Wood Materials for Manufactured Products
The species and panels buyers ask for most, compared on hardness, stability, price and how they behave in the factory. Pick the material first and the right factory follows.
All figures are typical published values. The factory that quotes you confirms what it can supply in your grade and size.
Compare at a glance
Stability and cost are relative to the other materials on this page. Use them to shortlist, then open a material for grades, working notes and what to put in the RFQ.
| Material | Group | Janka (lbf) | Density (kg/m³) | Stability | Cost | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White oak | Temperate hardwood | 1,360 | 755 | Medium | High | Table tops and countertops, Chair and table components, Cabinet doors and fronts |
| Red oak | Temperate hardwood | 1,290 | 700 | Medium | Medium | Cabinet doors and face frames, Furniture components, Stair parts and treads |
| Hard maple | Temperate hardwood | 1,450 | 705 | Medium | Medium | Butcher block and work tops, Cutting boards and kitchenware, Turned parts |
| Black walnut | Temperate hardwood | 1,010 | 610 | High | Premium | Dining and desk tops, High end furniture components, Cabinet doors and fronts |
| Cherry | Temperate hardwood | 950 | 560 | High | High | Case goods and bedroom furniture, Cabinet doors and fronts, Dining tables and chairs |
| Ash | Temperate hardwood | 1,320 | 675 | Medium | Medium | Chair parts, Bent parts, Table tops and frames |
| Beech | Temperate hardwood | 1,450 | 710 | Low | Medium | Chair frames and parts, Bentwood and bent parts, Turned legs and spindles |
| Yellow birch | Temperate hardwood | 1,260 | 690 | Low | Medium | Furniture and cabinet parts, Dowels and turned parts, Toys and small wood goods |
| Poplar | Temperate hardwood | 540 | 455 | Medium | Low | Painted furniture, Upholstered furniture frames, Drawer sides and backs |
| Rubberwood | Plantation and tropical hardwood | 980 | 595 | Medium | Low | Furniture components, Edge-glued panels and table tops, Chair parts |
| Acacia | Plantation and tropical hardwood | 1,100 | 650 | Medium | Low | Dining tables and benches, Outdoor furniture, Cutting boards and serving boards |
| Teak | Plantation and tropical hardwood | 1,070 | 655 | High | Premium | Outdoor furniture, Decking and deck tiles, Boat parts and marine trim |
| Radiata pine | Softwood | 710 | 485 | Medium | Low | Mouldings and trim, Picture and mirror frames, Furniture cores and frames |
| Plywood | Panel | n/a | 600 | Very high | Medium | Cabinet boxes and carcasses, Drawer boxes, Furniture parts |
| MDF | Panel | n/a | 720 | High | Low | Painted cabinet doors, Mouldings and skirting, Furniture case parts |
| Particleboard | Panel | n/a | 650 | High | Low | Flat-pack furniture, Kitchen and bath cabinet boxes, Office furniture |
Temperate hardwoods
Oak, maple, walnut and the other hardwoods of North America and Europe. Graded under NHLA or European trade rules and sold by grade, thickness and width.
White oak
Hard, strong and easy to stain. The default premium species for furniture, tops and millwork in North America and Europe.
Red oak
Hard, open grained and lower in price than white oak. A staple for cabinets, furniture parts, stair parts and trim in North America.
Hard maple
Very hard, pale and close grained. The usual species for butcher block, cutting boards, work surfaces and parts that take wear.
Black walnut
Dark, stable and easy to work. The usual choice for high end furniture, table tops and gift boxes, priced by width, length and sapwood allowed.
Cherry
Fine grained, stable and warm in color. Starts light pinkish brown and darkens to deep reddish brown with light, so color planning matters.
Ash
Strong, springy and pale with a bold open grain. Bends well and stains like oak, at a lower price where supply is steady.
Beech
Hard, close grained and even in color. The classic European wood for chairs, bent parts, turned legs, toys and kitchen tools. Moves a lot with humidity.
Yellow birch
Hard, fine grained and pale with a warm tone. Used for furniture, cabinets, dowels and turned parts where maple is too costly.
Poplar
Light, soft for a hardwood and easy to machine. The usual paint grade hardwood for furniture, drawer parts, frames and mouldings.
Plantation and tropical hardwoods
Grown in managed plantations in warm climates. Lower and steadier in price, usually edge-glued or finger-jointed into panels and blanks.
Rubberwood
A pale, even plantation hardwood cut after latex tapping ends. Low cost and easy to machine and stain. Widely sold as edge-glued and finger-jointed panels.
Acacia
A plantation hardwood with warm golden to dark brown color and strong contrast. Popular for dining furniture, outdoor sets and cutting boards. "Acacia" covers many species, so name the one you want.
Teak
A naturally oily, durable tropical hardwood. The reference species for outdoor furniture, decking and boat trim. Most supply today is plantation grown, and legal sourcing needs real paperwork.
Softwoods
Fast growing conifers. Light, easy to machine and low in cost. Used for mouldings, frames, crates and painted products.
Panels
Plywood, MDF and particleboard. Stable, flat and sold by the sheet. They carry most veneer and painted finishes and must meet formaldehyde rules.
Plywood
Cross-laminated veneers bonded into a strong, stable panel. Used for cabinet boxes, furniture parts, drawer boxes and CNC parts. Core, face grade and glue decide the price and the result.
MDF
A dense, uniform panel made of wood fibers and resin. Flat, smooth and easy to route, so it is the standard base for painted doors, mouldings and CNC parts in dry interiors.
Particleboard
The lowest cost wood panel, made of wood chips and resin. Faced with melamine, it is the standard material for flat-pack furniture, cabinet boxes and office furniture.
Hardness is one number among several
The Janka test measures the force needed to press a steel ball halfway into the wood. It predicts dent resistance on tops and floors. It says little about stability, strength in a thin leg or how a species takes stain.
For a table top, look at hardness and stability. For a chair, look at strength and how well the species bends and holds a joint. For a painted part, look at price and how smooth it machines.
- Hard maple1,450
- Beech1,450
- White oak1,360
- Ash1,320
- Red oak1,290
- Yellow birch1,260
- Acacia1,100
- Teak1,070
- Black walnut1,010
- Rubberwood980
- Cherry950
- Radiata pine710
- Poplar540
How wood is graded
The grade decides how much clear wood you pay for. Each system uses its own names, so ask for photos of what the factory means by the grade on its quote.
NHLA hardwood grades
American hardwood lumber is graded by the share of clear cuttings in a board: FAS, Select, No. 1 Common and No. 2A Common. Furniture parts are often cut from No. 1 Common.
Panel and stave face grades
Edge-glued panels and plantation species are often sold as AA, AB or BC faces. The letters describe the front and back face. Meanings vary by mill.
Plywood and veneer grades
Face and back veneers are graded by letter, and the core by type. Name the face grade, the back grade and the core in the RFQ.
Appearance rules you set
Sapwood, color variation, knots, mineral streaks and finger joints on show faces. These matter more than the grade name. Write them down.
Moisture content
Not a grade, but part of every spec. Indoor furniture for heated homes is usually dried to 6 to 9 percent. Ask for readings on finished parts.
Legal sourcing
The EU Deforestation Regulation and the US Lacey Act ask for species and harvest information on many wood products. Certification such as FSC is a separate, voluntary claim.
Read more: NHLA hardwood grades explained and compliance rules for wood products.
Questions about wood materials
Related: how wood products are made and product types.
Which wood is best for furniture?
It depends on the part and the price point. White oak, ash and hard maple suit visible solid parts. Rubberwood and birch suit stained or painted parts at a lower cost. Plywood and MDF suit large flat panels. Choose by use, look and budget, then confirm supply with the factory.
Is a harder wood always better?
No. Hardness helps a table top resist dents. It does not make a leg stronger, a panel flatter or a finish more even. Very hard woods also wear tooling faster and can cost more to machine.
What does stability mean for a wood part?
How much the wood shrinks and swells as the air around it gets drier or more humid. Low stability means more risk of gaps, cupping and cracked tops. Construction matters as much as species: edge-glued and veneered parts move less than wide solid boards.
Can a factory substitute a cheaper species?
Only with your written approval. Name the species and grade in the RFQ and the purchase order, and ask the factory to state the species on the invoice. Species is also required on some import declarations.
Do I need certified wood?
Only if your customer or market asks for it. Legal sourcing paperwork is a different matter: the EU Deforestation Regulation and the US Lacey Act apply to many wood products whether or not they are certified. Check which apply to your shipment.
Not sure which material fits?
Pick "Open to suggestions" on the RFQ and describe the look and budget. We match you with up to 3 factories that can propose and quote options. We reply within 24 business hours.