The best finish is high grade water based polyurethane. Oil base is softer, wears faster, and will give the floor a slightly ambered look. Use 3 or 4 coats for lasting wear. Make sure you don’t buy the cheap stuff.

Urethane is indeed the product. Stay away from Minwax. It’s a good product, but costs nearly twice what other comparable products cost…because of the name.

When we did our floors we used a Polyurethane from Home Depot (it was in the Tool rental area, not out by the paint) and it’s actually used for gymnasium floors. It doesn’t have a horrible smell and it dried very quickly (just a few hours). We did spend the night in a hotel anticipating that it would be horrible, but it wasn’t. The product also didn’t leave an amber tint, it was truly a clear coat product. The best part was that it was under $20/gallon and it took us 3 gallons for 2 bedrooms, living/dining room and hallway, putting on 4 coats. The whole thing, including sander rental, was only $150.