GVT vs Double Charge vs Full Body Tiles: Which Should You Choose?
Choosing the right vitrified tile is not only about colour or design. The real difference comes from how the tile is made, where the design sits, how much traffic the floor receives, and what kind of finish you want.
Among the most common options are GVT, Double Charge and Full Body Tiles. All three are strong flooring choices, but each performs best in different applications.
Here is a simple comparison to help you choose the right one for your project.
Quick Comparison: GVT vs Double Charge vs Full Body Tiles
Tile Type | Best For | Key Advantage
GVT | Homes, offices, premium interiors | Maximum design variety
Double Charge | Malls, offices, commercial flooring | Strong wear-resistant surface
Full Body | High-traffic and demanding spaces | Consistent body composition
If you require diversity in your visual appearance, go with GVT. If you need commercial-grade wear resistance and high-end appearance, then double charge is a great option. If you need something that is going to last the longest, full body tiles are the way to go.
What Are GVT Tiles?
Glazed Vitrified Tiles (GVT) have a vitrified body with a decorative glazed surface. This upper layer allows manufacturers to create a wide range of marble, stone, wood and contemporary patterns.
Hawk Granito offers glazed vitrified tile collections in multiple formats and surfaces, including large-format options. hawkgranito.com
Choose GVT when you want:
Rich marble and stone-inspired designs
Glossy, matt, carving or decorative surfaces
Modern residential interiors
Living rooms, bedrooms and office spaces
A larger choice of visual styles
For design-focused interiors, explore the Hawk Granito collections.
What Are Double Charge Vitrified Tiles?
Double Charge tiles are manufactured by feeding an additional pigment layer during pressing. Hawk describes this upper design layer as approximately 3–4 mm, which creates a durable wearing surface suitable for heavier traffic. hawkgranito.com
This makes Double Charge tiles especially useful when appearance and commercial durability must work together.
Choose Double Charge for:
Commercial offices
Retail spaces
Restaurants
Public spaces
High-footfall flooring
Hawk's technical catalogue also identifies its Double Charge tiles as suitable for heavy-traffic applications and highlights stain and chemical resistance. hawkgranito.com
You can browse Hawk's 800x800 Double Charge products or review the broader Hawk tile catalogue.
What Are Full Body Tiles?
In a Full Body Vitrified Tile, the colour and material character continue throughout the tile body rather than existing only as a thin decorative surface layer.
That matters in areas where tiles may experience continuous wear. If a full-body tile develops minor surface wear or edge damage, the underlying body is less visually contrasting than a tile with a different-coloured interior.
Industry guidance commonly recommends full-body vitrified tiles for demanding and high-footfall applications. somanyceramics.com
Full Body Tiles are ideal for:
Showrooms
Commercial spaces
Offices
Public buildings
High-traffic flooring
Projects requiring long-term surface consistency
For larger architectural spaces, explore Hawk's 600x1200 Full Body Tiles.
For balanced square-format layouts, see the 800x800 Full Body Tiles collection.
GVT vs Double Charge vs Full Body: Difference
Think of the decision in this way:
You choose GVT for design flexibility if the project requires heavy use of marble effects, motifs, patterns, textures, and multiple finishes.
You choose Double Charge for commercial applications if the project requires a less extravagant option for use in commercial settings.
You choose Full Body for its extreme durability and resistance to scratches, cracks, and other forces if the project requires it.
Which Tile Is Best for Your Project?
There is no single tile that is automatically better for every space.
For premium homes
GVT provides more decorative freedom.
For offices and commercial interiors
Double Charge offers durability with a refined appearance.
For high-traffic projects
Full Body Tiles provide strong long-term practicality.
For large-format contemporary spaces
The 600x1200 Full Body format allows to minimize the appearance of seams between tiles creating an architectural effect
When choosing tiles for your project, please take into account the specific conditions of installation and technical characteristics of tiles instead of relying only on aesthetics.
Final Takeaway
The easiest way to remember the difference is:
GVT = Design flexibility
Double Charge = Durable decorative surface
Full Body = Consistency throughout the body
For residential, commercial, architectural construction needs, Hawk Granito has a wide range of vitrified floor tiles – to suit a variety of needs and preferences. Discover the full collection at Hawk Granito or use the Hawk Tiles Calculator to get an estimate of your needs.
Making the right choice at the first step will help you achieve better aesthetics, ease of maintenance and longer service life of your tiles.
