Cambridge or Nicolock? An Installer's Comparison
We install both, exclusively. Here is the honest difference, without the brochure language.
MATERIALS | Hampton Dreamscapes | Updated September 2026
MATERIALS
Two Very Good Manufacturers, Twenty Minutes Apart
Cambridge Pavingstones is based in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. Nicolock is in Lindenhurst, right here on Long Island. Both make genuinely excellent product, both are what we install, and both are a long way ahead of the budget concrete paver you will find at a big-box store.
The honest answer to which is better is that it depends on the look you are after and, occasionally, on lead times. Anyone who tells you one is categorically superior is either a dealer with an incentive or has not installed enough of both.
What follows is what we have noticed over a lot of installations.
The manufacturer matters less than the base under it. Choose on looks; spend the argument on installation.
THE BREAKDOWN
How They Actually Differ
Both carry lifetime structural warranties on most residential lines. The differences are in finish, palette and technology.
Sealing technology
Cambridge’s ArmorTec and Nicolock’s Paver Shield both bake protection into the surface layer rather than applying it afterwards. Both resist fading and staining well. Neither eliminates the need for occasional maintenance, whatever the brochure implies.
Colour palette
Cambridge tends warmer — more tan, sandstone and earth tones, which sits comfortably with traditional shingle-style houses. Nicolock runs cooler and greyer on average, which often suits contemporary architecture and bluestone-adjacent schemes better.
Texture and finish range
Cambridge has a broader range of heavily textured and tumbled antique-look products. Nicolock’s smoother and more dimensional finishes are strong where you want a cleaner, more contemporary surface.
Colour consistency
Nicolock, in our experience, runs slightly more consistent between production batches. On a large single-phase job this rarely matters. On a phased project built across two seasons it occasionally does.
Availability and lead times
Nicolock being on Long Island can mean shorter lead times in peak season, which in a busy spring is not a trivial advantage. Both are readily available through local suppliers.
Cost
Broadly comparable line for line. Differences between product tiers within either manufacturer are much larger than differences between the two brands at the same tier.
AT A GLANCE
The Short Version
Cambridge often suits:
- Traditional and shingle-style East End houses
- Warm, earth-toned and antique-look schemes
- Heavily textured, tumbled surfaces
- Blending with existing warm-toned masonry
Nicolock often suits:
- Contemporary architecture and cooler palettes
- Grey and bluestone-adjacent colour schemes
- Cleaner, more dimensional finishes
- Phased projects where batch consistency matters
We will bring samples from both and lay them out on your property, in your light, against your house. Paver colour looks completely different in a showroom than it does in situ, and this is not a decision worth making from a catalogue.
Questions About Paver Selection
Why do you only install these two?
Because we know exactly how they behave — how they cut, how they lock up, how the colour weathers over ten years on a Long Island property. Working with a limited set of materials we understand deeply produces better results than being able to source anything.
Are these much better than big-box pavers?
Meaningfully, yes. Higher compressive strength, better freeze-thaw performance, integrated colour and surface protection rather than surface-dyed. On a patio you intend to keep for decades in this climate, it is not a close call.
Do these pavers need sealing?
Not for durability — both bake protection into the wearing surface. Some clients seal for a deeper colour or extra stain protection around outdoor kitchens, which is a reasonable preference rather than a requirement. If someone tells you sealing is essential, ask why.
What if I want natural bluestone instead?
We install that too, and on historic properties in Sag Harbor or Bellport it is frequently the right call. It costs more, needs slightly different detailing, and delivers a look that concrete paver approximates but does not replicate.
Can I mix products from both manufacturers?
Technically possible and usually a mistake. Thickness and dimensional tolerances differ slightly, which complicates a clean install, and the colour families rarely sit together as well as you would hope. Better to use one manufacturer’s field and border.
Want a Straight Answer About Your Property?
Free estimate, no pressure, and an honest number. We work from Patchogue to Montauk and Shelter Island.