Garden Furniture Wood Types Guide: Redwood, Teak, Oak & More

Choosing between different garden furniture wood types is easier once you separate the timber species from the way the furniture is treated and built. A premium species can still disappoint in a weak frame, while a well-treated softwood can give years of dependable outdoor use.

Quick guide: Scandinavian redwood is a strong all-round choice for substantial UK garden furniture when properly treated. Teak offers excellent natural durability at a premium price. Oak is heavy and traditional, while acacia and eucalyptus can offer useful mid-range alternatives. Cedar is naturally weather resistant but comparatively soft, and untreated pine needs more protection outdoors.

Garden Furniture Wood Types at a Glance

These are broad comparisons rather than guarantees. Timber grade, treatment, section thickness, fixings, joinery and exposure all affect service life.

Scandinavian Redwood

Scandinavian or Swedish redwood is a slow-grown softwood commonly used for substantial outdoor furniture. Its relatively close grain and workable strength make it particularly useful for larger pieces where thick timber sections, strong joints and value all matter.

Redwood performs best outdoors when paired with the correct protection. Pressure treatment can provide long-term resistance to rot and fungal decay, while alternative finished systems may require periodic oiling or retreatment.

This is why redwood works well across garden benches and chairs, outdoor dining sets, picnic tables, garden swings and garden arbours.

At Detailed Outdoor Living, Heritage Tanalised is the lower-maintenance pressure-treated route, while Classic Redwood uses a finished treatment system and requires the recommended furniture oil annually to maintain its guarantee. Read how to treat redwood garden furniture for the maintenance differences.

Teak

Teak is one of the best-known outdoor hardwoods because its natural oils and density give it excellent resistance to weathering and decay. It can remain outdoors for long periods and will usually weather from its original warm tone to a silver-grey colour if left untreated.

Its main disadvantage is price. Quality teak furniture is substantially more expensive than treated redwood and many other species. That premium can be justified if natural durability and teak's appearance are the priorities, but it is not automatically the best-value choice for every garden.

Teak also illustrates why maintenance expectations matter. It can be low maintenance if you accept natural greying. Keeping a newer golden appearance usually means more cleaning and specialist treatment.

Oak

Oak is dense, heavy and visually distinctive. It can make impressive outdoor furniture and is often associated with traditional garden design. Good oak has useful natural durability, although it still changes and weathers outdoors.

For garden furniture, oak's weight and price are both advantages and disadvantages. A heavy oak bench can feel exceptionally substantial in a permanent position, but it is less convenient if the furniture needs moving frequently. It is also normally a more expensive route than treated redwood.

Acacia

Acacia is widely used in imported outdoor furniture because it offers a hardwood appearance at a more accessible price than teak. Quality varies considerably between products, so treatment, construction and manufacturer guidance are especially important.

Acacia generally benefits from periodic oiling or sealing, particularly in exposed UK locations. It can work well for compact dining sets and chairs, but buyers should not assume every acacia product has the same durability simply because the species name is the same.

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is another hardwood used for outdoor seating and dining furniture. It is often reasonably dense and can offer a useful compromise between price and hardwood appearance.

As with acacia, regular care normally improves its performance in wet British conditions. Surface oiling, sensible winter positioning and keeping feet away from standing water can all help extend its useful life.

Cedar

Cedar contains natural compounds that help it resist decay and insects, and its lower weight makes it easier to move than dense hardwoods. It also has a distinctive appearance and aroma.

The trade-off is softness. Cedar can mark and dent more readily than heavier timbers, so it is often better suited to decorative furniture, lighter-use seating and structures than very heavy-use commercial benches or picnic tables.

Pine and Other Untreated Softwoods

Pine can be a perfectly usable outdoor material, but untreated lower-cost softwood should not be confused with properly treated Scandinavian redwood. Without suitable preservative treatment, paint, stain or oil, pine is more vulnerable to moisture and decay.

Price is the obvious attraction, but the maintenance burden can be higher. If the product is intended to remain outdoors year-round, check exactly how it has been protected and what retreatment the manufacturer specifies.

Modified and Heat-Treated Timber

Modified timber is wood that has been altered through heat or another industrial process to improve dimensional stability or durability. It can perform very well outdoors and is increasingly used in architectural applications, decking and some design-led furniture.

Performance varies by system, so check whether exposed cut ends need treatment, what fixings are recommended and whether the manufacturer provides outdoor-specific guidance.

Hardwood vs Softwood for Garden Furniture

The labels hardwood and softwood describe botanical groups; they are not a simple quality ranking. Some softwoods make excellent outdoor furniture when properly treated, while some hardwood products perform poorly because the timber sections are thin or the construction is weak.

For most buyers, the more useful questions are: how has the timber been protected, how substantial is the construction, what maintenance is required and how will the furniture be used?

For a direct recommendation rather than a species reference, see what wood is best for garden furniture.

What Matters Beyond the Wood Species?

Timber thickness, bracing and fixings have a major influence on lifespan. A substantial pressure-treated redwood bench can be a better long-term purchase than a light hardwood bench built from thin sections.

Outdoor fixings should also be appropriate for damp conditions. Galvanised or stainless-steel components are generally preferable to untreated steel, which can corrode and stain surrounding timber. Slat spacing, drainage and keeping timber feet away from permanently wet ground also matter.

Best Wood Type by Furniture Use

Caring for Wooden Garden Furniture in the UK

Whatever the species, keep surfaces reasonably clean, remove leaves and debris that hold moisture, and avoid leaving feet in standing water. Check bolts and joints periodically and follow the treatment instructions supplied with the specific furniture.

Do not assume every timber needs the same product. Pressure-treated furniture may not need routine preservative treatment solely for rot protection, while finished or untreated ranges may require periodic oil, stain or preservative. See what to treat wooden garden furniture with for a practical decision guide.

Choosing the Right Wood Type

If you want a premium naturally durable hardwood and cost is secondary, teak is difficult to ignore. If you want heavy traditional character, oak has clear appeal. Acacia and eucalyptus can work well in appropriate products, while cedar suits lighter and more decorative applications.

For substantial garden furniture in a typical UK climate, properly treated Scandinavian redwood remains one of the strongest combinations of durability, value, availability and practicality.

Once you know which timber approach suits you, compare our garden benches and chairs, outdoor seating, garden dining sets, picnic tables and garden swings.