Teak is the strongest performer for garden furniture, followed closely by acacia, eucalyptus and iroko. All four are dense hardwoods with naturally high oil content, which is what allows them to resist rain, insects and rot without heavy chemical treatment. Among softwoods, pressure treated pine and cedar are the practical choices: pine offers the lowest cost and cedar offers better natural durability and a lighter weight.
Choosing between them comes down to three questions. How exposed is your garden, how much maintenance are you prepared to do, and do you want the timber to keep its original colour or silver naturally over time? Answer those and the shortlist narrows quickly.
Timbers are graded by natural durability, which describes how long the heartwood resists decay in ground contact without treatment. The scale runs from very durable through durable and moderately durable to slightly durable and not durable.
Teak and iroko sit in the very durable to durable band. Acacia and eucalyptus are durable to moderately durable. Cedar is moderately durable. Untreated pine and spruce are not durable at all, which is why they are pressure treated before being used outdoors.
Two other factors matter as much as the species. Density affects how much the timber moves and how well it holds screws. Oil content slows water absorption, which is the main reason teak performs so well. Together, these explain nearly all the differences you notice in practice.
Teak has been used for outdoor and marine work for centuries, and the reason is its natural oil. That oil repels water, deters insects and prevents the fixings from corroding as quickly as they would in other timbers.
Left untreated, teak weathers from its original honey brown to a soft silver grey within one to two seasons. This is purely a surface change and does not affect strength. Many people prefer the aged look. If you want to retain the original colour, apply a teak sealer each spring rather than a heavy oil, which can encourage surface mould in damp British conditions.
Teak is heavy, which makes it stable in wind, and expensive, which is its main drawback. Look for furniture made from mature plantation grown teak with a plausible source, and check that the joinery uses mortice and tenon or dowelled construction rather than screws alone. A well made teak bench will outlast several cheaper sets, which changes the value calculation over a decade.
Acacia has become the most common hardwood in mid priced garden furniture, and it deserves the popularity. It is dense, hard wearing and attractively figured, with a warm reddish brown tone and a good level of natural resistance to moisture.
The caveat is movement. Acacia is more prone to surface checking and small cracks than teak, particularly if it dries out rapidly in strong sun after heavy rain. Oiling once or twice a year keeps the timber conditioned and greatly reduces this. Acacia also benefits from being stored under cover through winter, more so than teak.
For most UK gardens, acacia offers the best balance of durability, appearance and cost. It suits dining sets, benches and coffee tables, and it takes an oil finish beautifully. If you are comparing options, our range of modern outdoor garden benches UK sale includes hardwood designs that show how the timber ages in real conditions.
Eucalyptus is a fast growing hardwood with reasonable density and a straight, even grain. It performs well outdoors when it has been properly kiln dried, and it is usually less expensive than acacia. The variation between suppliers is wider, though, so construction quality matters: look for thick sections, tight joints and stainless fixings.
Iroko is sometimes described as an alternative to teak, and the comparison is fair. It is dense, oily and very durable, with a golden brown colour that also silvers over time. It is heavy and can be difficult to source, but where it is available it makes excellent long term garden furniture.
Both timbers respond to the same care routine: an annual clean, a light sand where needed and an oil or sealer applied to a dry surface in settled weather.
Pine is the most widely used timber in British garden structures, from benches to arbours, and it is entirely viable provided it has been pressure treated. Treatment forces preservative into the timber under pressure, giving protection that a surface coat cannot match.
The important detail is that treatment only protects the wood that was in the tank. Every cut you make afterwards exposes untreated timber, so any drilled hole or trimmed leg should be brushed with an end grain preservative before assembly. Where furniture legs meet the ground, add feet or pads to lift the timber clear of standing water.
Pine needs recoating more often than hardwood, typically once a year with an exterior wood preservative or stain. In return it is light, easy to move and inexpensive to replace. For a family garden where furniture takes a beating, that is a sensible trade off. Larger timber items such as wooden sheds and garden storage UK sale options are almost always pressure treated softwood for the same reasons.
Western red cedar is the most durable of the common softwoods thanks to natural preservative compounds in the heartwood. It is light, dimensionally stable and resists warping, which makes it useful for larger pieces that need to be moved.
The downside is softness. Cedar dents and scratches easily, so it is better suited to seating and screening than to dining tables that take daily wear. Like teak, it fades to grey unless sealed. Cedar is also relatively expensive for a softwood, which places it in an awkward position between treated pine and mid priced hardwood.
Untreated pine, spruce and whitewood have almost no natural resistance and will begin to break down within a season or two of exposure. Plywood, unless it is genuinely exterior grade with sealed edges, delaminates. MDF and chipboard should never be used outdoors in any form.
Also be wary of very thin hardwood sections. A slatted seat made from timber only a centimetre thick will cup and split regardless of species, because there is not enough material to absorb seasonal movement. Section thickness is a better indicator of longevity than the species name alone.
Two benches in the same timber can have very different lifespans. The differences usually come down to detail.
Fixings should be stainless steel or hot dipped galvanised. Ordinary steel screws rust, stain the timber and eventually fail. Joints should be mechanical rather than glued alone: mortice and tenon, dowels or bolted connections all allow the timber to move without tearing itself apart.
Water needs somewhere to go. Slatted seats and tops with small gaps shed rain, while solid tops without a drainage detail hold puddles. Look for slightly sloped surfaces, chamfered edges and a small ground clearance beneath the feet.
Finally, check that the timber has been kiln dried rather than used green. Green timber shrinks as it dries in situ, which opens joints and loosens fixings within the first year.
Spring is the time for a full inspection. Clean the timber with warm soapy water and a soft brush, working along the grain, then let it dry completely for a day or two before applying oil or sealer. Sand any rough patches lightly at around 180 grit first.
Through summer, wipe up spills promptly and move cushions indoors when the furniture is not in use. In autumn, clean again and check that fixings are tight, since a full season of expansion and contraction usually loosens something.
Over winter, cover the furniture with a breathable cover or store it under shelter. Standing water and repeated freeze and thaw cycles cause more damage than rain alone. If you can only take one measure, keeping the feet off wet ground is the most valuable.
We stock modern garden and indoor furniture across a wide range of materials at Furniture in Fashion, with free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes, so it is straightforward to compare hardwood and softwood designs before deciding.
For a small courtyard or balcony that stays sheltered, acacia or eucalyptus offers plenty of durability without the weight of teak. For an exposed coastal or rural garden with driving rain and wind, teak or iroko justify their price through sheer resilience and mass.
For a family garden where furniture is dragged around and occasionally left in the rain, pressure treated pine is the pragmatic answer, refreshed with stain each spring. And if you want furniture that will still be in use in twenty years and are happy to spend accordingly, teak remains the benchmark for good reason.
Whichever timber you choose, pair it with proper storage. A dry shed or a covered corner does more for the lifespan of garden furniture than any single coat of oil, and options within outdoor garden sheds and storage UK sale ranges make winter packing away considerably easier.
Over a long period, generally yes. Teak resists rot and insect attack without heavy treatment and can last for decades with only an annual clean. If you plan to keep the furniture for many years, the cost per year compares well with replacing cheaper sets.
Small surface checks are common if the timber dries too quickly after rain. Oiling once or twice a year and storing the furniture under cover through winter reduces this considerably, and minor checking does not affect structural strength.
That is a matter of taste. The grey patina is a surface effect only and does not weaken the timber. If you prefer the original colour, apply a sealer each spring, and clean the surface thoroughly before doing so.
Modern preservatives used in the UK are designed for domestic use, including garden furniture and play equipment. Follow the manufacturer guidance, seal any cut ends, and let new timber weather before use if you prefer.
Teak or acacia, because a table surface takes the most direct rain and sun and needs density to stay flat. Softwoods can work for tables but require more frequent recoating and are more likely to cup over time.
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