Pergo XP VS Outlast VS MAX

Pergo is one of the more recognizable brands in the flooring world. Perstop invented laminate flooring in the late 70s, marketed it as Pergo, and the rest is history. The popular flooring option has been a staple in American homes since the 90s, but today the brand is responsible for hardwoods and rigid vinyl flooring as well.

Pergo has dozens of collections covering their flooring lines, but three of their more popular options are Pergo XP, Pergo Outlast+, and the Pergo MAX series. If you’ve been on the fence about which is the best choice for your home, our Pergo comparison review is going to make things simple by pitting the collections against each other.

Pergo XP

Pergo XP is one of their older collections and is sold through Home Depot. At this time, there are over 30 styles currently listed on the company’s, and all of these planks take advantage of Pergo’s PermaMAX and ScratchGuard Advanced technology, which helps protect your floor from daily abuse.

You’ll get a nice mix of colors and styles from the Pergo XP collection, including boards that resemble species like Chestnut, Mahogany, Elm, Pine, and Maple. Oak and Hickory are the most popular options, but there are some nice exotic alternatives available as well, like Tigerwood and Brazilian Koa. You can sort by species, shade, or styles like Rustic, Industrial, or Cottage at Home Depot.

Texturing options for the Pergo XP collection include planks with smooth finishes and boards that hand-scraped or lightly textured feel. Most of the styles we checked were listed with a low to medium gloss, although there are a handful of high gloss boards available as well. All styles from this collection have an AC rating of 4, but the edge type varies between beveled and square.

How thick the flooring is also varies, but every style we checked was either 8mm or 10mm thick. Whether you prefer wide, standard, or narrow sized boards, the XP collection has you covered. We found a variety of planks listed at 7 ½” wide with others ranging between 4 7/8” to a little over 6” wide. There are no tile options, but you can pick up Vanilla Travertine planks if you prefer the look of stone to wood.   

Pergo Outlast+

When you need protection against moisture and water, Pergo Outlast+ is your best choice. This laminate flooring is ideal for bathrooms, kitchens, or any area that gets wet in your home thanks to their Uniclic joint system and a unique technology called SpillProtect. These boards are resilient as well, considering they also sport SurfaceDefense wear protection.

The Outlast+ collection being waterproof isn’t the only thing new about this collection. Beveled boards are few and far between as most have pressed edges. The gloss levels are split between low and medium gloss, so you’re out of luck if you want anything matte or high gloss. The AC rating is still a four, however, and you’ll find some embossed options along with the smooth and textured planks.

While you’ll get more styles with Pergo Outlast+ compared to Pergo XP, there are only medium and wide boards in this collection. All of the planks are 10mm thick with 2mm of attached underlayment. They can also be installed on grade, below grade or above grade over any smooth, flat surface as long as they’ve been prepped beforehand.

Pergo MAX Premier and Pergo MAX

Pergo split their MAX lineup, so it’s available in two collections and forms. Pergo MAX Premier is the company’s laminate collection and is essentially a newer version of their XP line. It has the same technologies but is thicker. That said, there are only four styles in Oak with Blonde Onyx, Cellar Oak, Whitley, and Piedmont.

Flooring from the Pergo MAX Premier collection is 7” x 48” and 12mm thick. They aren’t waterproof like Pergo Outlast+, but are still durable with an AC4 rating and are listed as water-resistant. All of the boards are single planks with embossing and a price point in-line with the company’s other laminate flooring collections from our review. They do not have attached underlayment, however.

Despite its namesake, Pergo MAX isn’t part of their laminate line but is actually a collection consisting of engineered hardwood flooring. Before you rule it out, there’s less than a dollar difference between MAX and Outlast+, so this collection should be on your list if water and moisture isn’t a concern.

There are 13 styles in the Pergo MAX collection, and most of the boards are textured by using hand-scraping or a wire-brushed technique. A few styles have satin or semi-gloss finishes, but the majority have a matte finish. Oak and Hickory make up half of this collection, although there are two styles in Maple with Natural or Windsor.

Engineered boards all use SecureLock joints and are rated for any level of your home, whether it’s the basement or an upstairs bedroom. All flooring is 3/8” thick and covered with UltimateShield technology as well, but you’ll need to pick up underlayment for this product. Pergo MAX engineered flooring comes in variable lengths up to 48” and in two widths with planks 5.36” or 6.18”. Both of these collections are sold through Lowe’s.

Installation

We won’t spend much time here as we didn’t see any major complaints with installation from consumers or professionals with these collections from Pergo. The Pergo XP and Outlast+ collections are easier to install due to the fact they have 2mm of underlayment pre-attached, which will save time and money when you plan to install the flooring yourself.

You’ll need to supply your own underlayment with both the Pergo MAX and MAX Premier lines, but that shouldn’t be a deal-breaker by any means. Installing Pergo MAX is going to be a little different as you’re dealing with an engineered product, but is still something you can manage yourself thanks to the SecureLock joints and the fact it’s a floating floor system.

Green Factor

Pergo doesn’t have a great deal of information on their site in regards to how their flooring is produced. Laminates are far greener than vinyl, but just how eco-friendly they are varies from one company to the next. We’re pleased to say Pergo XP, Pergo Outlast+, Pergo MAX Premier, and Pergo MAX are all certified, but each collection is a little different.

The two collections sold through Home Depot, Pergo XP, and Outlast+ are certified as CARB compliant. Alternatively, the Pergo MAX Premier collection from Lowes is listed as FloorScore and TSCA Title VI compliant. The company’s engineered Pergo MAX collection is also FloorScore certified, so all three are safe from an indoor air quality standpoint.

Pricing

None of Pergo’s laminate collections are what we would consider expensive, and most of their flooring falls in the mid-range class. There’s also not much variance on pricing with laminate flooring between collections, so it comes down to whether you want water-resistant or waterproof floors along with the thickness and style.

Conclusion

While we just covered four of Pergo’s collections, they have something for everyone depending on your needs, and we feel there are more similarities than differences between their lineups. With the exception of the Pergo MAX engineered collection, there are only a few millimeters difference in thickness, and most use similar, if not the same technologies.

In our opinion, Outlast+ is the best of the three due to the waterproof nature of the planks and the size of the collection. All their flooring has a limited lifetime guarantee for residential use, and you’ll get 10 years for light commercial usage with the Outlast+ and MAX Premier collection while XP is listed at 5 years. Pergo MAX engineered flooring is covered by a limited lifetime guarantee as well.