Home / Wood Compare / Meranti Red Lauan vs Sugi Japanese Cedar
Professional Comparison · Verified Engineering Data · Updated 19 July 2026
Meranti Red Lauan VS Sugi Japanese Cedar
Which wood is better for your project? Scores are computed from the verified figures on each species page — how we score.
🥇
Meranti Red Lauan
8/100 Library Score
🪵Hardwood
- Harder wear surface (Janka 800 vs 320 lbf)
- Stronger in bending (MOR 79.3 vs 36.4 MPa)
🥈
Sugi Japanese Cedar
2/100 Library Score
🌲Softwood
- Easier to machine and fasten
- Lighter (0.38 vs 0.52 g/cm³)
- Solid choice where its profile fits the project
Visual comparison
Meranti Red LauanSugi Japanese Cedar
Winner by category
There isn't one universally best wood — there's a best wood for each purpose.
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Durability | Tie |
| Stability | Tie |
| Hardness | Meranti Red Lauan |
| Strength (MOR) | Meranti Red Lauan |
| Stiffness (MOE) | Meranti Red Lauan |
| Flame spread | Tie |
| Machining ease | Sugi Japanese Cedar |
| Lightness | Sugi Japanese Cedar |
Engineering data
| Property | Meranti Red Lauan | Sugi Japanese Cedar |
|---|---|---|
| Janka Hardness | 800WD lbf | 320WD lbf |
| Density | 0.52FPL g/cm³ | 0.38WD g/cm³ |
| MOE | 10.6FPL GPa | 7.65WD GPa |
| MOR | 79.3FPL MPa | 36.4WD MPa |
| Durability | Class 3 Moderately Durable | Class 3 Moderately Durable |
| Stability | Poor (warp-prone) | Poor (warp-prone) |
| Fire (E84) | Class C indicative | Class C indicative |
| Radial Shrink | 3WD % | 2.1WD % |
| Tangential Shrink | 7.5WD % | 6.8WD % |
| T/R Ratio | 2.5 | 3.24 |
Figures carry the same source status as the species pages they come from — verified where cited, indicative where marked.
Best for
| Application | Recommended | Suitability |
|---|---|---|
| Flooring / wear surfaces | 🥇 Meranti Red Lauan | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Furniture / interior joinery | 🥇 Sugi Japanese Cedar | ★★★☆☆ |
| Structural / load-bearing | 🥇 Meranti Red Lauan | ★★☆☆☆ |
Advantages & limitations
Meranti Red Lauan
Advantages
Limitations
- Noticeable seasonal movement — allow for it in design
Sugi Japanese Cedar
Advantages
- Easy to machine, glue and fasten
- Lightweight — easy handling and installation
Limitations
- Noticeable seasonal movement — allow for it in design
- Soft surface — dents under point loads
Recommendation
Choose Meranti Red Lauan if…
- The surface takes traffic or impact
Choose Sugi Japanese Cedar if…
- Ease of working and fastening matters
- Weight matters — ceilings, wall panels, transport
- Its profile matches the application better than a single overall score
Frequently asked questions
Which is more durable, Meranti Red Lauan or Sugi Japanese Cedar?
Neither — both carry the same EN 350 rating (Class 3, Moderately Durable). For outdoor decisions between them, weigh dimensional stability and hardness instead.
Which wood is better for outdoor use?
They are closely matched outdoors — durability and stability come out almost level. Let the application decide: harder surface for decking traffic, lighter weight for cladding.
Is Meranti Red Lauan harder than Sugi Japanese Cedar?
Yes — Janka 800 lbf vs 320 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.