Bamboo is a little softer, so you don't want it in high-traffic areas where there will be a lot of things rolled across it. But this is laminate, not solid bamboo, so that's not as much of an issue. And it's waterproof, which not all laminates (bamboo or wood) are. If your laminate isn't waterproof, you have to use special cleaners on it, and may destroy it if you don't get up a spill right away. Water resistant laminates (they're actually not water PROOF) can have standing water on them for up to 24 hours before the laminate is damaged.