K5
www.topfloorings.com
Call: 416-499-0117
Text: 416-770-8819