Laminate has it's place in the lower priced housing market ($60K - $190K...in Canada we have a hard time finding homes below $200K). Laminate should NOT be used in a kitchen, nor in bathrooms. Which means you won't have this "throughout" the house... you will need two other floors.

If you work with laminate, work with the thickest product you can afford. A 15mm is a "nice" floor ($3.59 - $4.99/sf). You will also want to work with the best underlay/underpad money can buy. A "bad" laminate floor is normally because the owner cheaped out on $0.20/sf foam underpad. The low end underpad = clicking, bouncing, hollow sounding flooring.

A high end underpad ($1.39 - $3/sf) will offer a wonderful experience. These products are not a foam plastic but a "fibre based" product (looks like matted or felted wool). A 6mm cork underlay ($0.69/sf) is AWESOME under laminate. I've seen $0.89/sf laminate work with a 6mm cork underlay and NO ONE complained of a hollow sound/feeling. No bouncing. No movement or shifting feeling. Felt and look solid.

By the time you work with all of these high-end products...you could afford a low/mid-range engineered hardwood...something to think about. Makes you think twice about laminate doesn't it?

Almost makes me think about porcelain tile.