What is the difference between hardwood and softwood?
The Wood Guide · Choosing and comparing
The basic classificationHardwood or softwood?
Simple at first sight, more nuanced in reality: the classification is about the tree, not about how hard the wood feels.
- Hardwood = broadleaf tree
- Softwood = conifer
- With exceptions that prove it
Hardwood or softwood?
Simple at first sight, more nuanced in reality: the classification is about the tree, not about how hard the wood feels.
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Where the classification comes from
The terms are fundamental to understanding wood species — but they mean something different from what you might think.
From angiosperms
Flowering plants with enclosed seeds: mostly broadleaf trees that shed their leaves in autumn. Their wood structure contains vessels — tiny channels that carry water up the trunk.
From gymnosperms
Plants with naked seeds: mainly conifers, which stay green all year round. Their structure is simpler, without those vessels.
Balsa is botanically a hardwood but so light that people build model aeroplanes from it. Yew is a softwood but fairly hard. The rule of thumb — broadleaf tree means hardwood — holds in practice, but you measure hardness with the Janka test, not by the name.
The best-known examples
- Pine — light and easy to work (redwood)
- Spruce — strong for its weight (whitewood)
- Larch — durable for a softwood
- Cedar — naturally resistant to decay
- Douglas fir — strong and versatile
The differences at a glance
| Characteristic | Hardwood | Softwood |
|---|---|---|
| Cell structure | Complex, with vessels | Simpler, without vessels |
| Growth rate | Slower — 20 to 100 years | Faster — 25 to 30 years |
| Density | Usually higher: 450–850 kg/m³ | Usually lower: 350–550 kg/m³ |
| Durability | Often naturally durable | Usually needs treatment |
| Price | Generally more expensive | Usually cheaper |
| CO₂ storage | Higher, due to the density | Lower, but faster growth makes up for it |
What to use for what
For the long term
- Durable garden benches and outdoor furniture
- High-quality flooring and decorative work
- Naturally resistant to decay and insects
- Shipbuilding, for its strength and water resistance
For volume and speed
- Structural timber and affordable furniture
- The paper and pulp industry
- Picnic tables and casual outdoor furniture
- DIY projects, because it is easy to work
And maintenance?
Hardwood
Often naturally durable and so undemanding: dusting and the occasional oiling is usually enough. See what is hardwood.
Softwood
Needs more attention: regular staining or oiling outdoors, and good protection against moisture and UV. The method is set out in our maintenance guide.
What with
For both types: choose an oil or stain that suits the colour of the wood. Take a look at the Restol wood oils.
Frequently asked questions
Is hardwood always harder than softwood?
No. Balsa is botanically a hardwood but extremely soft; yew is a softwood but fairly hard. The classification follows the type of tree, not the hardness — you measure that with the Janka test.
What is the real difference?
The cell structure. Hardwood from broadleaf trees has vessels; softwood from conifers does not. That leads to the differences in density, growth rate, natural durability and price.
Which of the two for garden furniture?
Either works. Hardwood lasts longer with less maintenance; softwood is lighter and more affordable, and when pressure-treated it lasts for years. The choice mainly depends on how much work you want to put in.
Is softwood grown more sustainably?
It certainly grows faster: 25 to 30 years against 20 to 100 for hardwood. That makes it easier to produce sustainably at scale. But wood that lasts longer also saves forest in the long run — see durable wood species for outdoor use.
From classification to choice
Once you know which family to look in, the register helps you find the species.
Have a question about your project? Just ask — we're happy to help.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Quercus petraea — Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pinus, Picea, Larix, Juniperus — Anonimski, CC0 · Taxus baccata — Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0