The Janka hardness test measures how well a wood species resists denting — nothing more. It is the single most-cited number in hardwood shopping, and also the most misunderstood: Janka does not measure scratch resistance, finish quality, dimensional stability, or how a floor will actually hold up in your home. A high number means the wood resists dents from a dropped pan or a rolling chair leg; it says nothing about the scratches grit-tracked shoes or a dog's claws will leave, which come down to the finish sitting on top of the wood, not the species underneath. Use Janka as one input among several, not a verdict.
On this page
What Janka actually measures
The Janka hardness test measures a wood species' resistance to denting and indentation. In the standard method, a steel ball 11.28 mm (0.444 in) in diameter is pressed into a wood sample until it sinks to exactly half its diameter; the force required, expressed in pounds-force (lbf) in North America, is the species' Janka rating. A higher number means more force was needed to make the dent — a harder, more dent-resistant wood.
In the US, the Janka procedure most commonly cited for flooring and wood-based panel products is standardized under ASTM D1037, while the baseline small-clear-specimen method for testing solid wood (a sample at 12% moisture content, taken from heartwood, free of knots) traces back to ASTM D143. Because labs, moisture conditions, and even the specific board tested vary, treat every Janka number — including the ones in the table below — as an approximate, comparative figure, not a lab-certified spec stamped on every plank you buy.
What Janka does NOT measure
- Scratch resistance. Denting and scratching are different mechanical events: a dent is compression from a point load, a scratch is abrasion across the surface. Scratch resistance depends on the wear layer or finish on top of the wood, not the wood's Janka number. A hard species with a worn finish scratches; a softer species under a fresh aluminum-oxide finish resists scratching well.
- Overall floor quality. Milling accuracy, appearance grade, how the board was sawn, and the installation all shape how a floor performs and looks. Hardness is one spec among many, not a proxy for quality.
- Dimensional stability. Some of the hardest species on earth still move with humidity — hardness and dimensional stability are unrelated properties. A hard tropical species can still cup or gap without proper acclimation and humidity control.
- How an engineered or refinished floor will actually perform. A published Janka number reflects tested solid wood. An engineered hardwood floor's real-world toughness depends on its veneer thickness and finish as much as the species listed on the box.
Species hardness reference table
Janka figures below are approximate — they vary by source, moisture content, and the individual board tested — and are meant for comparing species against each other, not as an exact spec. Origin describes where the species is typically sourced, not necessarily where every board sold under that name was grown.
| Species | Janka (approx.) | Origin | Character & notes | Also sold as |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic — North America | ||||
| Eastern White Pine | ~380 | North America | Very soft softwood; dents and marks readily, a rustic/reclaimed look | — |
| Douglas Fir | ~660 | North America (Pacific NW) | Softwood; warm amber tone, vertical grain, dents easily | — |
| American Cherry | ~950 | North America | Warm red-brown; darkens noticeably with light exposure | — |
| Black Walnut | ~1,010 | North America | Rich chocolate-brown, straight grain | American walnut |
| Yellow Birch | ~1,260 | North America | Light-toned; resembles maple at a lower price | — |
| Red Oak | ~1,290 | North America | Open, forgiving grain; the reference species most others are compared to | — |
| American Beech | ~1,300 | North America | Pale, straight-grained, fine uniform texture | — |
| White Ash | ~1,320 | North America | Bold, oak-like grain; springy and shock-resistant | — |
| White Oak | ~1,360 | North America | Tighter grain, cooler tones; better water/rot resistance than red oak | — |
| Hard Maple | ~1,450 | North America | Pale, fine grain; very hard but can blotch under stain | sugar maple, rock maple |
| Hickory | ~1,820 | North America | Hardest common domestic species; dramatic grain and colour swings | often blended, sold as hickory-pecan |
| South American exotics | ||||
| Garapa | ~1,700 | South America | Golden-yellow, fine even grain | “Brazilian oak” (not a true oak) |
| Amendoim | ~1,900 | South America | Warm reddish-brown, attractive wavy grain | “Brazilian oak” (not a true oak) |
| Sucupira | ~2,140 | South America | Warm brown with fine light lines through the grain | — |
| Tigerwood | ~2,160 | South America | Bold dark streaks over an orange-brown background | Goncalo Alves, Brazilian koa |
| Santos Mahogany | ~2,200 | South America | Rich reddish-brown, dense | not a true mahogany |
| Brazilian Cherry | ~2,350 | South America | Deep red-brown; darkens noticeably with light | Jatoba (not a true cherry) |
| Purpleheart | ~2,520 | South America | Naturally purple; the colour deepens with age and light | amaranth, violet wood |
| Massaranduba | ~3,190 | South America | Deep red colour, very dense and heavy | Brazilian redwood, bulletwood |
| Brazilian Teak | ~3,500 | South America | Tan to reddish-brown, interlocked grain | Cumaru (not a true teak) |
| Brazilian Walnut | ~3,680 | South America | Olive-brown, naturally oily; one of the hardest woods on earth | Ipe (not a true walnut) |
| Australian hardwoods | ||||
| Tasmanian Oak | ~1,350 | Australia | A group of eucalypts, not one species; pale, moderate hardness for the group | Victorian ash, mountain ash (not a true oak) |
| Australian Cypress | ~1,375 | Australia | Knotty, honey-gold softwood prized for character | white cypress pine |
| Tallowwood | ~1,900 | Australia | Yellow-brown with subtle olive-green hints | — |
| Jarrah | ~1,910 | Australia (Western Australia) | Rich crimson-to-burgundy; deepens beautifully over time | — |
| Brushbox | ~2,000 | Australia | Fine, even texture; soft greyish-pink to russet tones | Queensland box |
| Blackbutt | ~2,100 | Australia | Pale golden; also valued for bushfire resistance | — |
| Spotted Gum | ~2,470 | Australia | Flowing grain; colours from pale tan to rich chocolate | — |
| Grey Ironbark | ~3,600 | Australia | Honey to dark chocolate, tight grain; one of the hardest flooring timbers available | — |
| Other exotics | ||||
| Genuine Mahogany | ~800 | Central/South America | Reddish-brown; valued for colour and stability, not hardness | Honduran / American mahogany |
| Teak | ~1,070 | Southeast Asia | Gold-brown, naturally oily; strong water and rot resistance | Burmese teak |
| Sapele | ~1,410 | Africa | Resembles mahogany; lustrous ribbon figure on quartersawn boards | — |
| Wenge | ~1,620 | Africa | Very dark, near-black; coarse, striking grain | — |
| Acacia | ~1,700–2,300 | Asia (widely sold) | Range depends on type; dramatic colour variation, short board lengths | Asian walnut |
| Merbau | ~1,900 | Australasia / SE Asia | Reddish-brown; can bleed dark tannins when wet | kwila, ipil |
Not shown above: strand-woven bamboo, a grass rather than a hardwood, which often tests above 3,000 Janka depending on manufacturing.
Trade names: what you are really buying
Flooring is often sold under an evocative marketing name that does not match the tree's actual botanical identity. Knowing the trade name versus the botanical species helps you compare hardness and character accurately, instead of relying on a name chosen to sell a look:
- “Brazilian cherry” is Jatoba (Hymenaea courbaril) — not a true cherry, and roughly two-and-a-half times harder than American cherry.
- “Brazilian walnut” is Ipe (Handroanthus spp.) — not a true walnut, and one of the hardest flooring woods available.
- “Brazilian teak” is Cumaru (Dipteryx odorata) — unrelated to true teak (Tectona grandis), but shares its reputation for toughness.
- “Santos mahogany” is Myroxylon balsamum — not a true mahogany, and considerably harder than genuine mahogany.
- “Tasmanian oak” is a marketing name for a group of Australian eucalypts — not a true oak at all.
- Plain “maple” can mean hard (sugar) maple at about 1,450 Janka, or soft maple (red or silver) at roughly half that hardness — the trade name alone does not tell you which one you are getting.
When hardness matters to your decision, ask for the species by its botanical name, not just the trade name on the sample board.
Using hardness in a real decision
Janka is one input, and it matters most at the extremes — not in the middle, where most species perform similarly in everyday use.
- High-traffic homes, big dogs, kids' play areas: lean toward the harder end (roughly 1,300 and up) for dent resistance, and prioritize a durable finish over chasing the single highest number.
- Comfort and a warmer step: softer species (walnut, cherry, pine) feel gentler underfoot and develop a more lived-in patina over time — a reasonable trade-off if dent resistance is not the top priority.
- Refinishing plans: hardness does not determine refinishability — that is governed by how much wood sits above the tongue on solid boards, or the veneer's thickness on engineered ones. See our engineered vs. solid hardwood guide.
- Budget and installation: very hard exotics often cost more and can be harder to cut, drill, and fasten, which adds labour time even before the material price is considered.
- Whatever you choose: pair the species with a quality finish, keep grit off the floor with entry mats, and use furniture pads — these habits do more for a floor's long-term look than the Janka number on the box.
Myths & mistakes
- Myth: “harder means scratch-proof.” Hardness resists denting from point loads, not abrasion across the surface. Scratch resistance comes from the wear layer or finish; no wood floor, however hard, is scratch-proof.
- Myth: “exotic automatically means tougher.” Domestic hickory (about 1,820 Janka) outranks many imported species, and some well-known exotics, such as genuine mahogany or teak, are actually softer than red oak. Origin is not a reliable stand-in for hardness — check the number.
- Myth: “Janka is one exact number.” Published figures are lab results that shift with moisture content, the specific board tested, and the source. Use them to compare species against each other, not as a guaranteed spec for the exact boards in your order.
- Myth: “a species' solid-wood Janka number tells you how the engineered version will perform.” Engineered flooring is only as tough as its veneer and finish; a thin veneer in a very hard species can still perform softer in daily use than the published number implies.
- Myth: “harder wood always means a better floor.” Hardness is one spec among grade, milling quality, finish, and dimensional stability. A very hard but poorly milled or poorly finished floor can still disappoint, while a moderately hard floor with a great finish and installation can outperform expectations.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a “good” Janka rating for a home with kids or pets?
There is no single safe number — hardness is a spread, not a cliff. Domestic species roughly in the 1,200 to 1,800 range (red oak, white oak, hickory) handle everyday traffic well, and many exotics test higher still. But a hard species with a worn finish still scratches, and a softer species under a fresh, quality finish can look great for years. The finish and maintenance matter as much as the wood.
Is a higher Janka number always better?
No. Very hard species can cost more, are harder to cut and nail during installation, and tend to feel firmer underfoot. For most homes, a mid-to-upper-range species paired with a durable finish outperforms chasing the single hardest wood available.
Why do Janka numbers vary between different charts and retailers?
Because the figure is a lab result, not a fixed constant. It shifts with the moisture content of the test sample, which board or cut was tested, and which lab or source ran the test. Treat published numbers, including the ones on this page, as approximate and useful for comparing species against each other, not as an exact spec for the specific boards you buy.
Does a species' Janka rating apply the same way to engineered hardwood?
Only loosely. A published Janka number describes solid wood. On engineered hardwood, the real-world toughness of the surface depends on the veneer's thickness and finish as much as the species underneath, so a thin-veneer floor in a hard species can still perform softer than the number implies. See our engineered vs. solid hardwood guide for how veneer thickness works.
What actually causes scratches on a hardwood floor, if not low hardness?
Grit tracked in on shoes, pet claws, and furniture dragged across the surface are the usual causes, and what resists them is the finish, not the species' Janka number. Rugs at entries, felt pads under furniture, and keeping the finish intact do more for scratch resistance than choosing a harder wood.
Can I use Janka to compare bamboo or cork to hardwood?
Only loosely. Bamboo is a grass, not a hardwood, and strand-woven bamboo can test very hard, often above 3,000 on the Janka scale, through a manufacturing process rather than species biology, so results vary by manufacturer. Cork sits at the opposite end by design: it is intentionally soft and springy for comfort and sound absorption, so a low number there is a feature, not a flaw.
Sources
This guide explains a standard test method and terms defined by the bodies below; we are not affiliated with any of them.
- ASTM International — Janka hardness testing: ASTM D1037 covers the modified Janka ball hardness procedure most widely cited for flooring and wood-based panel products; ASTM D143 defines the small, clear wood-specimen standard (sample prep and moisture content) used as the baseline for solid-species testing.
- NWFA — National Wood Flooring Association: installation and refinishing guidance, and its Hardwood Floors magazine's reporting on common Janka-hardness misconceptions and the gap between published solid-wood ratings and real-world floor performance.
Educational information — not professional advice. Check the manufacturer’s instructions and a qualified professional before you buy or install. Last verified: 23 July 2026. See our Disclaimer & Terms.