Guide
Teak vs suar vs rattan: which material should you choose?
Published 10 October 2026. Facts, rates and dates checked against the cited sources on 10 October 2026.
Choose teak for outdoor furniture and for pieces you want to last for decades, because its heartwood rates as very durable against decay. Suar, also called monkey pod, gives you wide figured slabs for dining tables and live-edge tops, since the trees grow trunks up to 1.2 m across. Natural rattan makes light indoor seating; for outdoor wicker, pick synthetic rattan.
What makes teak durable?
Teak (Tectona grandis) is native to southern Asia and grows on plantations across tropical Africa, Asia and Latin America. The Wood Database rates its heartwood as very durable and resistant to termites. The wood carries natural oils that give unfinished surfaces a slightly greasy feel, and up to 1.4% silica, which blunts cutting tools.
The same source gives teak an average dried weight of 655 kg/m³ and a Janka hardness of 4,740 N, and credits it with superb stability. Its shrinkage from green to oven-dry is 2.6% radial and 5.3% tangential. The heartwood starts golden to medium brown and darkens with age. Left outdoors without oil, the surface weathers to silver grey.
What do teak grades A, B and C mean?
Sellers set these grades themselves, so two workshops can mean different timber by "Grade A". Focus on heartwood against sapwood: the durability rating for teak applies to its heartwood, and pale yellow or white streaks show sapwood. Ask the supplier to put these points in writing:
- the share of heartwood in the visible parts of each piece
- the size and number of knots they accept
- where the teak grew, and whether it is plantation timber
- the moisture content of the timber when it leaves the workshop
What is suar wood, and why is it used for slabs?
Suar is the Indonesian trade name for Albizia saman, also listed as Samanea saman and sold as monkey pod or raintree. The tree is native to Central and South America and planted across the tropics. According to the Wood Database, it reaches 30 to 38 m in height with a trunk of 1 to 1.2 m. That girth lets Bali workshops cut single slabs wide enough for a dining table.
The Wood Database rates suar as durable to very durable against decay and resistant to most insect attack. It weighs about 600 kg/m³, with a Janka hardness of 4,010 N, a little softer than teak. Shrinkage is low: 3.4% tangential and 2.0% radial from green to oven-dry. The grain runs straight in most boards but can turn curly or wild, and boards with that figure cost more.
A live-edge slab keeps the natural outer edge of the trunk along its sides. Suar has thin yellow-white sapwood with a sharp boundary against the brown heartwood, so a live-edge top shows a pale band along its edges. If you want an even colour, ask the workshop to trim the sapwood off.
Natural or synthetic rattan: which do you need?
Rattan is a spiny climbing palm with some 600 species, and the FAO has estimated that Indonesia supplies 80 to 90% of the world's raw rattan (FAO, Rattan in the twenty-first century). Workshops bend the thick canes into frames and weave the thinner strands into seats, backs and headboards.
Natural rattan is a plant material. Keep it indoors or under a solid roof, away from rain and strong sun. Synthetic rattan is a plastic strand woven to look like cane, and it is the version to use for gardens, pool decks and open terraces.
Duty rates split the same way. Hand-made rattan furniture pays 5.6% EU duty unless you claim the GSP preference, and wooden furniture pays none. Our guide to importing furniture from Bali has the codes and rates.
How does Bali furniture cope with a European home?
Wood takes up or gives off moisture until it matches the air around it. U.S. Forest Products Laboratory figures, published in an equilibrium moisture content chart, show wood held at about 27 °C and 80% relative humidity settling near 15.7% moisture content. The same wood in a heated room at about 21 °C and 40% humidity settles near 7.7%.
Wood shrinks as it dries, most of all across the grain: from green to oven-dry, teak shrinks 5.3% and suar 3.4% in the tangential direction. Moisture loss after delivery splits tabletops and opens joints in the first winter. Ask the workshop to kiln-dry the timber to suit the climate of your home, and to tell you the moisture reading at dispatch. When the furniture arrives, unpack it in the room where it will stay and keep it away from radiators, stoves and underfloor heating outlets.
For custom tables, Feels Like Bali completes the final production and finishing in Europe, so the finish goes on in the climate the table will live in.
How do you care for teak, suar and rattan?
- Teak outdoors: wash with mild soap, water and a soft brush. Oil it if you want to keep the golden colour, or leave it bare and let it turn grey.
- Suar tables: wipe spills at once, use coasters and mats under hot dishes, and renew the finish when water stops beading on the surface.
- Natural rattan: dust with a soft brush, wipe with a damp cloth and dry it straight away. Never soak it.
- Synthetic rattan: rinse with a hose and store the cushions indoors over winter.
Which material should you pick for your project?
| Use | Material | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Garden or poolside dining set | Teak, or synthetic rattan | Very durable heartwood; a plastic weave made for outdoor use |
| Large dining table or live-edge top | Suar | Wide single slabs from trunks of 1 to 1.2 m |
| Lounge chairs and headboards indoors | Natural rattan | Light, woven and suited to indoor rooms |
| Bathroom vanity or shelving | Teak | Decay-resistant heartwood and natural oils |
| Sideboards and cabinets | Teak or suar | Both are durable, and both glue and finish well |
Frequently asked questions
Is suar the same as monkey pod?
Yes. Suar, monkey pod and raintree are trade names for the same tree, Albizia saman, also listed as Samanea saman.
Is teak or suar better for a dining table?
Suar gives you wider single-slab tops and bolder grain. Teak is harder, at 4,740 N Janka against 4,010 N for suar, and its heartwood is rated very durable, so it suits outdoor tables and heavy daily use.
Can suar furniture go outside?
The Wood Database rates suar as durable to very durable against decay. A finished slab table still belongs under a roof, because sun and rain wear the finish and wide slabs move with every change in humidity.
Is natural rattan suitable for outdoor use?
Keep natural rattan indoors or under a solid roof, away from rain and strong sun. For open terraces and pool decks, choose synthetic rattan.
Why did my wooden table crack after delivery?
Wood dries towards the humidity of your room and shrinks as it goes. Wood held at about 27 °C and 80% humidity sits near 15.7% moisture, and in a heated room at about 21 °C and 40% humidity it settles near 7.7%. Ask for kiln-dried timber and keep new pieces away from heat sources.
What does Grade A teak mean?
Each seller defines its own grades. Ask what share of the visible wood is heartwood, since the durability rating for teak applies to the heartwood.
Planning a project?
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