In short: Wood density is the mass of one cubic metre of timber, usually quoted at about 12% moisture. Common timbers range from about 370 kg/m3 (western red cedar) to 1,050 kg/m3 (ipe); the full range runs from balsa at about 150 kg/m3 to African blackwood at about 1,270 kg/m3. The chart pairs each AnyOneWood figure with The Wood Database's.
What does wood density mean?
Density is mass divided by volume, and for timber it is usually given in kilograms per cubic metre (kg/m3). A figure of 700 kg/m3 means a solid cubic metre of that wood weighs about 700 kg.
The figure depends on moisture. Green, freshly felled timber is much heavier than seasoned timber, because of the water it holds (Forest Research, accessed 01-Oct-2026). That is why reference figures state a moisture content. The Wood Database quotes "average dried weight" at 12% moisture and notes that density commonly varies by about 10% either way from the average (The Wood Database, accessed 01-Oct-2026). Growth rate, the part of the tree and the individual board all add to that spread, so treat any single figure as typical rather than exact.
AnyOneWood fact-sheet figures are typical dried weights, but they don't record a moisture content per species. Where our figure and the 12% reference differ, the reference column is the one to quote.
Wood density chart: common timbers
| Timber | Type | AnyOneWood figure (kg/m3) | The Wood Database, 12% MC (kg/m3) | Fact sheet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ipe | Hardwood | 1,100 | 1,050 | Ipe |
| Greenheart | Hardwood | 1,010 | 1,010 | Greenheart |
| Jarrah | Hardwood | 800 | 835 | Jarrah |
| American white oak | Hardwood | 760 | 755 | American White Oak |
| European oak | Hardwood | 720 | 675 | European Oak |
| European beech | Hardwood | 720 | 710 | Beech |
| American hard maple | Hardwood | 720 | 705 | Maple |
| European ash | Hardwood | 710 | 680 | Ash |
| American red oak | Hardwood | 700 | 700 | American Red Oak |
| European birch | Hardwood | 660 | 640 | Birch |
| Teak | Hardwood | 650 | 655 | Teak |
| Iroko | Hardwood | 640 | 660 | Iroko |
| American black walnut | Hardwood | 640 | 610 | Black Walnut |
| Sapele | Hardwood | 620 | 665 | Sapele |
| Cherry (American black) | Hardwood | 580 | 560 | Cherry |
| African mahogany | Hardwood | 530 | 545 | African Mahogany |
| European larch | Softwood | 590 | 575 | Larch |
| Douglas fir | Softwood | 530 | 510 | Douglas Fir |
| Scots pine (Scandinavian redwood) | Softwood | 510 | 550 | Scandinavian Redwood |
| Radiata pine | Softwood | 480 | 515 | Radiata Pine |
| Spruce (Norway) | Softwood | 405 | 405 | Spruce |
| Western red cedar | Softwood | 370 | 370 | Cedar |
| Balsa | Hardwood | 160 | 150 | Balsa |
Sources: AnyOneWood fact sheets (live, 01-Oct-2026); The Wood Database species pages, average dried weight at 12% moisture content (accessed 01-Oct-2026).
Which woods are the densest?
The heaviest timbers are tropical hardwoods. Ranked on The Wood Database figures:
| Timber | The Wood Database, 12% MC (kg/m3) | AnyOneWood figure (kg/m3) |
|---|---|---|
| African blackwood | 1,270 | 1,200 |
| Lignum vitae | 1,260 | 1,230 |
| Snakewood | 1,210 | 1,300 |
| Macassar ebony | 1,120 | 1,090 |
| Cocobolo | 1,095 | 1,100 |
| Brazilwood | 1,050 | 1,050 |
| Kingwood | 1,045 | 1,045 |
Anything denser than water (about 1,000 kg/m3) sinks once dry, so these woods sink.
Which woods are the lightest?
At the other end are balsa (about 150 kg/m3), paulownia (about 280 kg/m3 for Paulownia tomentosa) and obeche (about 380 kg/m3), with sugar pine and western red cedar close behind at about 370-400 kg/m3 (The Wood Database: balsa, paulownia, obeche, sugar pine, western red cedar, accessed 01-Oct-2026). Light woods are easy to carry and machine, but they are usually softer.
Is a denser wood always a hardwood?
No. "Hardwood" and "softwood" are botanical groups (broadleaved trees vs conifers), not density classes. Balsa is a hardwood, yet it is the lightest wood in the chart. On average, though, hardwoods are denser (Forest Research, accessed 01-Oct-2026). All 364 species fact sheets on AnyOneWood record a weight (01-Oct-2026: 317 hardwoods, 45 softwoods and 2 modified timbers); the median hardwood is 670 kg/m3 and the median softwood 510 kg/m3. See hardwood vs softwood for the full difference.
Questions people ask
What is the density of oak? About 675 kg/m3 for European oak and 755 kg/m3 for American white oak at 12% moisture, with American red oak at about 700 kg/m3 (The Wood Database: European, white, red, accessed 01-Oct-2026). Our fact sheets list European oak at 720, white oak at 760 and red oak at 700 kg/m3 - within the normal 10% spread.
What is the density of pine? It depends on the species. At 12% moisture, radiata pine is about 515 kg/m3, Scots pine (sold as Scandinavian redwood) about 550 kg/m3 and sugar pine about 400 kg/m3 (The Wood Database: radiata, Scots, sugar, accessed 01-Oct-2026).
How do I get the weight of a board from its density? Multiply the volume in cubic metres by the density. A 2 m x 0.2 m x 0.05 m board is 0.02 m3, so at 700 kg/m3 it weighs about 14 kg. The WooduWeigh calculator does this for any species and size.
Does density affect durability? Often, but not always. Many dense tropical hardwoods are very durable outdoors, yet European beech is dense (about 710 kg/m3) and rated "non-durable or perishable" (The Wood Database, accessed 01-Oct-2026). Check the durability rating on each fact sheet.
This article was created by a human, written with some help from AI and edited by a human.
