Best Wood for Furniture: Buyer’s Guide

The type of wood your furniture is made of can determine not just how individual pieces will look but how long they will last, as well. For this reason, it’s always best to review types of wood before making a big furniture purchase.
What’s the best wood for furniture? It depends on a number of factors, including whether the piece will be used indoors or outdoors, expected daily usage, and style. Still, many find that the best furniture woods usually come from the hardwood family.
Coming up, we’ll go over the most popular woods and some important information that can help you choose the right furniture set. Keep reading to find out!
List of the Best Wood for Furniture
What wood is the best for furniture? While it depends on your specific needs (the furniture in your study likely won’t be the same as your patio furniture, for instance), the following hardwoods remain ever consistent and reliable options when it comes to home furnishing:
- Mahogany
Associated with elegance and its rich reddish-brown hues, mahogany is a lightweight yet strong wood that is ideal for decorative furniture. - Cedar
A softwood commonly associated with outdoor furniture, cedar is highly resistant to both moisture and insect infestation. Though it’s not as dense or hard as other options, it’s a good-looking, lightweight option that can last for years, even outdoors. - Teak
When it comes to outdoor furniture, nothing tops teakwood. Among the hardest and longest lasting of all hardwoods, teakwood is virtually resistant to inclement weather, meaning it can withstand rain, moisture, and rotting. What’s more, it even gets prettier when exposed to sunlight! - Walnut
A durable hardwood often used for carving, walnut furniture tends to be ornate, elaborate, and highly beautiful. Carved walnut furniture can maintain its shape for years, making it a top option for decorative furnishing.
Verdict: Which Is the Best Wood for Furniture
So which wood is the best for furniture? Many people consider maple to be the best – or most popular- for its sheer versatility and quality. Few other woods offer the combination of maple’s low cost, high durability, and extensive array of patterns.
Because the wood is durable, it’s used in a variety of furniture pieces, from dressers, tables, and chairs to beds and cabinets as well.
What’s more, maple can be easily bent using steam, making it a flexible option for designers, despite the fact that it’s among the hardest and most durable of all the hardwoods.
The wood can even be carved for more elaborate pieces and boasts superior shock-absorption qualities as well. Taken together, this all makes maple the top choice for furniture design, though it’s impossible to look down on any of the options in this guide.