Flotex vs carpet tiles
The most common question we get from specifiers, and the one most often answered badly. Both are textile floors. They behave almost nothing alike.
On this page
The structural difference
A carpet tile is tufted: yarn is punched through a backing with needles, forming loops that are either left intact or sheared open. The fibre lies over, under and around itself.
Flotex is flocked: up to 80 million short nylon fibres per square metre are electrostatically charged and fired at an adhesive-coated waterproof backing, so each one embeds standing vertically. Nothing loops. Nothing interlaces.
Every practical difference below follows from that one structural fact.
Side by side
| Construction | Tessera: tufted loop, cut-and-loop or textured · Flotex: electrostatic flock |
|---|---|
| Water | Tessera: absorbs, needs drying · Flotex: completely waterproof |
| Wet cleaning | Tessera: periodic specialist treatment · Flotex: genuinely washable, 4–6 hour drying |
| Soil release on vacuuming | Loop pile: 46% · Flotex: 76% (Forbo figures) |
| Allergen accreditation | Tessera: none claimed · Flotex: Allergy UK Seal of Approval™ |
| Impact sound reduction | Tessera: 17–27 dB · Flotex: 19 dB |
| Thickness | Tessera: 5.5–7.2 mm · Flotex: 5.0–5.3 mm |
| Recycled content | Tessera: 60–76% · Flotex: 62.5% |
| Design resolution | Tessera: limited by tufting gauge · Flotex: digitally printed, photographic |
| Texture underfoot | Tessera: varied — plush to firm · Flotex: consistently dense and firm |
| Typical cost | Tessera: generally lower · Flotex: generally higher |
Where Flotex wins outright
- Anywhere that gets wet. Canteens, nurseries, care homes, changing areas, around drinks service. A carpet tile in these locations is a maintenance problem from month one.
- Where allergens are part of the brief. Schools, SEN environments, healthcare waiting areas, any project with an air quality requirement.
- Where the cleaning regime is nightly. The 4–6 hour drying time is the whole argument.
- Where a hard-floor look is wanted but a hard floor is unacceptable. Flotex Marble, Concrete and Wood Effect give the visual with textile acoustics, warmth and wet slip resistance.
- Dementia and elderly care. Domestic appearance, warmth, sound absorption, reduced fall injury severity and full washability in one product.
- Hot and humid climates, where carpet does not dry.
Where Tessera wins outright
- Budget. Tessera generally costs less per square metre, and on a large floorplate that gap is not marginal.
- Acoustics at the top end. Tessera Layout, Outline, Topology and Twine reach 27 dB against Flotex's 19 dB. In a multi-storey office or under Part E scrutiny, eight decibels is a meaningful difference.
- Texture and plushness. Cut-and-loop constructions like Contour, or a deep multi-height loop like Cloudscape, give an underfoot quality flocking does not.
- Recycled content at the top end. Topology reaches 76% against Flotex's 62.5%.
- Palette depth. Layout and Teviot carry 32 colourways each.
- Conventional office floorplates, where nothing gets wet and the brief is durability, acoustics and colour.
Specifying both in one building
This is usually the right answer and it is under-used. A school might specify Tessera through classrooms and offices, and Flotex in the dining hall, the corridors from the playground and the early years rooms. A care home might use Tessera in lounges and Flotex in bedrooms and circulation. An office might use Tessera across the floorplate and Flotex in the tea points.
Check build height at the junctions: Tessera runs 5.5–7.2mm and Flotex 5.0–5.3mm, so most pairings need either a chosen-to-match combination or a transition detail. Tessera Create Space 1 at 5.5mm and Layout at 5.7mm sit closest to Flotex.
Frequently asked questions
Is Flotex better than carpet tiles?
Neither is better in the abstract. Flotex wins where water, cleaning frequency, allergens or a hard-floor appearance are in the brief. Tessera wins on cost, top-end acoustics, plushness, peak recycled content and palette depth. Most buildings benefit from both in different areas.
Is Flotex more expensive than carpet tiles?
Generally yes per square metre. Whether it is more expensive over the life of the floor depends heavily on the cleaning regime — in a heavily soiled environment the washability changes the maintenance cost substantially.
Can Flotex and Tessera be laid in the same building?
Yes, and it is often the best specification. Check total thickness at every junction: Tessera is 5.5–7.2mm and Flotex 5.0–5.3mm, so you will need a matched pairing or a transition detail.
Which is better for acoustics?
Tessera, at the top of its range. Layout, Outline, Topology and Twine all reach 27 dB impact sound reduction against Flotex's 19 dB.