Composite doors offer one of the most affordable front door solutions at a range of prices, and quality across the major brands is generally good. Finding the best composite doors very much depends on which brand of door you go with. Security, energy efficiency, and modern or classic designs are all available with most of the best composite doors. In this article, we provide a comparison of the better-known composite front door brands from Solidor, Endurance, Rockdoor, Truedor, and Doorstop, examining their features, design options, and material composition. We will also provide some aluminium front doors alternatives to composite doors that are also worth considering as an upgrade without breaking the bank.
How we’ve chosen the composite door brands to compare
It is widely regarded that composite doors with solid timber cores are stronger, feel better and offer a better overall experience in look and feel than doors with a foam infill. There are also doors with additional aluminium or steel reinforcement to the inner core that is regarded as a higher-quality product.
At the same time, our comparison of the door brands covers those we know are preferred by high-quality home improvement companies because they, too, agree that the better-designed composite product with more features is a superior door and one they want to offer their customers.
Solidor Composite Doors
Made in England since 2004, Solidor has been one of the trusted composite door brands and is widely regarded by door installers as a high-end brand and positioned at the upper end of the market.
A Solidor product features a 48mm solid core, a choice of perimeter frame design, numerous colour options and a great choice of classic or contemporary designs. Solidor composite doors are also some of the first with new colour palettes and are very in touch with changing trends.
The hardware, locking systems and accessories provided are of very high quality, and Solidor offers Ultion cylinders.
Reason to buy: Solidor Composite Doors provide a desirable combination of high-quality build, very striking designs, excellent security and brand reputation.
Endurance Composite Doors
Endurance Composite Doors offer four collections, providing classically styled, modern, traditional and designer front doors. As a result, Endurance caters for most customer tastes and house styles.
The inner core of an Endurance door is a 48mm laminated timber core, giving this brand a solid-feeling front door which feels weighted and dependable. Like other composite products, GRP skins feature externally with premium door hardware, glass designs and door accessories.
Tested to Secured by Design and with another quality key cylinder by ABS, Endurance doors are the closest competitor to Solidor on features, build quality and reputation.
Reason to buy: Endurance doors are a great choice for solid timber core doors, and whilst offering traditional styles, excel more with their contemporary styles.
Rockdoor Composite Doors
A Rockdoor product doesn’t have the solid core of other brands but does have the option of an aluminium or steel insert within the polyurethane core, adding to its strength and robustness.
Where other composite doors use the ‘cassette’ design to fix the glass to the door panel, Rockdoor uses what they call S-Glaze. S-Glaze makes the door look better like it’s built around the glass. It is sealed between the inner and outer GRP skins.
Rockdoor also offers stable doors, matching double doors and a great Switch Latch system, letting the door stay unlocked when closed or locking securely behind you.
Reason to buy: One of the better and stronger doors using a polyurethane core, with a neater glass design and a choice of how the door operates in the closed position.
Truedor Composite Doors
Truedor is now part of the excellent Hörmann brand and their composite doors use Spectus PVCu surround frame and is a good choice when you lean towards more traditionally-styled doors with modern security features.
The core of Truedor front doors does use the polyurethane foam design, with GRP exterior skins. So whilst it is at the lower end of composite design, it nonetheless has low U-Values and is security tested to Secured by Design.
Reason to buy: Truedor Composite Doors an affordable choice without the solid timber core and offer more traditional styles.
Door-Stop Composite Doors
The value-for-money option, Door-Stop front doors, are available with both a polyurethane or Nordic wood solid core option and are one of the original composite door brands. Today Door-Stop doors use the slimline PVCu outer frame made by Veka.
Door hardware made by Sweet, and Yale Lock features prominently on the Door-Stop range and like other composite door brands, Door-Stop is tested to the latest security standards.
This brand is an affordable choice, on fast delivery times whilst offering a good range of colours, door designs, accessories and quality.
Reason to buy: Doorstop Composite Doors are a great value door with many brands of key cylinders and hardware, with reliable security and energy efficiency at a competitive price point.
Comp Door Composite Doors
Comp Door manufactures their entire range of composite doors, with excellent performance, low U-Values and at an attractive price point.
Like other high quality doors, Comp Door products come with a 48mm solid core, with CoolSkin technology, the company claims provides improved impact resistance and excellent thermal performance. U-Values are 1.4Wm2K
The choice of chamfered or sculptured frames gives you a choice of perimeter styling, whilst a selection of modern and traditional door styles ensures Comp Door provides a suitable design for modern or older houses. Reliable door security comes as standard with ABS anti-snap diamond grade cylinder.
Reason to buy: Comp Door composite doors are British-made in over 250 colour combinations and a trusted supplier, with their products widely used by door installers around the UK.
Composite door brands compared
Our table below summarises the key features of the best composite door brands, based on their construction, brand perception, security and energy efficiency.
| Brand | Quality Perception | Inner Core Material | Outer Core Material | Security Tested | Best U-Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solidor | High | 48mm Solid Hardwood | Thermo Plastic Skins (GRP) | High (Secured by Design) | 1.4Wm2K |
| Endurance | High | 48mm Cross-laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) | GRP | High (Secured by Design) | 1.4Wm2K |
| Rockdoor | Mid | High-Density Polyurethane Foam reinforced with Carbon Fibre | High-impact PVC-U | High (Advanced locking systems) | A Energy Rating |
| Truedor | Mid | High-Density Polyurethane Foam | GRP | High (Secured by Design) | 1.6Wm2K |
| Doorstop | Value | CFC-Free Polyurethane Foam | GRP | High (Secured by Design) | 1.1Wm2K |
| Comp Door | Mid | 48mm thick cross-laminated Albasia Falcata | CoolSkin Technology | High (Secured by Design) | 1.4Wm2K |
It is worth remembering that all manner of glass options are available with these composite doors, and depending on the door design, the amount of glass and its specification (double or triple glazed), U-Values can vary. As you can see, all doors are security tested, having all been subjected to the same security tests. If you need a door to the Secured by Design test model specification, you need to ask for it. It does not come as standard.
All the above composite doors use PVCu frames from well-known system companies with either steel reinforcing or multiple chambers. None offer cheap hardware, and virtually all offer some kind of financial compensation should the key cylinder be the point of entry, subject to their own terms and conditions.
Aluminium alternatives to composite front doors
Aluminium front doors are now getting more affordable in price with excellent design, a vast choice of colours and an altogether better quality proposition. You simply need to compare a composite door and an aluminium version in a showroom to see the difference. As the name suggests, ‘composite’ means a combination of materials. Aluminium doors rely on one material and the thermal core.
If you are in the market for a new front door and leaning towards composite doors, it is worth getting a comparable quotation for aluminium doors. The brands mentioned below cost a little more but are a better investment.
Gerda Front Doors
Choose the Optima product in the Gerda front doors range, and these doors are priced very competitively to upper-tier composite doors. The value proposition, build quality, luxury look and feel, range of door designs, and specifications promise a vastly superior front door to any composite door on the market. Getting to see a Gerda door and getting a quotation is recommended.
Origin Front doors
Whilst limited to only ten door styles, Origin front doors give you one of the best British brands made by one of the best aluminium manufacturing companies in the country. Whilst limited in options, Origin doors are worth comparing with any composite door and are again a better-value proposition. The lead times are also very fast compared to other aluminium front doors.
Hallmark Doors
Hallmark’s range of aluminium doors uses incorporates an outer frame from a top-tier system company with a well-made aluminium decorative panel. You’ll find most of the popular modern door designs with Hallmark. This brand offers a good solution in aluminium, with a price point similar to upper-level composite doors.
Just Value Doors
The aluminium doors range from Just Value Doors uses an outer frame from one of the leading system companies with a quality aluminium door panel and quality door handles and locks. The online prices of these again make Just Value an aluminium front door solution at composite door prices.
More information and where to buy front doors
In conclusion, Solidor and Endurance composite doors will give you the best looking, feeling and built composite doors with a feeling of solidity and robustness. The other brands are also good, and all these will give you a secure, functional and fit-for-purpose product. There is no inherently bad composite door. Some installers complain about warping and sticking on composite doors, but with more thermal expansion than aluminium, this is to be expected. The “best” choice is relative, often depending on the unique requirements of your project and your individual preferences and budget.
Since 2010 the Aluminium Trade Supply Website has helped homeowners and the trade find the right products from the proper suppliers. Contact us for more information and to discuss your project.
