This floor is absolutely gorgeous! My husband and I decided to tackle our bathroom update ourselves and this flooring was perfect. The locking mechanism is completely unforgiving and had us pretty frustrated to start. We have done an entire floor of laminate flooring in the past so certainly not due to lack of experience. We did also start in the most difficult area.  My husband discovered that brut force will not be your friend while engaging the sides.  Patience will prevail!  Once we got a handle on it, the process went a lot smoother. Once completed, I was so satisfied with the look and feel. Not a single plank was damaged in shipping. There is a good amount of color variation to provide a realistic slate look. It feels warm under foot in winter unlike tile. My bathroom project is not yet finished but getting this floor in has me excited for the end result.