Janka Hardness Test - The Strongest Wood Flooring
Janka Scale (or Janka Hardness Test) is a measure of the resistance of wood to denting and wear. It is commonly used to determine the suitability of wood species for flooring, furniture, and other applications where durability is important.
How the Janka Test Works:
- A steel ball (0.444 inches in diameter) is pressed into the wood until it reaches half its diameter.
- The force (in pounds-force, lbf) required to embed the ball is recorded as the Janka hardness rating.
- The higher the number, the harder and more durable the wood.
Why It Matters:
- Flooring: Harder woods (like hickory or oak) resist dents better than softer woods (like pine).
- Furniture: High Janka-rated woods are more durable for heavy-use surfaces.
- Exotic vs. Domestic Woods: Some exotic species (e.g., Ipe) are extremely hard but may be expensive or less sustainable.
Limitations:
- Does not account for other factors like moisture resistance or stability.
- Some very hard woods may be difficult to work with (cut, sand, or nail).
Janka Wood Rankings
| Type | Wood Species | Janka Rating |
| Hardwood | Australian Buloke, bull-oak | 5,060 |
| Hardwood | Quebracho, Barauna, Chamacoco | 4,800 |
| Hardwood | Quebracho Colorado, Red Quebracho, | 4,570 |
| Hardwood | Guayacan, Pockholz | 4,500 |
| Hardwood | African Blackwood | 4,050 |
| Hardwood | Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil, Curupay, Angico Preto, Brazilian Tiger Mahogany | 3,840 |
| Hardwood | Snakewood, Letterhout, Brosimum guianense | 3,800 |
| Hardwood | Brazilian Ebony | 3,700 |
| Hardwood | Brazilian Olivewood | 3,700 |
| Hardwood | Ipe - Brazilian Walnut, Handroanthus lapacho | 3,684 |
| Hardwood | African Pearwood, Moabi | 3,680 |
| Hardwood | Grey Ironbark | 3,664 |
| Hardwood | Bolivian Cherry | 3,650 |
| Hardwood | Lapacho | 3,640 |
| Hardwood | Sucupira, Brazilian Chestnut, Tiete Chestnut | 3,417 |
| Hardwood | Kingwood | 3,340 |
| Hardwood | Dipteryx, Cumaru, Brazilian Teak | 3,330 |
| Hardwood | Ironwood | 3,260 |
| Hardwood | Ebony | 3,220 |
| Hardwood | Massaranduba, Brazilian Redwood, Paraju | 3,190 |
| Hardwood | Yvyraro | 3,040 |
| Pseudowood | Strand Woven Bamboo | 3,000 |
| Hardwood | Cocobolo | 2,960 |
| Hardwood | Bloodwood (Brosimum rubescens) | 2,900 |
| Hardwood | Boxwood | 2,840 |
| Hardwood | Olive | 2,710 |
| Hardwood | Red Mahogany, Turpentine | 2,697 |
| Hardwood | Live Oak | 2,680 |
| Hardwood | Southern Chestnut | 2,670 |
| Hardwood | Spotted Gum | 2,473 |
| Hardwood | Brazilian Cherry, Jatoba | 2,350 |
| Hardwood | Mesquite | 2,345 |
| Hardwood | Golden Teak | 2,330 |
| Hardwood | Guatambu, Kyrandy, Balfourodendron riedelianum | 2,240 |
| Hardwood | Santos Mahogany, Bocote, Cabreuva, Honduran Rosewood | 2,200 |
| Hardwood | Pradoo | 2,170 |
| Hardwood | Brazilian Koa | 2,160 |
| Hardwood | Brushbox | 2,135 |
| Hardwood | Osage Orange | 2,040 |
| Hardwood | Karri | 2,030 |
| Hardwood | Sydney Blue Gum | 2,023 |
| Pseudowood | Palmyra Palm | 2,020 |
| Hardwood | Bubinga | 1,980 |
| Hardwood | Cameron | 1,940 |
| Hardwood | Tallowwood | 1,933 |
| Hardwood | Merbau | 1,925 |
| Hardwood | Amendoim | 1,912 |
| Hardwood | Jarrah | 1,910 |
| Pseudowood | Coconut Palm | 1,900 |
| Hardwood | Purpleheart | 1,860 |
| Hardwood | Goncalo Alves, Tigerwood | 1,850 |
| Hardwood | Hickory, Pecan, Satinwood | 1,820 |
| Hardwood | Afzelia, Doussie, Australian Wormy Chestnut | 1,810 |
| Hardwood | Castello boxwood | 1,810 |
| Hardwood | Bangkirai | 1,798 |
| Hardwood | Rosewood | 1,780 |
| Hardwood | Apple | 1,730 |
| Hardwood | African Padauk | 1,725 |
| Hardwood | Blackwood | 1,720 |
| Hardwood | Merbau | 1,712 |
| Hardwood | Kempas | 1,710 |
| Hardwood | Black Locust | 1,700 |
| Hardwood | Highland Beech | 1,686 |
| Hardwood | Red Mulberry | 1,680 |
| Hardwood | Wenge, Red Pine, Hornbeam | 1,630 |
| Hardwood | Tualang | 1,624 |
| Hardwood | Zebrawood | 1,575 |
| Hardwood | True Pine, Timborana | 1,570 |
| Hardwood | Peroba | 1,557 |
| Softwood | European Yew | 1,520 |
| Hardwood | Sapele, Sapelli, Kupa'y | 1,510 |
| Hardwood | Curupixa | 1,490 |
| Hardwood | Sweet Birch | 1,470 |
| Hardwood | Hard maple, Sugar Maple | 1,450 |
| Hardwood | Caribbean Walnut | 1,390 |
| Hardwood | Kentucky coffeetree | 1,390 |
| Pseudowood | Natural Bamboo (represents one species) | 1,380 |
| Softwood | Australian Cypress | 1,375 |
| Hardwood | White Oak | 1,360 |
| Hardwood | Tasmanian oak | 1,350 |
| Hardwood | Ribbon Gum | 1,349 |
| Hardwood | Ash (White) | 1,320 |
| Hardwood | American Beech | 1,300 |
| Hardwood | Red Oak (Northern) | 1,290 |
| Softwood | Caribbean Heart Pine | 1,280 |
| Hardwood | Keruing | 1,270 |
| Hardwood | Yellow Birch, Iroko | 1,260 |
| Hardwood | Movingui | 1,230 |
| Softwood | Heart pine | 1,225 |
| Hardwood | Carapa guianensis, Brazilian Mesquite | 1,220 |
| Softwood | Larch | 1,200 |
| Pseudowood | Carbonized Bamboo (represents one species) | 1,180 |
| Hardwood | Teak | 1,155 |
| Hardwood | Brazilian Eucalyptus, Rose Gum | 1,125 |
| Hardwood | English Oak | 1,120 |
| Softwood | Siberian Larch | 1,100 |
| Hardwood | Makore | 1,100 |
| Hardwood | Peruvian Walnut | 1,080 |
| Hardwood | Boreal | 1,023 |
| Hardwood | Black Walnut, North American Walnut | 1,010 |
| Hardwood | Cherry | 995 |
| Hardwood | Black Cherry, Imbuia | 950 |
| Hardwood | Red Maple | 950 |
| Hardwood | Boire | 940 |
| Hardwood | Paper Birch | 910 |
| Softwood | Eastern Red Cedar, Monkeypod | 900 |
| Softwood | Southern Yellow Pine (Longleaf) | 870 |
| Hardwood | Lacewood, Leopardwood | 840 |
| Hardwood | African Mahogany | 830 |
| Hardwood | Mahogany, Honduran Mahogany | 800 |
| Softwood | Parana | 780 |
| Hardwood | Sycamore | 770 |
| Hardwood | Box Elder | 720 |
| Softwood | Radiata Pine | 710 |
| Hardwood | Shedua | 710 |
| Hardwood | Silver Maple | 700 |
| Softwood | Southern Yellow Pine (Loblolly and Shortleaf) | 690 |
| Softwood | Douglas Fir | 660 |
| Softwood | Western Juniper | 626 |
| Softwood | Larch | 590 |
| Hardwood | Alder (Red) | 590 |
| Hardwood | Chestnut | 540 |
| Hardwood | Yellow Poplar, Poplar | 540 |
| Softwood | Hemlock | 500 |
| Softwood | Western White Pine | 420 |
| Hardwood | Basswood | 410 |
| Softwood | Eastern White Pine | 380 |
| Softwood | Western Red Cedar | 350 |
| Hardwood | Cuipo | 75 |
| Hardwood | Balsa | 70 |
| Hardwood | Balsa, softest wood ever measured: single unusual example | 22 |