Onyx White Polished Porcelain is a white onyx-effect porcelain tile with a high-gloss face and soft grey veining. Tiles Paradise sells it in two sizes, 60×120cm and 60×60cm, both at £23.99 per m². You can use it on any indoor wall and on dry indoor floors. Keep it off shower floors and wet-room floors, where a matt tile grips better.
It is also one of the most popular tiles we sell. Over the past twelve months, the 60×120cm and 60×60cm versions both ranked among our top ten products by sales. Plenty of people have asked the same questions before ordering it. This guide answers them in the order buyers usually ask: what it is, which size to pick, which rooms it suits, what it costs, and how to keep the shine.
Onyx White at a Glance: Both Sizes Side by Side
The two sizes share a name, a finish and a price per square metre. They differ in thickness, in the number of tiles per box and in how many grout lines you see. Everything else is the same.
| Detail | 60×120cm | 60×60cm |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £23.99 per m² inc VAT | £23.99 per m² inc VAT |
| Thickness | 9.5mm | 9mm |
| Tiles per box | 2 | 4 |
| Coverage per box | 1.44m² (about £34.55) | 1.44m² (about £34.55) |
| Tiles per m² | About 1.4 | About 2.8 |
| Finish | Polished (high gloss) | |
| Material | Porcelain | |
| Edges | Rectified, so narrow 2–3mm joints are possible | |
| Use | Indoor walls and floors | |
| Underfloor heating | Suitable | |
| Slip rating | None published. Treat it as a tile for dry floors. | |
Each tile covers a fixed area, so the maths is simple. One 60×120cm tile covers 0.72m² and one 60×60cm tile covers 0.36m². A box of either size covers 1.44m².
Is Onyx White Real Onyx?
No. Onyx White is porcelain: fired clay with an onyx design on its face and a polish over the top. Natural onyx is a soft, banded stone. It glows when light passes through it, scratches more easily than porcelain and needs regular sealing. The porcelain version keeps the look (milky white clouds and thin grey-white veins) and drops the upkeep. Like the rest of our polished porcelain, the face does not need sealing.
The difference shows when you hold a tile up to the light. Real onyx lets some light through, so it can be backlit. Porcelain is opaque. If you want a backlit bar front or a glowing wall panel, you need real stone. For floors, bathroom walls and a family kitchen, porcelain is the more practical choice. Our article on marble-effect porcelain versus real marble makes the same trade-off for another popular stone.
Why does it cost so much less than natural onyx?
Natural onyx is cut from a limited supply of stone, finished by hand and often sold by the slab. Porcelain is pressed and fired in large runs, so the price per square metre is a fraction of the stone price. The lower price does not mean a weaker tile. Porcelain is denser and absorbs far less water than onyx, which is why it holds up on a busy floor.
Should You Choose 60×120cm or 60×60cm?
Price won't decide this, because both sizes cost £23.99 per m². Choose by room size, by how flat your floor is and by who is fitting the tiles.
Choose the Onyx White 60×120cm tile for open-plan floors, long hallways and feature walls. Fewer joints let the veining run further, and on a polished floor that makes the room look more like one continuous surface. The trade-off is handling. Each tile is 1.2m long, it needs a very flat base to avoid lipped edges, and two people should carry it. Our guide to large-format floor tiles by room size covers the room sizes where large tiles pay off.
Choose the Onyx White 60×60cm tile for small bathrooms, cloakrooms and walls with a lot of cut-outs. A square tile is easier to cut around a toilet, a basin pedestal or a window reveal. It also forgives a floor that is flat but not perfect, and it suits a confident DIYer working alone. In a room under about 4m², the large tile often ends up as cut pieces anyway, so you would pay for length you never see.
| Your situation | Better size |
|---|---|
| Open-plan kitchen-diner or living room floor | 60×120cm |
| Feature wall behind a bath, bed or TV | 60×120cm |
| Small bathroom or en-suite floor | 60×60cm |
| Walls with niches, windows and pipework | 60×60cm |
| Fitting it yourself, without a helper | 60×60cm |
| Want the fewest grout lines on show | 60×120cm |
Some people use both: the large tile on the floor and the square tile on the walls. That works because the colour and finish share a name. Order both at the same time, though, and lay a few tiles side by side before fixing. Tiles are made in batches that can vary slightly in shade, so one order is the safest way to get a match.
Where Does Onyx White Work Best, Room by Room?
On a wall, a polished white tile works almost anywhere indoors. On a floor, it depends on how wet the floor gets. Here is how that plays out in each room.
Living rooms and dining rooms: this is where Onyx White looks its best. It is a dry floor, and the gloss bounces daylight deep into the room. A polished white floor shows dust and crumbs sooner than a mid-grey one, so plan on a quick sweep most days.
Hallways: it works, but the first metre inside the front door collects rain and grit from shoes. Put a large barrier mat there. The mat keeps the floor dry where people step in, and it stops grit dulling the polish.
Bathroom walls, including inside the shower: a strong yes. Walls don't need grip, the glaze wipes clean, and the white keeps a small room bright. Browse the full onyx wall tile range if you want a second tone for a niche or a half-height panel.
Kitchen walls and splashbacks: also a yes. Grease and sauce wipe off the polished face with warm soapy water. Our onyx-effect kitchen tiles guide covers splashback layouts in more depth.
Outdoors: no. This is an indoor tile, and a polished face on a patio would be slippery in the rain.
Is Onyx White slippery on a bathroom floor?
When dry, a polished porcelain floor is fine to walk on. When wet, any polished surface gets slippery, and the product listing gives no slip rating for this tile. Our advice is the same as the product page's: you can use Onyx White on a bathroom floor away from the shower and next to the bath, as long as there is a bath mat where people step out. Do not use it as the floor inside a walk-in shower or a level-access wet room.
For the shower floor itself, you have two options. A shower tray, as in the room above, keeps the polished tile out of the water entirely. For a tiled shower floor, use a matt tile with a similar look. The Gemstone Onyx White Matt Anti-Slip 60×60cm (£19.99 per m²) has a matt anti-slip surface made for better grip than polished porcelain. The Alba Onyx White matt 60×60cm (£22.99 per m²) is a softer, quieter onyx. Neither listing gives a numbered slip rating either, so if you have a specific grip requirement, such as for a care setting, ask us before you order. Our guide to non-slip bathroom floor tiles explains the ratings in plain English.
Can Onyx White go on a kitchen floor?
Yes, with one condition. A kitchen floor sees spills, so wipe up water and oil when they happen and put a washable runner in front of the sink. If you have young children, older relatives or a dog that skids, a matt tile is the calmer choice for the floor. You can still have Onyx White on the walls.
Does Onyx White work with underfloor heating?
Yes, both sizes are listed as suitable. Porcelain passes heat well, and a polished white floor over heating is a pleasant surprise on a cold morning. Fix it with a flexible cement-based adhesive (S1). The first time you run the system after tiling, bring it up to temperature slowly. Our step-by-step guide on laying porcelain over concrete and underfloor heating walks through the order of work.
How Much Will Onyx White Cost for Your Room?
One box covers 1.44m² and costs about £34.55. Measure each area, add 10% for cuts and breakage, then round up to whole boxes. The tile calculator does the same sum for you. The examples below use real prices and our delivery rates: free standard pallet delivery on orders over £499 to the UK mainland, and £39.99 on orders from £100 to £499.
| Project | Area to order | Boxes | Tiles | Total with delivery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| En-suite floor, 2.1 × 1.6m | 3.7m² | 3 (4.32m²) | £103.64 | £143.63 |
| Bathroom walls, 11.5m² after doors and windows | 12.65m² | 9 (12.96m²) | £310.91 | £350.90 |
| Kitchen-diner floor, 4.5 × 5m | 24.75m² | 18 (25.92m²) | £621.82 | £621.82 (free delivery) |
| Open-plan floor, 6 × 6.5m | 42.9m² | 30 (43.2m²) | £1,036.37 | £1,036.37 (free delivery) |
Adhesive and grout are extra. The product page's tiling kit takes 10% off Mapei adhesive and grout when you buy them with your tiles. Before committing to a whole floor, you can order a £1.99 cut sample or a £7.99 20×50cm sample from the product page to see the gloss in your own light.
When do the pallet and job lot deals pay off?
The 60×120cm size also comes in two bulk packs that cost less per square metre than buying by the box.
The Onyx White job lot is 35 tiles (25.2m²) for £465. At about £18.45 per m², it is the cheapest way to buy this tile. With £39.99 delivery the total is £504.99. Box pricing costs more once you need 14 boxes or more, so the job lot wins for any order from about 19m² up to 25.2m² (cuts included). For the 4.5 × 5m kitchen-diner above, it saves £116.83.
The Onyx White pallet deal is 64 tiles (46.08m²) for £949, about £20.59 per m², with free delivery. It beats box pricing once you need 28 boxes (40.32m²) or more.
Above 25.2m², compare two baskets before you pay: the job lot plus extra boxes, or the pallet. For the 42.9m² open-plan floor above, the job lot plus 13 boxes comes to £914.09 for 43.92m². The pallet costs £949 for 46.08m². Both beat £1,036.37 for 30 boxes. The pallet costs £34.91 more but leaves about 2m² more spare tile for future repairs. Below roughly 45m², the job lot plus boxes is the cheaper basket. Whichever you choose, order everything in one go, as the product page advises, because shade can vary slightly between batches.
How Does Onyx White Compare With Our Other White Onyx Tiles?
We stock several white onyx-effect tiles, and the differences are small enough to make choosing hard. This table sets out the facts from each product page. The full range is in our white onyx tiles collection.
| Tile | Sizes | Finish | Price | Pick it if… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onyx White | 60×120, 60×60 | Polished | £23.99 | you want one look in two sizes, with bulk deals on the large tile |
| Crystal Onyx White | 60×120 | Polished | £24.99 | you only need the large size and prefer its veining when you compare samples |
| Ice Onyx Pearl White | 60×120 | Polished | £19.99 | budget matters most on a large floor |
| Persian Onyx Gold White | 60×120, 60×60 | Glossy | £27.99 (60×120) | you want gold veining built into the tile |
| Gemstone Onyx White Anti-Slip | 60×60 | Matt | £19.99 | you need the floor of a tiled shower |
If you are torn between the polished whites, read our separate guides to Crystal Onyx White and Ice Onyx Pearl White, then order a sample of each. On a screen they look close. Side by side on your floor, the differences in white tone and veining are much easier to judge.
What Colours, Metals and Grout Go With Onyx White?
Onyx White is a cool white with grey veins, so it suits both cool and warm partners. The three combinations our customers choose most often are below.
White and gold: brushed brass or gold taps, mirror frames and towel rails warm up the grey veining. If you want gold in the tile itself, the Persian Onyx Gold White works on a single feature wall, with Onyx White on the rest of the room. Too much gold vein on every surface can feel busy, so use it sparingly.
White and black: matt black shower screens, taps and vanity units give a sharp, graphic look, as in the shower room photo above. Our gold, white and black bathroom ideas show how to balance all three.
White with colour and wood: teal, forest green and terracotta fabrics stand out against a white gloss floor. Oak and walnut furniture stop the room feeling clinical.
For grout, there are two sensible choices. Mapei Ultracolor Plus 100 White nearly disappears and suits walls best. On floors, Mapei 111 Silver Grey picks up the colour of the veins and hides everyday dirt far better than pure white. Avoid dark grout with this tile, because it turns each joint into a grid line and works against the soft look you are paying for. More colours are in our grout collection.
How Do You Lay and Look After a Polished White Floor?
Two things decide how good a polished floor looks: a flat base before tiling, and grit-free cleaning afterwards.
Laying: the base must be flat, because any dip shows as a raised edge that catches the light on a glossy surface. Use a levelling clip system with the 60×120cm size. Spread adhesive on the floor and butter the back of each tile so there are no hollow spots. Because the edges are rectified, a 2–3mm joint is enough. Once the adhesive has set, follow our step-by-step grouting guide. Wipe grout haze off the polished face before it hardens.
Cleaning: grit is what dulls a polished tile, not water. Vacuum or sweep with a soft brush, then mop with warm water and a pH-neutral cleaner. Dry-buff with a microfibre cloth if you want a streak-free shine. Skip scouring pads, bleach-heavy sprays and acidic descalers on the grout. Our tile and grout cleaning guide covers stubborn marks. Felt pads under chair and table legs do more to protect the shine than any cleaning product.
Quick Answers About Onyx White
Does Onyx White need sealing?
No. The polished porcelain face does not need sealing. A grout sealer is optional, but it helps keep a white or light grey grout looking clean.
Can I use Onyx White on a shower floor?
Not as the floor of a walk-in shower or wet room. Use a shower tray, or a matt anti-slip onyx tile for the shower floor, and keep Onyx White for the walls.
Does polished porcelain scratch?
Porcelain is hard, but the gloss can lose its sheen where grit is ground in under shoes or chair legs. Barrier mats, felt pads and regular sweeping keep it shiny.
Is the 60×60cm version the same colour as the 60×120cm?
They share a name, a white onyx design and a polished finish. Shade can vary slightly between production batches, so if you mix the sizes in one room, order both together and compare them before fixing.
How many Onyx White tiles do I need for 10m²?
Add 10% for cuts to get 11m², which means 8 boxes (11.52m²). That is 16 tiles at 60×120cm or 32 tiles at 60×60cm.
Can Onyx White be used outside?
No. It is an indoor tile, and a polished face is unsafe on a wet patio.
Is Onyx White good for a small bathroom?
Yes. A white, reflective wall makes a small room feel bigger. The 60×60cm size is easier to fit around a toilet and basin in a tight space. For more white options, browse our onyx-effect bathroom tiles.
How long does delivery take?
Standard pallet delivery is listed as 2–4 working days to the UK mainland. It is free on orders over £499 and £39.99 on orders from £100 to £499. Faster options show at checkout depending on your postcode.
Is there a matt version of Onyx White?
Not under the same name. The closest matt matches are Gemstone Onyx White Matt Anti-Slip and Alba Onyx White matt, both 60×60cm. You'll find them alongside other floor-rated options in our onyx floor tiles collection.
Before You Add Onyx White to Your Basket
Onyx White is a sensible choice for a polished white onyx look at a fair price. Its strengths are a choice of two sizes at the same price per m², bulk deals that cut the cost of a big floor, and a finish that brightens any room it is used in. Its one real limit is water underfoot: keep it off shower and wet-room floors and use a matt partner there.
Before you order, measure every area and add 10%. Decide on the size by room, not by price. Check whether the job lot or pallet beats box pricing for your area. Order the whole amount in one go. Then a £1.99 sample, seen in your own light, is the last step before you buy.