Home / Species / Mango Wood

By Deepak Kumar · Founder, Vriksai

India and South Asia

Mango Wood

Mangifera indica

Also known as mango, mangowood · Botanical Mangifera indica

Last updated: 15 July 2026Reviewed by: Vriksai editorial team — timber trade professionalsEditorial policy

Revision history

17 July 2026 — Data re-verified in site-wide audit (formulas, sources, durability classes)
15 July 2026 — Working properties and comparable-species data cross-checked against listed sources

🪵Hardwood💧Moisture Stable🌿Sustainable

Janka Hardness

1070WD

lbf

Janka (metric)

4759calc

Hardness Class

Mediumcalc

Density

0.51wd

g/cm³

MOE

11.5wd

GPa

MOR

88.5WD

MPa

Durability

Class 5

Not Durable

Fire (E84)

Class C

indicative

Thermal k

0.143

W/m·K

Green MC

85—

Fiber Saturation

28—

Radial Shrink

3.6WD

Tangential Shrink

5.5WD

T/R Ratio

1.53derived

Stability

Excellentcalc

About the fire rating. Indicative only, derived from density and published data — not a certified rating. Real performance depends on product, thickness, coating and installation. What our ratings do and do not certify.

Compare this wood:⚖ vs Neem ⚖ vs Rubber Wood ⚖ vs Silver Birch ⚖ vs Southern Yellow Pine All comparisons →

About Mango Wood

Mango Wood (Mangifera indica) is a mid-range timber, hard enough for everyday wear and still easy to work, with a Janka hardness of 1,070 lbf (4,759 N) and a density of about 0.51 g/cm³. It grows in India and South Asia.

Radial 3.6% against tangential 5.5% is an unusually even T/R ratio of 1.53 — Mango Wood shrinks close to uniformly, which is why it holds a flat panel in interior joinery and furniture. Its fibre saturation point is near 28%. Below it the wood shrinks steadily — 5.5% tangential, 3.6% radial. Ordinary territory: design the gaps rather than hoping the finish will hold it.5% tangential against 3.6% radial, quartersawn stock will behave noticeably better than flatsawn.

At 510 kg/m³ a cubic metre of Mango Wood weighs about 510 kg air-dry — that figure, the 5.5% tangential and 3.6% radial movement and the 1,070 lbf hardness are the three inputs the calculators below actually consume. Select Mango Wood in any of them to get species-specific results for weight, moisture, shrinkage and hardness.

Working properties

How Mango Wood behaves at the bench and on the machine, drawn from international wood-technology databases and South-Asian timber references.

MachiningEasy enough for a hardwood — it cuts and carves readily, which is why it carries so much shaped and turned work, but there are two catches: interlocked or wild grain tears out, and reaction wood can shift as it is sawn and bind on the blade. Its fairly high silica content dulls cutting edges quickly, so sharpen early and often.

FasteningTakes screws and nails readily without much splitting.

GluingGlues well with standard adhesives.

FinishingA strong suit — it sands, stains, waxes and polishes to a high lustre. Spalting from fungal activity is common and prized, giving the kaleidoscope of golden brown, yellow, pink and black streaks the wood is known for.

Steam bendingNot a recognised bending timber; its value is in carving and shaping.

DryingSeason it slowly and evenly, sealing the ends — it is less dense than many hardwoods and reacts to humidity swings, so it will warp, crack or split if rushed.

Durability & use classification

Mango is rated non-durable (EN 350 Class 5) and is susceptible to both fungal and insect attack. Be aware that furniture-trade marketing often claims mango is water-resistant and fine outdoors; the wood-technology sources do not support that — ratings run from moderately durable at best down to perishable. Treat it as an interior timber and keep it dry.

Typical applications & suitability

Indoor — Indoor use. Mango's real appeal is economic and environmental: it is a by-product of the fruit industry, harvested once trees stop cropping, which makes it an abundant, affordable and genuinely sustainable furniture hardwood.

Documented end-uses: furniture (its dominant use, especially in India), cabinetry and joinery, flooring, plywood and veneer, turned objects and carving, kitchenware and chopping boards, and musical instruments such as ukuleles and drums.

Comparable species

Species closest to Mango Wood by density, hardness, stiffness and bending strength, computed directly from the Vriksai species dataset rather than hand-picked.

African Mahogany520 kg/m³ · 1070 lbf Rubber Wood550 kg/m³ · 960 lbf Hinoki Cypress420 kg/m³ · 1010 lbf American Cherry500 kg/m³ · 950 lbf

Trade alternatives. Its closest look-alike in the trade is Rubber Wood — another plantation by-product timber, and easily confused with mango on finished furniture. For a durable Indian alternative at higher cost, Shisham (Sissoo) or Teak.

Alternatives to Mango Wood

Mango Wood measures 1,070 lbf Janka at 0.51 g/cm³, EN 350 durability Class 5, movement rated Excellent. Mango Wood is rated Excellent for movement, which is usually why it was specified — so nothing below trades that stability down. Read the numbers against the Janka scale and EN 350 durability classes.

Step up — harder than Mango Wood

For furniture and interior joinery that needs to survive handling as well as humidity. Harder resists denting; check the movement figures have not worsened with it.

ThermoWood Birch Thermo-D1,210 lbf · 0.62 g/cm³ · Class 2+13% Janka · 0.62 g/cm³ · exterior-rated Silver Birch1,210 lbf · 0.61 g/cm³ · Class 5+13% Janka · 0.61 g/cm³ Iroko1,260 lbf · 0.55 g/cm³ · Class 1+18% Janka · exterior-rated

Step down — softer than Mango Wood

Easier to machine and to hand-finish, for interior work where the surface is not taking abuse.

American Cherry950 lbf · 0.50 g/cm³ · Class 3-11% Janka Rubber Wood960 lbf · 0.55 g/cm³ · Class 5-10% Janka Southern Yellow Pine870 lbf · 0.51 g/cm³ · Class 4-19% Janka

Similar, but more dimensionally stable

Already well behaved — these are the few in our library that are measurably steadier still. Size the gaps with the shrinkage predictor and EMC calculator.

Accoya Acetylated Radiata Pine710 lbf · 0.51 g/cm³ · Class 1stability gained by modification, not by species · rated Exceptional vs Excellent · 0.7% radial movement vs 3.6%Iroko1,260 lbf · 0.55 g/cm³ · Class 1T/R ratio 1.36 vs 1.53 — less cupping tendency · 3.8% tangential movement vs 5.5%

Closest overall match

If Mango Wood is unavailable and the specification cannot change, these are the nearest substitutes across hardness, density, movement, stiffness, bending strength and durability class together — not on any single property. Lower distance means a closer match.

White Ashmatch 1.561,320 lbf · 0.60 g/cm³ · Class 51,320 lbf vs 1,070 · 0.60 vs 0.51 g/cm³ Silver Birchmatch 1.851,210 lbf · 0.61 g/cm³ · Class 51,210 lbf vs 1,070 · 0.61 vs 0.51 g/cm³ Rubber Woodmatch 2.10960 lbf · 0.55 g/cm³ · Class 5960 lbf vs 1,070 · 0.55 vs 0.51 g/cm³

More durable for exterior use

Mango Wood is EN 350 Class 5, so untreated exterior service is not advisable. These reach Class 1–2 at comparable hardness.

Burma Teak Premium Grade1,070 lbf · 0.66 g/cm³ · Class 1EN 350 Class 1 vs Class 5 Teak1,070 lbf · 0.55 g/cm³ · Class 1EN 350 Class 1 vs Class 5 Thermally Modified Oak1,120 lbf · 0.68 g/cm³ · Class 1EN 350 Class 1 vs Class 5 · modified timber

Computed from measured properties only — hardness, density, movement, stiffness, bending strength and EN 350 class. Price, availability and appearance are never inputs. Figures are representative values, not consignment absolutes: two species within a few percent are equivalent until verified on the material. Full method and the rules the engine cannot break.

Substitution is a match on durability class, movement and strength — not on colour or grain. Where two candidates are close, compare them directly before specifying.

Compare Mango Wood side by side

These comparisons turn on movement and finish quality more than on raw strength. Every pairing shows the measured figures side by side; full matrix in the comparison index.

Mango Wood vs Rubber WoodSide-by-side data · 960 lbf Mango Wood vs Silver BirchSide-by-side data · 1,210 lbf Mango Wood vs Southern Yellow PineSide-by-side data · 870 lbf Mango Wood vs NeemSide-by-side data · 1,460 lbf

Calculators relevant to Mango Wood

Weighted towards joinery and finishing, where Mango Wood is normally used. Full set in the tool index.

Timber Post & Column Load CalculatorConstruction Wind Load Calculator for Timber Structures (IS 875)Construction Wood Expansion Gap CalculatorJoinery Dovetail Spacing CalculatorJoinery Compound Miter Angle CalculatorJoinery Wood Bending Radius CalculatorManufacturing Veneer Layup CalculatorManufacturing Veneer Matching GuideManufacturing

Understand the figures

Janka hardness scale — how the lbf figure is measured · Wood density reference — oven-dry vs air-dry basis · Moisture content — EMC, FSP and service conditions · Strength properties — MOR, MOE and what they govern.

Further reading. What is ThermoWood? · Wood moisture content explained · How to calculate board feet.

Common questions about Mango Wood

How hard is Mango Wood, and what does that mean in practice?

At 1,070 lbf (4,759 N) it sits in the middle of the hardness range. That is hard enough for domestic flooring, worktops and furniture in normal use, and still cuts cleanly with ordinary sharp tools. It is the range most cabinet and joinery timbers fall into, which is why it is such a common choice.

Will Mango Wood hold up outdoors?

Honestly, not on its own — it's rated Not Durable (Class 5, EN 350), so untreated it won't last long once it's exposed to weather or damp. If you want to use it outside, it needs proper preservative treatment and a maintained finish. For interior work, though, durability isn't a concern at all and you can use it freely.

Does Mango Wood move much once it's installed?

It's one of the more stable timbers, which is part of its appeal. Radial 3.6% against tangential 5.5% is an unusually even T/R ratio of 1.53 — Mango Wood shrinks close to uniformly, which is why it holds a flat panel in interior joinery and furniture. You'll still want it dried to the right moisture content for your climate, but cupping and gaps are less of a worry than with a less stable wood.

unverified no published source for this figure · WD The Wood Database (Eric Meier) · calc derived from the figures above · — no published source found

Tools that use this species

Janka Database ToolHardness for 60 species Green Weight CalculatorWeight of green timber Shrinkage PredictorDimensional movement EMC CalculatorEquilibrium moisture content Fiber Saturation CalculatorFSP by species Volume Converterm3, CFT, board feet

Sources & references

The Wood Database (Eric Meier) — compiled species data, one of the references behind the panel above. Which figure comes from which reference is not recorded field by field. Spot checks show the numbers do trace to published sources, but not all to the same one: strength values for US species follow the USDA FPL Wood Handbook exactly, while European species draw on European references instead. So a figure that disagrees with any single reference here is not necessarily wrong — different bodies measure specific gravity and shrinkage on different bases. If a number matters to your work, check it against the reference you intend to rely on.
International wood-technology databases — Mangifera indica species records · machining, silica content, durability, uses
South-Asian timber references — mango timber seasoning and furniture-trade data · seasoning, applications
EN 350 — European standard for natural durability of wood · durability class

Updated 15 Jul 2026 Values are representative; wood varies with provenance, age and grade. Confirm critical structural or fire figures against a test report for your actual product.