Teak is beautiful and naturally rot-resistant, but it’s expensive and has sustainability concerns. I’ve used several alternatives that look similar and perform well.
Ipe
Brazilian hardwood, incredibly dense and durable. Natural oils make it rot-resistant without treatment. Takes a beating. Colors range from olive brown to dark chocolate.
Downsides: Hard on tools, expensive (though often cheaper than teak), heavy to work with. Some sustainability concerns depending on sourcing.
White Oak
Domestic option with closed grain that resists water penetration. Traditional boat-building wood. More affordable and easier to source than exotic hardwoods.
Needs sealing for outdoor use but performs well when properly finished. A solid choice for outdoor furniture if you’re willing to maintain it.
Black Locust
North American hardwood that’s naturally rot-resistant – some tests show it outlasting teak in ground contact. Yellowish color weathers to gray. Hard and durable.
Difficult to find in larger dimensions. Works well for garden furniture and fence posts where smaller pieces are fine.
Thermally Modified Wood
Regular softwoods heated to high temperatures become more stable and rot-resistant. Ash, poplar, and pine are common starting materials. The process is chemical-free.
Looks different from natural teak but performs surprisingly well outdoors. More affordable than tropical hardwoods.
FSC-Certified Teak
If you want actual teak, look for Forest Stewardship Council certification. It’s still teak with all its properties, but sourced from managed plantations rather than old-growth forests. More expensive but addresses the ethics.
Making the Choice
Consider your project, budget, and values. For high-end outdoor furniture, certified teak or ipe make sense. For a garden bench, white oak or black locust does the job at lower cost with domestic sourcing.
