Porcelain vs ceramic bathroom tile

Both are made from clay and fired in a kiln. The difference is in the ingredients and the firing: porcelain uses finer, more refined clay and is fired at higher temperatures, producing a denser body that absorbs very little water. Ceramic tile has a more porous body, protected on the face by a glaze.

In a bathroom, that difference matters most where water sits and where feet land.

Side by side

Where porcelain earns its place

Floors

Porcelain resists wear, handles standing water and is the normal choice for a bathroom floor. Many porcelain tiles are rated for heavier traffic than ceramic. In a Florida bathroom sitting on a concrete slab, it is hard to beat. (For the full floor comparison, including vinyl and stone, see the best bathroom flooring for Florida homes.)

Shower floors

The shower floor is the wettest surface in the house. Porcelain mosaics or a textured porcelain paired with a linear drain are common choices. Look for a slip-resistant finish.

Large-format looks

If you want big tiles on the walls, or near-seamless slabs, those are almost always porcelain. They need flat walls and careful setting, which adds labor.

Where ceramic makes sense

Walls and shower walls

Wall tile does not take foot traffic, and in a shower it sits over a waterproofing membrane. The waterproofing does the job of keeping water out of the wall; the tile is the finish. Glazed ceramic works perfectly well here, and the classic subway tile is usually ceramic.

Detailed or handmade looks

Many decorative and glossy glazed tiles, including a lot of the handmade-look tile popular right now, are ceramic. Their color depth and variation are hard to reproduce in porcelain.

Budget and installation

Ceramic is lighter and easier to cut, which can shave labor time on walls with lots of cuts around niches, windows and outlets.

Myths worth clearing up

• "Ceramic will absorb water and grow mold in the shower." Not if it is glazed and installed over proper waterproofing. Mildew in showers is almost always in grout and caulk, driven by poor ventilation.
• "All porcelain is the same." Quality varies. Some porcelain is glazed rather than color-through, and flatness, sizing consistency and slip ratings differ between products.
• "Porcelain can't crack." It is hard and dense, but a tile over a poorly prepared substrate or a moving slab crack can still crack. Preparation matters more than the tile body.

Reading the labels on a tile box

Two ratings help you compare products without taking a salesperson's word for it.

Water absorption

Tile is classed by how much water the body absorbs. In the North American standard, a tile has to absorb 0.5% or less to be called porcelain; the Porcelain Tile Certification Agency (PTCA) certifies products against that test. Ceramic bodies absorb more, which is why the glaze does the protective work on the face. For a bathroom floor or shower floor, the lower number is what you want.

Wear and slip ratings

Glazed tile often carries a PEI rating for surface wear; for a residential bathroom floor, a mid-range rating is plenty, and wall-only tile may carry a low one that tells you not to walk on it. Slip resistance is shown as a DCOF value. Look for a product the manufacturer lists as suitable for interior wet areas, and be wary of polished finishes on the floor.

How we'd choose, room by room

Bathroom floor

Porcelain, matte or textured.

Shower floor

Porcelain mosaic, or a slip-rated porcelain with a linear drain.

Shower walls

Either. Ceramic for glazed, handmade-look or subway styles; porcelain for large-format or stone-look.

Wainscot and backsplash

Either; ceramic is often the easier and more economical fit.

Florida humidity and tile

Humidity itself does not hurt either tile type. What it does is keep grout damp longer. A stain-resistant or epoxy grout, sealed where appropriate, and an exhaust fan that clears the room after showers do more for how your tile looks in five years than the porcelain-versus-ceramic decision.

If you're comparing materials for the shower surround specifically, including panels and stone, read the best shower wall materials. To talk through tile for your own remodel, see our bathroom tile installation page.