Ipe and teak are both used for decking and outdoor furniture, both are tropical and both have very decay-resistant heartwood. They are otherwise very different woods. Ipe (Handroanthus, formerly Tabebuia) is one of the hardest and heaviest woods in commercial use; teak is a medium-density wood valued for stability and its oily surface.
Ipe vs Teak: the numbers
| Property | Ipe | Teak |
|---|---|---|
| Janka side hardness, 12% MC | 3,680 lbf | 1,000 lbf |
| Density at 12% MC | 64.0 lb/ft³† | 40.1 lb/ft³* |
| Weight per board foot | 5.33 lb† | 3.34 lb* |
| Bending strength (MOR), 12% MC | 25,400 psi | 14,600 psi |
| Stiffness (MOE), 12% MC | 3.14 million psi | 1.55 million psi |
| Crushing strength parallel to grain | 13,010 psi | 8,410 psi |
| Shrinkage green to ovendry, tangential | 8.0% | 5.8% |
| Shrinkage, radial | 6.6% | 2.5% |
| Shrinkage, volumetric | 13.2% | 7.0% |
| Tangential / radial ratio (cupping tendency) | 1.21 | 2.32 |
| Width change per 1% MC, flatsawn (Table 13-5) | not tabulated | 0.186% |
| Heartwood decay resistance (Table 14-1) | very resistant | very resistant (old growth); moderately resistant (young growth) |
What the numbers mean
- Hardness: Ipe is 268% harder than Teak (3,680 against 1,000 lbf), so it resists dents from furniture feet, dropped tools and wear correspondingly better.
- Weight: Ipe is 60% heavier. A 1 x 6 board 8 feet long (4 board feet nominal) weighs about 21.3 lb in ipe and 13.4 lb in teak at 12% moisture content.
- Strength and stiffness: Ipe is 74% stronger in bending and 103% 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 8.0% for ipe and 5.8% for teak; the lower figure means less seasonal movement across the width of a flatsawn board.
- Decay resistance of the heartwood: Ipe: very 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
Ipe is olive brown to dark brown, extremely dense, and in the Handbook data more than three times as hard as teak. It is heavier than water, so a board sinks. That density makes it very durable underfoot, but it also makes it hard work: it needs carbide tooling, every screw needs a predrilled and countersunk hole, and it is difficult to glue. Most ipe is used as decking boards held by hidden clips or stainless screws.
Teak works much more easily, is stable, and is the traditional wood for boat decks and outdoor furniture. Ipe shrinks considerably more than teak from green to dry, so ipe decking must be properly dried and gapped. Both can be left to weather silver or oiled to keep their colour. Check that tropical wood is legally sourced; ask the supplier for the botanical name and certification.
Installing and maintaining
Ipe decking is usually face-screwed with stainless steel screws into predrilled, countersunk holes, or held with hidden clip systems; the boards are too hard to nail by hand. Leave the gaps recommended by the supplier, because the wood still moves with moisture, and seal cut ends to reduce end checking. Teak outdoor furniture needs little more than an occasional wash; to keep its golden colour, apply a teak oil or sealer regularly. Both woods are heavy enough that shipping and handling are a real part of the cost.
Ipe is mostly sold as deck boards in standard sizes; teak mainly as furniture, boat decking and smaller boards. For large outdoor furniture that gets moved around, teak’s lower weight is a practical advantage.
Which to choose: verdict by use
| Use | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Deck boards | Ipe | Far harder and very resistant; the standard premium hardwood decking. |
| Outdoor furniture | Teak | Lighter, stable and easy to shape and join. |
| Boat decks | Teak | Traditional: stable, non-slip when weathered and workable. |
| Docks, boardwalks, heavy wear | Ipe | Extreme hardness and density. |
| DIY projects with hand tools | Teak | Ipe is very hard on tools and fasteners. |
Frequently asked questions
Is ipe harder than teak?
Much harder. The Wood Handbook gives ipe 3,680 lbf of Janka hardness against 1,000 lbf for teak.
Does ipe sink in water?
Yes. At about 64.0 lb/ft³ at 12% moisture content it is denser than water (62.4 lb/ft³).
Is ipe good for outdoor furniture?
It is durable enough, but its weight (about 64.0 lb/ft³) and hardness make furniture heavy and slow to build. It is used for benches and tables that stay in place; teak at about 40.1 lb/ft³ is easier to move and to join.
Do ipe and teak need sealing?
Neither needs it to resist rot; both are rated very resistant. Oil or sealer only keeps the colour; left bare, both weather to grey.
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.