Wood Species Hardness (Janka Scale)
How common wood species compare on the Janka hardness scale, from softest to hardest.
| Species | Janka hardness (lbf) |
|---|---|
| Balsa | 100 |
| Aspen | 350 |
| Eastern White Pine | 380 |
| Western Red Cedar | 350 |
| Douglas Fir | 660 |
| Southern Yellow Pine | 690 |
| Black Cherry | 950 |
| Black Walnut | 1,010 |
| Red Oak | 1,290 |
| White Oak | 1,360 |
| Hard Maple (Sugar Maple) | 1,450 |
| Hickory | 1,820 |
| Brazilian Cherry (Jatoba) | 2,350 |
| Ipe | 3,510 |
What the Janka number means
The Janka hardness test measures the force needed to embed a small steel ball halfway into a sample of wood, giving a standardized number for comparing how resistant different species are to dents and wear. A higher number means a harder wood -- useful when choosing flooring, furniture, or outdoor decking where dent resistance and durability matter.
How to use this for flooring or furniture
Red oak (1,290) is a common hardwood-flooring benchmark most other species get compared against. Softer woods like pine or cedar dent more easily but are often easier to work and less expensive; very hard exotic species like ipe are prized for outdoor decking specifically because they resist wear, rot, and insects exceptionally well.
Hardness values are drawn from the USDA Forest Products Laboratory Wood Handbook, the standard reference for wood mechanical properties in the US, rather than a commercial compilation.
Frequently asked questions
What does a higher Janka number mean?
A higher number means the wood is harder and more resistant to dents and wear -- useful for comparing flooring or furniture durability between species.
Is red oak a good benchmark for flooring hardness?
Yes -- red oak (1,290 lbf) is a widely used reference point in the flooring industry since it's a common, moderately hard domestic species most other woods get compared against.
Why is ipe so much harder than pine?
Different wood species have very different cell structure and density, largely shaped by the climate and growing conditions of the tree -- dense tropical hardwoods like ipe are dramatically harder than fast-growing softwoods like pine.
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