Janka Hardness Scale & Wood Hardness Chart
Compare Janka hardness ratings for common furniture and woodworking species, search or sort the chart, and understand what the number does—and does not—tell you before choosing wood for a project.
Compare wood hardness → Choose a furniture wood → Choose a project
Interactive Janka wood hardness chart
Showing 19 species.
| Species | Janka (lbf) | Approx. N | Relative band | Common woodworking uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hickory / pecan | 1,820 | 8,096 | Very hard | Tool handles, durable furniture, high-wear parts |
| Hard maple | 1,450 | 6,450 | Very hard | Worktops, tables, cabinets, durable furniture |
| White oak | 1,360 | 6,050 | Hard | Tables, chairs, cabinets, exterior-capable applications when properly designed |
| Beech | 1,300 | 5,783 | Hard | Furniture, chairs, workbenches, bent parts |
| Red oak | 1,290 | 5,738 | Hard | Furniture, cabinets, shelving |
| Yellow birch | 1,260 | 5,605 | Hard | Furniture, cabinets, interior millwork |
| Green ash | 1,200 | 5,338 | Hard | Furniture, handles, bent parts |
| Black walnut | 1,010 | 4,493 | Medium-hard | Fine furniture, tables, cabinets, decorative work |
| Soft maple | 950 | 4,226 | Medium | Painted or clear-finished furniture, cabinets |
| Black cherry | 950 | 4,226 | Medium | Fine furniture, boxes, cabinets |
| Hackberry | 880 | 3,914 | Medium | Furniture and millwork |
| Gum | 850 | 3,781 | Medium | Furniture components, interior work |
| Elm | 830 | 3,692 | Medium | Furniture and bent parts |
| Sycamore | 770 | 3,425 | Medium-soft | Furniture, butcher-block-style uses |
| Alder | 590 | 2,624 | Soft-medium | Furniture, cabinets, painted/stained work |
| Yellow poplar | 540 | 2,402 | Soft-medium | Paint-grade furniture, interior components |
| Cottonwood | 430 | 1,913 | Soft | Utility and light-duty interior work |
| Basswood | 410 | 1,824 | Soft | Carving, light-duty parts, models |
| Aspen | 350 | 1,557 | Soft | Light-duty furniture components, utility work |
Janka values above follow the American Hardwood Information Center’s kiln-dried species chart. Newton values are converted from pounds-force and rounded. Wood varies naturally; use the ratings for comparison rather than as a guarantee for an individual board.
How to read the Janka hardness scale
The Janka test is a standardized way to compare resistance to indentation. In practical woodworking, it helps answer questions such as whether one species is more likely than another to dent under chair legs, dropped objects, or everyday handling.
A difference of a few dozen pounds-force should not decide a project by itself. The chart becomes more useful when the gap is large: hard maple at 1,450 lbf and aspen at 350 lbf behave very differently when dent resistance is important.
Hardness is not the same as strength, stability, or quality
A hard surface can still come from a species that moves noticeably with moisture, splinters in a particular grain direction, or does not fit the visual goal of a project. Likewise, a softer wood can be completely appropriate for a painted cabinet, carved detail, drawer part, or low-wear piece of furniture.
The U.S. Forest Service Wood Handbook treats mechanical properties, moisture relations, species characteristics, and wood use as separate topics for exactly this reason. Do not substitute one hardness number for the broader material decision.
Janka hardness ranges for furniture decisions
Under roughly 600 lbf
Softer species can be easy to machine and useful for painted work, carving, prototypes, or low-wear furniture, but they generally dent more readily.
About 900–1,200 lbf
This middle range includes widely used furniture woods such as cherry, soft maple, and black walnut. They balance workable machining with useful everyday dent resistance.
Above roughly 1,200 lbf
Oak, beech, birch, and hard maple offer greater dent resistance in this comparison. Hardness can also mean more effort when hand-planing, chiseling, routing, or sanding, so match the species to your tools and joinery.
Use the chart with the project, not instead of it
For a dining tabletop, wear and dent resistance may matter a great deal. For a jewelry box, color, grain, fine joinery, and finish may matter more than maximum hardness. For cabinet interiors or painted components, cost and machining can outweigh a premium species’ visual character.
The best wood for furniture guide combines hardness with those other tradeoffs. If you are choosing sheet goods instead of solid wood, use the plywood grades guide; plywood grading describes veneer quality and intended exposure, not Janka hardness.
Technical references
Primary reference for the comparative values on this page: American Hardwood Information Center — Types of Wood and Janka Rating System. For broader mechanical-property context, see the U.S. Forest Service Wood Handbook.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Janka hardness scale?
The Janka hardness test measures the force required to embed a steel ball to a specified depth in wood. In woodworking, the number is commonly used as a comparative indicator of dent and wear resistance. A higher rating means the tested wood resisted indentation more strongly under the test conditions.
Is a higher Janka rating always better for furniture?
No. Hardness is only one design factor. Very hard woods can resist dents well but may be harder on cutting edges or more demanding to machine. Furniture selection also depends on stability, grain, color, availability, finishing, joinery, weight, and the intended use.
What is the Janka hardness of white oak?
The American Hardwood Information Center lists kiln-dried white oak at 1,360 lbf on its Janka chart. Values are useful for species comparison, but individual boards vary and test data should not be treated as a guarantee for a specific piece.
What is the Janka hardness of hard maple?
The American Hardwood Information Center lists hard maple at 1,450 lbf, making it one of the harder commonly used North American furniture woods in this chart.
What is the Janka hardness of walnut and cherry?
The American Hardwood Information Center lists black walnut at 1,010 lbf and cherry at 950 lbf. Both are softer than hard maple or oak but are widely used in furniture because appearance and workability matter alongside dent resistance.
Which wood should I choose for furniture?
Use this chart to understand relative hardness, then compare workability, appearance, stability, finish, and project fit in the best wood for furniture guide.