Ranked from the data
The four to look at first
Softness underfoot counts a little more than water resistance, durability and cleanability, with noise as a tie-breaker; materials sold only into commercial buildings are left out.
1
$7.00–$11.00 per sq ft installed
The compromise the whole page is looking for. The foam-composite core is warmer and more forgiving than SPC or tile, most products ship with an attached pad that softens a fall further, and the plank itself cannot be stained by anything a child can spill. It is not carpet-soft, and it dents under a dropped toy more easily than a stone core, but it is the one floor that works in both the playroom and the kitchen.
2
$5.50–$8.00 per sq ft installed
The carpet to buy for a family: triexta is inherently stain-resistant rather than treated to be, so it keeps that resistance after years of cleaning, and it is soft enough for the floor to be the play surface. It is still carpet — a spill has to be dealt with, and the pad under it is what holds the smell if it is not.
3
$4.00–$6.50 per sq ft installed
Polyester carpet is cheap, soft and nearly stain-proof — the fiber does not absorb liquid dye. It wears faster in a hallway than nylon or triexta, which matters less in a bedroom than in a corridor. A sensible choice for the rooms children outgrow.
4
$4.50–$7.50 per sq ft installed
One sheet, no seams, so a spill has nowhere to go. It is warmer and softer than tile, cheaper than plank, and a mop is all it ever needs. It scratches more easily than rigid vinyl and a gouge is a patch rather than a plank swap, but for a kitchen with small children it is hard to fault.
