Reference
Wood Species Used by Vietnamese Furniture Factories
What each species is, where it comes from, whether it survives outdoors, how it takes a finish and what a factory is likely to offer instead when supply tightens.
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| Species | Botanical name | Origin | Density | Outdoor | Finish behaviour | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acacia | Acacia mangium and hybrids | Plantation, grown in Vietnam | Medium to high | Yes, with oiling | Takes oil well. Strong natural colour variation between boards, so stain needs colour sorting first. | Garden furniture, decking, cutting boards, flooring, panels |
| Rubberwood | Hevea brasiliensis | Plantation by-product, grown in Vietnam | Medium | No | Pale and even, takes stain evenly. Prone to blue fungal stain if not treated quickly after felling. | Indoor furniture, components, edge glued panels, kitchenware |
| Eucalyptus | Eucalyptus urophylla and hybrids | Plantation, grown in Vietnam | Medium to high | Yes, with oiling | Pinkish brown, straighter grain than acacia, so it looks more uniform under a clear finish. | Outdoor furniture, decking, plywood core |
| Pine | Pinus radiata and European species | Imported, machined in Vietnam | Low | Only if treated | Very pale with visible knots and resin. Almost always painted or heavily stained. | Painted furniture, packaging, panels |
| Oak | Quercus species | Imported, machined in Vietnam | High | White oak yes, red oak no | Open grain, so it needs filling for a smooth finish. Reacts with iron and water to stain black. | Premium indoor furniture, flooring, veneer |
| Ash | Fraxinus species | Imported, machined in Vietnam | High | No | Pale with pronounced grain. Bends well, which is why it appears in chair frames. | Chair frames, indoor furniture, veneer |
| Walnut | Juglans nigra and regia | Imported, machined in Vietnam | Medium to high | No | Dark and even. Expensive enough that it usually appears as veneer rather than solid. | Premium furniture, veneered panels, detail parts |
| Teak | Tectona grandis | Imported, mostly plantation | Medium to high | Yes, best in class | Natural oils resist water and insects. Plantation teak from a young rotation does not match old growth performance. | Premium outdoor furniture, marine |
| Thermally modified wood | Various, heat treated | Processed in Vietnam or imported | Reduced by treatment | Yes | Darker throughout, more dimensionally stable, more brittle. Joinery has to account for the brittleness. | Decking, cladding, outdoor furniture |
| Plywood | Mixed veneer core | Made in Vietnam or imported | Varies by core | Only marine or WBP grade | Faced with veneer, melamine or paint. Edge treatment is what separates good from cheap. | Carcasses, backs, flat pack, structural panels |
| MDF | Wood fibre composite | Made in Vietnam or imported | Medium, uniform | No | The flattest substrate available and the best for paint. Swells permanently if it gets wet. | Painted doors, cabinet parts, veneered panels |
| Blockboard | Solid strip core, veneer faced | Made in Vietnam | Medium | No | Lighter than plywood at the same thickness and holds screws better along the core direction. | Shelving, door cores, large flat parts |
Density is given as a band rather than a figure. Published values for the same species vary widely by growing region and rotation age, and a precise number copied from one source would be misleading applied to Vietnamese plantation stock.
The substitution map
When a species tightens, factories offer an alternative. Most of these swaps are legitimate. All of them change something you specified, so approve a new sample rather than accepting the swap by email.
| You specified | You may be offered | What actually changes | Accept when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acacia | Eucalyptus | Colour goes pinker, grain straighter, figure much reduced. Durability is comparable. | The design does not depend on acacia figure and you approve a fresh sample. |
| Rubberwood | Acacia | Darker and more variable, so a stained finish will no longer match the approved sample. | Almost never on a colour matched programme. Fine on a product finished dark or painted. |
| Oak | Ash | Paler with more pronounced grain. Cheaper. Reads as a different product under clear finish. | You are staining dark and the grain pattern is not part of the design. |
| Teak | Acacia with oil | Large drop in natural durability. Needs re-oiling once or twice a year rather than tolerating neglect. | The price point requires it and the care instructions go in the carton. |
| Solid wood | Finger jointed | Visible joints under clear or light finish. More dimensionally stable and cheaper. | The part is painted, stained dark, or hidden. Reject it on a clear finished show surface. |
| Named panel supplier | Whoever had stock | Formaldehyde certification may no longer cover your product for the US market. | Never without a new certificate covering the exact grade and thickness. |
| Plywood back panel | MDF back panel | Cheaper and flatter. Fails permanently if the product ever meets moisture. | Indoor product in a dry market, and you have priced the warranty risk. |
How to use this when you specify
Four lines in a specification remove most species disputes before they start.
- Name the botanical speciesNot just acacia. The botanical name is what goes on a Lacey Act declaration and an EUDR file, and a mismatch there holds containers.
- State the gradeClear grade against a rustic grade is a large price difference on the same species, and it decides how much colour and knot variation arrives.
- State the moisture targetBy destination market, as a range, with the measurement method. This matters more than species for whether the product survives.
- Require notice before substitutionOne sentence in the purchase contract. It converts a silent swap into a conversation with a new sample.
Questions about species selection
Which species should I pick if I am starting from nothing?
For indoor furniture with a controlled colour, rubberwood. For anything living outdoors, acacia. Those two cover most of what leaves Vietnam, they are the cheapest to source and the factories have the most repetition on them.
Why is oak more expensive in Vietnam than in Europe or the US?
Because it is imported. You pay the international log price plus freight into Vietnam, then Vietnamese machining. The saving is only on labour, so the advantage is narrow on any product where the wood dominates the cost.
Is plantation teak the same as the teak in old garden furniture?
No. Old growth teak had decades to develop the oils and density that gave it its reputation. Plantation teak on a short rotation is a different material sold under the same name, and it does not perform the same outdoors.
What is the most common species problem on a first order?
Colour variation on acacia. The wood is genuinely variable and factories sort to a range rather than to a colour. Approve a light limit sample and a dark limit sample, and write the sorting rule into the contract.
Can I mix species in one product?
Yes, and most furniture does. Declare species by component in the bill of materials, because each wood component carries its own legality documentation and a mixed product with one blanket species name is the most common paperwork failure.
Not sure which species fits your product?
Send the product and the market. We match it with factories that already work that species, and reply within 24 business hours.