Home / Wood Compare / Balau vs Bangkirai
Professional Comparison · Verified Engineering Data · Updated 19 July 2026
Balau VS Bangkirai
Which wood is better for your project? Scores are computed from the verified figures on each species page — how we score.
🥇
Balau
81/100 Library Score
🪵Hardwood🌧Outdoor💧Moisture Stable
- Better dimensional stability (Good vs Moderate)
🥈
Bangkirai
78/100 Library Score
🪵Hardwood🌧Outdoor🔥Low Flame Spread
- Close second across most categories
- Solid choice where its profile fits the project
Visual comparison
BalauBangkirai
Winner by category
There isn't one universally best wood — there's a best wood for each purpose.
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Durability | Tie |
| Stability | Balau |
| Hardness | Bangkirai |
| Strength (MOR) | Tie |
| Stiffness (MOE) | Tie |
| Flame spread | Bangkirai |
| Machining ease | Balau |
| Lightness | Balau |
Engineering data
| Property | Balau | Bangkirai |
|---|---|---|
| Janka Hardness | 1700WD lbf | 1798PROSEA lbf |
| Density | 0.78FPL g/cm³ | 0.85PROSEA g/cm³ |
| MOE | 18.0FPL GPa | 18.0 GPa |
| MOR | 138.0FPL MPa | 142.0 MPa |
| Durability | Class 2 Durable | Class 2 Durable |
| Stability | Good | Moderate |
| Fire (E84) | Class B indicative | Class A indicative |
| Radial Shrink | 3.5WD % | 4.2PROSEA % |
| Tangential Shrink | 6.5WD % | 9.3PROSEA % |
| T/R Ratio | 1.86 | 2.21 |
Figures carry the same source status as the species pages they come from — verified where cited, indicative where marked.
Best for
| Application | Recommended | Suitability |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor decking / pergola | 🥇 Balau | ★★★★☆ |
| Flooring / wear surfaces | 🥇 Balau | ★★★★☆ |
| Furniture / interior joinery | 🥇 Balau | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Structural / load-bearing | 🥇 Bangkirai | ★★★★★ |
Advantages & limitations
Balau
Advantages
- Rated for exterior exposure (EN 350 Class 2)
Limitations
- Hard on tooling; pre-drilling recommended
- Heavy — consider structure and handling
Bangkirai
Advantages
- Rated for exterior exposure (EN 350 Class 2)
- Hard wear surface, dent-resistant
- Best flame-spread class (E84 Class A, indicative)
Limitations
- Noticeable seasonal movement — allow for it in design
- Hard on tooling; pre-drilling recommended
- Heavy — consider structure and handling
Recommendation
Choose Balau if…
- You need minimal movement (doors, decking, panelling)
Choose Bangkirai if…
- Its profile matches the application better than a single overall score
Frequently asked questions
Which is more durable, Balau or Bangkirai?
Neither — both carry the same EN 350 rating (Class 2, Durable). For outdoor decisions between them, weigh dimensional stability and hardness instead.
Which wood is better for outdoor use?
Balau — outdoor performance combines decay durability with dimensional stability, and it leads on that combination.
Is Balau harder than Bangkirai?
No — Bangkirai is harder (Janka 1798 vs 1700 lbf).
How we score. Each wood gets a weighted composite of the verified figures shown above: durability 22%, stability 18%, hardness 12%, bending strength 12%, machining ease 12%, stiffness 8%, flame spread 8%, lightness 8%. The Library Score is that composite's percentile rank within our 60-species library — 50 means the library median, 90 means it outperforms nine of every ten species we cover. No price data is scored — cost guidance is qualitative. The score summarises the data; it does not replace judgement about your specific application.