Home / Wood Compare / Silver Birch vs Mango Wood
Professional Comparison · Verified Engineering Data · Updated 19 July 2026
Silver Birch VS Mango Wood
Which wood is better for your project? Scores are computed from the verified figures on each species page — how we score.
🥇
Silver Birch
48/100 Library Score
🪵Hardwood💧Moisture Stable
- Stronger in bending (MOR 114.3 vs 88.5 MPa)
- Better flame-spread class (Class B vs Class C)
🥈
Mango Wood
29/100 Library Score
🪵Hardwood💧Moisture Stable🌿Sustainable
- Easier to machine and fasten
- Lighter (0.51 vs 0.61 g/cm³)
- Solid choice where its profile fits the project
Visual comparison
Silver BirchMango Wood
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 | Silver Birch |
| Strength (MOR) | Silver Birch |
| Stiffness (MOE) | Silver Birch |
| Flame spread | Silver Birch |
| Machining ease | Mango Wood |
| Lightness | Mango Wood |
Engineering data
| Property | Silver Birch | Mango Wood |
|---|---|---|
| Janka Hardness | 1210WD lbf | 1070WD lbf |
| Density | 0.61WD g/cm³ | 0.51WD g/cm³ |
| MOE | 14.0WD GPa | 11.53WD GPa |
| MOR | 114.3WD MPa | 88.5WD MPa |
| Durability | Class 5 Not Durable | Class 5 Not Durable |
| Stability | Excellent | Excellent |
| Fire (E84) | Class B indicative | Class C indicative |
| Radial Shrink | 5.3 % | 3.6WD % |
| Tangential Shrink | 7.8 % | 5.5WD % |
| T/R Ratio | 1.47 | 1.53 |
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 | 🥇 Silver Birch | ★★★☆☆ |
| Furniture / interior joinery | 🥇 Mango Wood | ★★★★☆ |
| Structural / load-bearing | 🥇 Silver Birch | ★★★★☆ |
Advantages & limitations
Silver Birch
Advantages
- Very low movement in service
Limitations
- Not durable outdoors untreated (Class 5)
Mango Wood
Advantages
- Very low movement in service
Limitations
- Not durable outdoors untreated (Class 5)
Recommendation
Choose Silver Birch if…
- The surface takes traffic or impact
Choose Mango Wood 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, Silver Birch or Mango Wood?
Neither — both carry the same EN 350 rating (Class 5, Not 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 Silver Birch harder than Mango Wood?
Yes — Janka 1210 lbf vs 1070 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.