We just finished tiling our master bathroom with large format porcelain tiles and I'm trying to figure out which grout sealer to use. A lot of products are out there now and I'm not sure if the expensive ones are actually better or if a basic penetrating sealer would work fine for our high-moisture area.
Make sure your grout is fully cured before sealing - typically 72 hours or more depending on the product you used - or the sealer won't bond properly. For bathrooms, a penetrating sealer works fine and honestly most mid-range options perform similarly; you don't need the priciest brands, but avoid the cheapest dollar-store stuff since it tends to wear out faster in high-moisture areas. The key difference is usually between penetrating sealers (which soak in) and membrane sealers (which sit on top) - penetrating is generally better for grout since it's more forgiving with reapplication and doesn't leave a visible film that can get slippery or peel.
For bathroom grout with large format porcelain, you want a quality penetrating sealer rather than a membrane type - the pricier brands tend to last longer in high-moisture areas and are worth it since you won't want to reseal constantly, but honestly even a mid-range penetrating sealer from a trusted manufacturer will handle the job fine if you apply it properly and let it cure fully before exposing the grout to water.
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