Riche's Toronto Collection laminate costs $4.54 per sq ft, its product pages grade it AC 3 Residential, and the German AC5 laminate we stock runs $2.39 to $3.26 per sq ft. So why would anyone pay more for a lower wear grade? Because the AC number is not what sets the price. The $69.99 box buys a 12mm board with a 196mm-wide plank, Random EIR texture and a Valinge 2G drop lock with waxed joints, in ten colours that all share one price. This review stays on that single collection and uses three German boards from our laminate flooring range only as price and spec benchmarks, so you can judge whether those features are worth the gap for your rooms.
Quick answer: the $4.54 board against German AC5 laminate
- Price: $69.99 for a 15.4 sq ft box, which works out to $4.54 per sq ft. All 10 colours carry that price, and all 10 are in stock.
- Wear grade: the product page lists "AC 3 Residential Grade". Egger EM7208 (AC5, $2.51 per sq ft) and Kronotex 2999 (AC5, $3.09 per sq ft) both carry a higher grade for less money per foot.
- What the premium pays for: spec lines that appear on the Riche page and not on the German pages we compare here: Random EIR texture, the waxed Valinge 2G drop-lock joint, and a 196mm x 1216mm plank.
- In dollars: for a 400 sq ft room with 5% waste, underlay and 13% HST, the Riche material bill is $2,383.98, against $1,404.54 for Egger EM7208 and $1,681.18 for Kronotex 2999.
- Verdict: the short version of this Riche Toronto Collection laminate review is that you pay for the look and the build details, not for wear rating. Pick it for residential rooms where that texture and plank size matter to you; pick an AC5 board when grade or budget comes first.
The Toronto Collection spec sheet, read line by line
Every colour in the collection shares the same product description, so one spec sheet covers all ten. Here is what the store's product pages and catalogue record list for the line.
| Spec | Toronto Collection |
|---|---|
| Thickness | 12mm |
| Plank size | 196mm x 1216mm (about 7.7" x 48") |
| Texture | Random EIR (Embossed in Register) |
| Durability | AC 3 Residential Grade |
| Locking system | Valinge 2G Drop Lock (Waxed Joints) |
| Installation | Click-lock |
| Colours in stock | 10 of 10 |
Two of those lines carry most of the story. The texture line means the surface embossing is laid out to line up with the printed grain, which the product page presents as the reason the board feels closer to real wood underfoot. The locking line reads Valinge 2G Drop Lock and adds a wax treatment; the page says the waxed locking system is there for improved moisture protection and a quiet finish. That is a statement about the joints, not a waterproof rating, and the page does not claim one.
The plank size is the third detail worth noticing. At 196mm across, the Toronto Collection board is a touch wider than the 7.60" Egger planks and the 7.4" Kronotex plank we compare below, though the Kronotex board is much longer. If you like a wide, calm floor with fewer side seams across a room, that width is part of what you are buying.
Because every colour shares one price, choosing between them is purely about the room. Light options such as Desert Sand and Sandy Driftwood sit at one end, and Dark Tobacco at the other, with no price penalty for either. For how this laminate line fits beside Riche's vinyl collections, our Riche buyer's guide covers the whole brand.
Where $4.54 sits on our laminate price list
To see the gap clearly, put the Toronto Collection beside three German boards from the same shelf: one with the same AC3 grade, one AC5 at a similar width, and one AC5 at the same thickness.
| Board | AC grade | Thickness | Box price / coverage | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riche Toronto Collection (any colour) | AC 3 | 12mm | $69.99 / 15.4 sq ft | $4.54 |
| Kronotex 2999 | AC5 | 12mm | $46.13 / 14.93 sq ft | $3.09 |
| Egger EM7208 | AC5 | 11mm | $40.48 / 16.15 sq ft | $2.51 |
| Egger EM7206 | AC3 | 8mm | $40.48 / 21.42 sq ft | $1.89 |
Prices checked October 6, 2026. Box prices and coverage come from our current catalogue, and per sq ft is the box price divided by the box coverage.
Zoom out to the whole category and the Toronto Collection stands apart. We have 58 laminates in stock right now. The ten Toronto colours are the only ones priced above $3.59 per sq ft; the other 48 sit at or below that figure. Narrow the list to in-stock boards whose titles say both AC5 and Germany and you get 15 options between $2.39 and $3.26 per sq ft, which puts the Toronto Collection $1.28 per sq ft above the top of that band. The 14 in-stock boards with AC3 in their titles run from $1.33 to $2.49 per sq ft. (The Toronto Collection's AC3 grade appears on its product page rather than in its title, so it is not part of that count.)
For a wider look at how the German makers line up against each other, our German laminate brand comparison goes brand by brand. Here, those boards matter only as yardsticks for the Riche price.
A higher price is not a higher wear grade
Our product pages describe each grade in their own words. The Toronto Collection page says "AC 3 Residential Grade". The Egger EM7206 page describes its AC3 grade as rated for residential heavy traffic and light commercial use, and both AC5 boards in the table are described as rated for commercial heavy traffic. If you want the test behind those labels, see how the AC classes are defined. For this review the point is simpler: on grade alone, the Riche board is not ahead of the cheaper German boards, so the $4.54 is paying for something else.
Same AC3 label, $2.65 apart: Toronto Collection and Egger EM7206
The cleanest comparison is grade for grade. Egger EM7206 is also AC3, sells for $40.48 per 21.42 sq ft box and lands at $1.89 per sq ft, which is $2.65 less per foot than the Riche board. What changes is the board itself: Egger EM7206 is 8mm thick against 12mm, a 4mm difference, and its plank measures 7.60" x 50.87". Its page lists a Valinge click lock with no 2G or wax note, and it does not mention EIR texture.
For a second reference point, our Krono K-series review shows the AC3 to AC5 step inside one brand.
Same 12mm thickness, AC5 for $1.45 less: Kronotex 2999
Kronotex 2999 is the fairest like-for-like on thickness. It is 12mm, AC5, $46.13 per 14.93 sq ft box, and $3.09 per sq ft, so it is $1.45 per foot cheaper while carrying the higher grade. Its plank is 7.4" x 72.64", noticeably longer than the Riche board's 48" length and a little narrower. Like the Egger pages, its listing names the lock as Valinge without a 2G or wax note and says nothing about EIR.
What the extra money does buy on paper
Lined up against both benchmarks, the Riche premium maps to a short list of spec differences:
- Texture: Random EIR is listed on the Toronto Collection pages and not on the three German listings we compare.
- Joint detail: the Riche page names the Valinge 2G drop lock and waxed joints; the German pages say Valinge only.
- Plank shape: 196mm wide by 1216mm long, a wide and moderate-length board.
- Colour range at one price: 10 colours, all in stock, all at the same box price.
We are not claiming the Riche surface or joint wears better or worse than the German boards; we have no comparative test figures for that. The honest reading is that the spec sheets differ in look and build detail, and the AC grade is the one line where the cheaper boards lead.
The gap in dollars: 400 sq ft of each board
Per-foot prices hide the box rounding, so here is a 400 sq ft living and dining area priced the way our quotes work. The steps are the same for each board:
- Add the 5% waste allowance: 400 x 1.05 = 420 sq ft.
- Divide by the box coverage and round up to whole boxes.
- Multiply boxes by the box price for the material line.
- Add underlay, which our quotes include for laminate: 420 / 200 sq ft per roll = 3 rolls (rounded up) at $50.00, or $150.00. None of these four listings mentions an attached pad.
- Add 13% HST to the subtotal.
| Board | Boxes | Material | Underlay | HST | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riche Toronto Collection | 28 | $1,959.72 | $150.00 | $274.26 | $2,383.98 |
| Kronotex 2999 | 29 | $1,337.77 | $150.00 | $193.41 | $1,681.18 |
| Egger EM7208 | 27 | $1,092.96 | $150.00 | $161.58 | $1,404.54 |
| Egger EM7206 | 20 | $809.60 | $150.00 | $124.75 | $1,084.35 |
On this room the Toronto Collection costs $702.80 more than Kronotex 2999, $979.44 more than Egger EM7208 and $1,299.63 more than Egger EM7206, all with tax included. Installation, removal of the old floor, trim or baseboard and delivery are not in these figures; they are confirmed at quote once we know the address, the building type and what is on the floor now.
When the Toronto Collection is worth it, and when to pick AC5
Use the spec sheet and the room, not the brand name, to make the call. These rules follow directly from the numbers above.
- Choose the Toronto Collection when the room is residential (bedrooms, living rooms, a family room), you have picked one of its ten colours, and the textured surface and wide plank are the reason you are shopping laminate in the first place.
- Choose Kronotex 2999 when you want 12mm thickness and an AC5 grade for $3.09 per sq ft, and a long 72.64" plank suits the room.
- Choose Egger EM7208 when you want an AC5 board and the bill matters: at $2.51 per sq ft it is $2.03 per foot below the Riche price.
- Choose Egger EM7206 when budget leads, the room is residential and an AC3 board at $1.89 per sq ft makes sense, accepting an 8mm thickness.
- Compare Riche SPC vinyl if water in the room is your main worry. Riche has 87 SPC vinyl floors in stock at $2.66 to $5.08 per sq ft, so the Toronto laminate price sits inside the band of the brand's own vinyl.
If an AC5 grade is a must for your household, our AC5 laminate brand guide walks through the options brand by brand and where each one fits.
Riche Toronto laminate questions
Is AC3 laminate flooring enough for a busy family home?
The Toronto Collection is sold as a residential grade, so it is aimed at homes rather than shops or offices. If your hallway or kitchen sees very heavy daily traffic, or you simply want the extra margin of a commercial label, an AC5 board is the stronger match on paper, and it costs less per foot in this comparison.
Why do some Toronto Collection web addresses spell the brand "richie"?
Several of our product handles use the spelling "richie", but the product titles and brand line on those pages read Riche Flooring. It is the same brand either way, and the Toronto Collection pages carry the Riche Flooring name in every title.
Do all ten Toronto Collection colours cost the same?
Yes. Each colour is $69.99 per box with the same 15.4 sq ft coverage, so a light colour and a dark colour give you an identical quote for the same room.
How many boxes does a 12 x 14 ft bedroom need?
A 12 x 14 ft room is 168 sq ft. With the 5% allowance that becomes 176.4 sq ft, which takes 12 boxes at $69.99, or $839.88. One $50.00 underlay roll covers it, and with 13% HST the material total comes to $1,005.56 before installation, removal, trim and delivery.
Is installation included in the $4.54 per sq ft price?
No. That figure is the material price only. Installation, any removal of the existing floor and delivery are added separately and confirmed at quote, and underlay is listed as its own line.
Get a Riche Toronto or AC5 laminate quote in Toronto and the GTA
Send us your room sizes and the colours you are weighing, and we will price the Toronto Collection beside an AC5 board from our laminate collection so you can see the real difference. 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