If you are standing in the aisle holding a Lifeproof box and wondering whether $4.28 per sq ft is worth it, that price buys three things: a 22 mil wear layer, an 8.7 inch wide plank, and a pad bonded to the back of every board. A Riche 20 mil SPC plank from our vinyl plank collection gives you the same class of wear layer on a rigid click core from $2.25 per sq ft, so the choice comes down to core thickness, plank width and how much of your budget you want to leave in the floor.
The short answer: choose Lifeproof when the wider plank and the bonded pad matter more to you than the money. Choose a Riche 20 mil SPC plank when you want more core underfoot for less. Lifeproof figures are as listed by Home Depot Canada at its Toronto Stockyards store, and the Riche figures come from the boards we stock and install.
Lifeproof and Riche SPC: what each plank costs per square foot
| Plank | Wear layer | Core thickness | Plank width | Coverage per box | Box price | Price per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lifeproof 7 mm Luxury Vinyl Plank | 22 mil | 7 mm | 8.7 in. | 20.06 sq ft | $85.85 | $4.28 |
| Riche Heavy-Duty 8 mm SPC, Nordic Frost | 20 mil | 8 mm | 7 1/2 in. | 16.55 sq ft | $37.24 | $2.25 |
| Riche 9 mm SPC with EVA pad, Nordic Breeze Oak | 20 mil | 9 mm | Ask us for the width | 14.18 sq ft | $35.31 | $2.49 |
| Riche Ultra-Thick 10 mm SPC, Pearl Fog | 20 mil | 10 mm | 7 1/2 in. | 11.82 sq ft | $39.60 | $3.35 |
Prices checked October 17, 2026. Our Riche prices are the box prices we sell today. Home Depot Canada lists the 7 mm Lifeproof plank at $85.85 per box and $4.28 per sq ft, with a 20 to 24 mil wear layer range stated for the board, checked October 17, 2026; prices can differ by store.
What does a 22 mil wear layer give you that 20 mil does not?
A mil is one thousandth of an inch, and the wear layer is the clear film that sits on top of the printed pattern. It is the part of the plank that takes the grit, the pet claws and the chair casters.
Two mil is a very small step, about 0.05 mm of extra clear film, and Lifeproof sits at 22 mil inside the 20 to 24 mil range stated for that board. Every Riche plank in the table carries 20 mil with a heavy duty description on that layer. Set them side by side and they land in the same class, which is a floor for a front hall, a kitchen and a busy living room, so the wear layer is not the reason to pay $2.03 per sq ft more. Lower down the range our guide to 12 mil and 20 mil wear layers shows when the thinner film is the sensible buy.
Core thickness: what do 7 mm, 8 mm and 10 mm change underfoot?
Lifeproof is built on a 7 mm core. The Riche Heavy-Duty line is 8 mm and the Ultra-Thick line is 10 mm, the same as 3/8 inch. The core carries the click joint and holds the floor flat, so more of it means a stiffer plank that bridges small dips in the subfloor more easily and sounds less hollow underfoot.
What thickness does not change is scratch resistance, because that belongs to the wear layer. A 10 mm plank and a 7 mm plank with the same 20 mil layer wear the same way on top. Height is the catch, since a thicker plank plus a pad sits higher, so check the gap under your doors and the transition at a stair nosing before you order. Our note on core thickness against total thickness explains how a pad counts into the box number.
Does an attached pad save you work on install day?
Lifeproof arrives with its underlayment bonded to the back of each plank, so nothing has to be rolled out before the first row goes down. The Riche Heavy-Duty 8 mm and Ultra-Thick 10 mm planks do not carry a bonded pad, so on those two a separate underlayment is a decision made on the subfloor and the room. Two Riche lines come with an EVA pad already on the back, the 9 mm Nordic Breeze Oak and the 10 mm Anthracite Oak.
When the pad is bonded to the plank, do not add a second soft layer underneath, because foam under a floating floor lets the joints flex and flexing joints open gaps later. A bonded pad also adds to the finished height, so a padded 9 mm plank can stand as tall as a thicker core without one.
Plank width: 8.7 inch or 7 1/2 inch?
Width changes how a room reads more than almost any other number on the box. Lifeproof is 8.7 inches wide, and the Riche Heavy-Duty and Ultra-Thick planks are built in a 7 1/2 inch board. We also carry narrower Riche colours, so ask us about the width of any board.
A wider plank means fewer seams across the floor and less pattern repeat, because each board shows more of the print. In a wide living room, or a kitchen and dining room opened into one space, that reads as a calmer floor. In a narrow bedroom, a hallway or a small condo, a wide board can crowd the space, and it throws away more material at the cuts around a doorway or a vent. Our piece on plank widths on vinyl covers that trade-off.
Which Riche line should you compare with Lifeproof?
Riche Heavy-Duty 8 mm: $2.25 per sq ft
An 8 mm core with a 20 mil layer at $37.24 for a 16.55 sq ft box. It carries the smallest price per sq ft here and is the line to price first when you are covering a whole level on a fixed material budget.
Riche 9 mm with an EVA pad: $2.49 per sq ft
The same 20 mil layer, 9 mm of core, and the pad already on the back, at $35.31 for a 14.18 sq ft box. In convenience this is the closest match to Lifeproof, and the core is 2 mm thicker than Lifeproof's 7 mm.
Riche Ultra-Thick 10 mm: $3.35 per sq ft
The thickest core here at $39.60 for an 11.82 sq ft box, still $0.93 per sq ft under the Lifeproof price. Pick it when you want more material underfoot, or when you are replacing a floor that flexed.
What does 300 sq ft of each floor cost in material?
A 300 sq ft room needs 315 sq ft of material once you add the 5% allowance for cuts, and every plank is sold in whole boxes. Divide 315 by the coverage per box, round up, then multiply the box count by the box price.
| Plank | Coverage per box | Boxes for 315 sq ft | Box price | Material |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lifeproof 7 mm | 20.06 sq ft | 16 | $85.85 | $1,373.60 |
| Riche Heavy-Duty 8 mm, Nordic Frost | 16.55 sq ft | 20 | $37.24 | $744.80 |
| Riche 9 mm with EVA pad, Nordic Breeze Oak | 14.18 sq ft | 23 | $35.31 | $812.13 |
| Riche Ultra-Thick 10 mm, Pearl Fog | 11.82 sq ft | 27 | $39.60 | $1,069.20 |
On the same room, the 8 mm Riche order comes to $744.80 against $1,373.60 for Lifeproof, a difference of $628.80 for underlayment, trim or a second room. The 10 mm Ultra-Thick order lands at $1,069.20, still below Lifeproof. Installation, removal and trim are separate, so we price them after we see the job.
Which floor should you choose?
- Choose Lifeproof if you want the widest plank at 8.7 inches, a pad bonded to every board and a 22 mil wear layer, and $2.03 per sq ft more does not change your budget.
- Choose the Riche Heavy-Duty 8 mm if you are flooring a whole level and want the smallest material cost of the planks compared here, at $2.25 per sq ft.
- Choose the Riche 9 mm with the EVA pad if you want a bonded pad and a thicker core than Lifeproof without extra work on install day, at $2.49 per sq ft.
- Choose the Riche Ultra-Thick 10 mm if you want the most material underfoot, at $0.93 per sq ft less than Lifeproof.
- Choose a narrower plank if the room is small, the hallway is narrow, or there are many doorways and vents to cut around.
One rule applies to all of them: a floating click floor needs a flat, sound subfloor and a gap at every wall, and over a concrete slab you check the moisture before you order. Our walkthrough of Home Depot vinyl plank against SPC from a specialist covers what to ask before you buy either one.
Lifeproof vs Riche SPC questions Toronto buyers ask
Is 22 mil much better than 20 mil in a busy house?
Not much. Both sit in the same class and the gap is about 0.05 mm of clear film. Either one takes kids, a dog and a wet front hall from November to March, so the difference shows up in the box price more than underfoot.
Does Lifeproof need underlayment underneath it?
No, the underlayment is bonded to the back of each plank, so the floor goes straight onto the prepared subfloor, and the mistake to avoid is adding a foam layer on top of that. The Riche 9 mm Nordic Breeze Oak and 10 mm Anthracite Oak work the same way, while the Heavy-Duty 8 mm and Ultra-Thick 10 mm lines need that decision made. Our guide to whether SPC vinyl needs underlayment covers those cases.
Is a 10 mm plank automatically better than a 7 mm one?
No. A thicker core feels more solid and bridges small dips better, but it does not resist scratches any more than a 7 mm plank with the same wear layer, and it raises the finished floor. Match thickness to the subfloor and the room.
Which plank width should I pick for a small room?
A narrower board usually finishes more tidily below about 100 sq ft, because the offcuts stretch further around doorways. In a large open living area the wide board wins, since there are fewer seams to see.
Can I lay either floor over concrete in a Toronto basement?
Home Depot Canada describes the Lifeproof plank as waterproof and suitable for above, on or below grade, and the Riche SPC planks we stock are waterproof as well. That covers a spill, not a wet slab. Test the concrete for moisture first, and we can look at the slab with you.
Get a Riche SPC quote in Toronto and the GTA
Send us your room sizes and we will work out the box count and the material cost for whichever Riche line suits the space, with the Lifeproof figures beside it so you can see both orders on your floor plan. You can request a quote online.
Top Floorings Depot
3781 Victoria Park Avenue, Unit 1, Toronto, ON M1W 3K5
www.topfloorings.com
Call: 416-499-0117
Text: 416-770-8819