At a Glance

Janka hardness measures the force required to embed a steel ball halfway into a wood sample it tells you how well a wood resists surface denting and wear. Higher numbers mean harder wood.

Teak is the most dimensionally stable of the three its natural oils make it self-insulating against moisture and termites without any chemical treatment. Sheesham is actually harder than teak on the Janka scale, making it highly resistant to dents and surface wear, but it is reactive to rapid humidity shifts if improperly dried. Mango wood is affordable, genuinely solid, and one of the most sustainable timber options available its open-grain structure requires proper chemical treatment to match the lifespan of traditional hardwoods. Indian climate, particularly the swing between 20% humidity in April and 90% in July, affects all three differently and that difference matters.

Teak

Teak (Tectona grandis) has been the default choice for serious Indian furniture for generations.

Its natural oils make it resistant to moisture, termites, and fungal decay without any chemical treatment. Where other woods drink in monsoon moisture, expand, and eventually crack their own joinery, well-seasoned teak simply sits unchanged.

One thing the Janka table above doesn’t show: Sheesham is technically harder than teak. What teak has that Sheesham doesn’t is dimensional stability — the ability to stay put through India’s violent seasonal humidity swings. Hardness and stability are different properties. For furniture that needs to last generations, stability matters more.

We work almost exclusively with reclaimed teak wood salvaged from old havelis, structural pillars, and demolition sites across Delhi NCR. This wood has already spent fifty to eighty years doing its moving. It has dried naturally over a lifetime, its grain has settled, and its joints move far less than anything built from new timber. When we open a beam from a structure that has stood for seventy years, the wood inside is often denser and more stable than anything available new today. It has already lived through every season India can throw at it.

There is something else about reclaimed teak that is harder to quantify. Before MDF changed what furniture meant in Indian homes, a teak piece was planned for. Saved for. It was looked forward to.

Teak is expensive and quality varies. The market carries sapwood chemically stained to look like mature heartwood. Craftsmanship and provenance matter as much as the species name.

Sheesham

Sheesham (Dalbergia sissoo) is the most widely used hardwood in Indian furniture and its structural numbers are genuinely impressive. With a Janka hardness of 1,660–1,780 lbf — higher than teak — it resists daily dents, deep scratches, and heavy structural loads well. For a heavy bookshelf or hard-wearing dining framework, that density is an asset.

What most commercial makers don’t tell you: Sheesham is highly reactive to rapid atmospheric changes. Because it is so dense, it fights back when humidity swings fast. Improperly dried Sheesham will split its own panels and bind drawers during monsoon season. The wood isn’t the problem — inadequate drying before manufacture is.

Sheesham also requires more maintenance than teak over time. Regular oiling or conditioning keeps it from drying out. It is indoor furniture — prolonged exposure to the elements will shorten its life significantly.

For buyers who want solid hardwood performance without teak’s price, well-made kiln-dried Sheesham is a legitimate choice. It won’t last a hundred years, but it will serve a generation well.

Mango Wood

Mango wood (Mangifera indica) has become one of the more sustainable entries into solid wood furniture. These trees are harvested only after their fruit-bearing lifecycle ends — typically 15–20 years — meaning no natural forest is cleared to source it. That is a genuine sustainability credential.

As a material it sits in an interesting spot. Its open grain frequently absorbs minerals from the soil, producing unexpected colour variations — soft golds, pinks, deep greys — that give each piece visual character that more uniform woods lack. It is relatively easy to shape, which makes it well-suited to detailed or curved forms.

Mango has low natural resistance to moisture, termites, and fungal decay. Raw mango timber without proper treatment is an open invitation to rot. It must undergo rigorous kiln seasoning and chemical pressure treatment — typically boron-based — before it is fit for furniture.

Never buy untreated mango wood. With proper treatment and basic indoor care, a well-made mango piece will give 15–25 years of reliable use. Best suited for buyers who want genuine solid wood on a tighter budget, in low-humidity interiors.

Which Wood Is Right for You

• If you want furniture that outlasts you — reclaimed teak.

• If you want solid hardwood at a sensible price — well-made, kiln-dried sheesham, from a maker who guarantees proper seasoning.

• If budget is the primary constraint — treated mango wood, with realistic expectations on lifespan and placement away from high humidity.

BUT one thing cuts across all three: craftsmanship matters more than species. A well-made sheesham table will outlast a poorly constructed teak one.