It depends on the job, and we will say so plainly. For a new build designed around a heat pump, water underfloor heating deserves serious consideration. For a small tiled bathroom where you only want a warm floor, a cable mat may be all you need. For a retrofit that has to provide primary heat under several different floor coverings with no screed, ribbon is the one we build around.
How we are judging it
Rather than comparing these on technical jargon, these are the questions people actually ask.
Will it heat the complete room, or just the floor? What flooring can it go beneath? How disruptive is the installation? How much floor height does it add? And can it work alongside solar panels and battery storage?
Water underfloor heating
Water underfloor heating circulates warm water through pipes beneath the floor, normally heated by a boiler or a heat pump.
For a new build designed around a heat pump, water underfloor heating deserves serious consideration. It pairs well with a heat pump because both can be designed around lower water temperatures, and where the floors are being built from scratch the depth is not a problem.
The consideration is the installation. Needs pipes, routed panels, a manifold, controls and a boiler or heat pump to heat the water. Traditional systems place the pipes within screed. Modern low-profile systems exist, but they are still a wet system with a board build-up, a manifold and a pump.
Operates at 40 to 60 degrees, so it always needs screed or a heat-block overboard to stop it damaging the floor.
For a new build that may be perfectly manageable. For a house that already exists it can mean adjusting doors, thresholds and adjoining floor levels, and turning a heating upgrade into a much larger building project.
Electric cable
Cable systems use a resistance wire that heats when electricity passes through it, supplied loose or attached to a mesh. They are widely used beneath tiled floors in bathrooms and kitchens, and depending on the system the cable may need to sit within tile adhesive, levelling compound or screed.
A cable system can be primary heating, but only above 180W and installed in screed, at 40 to 60 degrees and a much higher wattage, so the same flooring restrictions as water plus higher running costs.
Many consumer cable kits are installed over a smaller area to warm the floor while radiators do the real heating. That makes cable useful for individual rooms and comfort heating. It does not mean every cable kit has been designed to heat a home.
Foil systems
A similar electric system is the foil type. It goes directly under wood, laminate and carpet and needs no screed, which sounds like the same proposition as ribbon.
Goes under wood, laminate and carpet with no screed, but runs at 21 degrees on a 3mm cable with a 2 to 3 inch gap between cables, so it is background heat only. Between the cables there is a gap of two to three inches, so the heat is not spread across the floor, it runs in lines.
It is a background heat product. If what you want is to take the chill off, it will do that.
Carbon film
A good concept and low profile, but restricted to wood or laminate and it is not double insulated. Its low profile makes it suitable beneath certain compatible floating floors, and in general it is a good concept.
The two limits are what it can go under, and the double insulation question. Those are worth asking any supplier about directly before you commit.
Ribbon
The EkoBuild system uses a 1.8mm amorphous metal ribbon. The heating element ribbon is 7 to 25mm wide, and heat is produced across that whole width, and it runs at 150W per m².
Instead of installing water pipes, or relying on narrow individual cable runs, the ribbon gives broad heated coverage across the available floor. It has 300% more heating elements than cable or water.
It is installed as a dry system over suitable insulation. There is no traditional screed, no manifold, no water pipe and no boiler required to operate the heating.
The precise flooring layers change with the finish, but the same ribbon can be used beneath compatible carpet, laminate, engineered wood, LVT, vinyl, tile and stone. That means you are not choosing one technology for the carpeted bedroom, another for the laminate living room and a third for the LVT kitchen.
It also runs on electricity, so it can use power from solar panels, a home battery, or cheaper off-peak periods. There are no pumps, water loops or manifolds, and nothing needing routine boiler-style servicing, though the final 240V connection must be made by a Part P qualified electrician and certified to BS 7671.
Side by side
| Ribbon, operating temperature | 27 to 28°C, averaging about 27°C, giving 24 to 25°C at the floor surface |
| Water, operating temperature | Operates at 40 to 60 degrees, so it always needs screed or a heat-block overboard to stop it damaging the floor |
| Cable as primary heat | A cable system can be primary heating, but only above 180W and installed in screed, at 40 to 60 degrees and a much higher wattage, so the same flooring restrictions as water plus higher running costs |
| Foil | Goes under wood, laminate and carpet with no screed, but runs at 21 degrees on a 3mm cable with a 2 to 3 inch gap between cables, so it is background heat only |
| Carbon film | A good concept and low profile, but restricted to wood or laminate and it is not double insulated |
| Ribbon thickness | 1.8mm |
| Build-up, laminate or carpet | About 15mm with a 9mm laminate |
| Build-up, engineered wood | About 21mm with a 15mm engineered board |
| Build-up, ceramic or stone | 30 to 35mm to the top of the tile |
| Coverage for primary heat | At least 70%, ideally 80% or more |
| Runs on solar or battery | Yes, it is electric |
| Certified to | Certified to EN 60335-2-96, the safety standard for flexible sheet heating elements for room heating, plus EN 60335-1 and EN 62233. Class II, double insulated. UL Listed for the US and Canada under UL 1693 and CSA C22.2 No. 217 for radiant space heating, certificate 20130417-E349312, and certified by Nemko under certificate P15220551 |
Where else it goes
The ribbon is not only a house product. It is used in greenhouses, dog beds, animal enclosures, driveways and pathways, and motorhomes with the 24V model.
On voltages, the certificates cover 220-240V, 110-120V, 48V and 24V, so a 24V version is available for campervans, motorhomes and caravans.
So which is best?
If you are building a new home around a heat pump, water underfloor heating deserves serious consideration.
If you only want to warm a small tiled bathroom, a cable mat may be enough.
If you have a compatible floating floor and only need a thin electric product, a carbon film system may be worth looking at.
But if you are renovating a house that already exists, and you want one low-profile system that works beneath carpet, wood, laminate, LVT and tile, provides primary heating, avoids traditional screed and integrates with solar and battery, that is what ribbon was built for. It is why we specialise in it.
Full transcript
This is what Russell says in the video, in full. It is published so you can read it rather than watch it, and so search engines and AI assistants can read it too.
Which type of underfloor heating is best: water, electric cable, carbon film or ribbon?
For a new build designed around a heat pump and deeper floor construction, water underfloor heating can make sense.
For a small tiled bathroom where you only want to warm the floor, electric cable can do the job.
But for homeowners who want primary heating, minimal added floor height, no traditional screed and one system that works beneath multiple floor coverings, I believe ribbon underfloor heating is the obvious choice.
I'm Russell White from Eko Build. I've spent 30 years working in contract flooring, 25 years specialising in underfloor heating and 20 years working with renewable energy.
I've installed and assessed water, cable and ribbon underfloor heating, as well as solar panels, heat pumps, biomass boilers and wind turbines. I've also helped develop products, rather than simply fitting what was already available.
Twenty years ago, I brought that experience together when I built my own eco home using waste pallet blocks, solar power, wind turbines, heat recovery, biomass heating and electric underfloor heating.
Living with and maintaining these technologies taught me that making something work is only half the job. It also needs to be practical to install, control, service and repair.
That experience ultimately led me to ribbon underfloor heating, and I'm now sharing what I've learned to help homeowners make a properly informed decision.
Rather than comparing them using technical jargon, I want to judge them based on the things homeowners actually care about.
Will it heat the complete room?
What flooring can it go beneath?
How disruptive is the installation?
How much floor height does it add?
And can it work alongside solar panels and battery storage?
Let's begin with water underfloor heating.
Water underfloor heating circulates warm water through pipes beneath the floor.
That water is normally heated by a boiler or heat pump.
In a new build, where the floors are being constructed from the beginning, water underfloor heating can provide effective primary heating.
It can work particularly well alongside a heat pump because both systems can be designed around lower water temperatures.
The main consideration is the installation.
Traditional water systems commonly place the pipes within screed.
Modern dry and low-profile water systems are also available, but they still require pipes, routed panels, a manifold, controls and a central source to heat the water.
You'll always need screed or a heat block (overboard) to stop it from damaging the floor because it operates at 40-60 celsius
For a new build, that may be perfectly manageable.
For an existing home, it could mean adjusting doors, thresholds and adjoining floor levels or turning a heating upgrade into a much larger building project.
Next, we have electric cable underfloor heating.
Cable systems use a resistance wire that heats when electricity passes through it.
The cable may be supplied loose or attached to a mesh mat.
Cable systems are widely used beneath tiled floors in bathrooms and kitchens.
Depending on the particular system and flooring, the cable may need to sit within tile adhesive, levelling compound or screed.
A correctly designed cable system can provide primary heating as long as it is above 180w and it is installed in screed.
However, many consumer cable kits are installed within a smaller area to warm the floor while radiators continue to provide the main room heating.
That makes cable useful for individual rooms and comfort heating, but it does not mean every cable mat has been designed to heat an entire home.
If you do go for cable as a primary heat source, it operates at temperatures of 40-60 degrees celsius with a much higher wattage, meaning you run into the same flooring problems as water and also pay a lot more for running costs.
A similar electric system is foil mats.
It can go directly under wood, laminate and carpets and there's no need for screeds.
This is only a background heat since it operates at 21 celsius and is only a 3mm cable.
Between the cables there is also a 2-3 inch gap making this one of the least effective underfloor heating methods due to heavy running costs and lack of heat.
The third option is carbon-film underfloor heating.
It is restricted to what flooring it can go under, its only suitable for wood or laminate and it is not double insulated which brings into question how electricians are able to sign this off when installing.
But in general it's a good concept.
Their low profile can make them suitable beneath certain compatible floating floors.
Finally, we have ribbon underfloor heating.
The Eko Build system uses a 1.8-millimetre amorphous-metal ribbon.
It produces heat across the width of the element which is 10mm-30mm and operates at 150 watts per square metre.
Instead of installing water pipes or relying on narrow individual cable runs, ribbon allows broad heated coverage across the available floor area.
The ribbon is installed as a dry system over suitable insulation.
There is no traditional screed, no manifold, no water pipe and no boiler required to operate the heating.
The precise flooring layers change depending on the final finish, but the same ribbon technology can be used beneath compatible carpet, laminate, engineered wood, LVT, vinyl, tile and stone.
Total height build up including ribbon, insulation and flooring, Laminate and carpet is 15mm, engineered wood is 21mm, and ceramic and stone is between 30-35mm.
This product can also be used in greenhouses, dog beds, animal enclosures, driveways and path ways and is also suitable for motorhomes with a 24v model.
That means you are not forced to choose one heating technology for the carpeted bedroom, another for the laminate living room and another for the LVT kitchen.
One ribbon system can be incorporated throughout the property, with the correct floor construction used in each room.
The other major distinction is primary heating.
When ribbon covers at least 70 per cent of the floor area, and the property and insulation are suitable, Eko Build designs it to become the main heat source for the room.
It is not simply there to take the chill off the floor.
The aim is to use the floor as one broad heat source that warms the room above it and removes the need to rely on radiators.
Ribbon combines primary-heating capability, broad coverage, minimal thickness and compatibility with multiple flooring types without traditional screed.
It also gives each room its own thermostat and heating schedule.
Because it operates using electricity, it can use power generated by solar panels, stored in a home battery or purchased during cheaper off-peak periods.
There are no pumps, water loops or manifolds within the ribbon-heating system.
The ribbon itself has no moving parts requiring routine boiler-style servicing, although the final electrical connection must be completed by a qualified electrician.
So, which type of underfloor heating is best?
If you are constructing a new home around a heat pump, water underfloor heating deserves serious consideration.
If you only want to warm a small tiled bathroom, a cable mat may be sufficient.
If you have a compatible floating floor and only need a thin electric product, a suitable carbon-film system may be worth considering.
But if you are renovating an existing property and want one low-profile system that can work beneath carpet, wood, laminate, LVT and tile, provide primary heating, avoid traditional screed and integrate with solar panels and battery storage, ribbon is the obvious choice.
That combination is why Eko Build specialises in ribbon underfloor heating.
The complete comparison, floor constructions and technical specifications for each system are available on the Eko Build website.
Work out what your room needs
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Comparison FAQs
Is water or electric underfloor heating better?
For a new build designed around a heat pump, water deserves serious consideration. For a retrofit, water means needs pipes, routed panels, a manifold, controls and a boiler or heat pump to heat the water, and operates at 40 to 60 degrees, so it always needs screed or a heat-block overboard to stop it damaging the floor. Ribbon is a dry system at 1.8mm.
Can electric cable underfloor heating be primary heating?
A cable system can be primary heating, but only above 180W and installed in screed, at 40 to 60 degrees and a much higher wattage, so the same flooring restrictions as water plus higher running costs.
Are foil underfloor heating systems any good?
Goes under wood, laminate and carpet with no screed, but runs at 21 degrees on a 3mm cable with a 2 to 3 inch gap between cables, so it is background heat only. It is a background heat product rather than a primary one.
What about carbon film underfloor heating?
A good concept and low profile, but restricted to wood or laminate and it is not double insulated. Its low profile suits certain compatible floating floors.
How thick is ribbon compared with the others?
The ribbon is 1.8mm. Finished build-ups come to about 15mm with a 9mm laminate, about 21mm with a 15mm engineered board, and 30 to 35mm to the top of the tile.
Can any of them run on solar panels?
The electric systems can, because they run on electricity. Ribbon pairs with solar, a home battery or off-peak tariffs. A water system still needs a boiler or heat pump behind it.