Iroko is often sold as “African teak”, and the Wood Handbook notes that its colour and durability have led to it being suggested as a teak substitute. It is usually much cheaper. This page compares iroko (Milicia) with teak (Tectona grandis) using the Handbook tables, and sets out where the substitute works and where it does not.
Iroko vs Teak: the numbers
| Property | Iroko | Teak |
|---|---|---|
| Janka side hardness, 12% MC | 1,260 lbf | 1,000 lbf |
| Density at 12% MC | 39.9 lb/ft³* | 40.1 lb/ft³* |
| Weight per board foot | 3.32 lb* | 3.34 lb* |
| Bending strength (MOR), 12% MC | 12,400 psi | 14,600 psi |
| Stiffness (MOE), 12% MC | 1.46 million psi | 1.55 million psi |
| Crushing strength parallel to grain | 7,590 psi | 8,410 psi |
| Shrinkage green to ovendry, tangential | 3.8% | 5.8% |
| Shrinkage, radial | 2.8% | 2.5% |
| Shrinkage, volumetric | 8.8% | 7.0% |
| Tangential / radial ratio (cupping tendency) | 1.36 | 2.32 |
| Width change per 1% MC, flatsawn (Table 13-5) | 0.205% | 0.186% |
| Heartwood decay resistance (Table 14-1) | resistant | very resistant (old growth); moderately resistant (young growth) |
What the numbers mean
- Hardness: Iroko is 26% harder than Teak (1,260 against 1,000 lbf), so it resists dents from furniture feet, dropped tools and wear correspondingly better.
- Weight: Teak is 1% heavier. A 1 x 6 board 8 feet long (4 board feet nominal) weighs about 13.4 lb in teak and 13.3 lb in iroko at 12% moisture content.
- Strength and stiffness: Teak is 18% stronger in bending and 6% stiffer. Stiffness is what decides how much a shelf of the same size sags under the same load.
- Movement: a flatsawn board 10 in wide that goes from 6% to 12% moisture content (a dry winter to a humid summer indoors) swells about 0.123 in (1/8 in) in iroko and 0.112 in (1/8 in) in teak, from Handbook Eq. 13-2 and the Table 13-5 coefficients. Allow for this in table tops, panels and floors.
- Decay resistance of the heartwood: Iroko: 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
Both woods have golden to brown heartwood that darkens with age, and both weather to silver grey outdoors if left unfinished. Teak has a distinctly oily feel and a coarse, uneven texture; iroko feels drier and has a medium to coarse texture with interlocked grain. Teak is generally straight grained, so it planes more cleanly, while iroko tears out in places where the grain reverses.
Both are hard on tools but for different reasons: teak contains silica, and iroko can contain calcium carbonate deposits that chip cutting edges. Teak’s natural oil can interfere with glue and finishes, so the Handbook suggests pretreatment for good bonds; wiping with a solvent just before gluing is the usual method, and the same helps with iroko. On durability, old-growth teak heartwood is in the very resistant class and plantation teak only moderately resistant, while iroko is rated resistant. Both are very stable.
Buying and sustainability
Most teak sold today is plantation-grown, often from Asia, Africa or Latin America, and it is usually less dense and less decay resistant than the old-growth teak whose reputation the name carries. Ask for the origin and grade. Iroko comes from natural forests in Africa; look for certified or legally verified sources. Both woods produce fine dust that some people find irritating, so use dust extraction and a mask when sanding.
Which to choose: verdict by use
| Use | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Boat decks and brightwork | Teak | Natural oil, straight grain and the traditional choice. |
| Outdoor furniture and benches | Either | Iroko is the cheaper durable option; plantation teak is less durable than old growth. |
| Kitchen worktops | Iroko | Harder, stable, decay resistant and lower in cost. |
| Window sills and exterior joinery | Iroko | Durable and stable at a lower price. |
| Hand-planed work | Teak | Straighter grain, less tear-out. |
| Chemical-resistant benches and vats | Teak | The Handbook notes its acid resistance and that it does not corrode metal fittings. |
Frequently asked questions
Is iroko as durable as teak?
Close. Iroko heartwood is rated resistant in Wood Handbook Table 14-1. Teak is rated very resistant (old growth); moderately resistant (young growth), so old-growth teak is ahead and plantation teak is similar or behind.
Is iroko harder than teak?
Yes. The Handbook gives iroko 1,260 lbf and teak 1,000 lbf of Janka hardness at 12% moisture content.
Is iroko really a type of teak?
No. The two are unrelated; “African teak” is a trade name. Iroko is a Milicia species from Africa, and teak is Tectona grandis from South and South-East Asia.
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.