Ciot vs Olympia Tile: How to Choose
Ciot and Olympia are two tile lines we carry and install often, and either can give you a floor or wall you will be happy with for years. They lean in different directions: Ciot is the premium, design-forward importer with a strong Italian-made range, and Olympia is the broad, technical Canadian line. The clearest way to choose is to start with the room and how it will be used.
In simple terms: both are glazed porcelain and ceramic brands that cover floor and wall. Ciot leans premium and design-forward, with Italian-made colored-body porcelain, plaster and concrete wall looks, and a deep range of mosaics. Olympia is the broader, more technical Canadian line, with through-body porcelain, wood-look planks, 3D textured wall tile, matching trims, and published ISO 10545 test data.
What they share
Both build glazed porcelain and ceramic tile for floor and wall, run from small mosaics to large format, and come in matte and polished finishes. Both have collections suited to wet areas and heated floors, and both carry frost-resistant porcelain for a covered porch or an exterior doorway. For a standard porcelain floor or a tiled wall, either brand gives you a tile that lasts, so the choice comes down to the specific look and the room.
For your home: floors, walls, and backsplashes
At home, Ciot is the design-led choice. Its Italian-made collections, colored-body porcelain in plaster, concrete, and wood textures, and a deep mosaic range make it strong for a statement backsplash, a feature wall, or a bathroom you want to feel considered. Many of its collections are rated for heated floors, which suits a warm bathroom floor in winter. Olympia covers the same rooms and adds wood-look porcelain planks for living areas and hallways, 3D textured wall tile, and matching trims and thresholds to finish an edge or a doorway cleanly. For a standard kitchen or bathroom floor, both work well, so if a particular Ciot mosaic or an Olympia plank has caught your eye, that instinct is a fine way to choose.
For commercial and high-traffic projects
For a busy space, Olympia is usually the easier spec. Its porcelain series are usage-rated from residential up to high commercial and outdoor, it publishes ISO 10545 test data for water absorption and abrasion, and its through-body porcelain carries the colour through, so a chip on an office, retail, or restaurant floor does not show. The matching trims also make clean transitions in a commercial fit-out. Ciot has commercial-suitable collections of its own, with colored-body porcelain flagged for commercial use, and it is a strong design-led pick for a boutique, a restaurant, or a hospitality space where the look leads. For a large or wear-sensitive commercial floor, Olympia simply documents more of the ratings a spec asks for.
The ratings that help you decide
If you like to choose on the numbers, Olympia publishes more of them: ISO 10545 test data, usage ratings per series from residential to high commercial and outdoor, and through-body porcelain for chip resistance. Ciot leads on design range and material depth, with colored-body porcelain that resists chips, frost-resistant options for exterior use, V1 to V2 shade variation on many collections, and digital inkjet printing for natural stone and wood looks. Porcelain from both brands absorbs 0.5 percent water or less, which is why it handles bathrooms and exterior doorways. For any shower floor, choose a smaller tile or mosaic with more grout lines for grip.
How we would steer you: for a design-led home or hospitality project, a premium wall or mosaic, a plaster or concrete look, or a heated bathroom floor, Ciot gives you more to fall in love with. For a commercial or high-traffic floor, wood-look planks, a fully trimmed install, or an outdoor application you want usage-rated, Olympia is the easier choice. For a standard residential floor, pick the look you prefer, because both are built to last.
Whichever you choose, tile only performs if the base and the setting are right, so the waterproof membrane, a flat subfloor, and the grout are the real work. Our in-house crews install both, for homes and for commercial spaces, across Mississauga, Barrie, and the surrounding areas, and you can compare Ciot and Olympia side by side at either store before you decide.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ciot or Olympia tile better?
Neither is simply better. Both are glazed porcelain and ceramic brands that cover floor and wall. Ciot leans premium and design-forward, with Italian-made colored-body porcelain, plaster and concrete wall looks, and a deep mosaic range. Olympia is the broader, more technical Canadian line, with through-body porcelain, wood-look planks, matching trims, and published ISO 10545 test data.
Which is better for a commercial or high-traffic floor?
Olympia, for most commercial jobs. Its porcelain is usage-rated from residential up to high commercial and outdoor, it publishes ISO 10545 test data, and its through-body porcelain hides chips on a busy floor. Ciot has commercial-suitable colored-body porcelain too and suits a design-led boutique, restaurant, or hospitality space where the look leads.
Which is better for a kitchen backsplash or feature wall?
Ciot, if you want a design statement. Its Italian-made wall tile, plaster and concrete looks, and deep mosaic range are made for backsplashes and feature walls. Olympia has strong options too, including 3D textured wall tile, but Ciot carries more design-led wall and mosaic choices.
Which is better for a bathroom?
Both work well, since porcelain from either brand absorbs 0.5 percent water or less, and both offer collections rated for heated floors. Ciot leans into a design-led bathroom with plaster and marble looks, while Olympia's through-body porcelain and matching trims suit a hard-wearing one. For the shower floor, choose a smaller tile or mosaic with more grout lines for grip.
See it in person at either store
Bring your room measurements, or your project drawings, and our team will walk you through the right tile and quote supply and install with our own in-house crews.
700 Dundas St E, Unit 3-4, Mississauga • 112 Saunders Rd, Units 1-4, Barrie