Home / Wood Compare / Indian Rosewood vs Shisham Sissoo
Professional Comparison · Verified Engineering Data · Updated 19 July 2026
Indian Rosewood VS Shisham Sissoo
Which wood is better for your project? Scores are computed from the verified figures on each species page — how we score.
🥇
Indian Rosewood
74/100 Library Score
🪵Hardwood🌧Outdoor
- Higher durability (EN 350 Class 1 vs Class 2)
- Harder wear surface (Janka 2440 vs 1660 lbf)
- Stronger in bending (MOR 116.0 vs 97.5 MPa)
🥈
Shisham Sissoo
52/100 Library Score
🪵Hardwood🌧Outdoor💧Moisture Stable
- Easier to machine and fasten
- More stable in service
- Solid choice where its profile fits the project
Visual comparison
Indian RosewoodShisham Sissoo
Winner by category
There isn't one universally best wood — there's a best wood for each purpose.
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Durability | Indian Rosewood |
| Stability | Shisham Sissoo |
| Hardness | Indian Rosewood |
| Strength (MOR) | Indian Rosewood |
| Stiffness (MOE) | Indian Rosewood |
| Flame spread | Tie |
| Machining ease | Shisham Sissoo |
| Lightness | Tie |
Engineering data
| Property | Indian Rosewood | Shisham Sissoo |
|---|---|---|
| Janka Hardness | 2440WD lbf | 1660WD lbf |
| Density | 0.75FPL g/cm³ | 0.75WD g/cm³ |
| MOE | 11.6FPL GPa | 10.4WD GPa |
| MOR | 116.0FPL MPa | 97.5WD MPa |
| Durability | Class 1 Very Durable | Class 2 Durable |
| Stability | Moderate | Good |
| Fire (E84) | Class B indicative | Class B indicative |
| Radial Shrink | 2.7WD % | 3.1WD % |
| Tangential Shrink | 5.8WD % | 5.3WD % |
| T/R Ratio | 2.15 | 1.71 |
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 | 🥇 Indian Rosewood | ★★★★☆ |
| Exterior cladding | 🥇 Indian Rosewood | ★★★☆☆ |
| Flooring / wear surfaces | 🥇 Shisham Sissoo | ★★★★☆ |
| Furniture / interior joinery | 🥇 Shisham Sissoo | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Structural / load-bearing | 🥇 Indian Rosewood | ★★★☆☆ |
Advantages & limitations
Indian Rosewood
Advantages
- Rated for exterior exposure (EN 350 Class 1)
- Hard wear surface, dent-resistant
Limitations
- Noticeable seasonal movement — allow for it in design
- Hard on tooling; pre-drilling recommended
- Heavy — consider structure and handling
Shisham Sissoo
Advantages
- Rated for exterior exposure (EN 350 Class 2)
Limitations
- Hard on tooling; pre-drilling recommended
- Heavy — consider structure and handling
Recommendation
Choose Indian Rosewood if…
- The project lives outdoors and service life is the priority
- The surface takes traffic or impact
Choose Shisham Sissoo if…
- Ease of working and fastening matters
- Its profile matches the application better than a single overall score
Frequently asked questions
Which is more durable, Indian Rosewood or Shisham Sissoo?
Indian Rosewood — it carries the better EN 350 rating (Class 1 vs Class 2). Lower class numbers mean higher natural durability.
Which wood is better for outdoor use?
Indian Rosewood — outdoor performance combines decay durability with dimensional stability, and it leads on that combination.
Is Indian Rosewood harder than Shisham Sissoo?
Yes — Janka 2440 lbf vs 1660 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.