Whether you’re designing a new kitchen, bathroom, laundry or even study nook, choosing the right material for your benchtops requires careful consideration.
This guide explains the differences between popular benchtop surface options, comparing their cost, durability and colour ranges, making it easier for you to get the best possible result.
Benchtops are among the most hardworking surfaces in your home. After all, they bear the brunt of daily life like no other surface. Pots, pans, plates and cutlery are slid across them, keys are dropped, water is splashed, liquids are spilled and nearby appliances generate heat! At the same time, they play a leading role in achieving your desired design style, particularly in the kitchen.
Types of Benchtops
There’s a lot to consider! Scan the below table for a quick comparison between different benchtop surface material options, and then keep reading for a more detailed overview of each one.
| Applications | The Cost (Material, Fabrication and Install) | The Durability | Overview | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laminex High-Pressure Laminate (HPL) | Residential and commercial Kitchen benchtops Bathroom benchtops Laundry benchtops Study nooks and desktops | $ – $$ | ✓ | • Laminex HPL is a cost-effective benchtop material • Known for its durability and longevity as a benchtop material • Extensive range of colours and finishes available • Made in Australia |
| Formica High-Pressure Laminate (HPL) & EasyFit Benchtops | Residential and commercial Kitchen benchtops Bathroom benchtops Laundry benchtops Study nooks and desktops | $ | ✓ | • Formica HPL is an incredibly cost-effective, practical, and convenient benchtop option • Impacts, scratches and stains resistant • Colour stable under normal lighting conditions • Available in a range of patterns and solid colours • Made in Australia |
| Fusion Composite Solid Surface | Residential and commercial Kitchen benchtops Bathroom benchtops Laundry benchtops Study nooks and desktops | $$$ | ✓✓✓ | • Fusion is an exceptional new benchtop material • Available in a monochrome colour palette of white, grey and black and with 3 different edge profiles to achieve different looks • Super-matte finish and fingerprint-resistant technology • Suitable for residential and commercial applications • Made in Australia |
| HI-MACS Acrylic Solid Surface | Residential and commercial Kitchen benchtops Bathroom benchtops Laundry benchtops | $$$ - $$$$ | ✓✓✓ | • HI-MACS is a smooth to the touch, non-porous and visually seamless benchtop material • Can be sawn, routed and drilled, and even thermoformed into sculptural three-dimensional shapes • Available in a broad range of colours including marble-look colours, textural concretes and a broad range of solids • It’s non-porous and waterproof, uniquely suited to installation in wet areas. • Laminex is the proud exclusive distributor or HI-MACS. |
Laminex Laminate Benchtops
The Material
High-pressure laminate (HPL) has been one of Australia’s most popular benchtop options for decades. And Laminex has been at the forefront of technological advances that have seen it evolve into an incredibly hardwearing and visually stunning surface material perfect for the modern home. Laminex HPL is made from layers of sustainably sourced kraft paper saturated with special resin and compressed at high temperatures, forming a durable decorative surface suitable for horizontal surfaces. The Laminex Colour Collection includes an incredible array of colours and textures, created specifically for Australian design preferences. And the laminate is made right here in Australia too.
The Cost
Laminex laminate is a cost-effective benchtop material. And with premium products like Laminex AbsoluteMatte in the range, it includes options to fit into a wide range of budgets. The material itself is very easy for cabinetmakers to work with, which means that fabrication and installation generally costs less than other materials.
The Durability
Laminex HPL is famous for its longevity as a benchtop material. It’s resistant to impacts, scratches and stains, as well as UV light, so doesn’t fade in normal interior conditions. It’s also water resistant and, while you need to take care to not place hot items straight from the oven or cooktop onto the laminate surface, it’s fine for the material to be applied alongside these appliances. Importantly, Laminex laminate is also very easy to keep clean, so it will stay looking pristine day to day, and for many years to come.
The Range
No matter what interior style you’re working towards, you’ll find a Laminex laminate decor that’s perfect. The expansive Laminex Colour Collection includes classic and contemporary solid colours, from whites and soft pastels, through the very popular rich neutrals and organic green tones, to bold accents and blacks. There are also highly authentic woodgrains, decors that replicate the look of natural stone and concrete, and even metallics. A variety of finishes add tactility and different visual effects, while ultra-matte Laminex AbsoluteMatte brings a luxurious look and feel.
The Look
Laminex laminate is very easy for cabinetmakers and fabricators to work with, and can be used in different ways to achieve dynamic design outcomes. For example, it can be crafted to create the impression of an extra-thick benchtop by wrapping the laminate down the front of your cabinetry, it can be formed over curved surfaces, and ABS edging in colourmatched or contrasting tones can be added as a design feature. Factor in the incredible array of colour and texture in the Laminex Colour Collection and whatever look you’re going for, Laminex laminate can be used to make it happen.
Formica Laminate Benchtops
The Material
The Formica brand is well known around the world as a reliable, practical and convenient benchtop surface option. Like Laminex laminate, Formica HPL is made in Australia from layers of kraft paper, which are saturated with resin and compressed at high temperatures to form a durable surface material. The Formica range focuses on popular solid colours, patterns and woodgrains, making it simple to find a colour and finish best matched to your project, no matter your budget. It even includes a selection of prefinished EasyFit benchtops, with Formica laminate formed to a 3mm radius around moisture-resistant particleboard.
The Cost
Formica laminate is an incredibly cost-effective solution for benchtops. Cabinetmakers love working with it because it’s so easy to work with, which keeps fabrication and installation costs low. So you can achieve a great look and excellent benchtop durability on a budget.
The Durability
Formica laminate is made with benchtops firmly in mind. It resists impacts, scratches and stains, and unlike other surface materials, is colour stable under normal lighting conditions. It’s water resistant too, and can be used adjacent to kitchen appliances. You just have to take care to not place hot objects directly onto the laminate surface. And just as importantly, Formica laminate is very easy to keep clean. All in all, it’s a highly practical, convenient and affordable benchtop option.
The Range
The Formica range has been designed to quickly guide you to the best colour and nish to match your preferred style. It includes popular classics and on-trend solid colours, as well as a selection of timber, marble and concrete-look options, and metallics. There’s also a choice of high-gloss and low-sheen finishes for benchtops so you can tailor the effect to suit your preferences.
The Look
Formica laminate is a straightforward product for fabricators to work with to achieve a clean, fuss-free look. In solid colours, it’s with both contemporary and classic interiors, while the timber, marble, concrete-look and metallic colours can be used to bring added visual interest and texture.
Essastone Engineered Stone Benchtops
The Material
Essastone combines the superior benchtop functionality of high-quality engineered stone with an array of incredibly beautiful finishes. European inspired and crafted from the world’s best materials, with a mix of ground natural quartz and technologically advanced resin that delivers a durable, non-porous material ideal for benchtops. With a range of looks including luxurious veined marbles, subtle and bold aggregates, and industrial style concretes, Essastone is a great option for adding sophisticated luxury and a designer edge.
The Cost
An Essastone benchtop will be more expensive than an equivalent laminate benchtop, due to a combination of a higher material price and different processes for fabrication and installation. However, it’s much more affordable than natural stone or porcelain. To make cost management easier, the Essastone range is structured into five pricing tiers, so you can choose from a selection of colours matched to your budget.
The Durability
Despite many of the colours in the Essastone range imitating the look of marble, its hardwearing, non-porous surface makes it far more practical for use as a benchtop. It’s also suitable for use in wet areas. And all of this is achieved without onerous maintenance requirements such as applying sealants or using special cleaning products. Essastone is also heat and scratch resistant, but it’s not indestructible of course, so some care must be taken.
The Range
The Essastone colour range runs the gamut from pale whites through smoky and rich greys, to warm neutrals and deep blacks, with a variety of organic textural characters – aggregates, concretes and incredibly authentic marbles. Select colours are available in different finishes – gloss, honed, igneous, matt and weathered –which add tactile appeal and create different effects with the play of light.
The Look
The solid, homogenous nature of Essastone enables a wonderful range of design options. For example, it can be cut to seamlessly accommodate undermount sinks (with the proliferation of engineered stone in Australian kitchens and bathrooms, this is a relatively straightforward process for stonemasons). By adding matching Essastone panels to the front and sides of an island bench, you can create the monolithic impression of solid natural stone for a fraction of the cost of the real thing. And if you prefer the look of an Essastone benchtop paired with laminate cabinetry, the fact that the Essastone colour range has been designed in harmony with the Laminex Colour Collection means that you have a huge range of complementary colour palette options to choose from.
Fusion Composite Solid Surface
The Material
Fusion is an exceptional new benchtop material for those seeking a modern, minimalist interior style. Its 13mm-profile provides the kind of slimline look that draws designers and homeowners to porcelain as a benchtop option, but Fusion comes with a long list of advantages. Most significantly, it’s been designed with same fingerprint-resistant InvisiTouch surface technology used for the highly popular Laminex AbsoluteMatte range, so its supermatte finish will stay looking pristine with minimal cleaning. It’s also easy for fabricators to cut and install. And it was designed and is manufactured in Australia.
The Cost
Despite its premium look, Fusion is a mid-priced benchtop option. This is helped by the fact that fabricators can cut it to shape on their CNC machines and that it requires no edging or other treatment, making for a streamlined design and installation process.
The Durability
Fusion’s unique construction gives it a high level of impact resistance, not just suitable for kitchen and bathroom benchtops, but commercial applications like reception counters and desks, and even vertical applications such as washroom partitions. Its surface is also scratch, stain and water resistant. And it’s simple to maintain – fingerprint resistance keeps it looking pristine day to day, and light scuffs can be reduced with a Magic Eraser Spot Cleaner sponge.
The Range
Fusion’s modern, minimalist aesthetic is supported by a restrained monochrome colour palette. There’s a warm-based white, mid-tone grey and true black – three timeless neutral decors that will complement a wide range of interior colour schemes and work beautifully with natural timbers and concrete. You can also choose from three different edge proles to achieve subtly different visual effects.
The Look
Because Fusion is the same colour the whole way through the material, no edging is required to nish the product. This is fundamental to the product’s sleek, slimline look as a benchtop. The other key aspect is the ultra-matte nish – combined with cabinetry in Laminex AbsoluteMatte, it delivers the ultimate in modern interior style.
HI-MACS Acrylic Solid Surface Benchtops
The Material
HI-MACS is a truly extraordinary benchtop material – smooth to the touch, non-porous and visually seamless. It’s made from a combination of acrylic, minerals and natural pigments, and is almost as robust as stone, yet can be sawn, routed and drilled using conventional carpentry tools. And it can be thermoformed into sculptural three-dimensional shapes. So it can be crafted into a continuous benchtop surface, cut to accommodate undermount sinks and even shaped to create completely integrated basins.
The Cost
The incredible design flexibility and seamless nish of HI-MACS comes at a higher cost than a laminate benchtop. Fabrication and installation can be relatively straightforward and cost-efficient for a at benchtop, but more creative shapes such as those requiring thermoforming, will require a larger budget.
The Durability
HI-MACS is non-porous and waterproof, so is uniquely suited to installation in wet areas. Its surface is dirt and stain-repellent, hygienic and resistant to chemicals, making it particularly good in kitchens. And while it’s a highly durable material, its homogenous composition means that any minor scratches appear as the same colour as the surface, so are barely visible. Even better, most can be easily repaired. Like most benchtop materials, the main consideration is to avoid placing hot items directly onto the surface.
The Range
The HI-MACS colour palette was specifically curated to meet contemporary Australian design requirements. Highlights include beautiful marble-look colours, textural concretes, a broad selection of whites and neutrals, and bold colours ranging from vibrant red and orange to muted greens and blues. There’s also the Ultra Intense Series, which delivers excellent thermoforming performance and enables the creation of tight radiuses in dark surfaces with minimal whitening.
The Look
The most compelling thing about how a HI-MACS benchtop looks is the way separate panels can be chemically welded and sanded to form a completely seamless surface. To take this to the next level, a range of HI-MACS sinks and basins is now available, and these can be integrated with the benchtop using the same fabrication technique, creating one continuous, highly functional surface. The look is ultramodern and ultra-slick.
Which is the best benchtop material?
We hope this summary has helped you to find the best benchtop surface material for your kitchen, bathroom, laundry or study nook.
Ready to take the next step?
We recommend you have a close look at your selected benchtop material, and feel it in your hands, before you commit to an order. You can do that at one of our showrooms or by ordering a free sample from the Laminex website. And if you’re still looking for inspiration, there’s no shortage of excellent designs to explore on our website too!
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