Teak and mahogany are the two traditional boat and outdoor-furniture woods. Both are tropical hardwoods, both are stable and both resist decay, so the choice is between teak’s oily, weather-proof surface and mahogany’s lower weight and easier working. This page compares genuine mahogany (Swietenia) with teak (Tectona grandis).
Mahogany vs Teak: the numbers
| Property | Genuine mahogany (Honduran / big-leaf) | Teak |
|---|---|---|
| Janka side hardness, 12% MC | 800 lbf | 1,000 lbf |
| Density at 12% MC | 33.0 lb/ft³* | 40.1 lb/ft³* |
| Weight per board foot | 2.75 lb* | 3.34 lb* |
| Bending strength (MOR), 12% MC | 11,500 psi | 14,600 psi |
| Stiffness (MOE), 12% MC | 1.5 million psi | 1.55 million psi |
| Crushing strength parallel to grain | 6,780 psi | 8,410 psi |
| Shrinkage green to ovendry, tangential | 4.1% | 5.8% |
| Shrinkage, radial | 3.0% | 2.5% |
| Shrinkage, volumetric | 7.8% | 7.0% |
| Tangential / radial ratio (cupping tendency) | 1.37 | 2.32 |
| Width change per 1% MC, flatsawn (Table 13-5) | not tabulated | 0.186% |
| Heartwood decay resistance (Table 14-1) | resistant | very resistant (old growth); moderately resistant (young growth) |
What the numbers mean
- Hardness: Teak is 25% harder than Genuine mahogany (Honduran / big-leaf) (1,000 against 800 lbf), so it resists dents from furniture feet, dropped tools and wear correspondingly better.
- Weight: Teak is 22% heavier. A 1 x 6 board 8 feet long (4 board feet nominal) weighs about 13.4 lb in teak and 11.0 lb in genuine mahogany (honduran / big-leaf) at 12% moisture content.
- Strength and stiffness: Teak is 27% stronger in bending and 3% stiffer. Stiffness is what decides how much a shelf of the same size sags under the same load.
- Movement: tangential shrinkage from green to ovendry is 4.1% for genuine mahogany (honduran / big-leaf) and 5.8% for teak; the lower figure means less seasonal movement across the width of a flatsawn board.
- Decay resistance of the heartwood: Genuine mahogany (Honduran / big-leaf): resistant; Teak: very resistant (old growth); moderately resistant (young growth). Sapwood of every species has low decay resistance.
Appearance, working and what to watch for
Teak is golden to medium brown, feels slightly oily or waxy, and weathers to silver grey if left unfinished. The Handbook rates old-growth teak heartwood very resistant to decay (young plantation teak is lower), and its natural oils let it be left outdoors bare. It contains silica, which dulls cutting tools quickly, and the oils can interfere with glue and some finishes; wiping joints with a solvent before gluing is common practice.
Genuine mahogany is lighter and reddish, and much kinder to tools. It glues and finishes easily and is usually varnished on boats rather than left bare. Both woods are very stable. In the Handbook data mahogany has the lower tangential shrinkage and a much lower tangential-to-radial ratio, while teak has slightly lower volumetric shrinkage. Teak is the better choice where the wood will be left to weather; mahogany where it will be finished and where weight or workability matters.
Gluing and finishing
Teak’s natural oil is good for weather resistance but bad for glue joints and coatings. Before gluing, wipe the surfaces with acetone and glue soon after; epoxy is the usual adhesive in boat work. Varnish and paint may lift from oily teak, which is one reason teak decks are often left bare. Mahogany has none of these problems: it takes glue, varnish and paint easily, and many traditional boats combine a teak deck with mahogany brightwork. Outdoors, any clear finish on either wood needs regular renewal because sunlight degrades it.
Which to choose: verdict by use
| Use | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Unfinished outdoor furniture and boat decks | Teak | Oily, very resistant heartwood that can be left to weather grey. |
| Varnished boat brightwork and trim | Genuine mahogany | Glues and holds varnish well and is lighter. |
| Indoor fine furniture | Genuine mahogany | Easier to work and finish; classic furniture wood. |
| Cutting boards and kitchen use | Teak (edge grain) | Water resistant, though silica dulls knives faster. |
| Hand-tool work | Genuine mahogany | Teak's silica dulls edges quickly. |
Frequently asked questions
Is teak or mahogany better outdoors?
Teak, if the wood will be left bare: its heartwood is rated very resistant (old growth); moderately resistant (young growth). Genuine mahogany heartwood is rated resistant and is usually finished.
Which is harder, teak or mahogany?
Teak: 1,000 lbf of Janka hardness against 800 lbf for genuine mahogany (Wood Handbook).
Why does teak turn grey?
Sunlight breaks down the surface of all woods; on teak, the grey layer is shallow and the wood underneath stays sound. Oiling or sealing keeps the golden colour but must be renewed.
Sources and method
All property values are read from our parsed copy of the USDA Forest Products Laboratory Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material (FPL-GTR-190, 2010), a US Government publication in the public domain, the same data as the wood species database. The percentages and the board examples above are our arithmetic on those values. The values describe small, clear, straight-grained specimens: real boards with knots or sloping grain differ, and structural lumber is sized from graded design values in your local building code, not from this table.
- USDA Forest Products Laboratory. Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material. General Technical Report FPL-GTR-190, 2010. Chapter 2 (species descriptions), Chapter 4 (Tables 4-3, 4-4 shrinkage; Eq. 4-7, 4-9, 4-12 density), Chapter 5 (Tables 5-3b, 5-5b strength and hardness), Chapter 13 (Table 13-5 dimensional change coefficients), Chapter 14 (Table 14-1 decay resistance)
- USDA Forest Products Laboratory. Wood Handbook, 2021 edition (FPL-GTR-282)
Last reviewed: 24 October 2026. How we build and check our data: methodology and corrections. Spotted an error? Please let us know.