Janka hardness chart
The hardest woods on this site at 12% moisture content are lignum vitae (4,500 lbf), ipe (3,680 lbf), azobe (3,350 lbf); the softest are northern white cedar (320 lbf), western red cedar (350 lbf), Atlantic white cedar (350 lbf). Every value is the USDA Wood Handbook's side hardness, the Janka test, for the species each page leads with.
One source: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, the authority for species properties it measured
All 84 species, hardest first
Tap a column heading to sort by it. "Green" is the same test on unseasoned wood. The rank is by the 12% value.
| Lignum vitae | 4,500 lbf | 20,017 N | — | hardwood | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ipe | 3,680 lbf | 16,369 N | 3,060 lbf | hardwood | 2 |
| Azobe | 3,350 lbf | 14,902 N | 2,890 lbf | hardwood | 3 |
| Indian rosewood | 3,170 lbf | 14,101 N | 1,560 lbf | hardwood | 4 |
| Brazilian rosewood | 2,720 lbf | 12,099 N | 2,440 lbf | hardwood | 5 |
| Bubinga | 2,690 lbf | 11,966 N | — | hardwood | 6 |
| Greenheart | 2,350 lbf | 10,453 N | 1,880 lbf | hardwood | 7 |
| Jatoba | 2,350 lbf | 10,453 N | 1,970 lbf | hardwood | 8 |
| Mora | 2,300 lbf | 10,231 N | 1,450 lbf | hardwood | 9 |
| Goncalo alves | 2,160 lbf | 9,608 N | 1,910 lbf | hardwood | 10 |
| Karri | 2,040 lbf | 9,074 N | 1,360 lbf | hardwood | 11 |
| Wallaba | 2,040 lbf | 9,074 N | 1,540 lbf | hardwood | 12 |
| Jarrah | 1,910 lbf | 8,496 N | 1,290 lbf | hardwood | 13 |
| Hickory | 1,880 lbf | 8,363 N | 1,460 lbf | hardwood | 14 |
| Purpleheart | 1,860 lbf | 8,274 N | 1,810 lbf | hardwood | 15 |
| Pecan | 1,820 lbf | 8,096 N | 1,310 lbf | hardwood | 16 |
| Peroba rosa | 1,730 lbf | 7,695 N | 1,580 lbf | hardwood | 17 |
| Kempas | 1,710 lbf | 7,606 N | 1,480 lbf | hardwood | 18 |
| Black locust | 1,700 lbf | 7,562 N | 1,570 lbf | hardwood | 19 |
| Honeylocust | 1,580 lbf | 7,028 N | 1,390 lbf | hardwood | 20 |
| Afrormosia | 1,560 lbf | 6,939 N | 1,600 lbf | hardwood | 21 |
| Sapele | 1,510 lbf | 6,717 N | 1,020 lbf | hardwood | 22 |
| Hard maple | 1,450 lbf | 6,450 N | 970 lbf | hardwood | 23 |
| White oak | 1,360 lbf | 6,050 N | 1,060 lbf | hardwood | 24 |
| Ash | 1,320 lbf | 5,872 N | 960 lbf | hardwood | 25 |
| Beech | 1,300 lbf | 5,783 N | 850 lbf | hardwood | 26 |
| Ramin | 1,300 lbf | 5,783 N | 640 lbf | hardwood | 27 |
| Red oak | 1,290 lbf | 5,738 N | 1,000 lbf | hardwood | 28 |
| Keruing | 1,270 lbf | 5,649 N | 1,060 lbf | hardwood | 29 |
| Birch | 1,260 lbf | 5,605 N | 780 lbf | hardwood | 30 |
| Iroko | 1,260 lbf | 5,605 N | 1,080 lbf | hardwood | 31 |
| Kapur | 1,230 lbf | 5,471 N | 980 lbf | hardwood | 32 |
| Andiroba | 1,130 lbf | 5,026 N | 880 lbf | hardwood | 33 |
| Avodire | 1,080 lbf | 4,804 N | — | hardwood | 34 |
| Magnolia | 1,020 lbf | 4,537 N | 740 lbf | hardwood | 35 |
| Walnut | 1,010 lbf | 4,493 N | 900 lbf | hardwood | 36 |
| Teak | 1,000 lbf | 4,448 N | 930 lbf | hardwood | 37 |
| Cherry | 950 lbf | 4,226 N | 660 lbf | hardwood | 38 |
| Soft maple | 950 lbf | 4,226 N | 700 lbf | hardwood | 39 |
| Hackberry | 880 lbf | 3,914 N | 700 lbf | hardwood | 40 |
| Southern yellow pine | 870 lbf | 3,870 N | 590 lbf | softwood | 41 |
| Sweetgum | 850 lbf | 3,781 N | 600 lbf | hardwood | 42 |
| African mahogany | 830 lbf | 3,692 N | 640 lbf | hardwood | 43 |
| Elm | 830 lbf | 3,692 N | 620 lbf | hardwood | 44 |
| Western larch | 830 lbf | 3,692 N | 510 lbf | softwood | 45 |
| Tupelo | 810 lbf | 3,603 N | 640 lbf | hardwood | 46 |
| Mahogany | 800 lbf | 3,559 N | 740 lbf | hardwood | 47 |
| Meranti | 780 lbf | 3,470 N | 700 lbf | hardwood | 48 |
| Parana pine | 780 lbf | 3,470 N | 560 lbf | softwood | 49 |
| Sycamore | 770 lbf | 3,425 N | 610 lbf | hardwood | 50 |
| Radiata pine | 750 lbf | 3,336 N | 480 lbf | softwood | 51 |
| Douglas-fir | 710 lbf | 3,158 N | 500 lbf | softwood | 52 |
| Cativo | 630 lbf | 2,802 N | 440 lbf | hardwood | 53 |
| Port Orford cedar | 630 lbf | 2,802 N | 380 lbf | softwood | 54 |
| Spanish cedar | 600 lbf | 2,669 N | 550 lbf | hardwood | 55 |
| Red alder | 590 lbf | 2,624 N | 440 lbf | hardwood | 56 |
| Tamarack | 590 lbf | 2,624 N | 380 lbf | softwood | 57 |
| Alaska yellow cedar | 580 lbf | 2,580 N | 440 lbf | softwood | 58 |
| Red pine | 560 lbf | 2,491 N | 340 lbf | softwood | 59 |
| American chestnut | 540 lbf | 2,402 N | 420 lbf | hardwood | 60 |
| Poplar | 540 lbf | 2,402 N | 440 lbf | hardwood | 61 |
| Western hemlock | 540 lbf | 2,402 N | 410 lbf | softwood | 62 |
| Spruce | 530 lbf | 2,358 N | 340 lbf | softwood | 63 |
| Cypress | 510 lbf | 2,269 N | 390 lbf | softwood | 64 |
| Sitka spruce | 510 lbf | 2,269 N | 350 lbf | softwood | 65 |
| Eastern hemlock | 500 lbf | 2,224 N | 400 lbf | softwood | 66 |
| Butternut | 490 lbf | 2,180 N | 390 lbf | hardwood | 67 |
| Limba | 490 lbf | 2,180 N | 400 lbf | hardwood | 68 |
| Fir | 480 lbf | 2,135 N | 340 lbf | softwood | 69 |
| Lodgepole pine | 480 lbf | 2,135 N | 330 lbf | softwood | 70 |
| Redwood | 480 lbf | 2,135 N | 410 lbf | softwood | 71 |
| Incense cedar | 470 lbf | 2,091 N | 390 lbf | softwood | 72 |
| Ponderosa pine | 460 lbf | 2,046 N | 320 lbf | softwood | 73 |
| Cottonwood | 430 lbf | 1,913 N | 340 lbf | hardwood | 74 |
| Obeche | 430 lbf | 1,913 N | 420 lbf | hardwood | 75 |
| Western white pine | 420 lbf | 1,868 N | 260 lbf | softwood | 76 |
| Basswood | 410 lbf | 1,824 N | 250 lbf | hardwood | 77 |
| Eastern white pine | 380 lbf | 1,690 N | 290 lbf | softwood | 78 |
| Okoume | 380 lbf | 1,690 N | — | hardwood | 79 |
| Sugar pine | 380 lbf | 1,690 N | 270 lbf | softwood | 80 |
| Aspen | 350 lbf | 1,557 N | 300 lbf | hardwood | 81 |
| Atlantic white cedar | 350 lbf | 1,557 N | 290 lbf | softwood | 82 |
| Western red cedar | 350 lbf | 1,557 N | 260 lbf | softwood | 83 |
| Northern white cedar | 320 lbf | 1,423 N | 230 lbf | softwood | 84 |
Not ranked
These species have no 12% value in the Handbook, so they are not ranked with a borrowed one.
- Sassafras: Not measured at 12% MC
- Tanoak: Not measured at 12% MC
- Black willow: Not measured at 12% MC
- Eastern red cedar: Not measured at 12% MC; green 650 lbf
- Balsa: Not measured at 12% MC
- Jelutong: Dry value tested at 15% MC (390 lbf); green 330 lbf
- Merbau: Dry value tested at 15% MC (1500 lbf); green 1,380 lbf
- Ovangkol: Not measured at 12% MC
- Tornillo: Not measured at 12% MC; green 870 lbf
- Cocobolo: No hardness published
- Ebony: No hardness published
- Rubberwood: No hardness published
What the number means
The Janka test pushes a 0.444 in steel ball halfway into the side of a board and records the force. A higher number means the wood resists denting more — the Handbook defines hardness as resistance to indentation (p. 5-5). It is measured on small clear samples, so a knotty board or one with cross grain can behave differently, and hardness rises as wood dries: compare the green and 12% columns.
"Hardwood" and "softwood" are botanical groups, not hardness ratings: longleaf pine and Douglas-fir are harder than basswood and aspen, as the Handbook itself points out (Chapter 2). See types of wood.
Why these numbers?
The situation
Each value is the Wood Handbook's side hardness at 12% moisture content: US species from Table 5-3b, measured by the Forest Products Laboratory on clear, straight-grained samples. Imported woods come from its Tables 5-5b and 4-4, which the Handbook says were collected from the world literature.
One source: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, the authority for species properties it measured , sources [1]
What that means
Side hardness (Janka) is the load needed to press a 0.444 in (11.28 mm) steel ball halfway into the wood across the grain (Handbook p. 5-5).
One source: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, the authority for species properties it measured , sources [1]
The number
Newtons are the same load converted at 1 lbf = 4.4482 N.
Arithmetic: exact by definition
Sources