Softwood pallets are built from conifers such as pine, spruce and fir; hardwood pallets from broadleaf trees such as oak, maple and poplar. Softwood is lighter, easier to nail and dominant in Europe, while hardwood is denser, stiffer and more durable, which is why mixed hardwoods supply much of the pallet lumber in the eastern United States. Neither is better in every case: the right choice depends on load, number of trips and freight weight.
What the terms mean
The words describe botany, not hardness. Softwoods come from gymnosperms, mostly conifers with needles or scales and cones. Hardwoods come from angiosperms, the flowering broadleaf trees. Some hardwoods are very soft (balsa, and to a degree poplar and aspen), and some softwoods are relatively hard (certain southern pines, larch).
For pallet makers, the useful properties are density, strength and stiffness, splitting behavior, nail holding, moisture behavior and availability. Density is the best single indicator, because strength and stiffness increase roughly with it.
Typical properties compared
The figures below are typical approximate values for air-dry wood at about 12% moisture content. They vary between trees, regions and growth rates, so treat them as orientation, not specification. Reference tables of species properties are published in the USDA Forest Products Laboratory Wood Handbook and in university references.
| Property | Softwoods (pine, spruce, fir) | Hardwoods (oak, maple, mixed Appalachian) | Poplar and aspen (light hardwoods) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density at 12% moisture | Roughly 400–550 kg/m³ (25–34 lb/ft³) | Roughly 600–800 kg/m³ (37–50 lb/ft³) | Roughly 400–500 kg/m³ |
| Strength and stiffness | Moderate | High | Moderate |
| Nail holding | Easy to nail; good with ring-shank nails | Hard to nail; tends to split without pre-drilling or suitable nails | Good |
| Weight of finished pallet | Lighter | Heavier | Similar to softwood |
| Wear and impact resistance | Moderate | High | Low to moderate |
| Typical pallet use | One-way and reusable | Heavy-duty and reusable | Light-duty and one-way |
To put the density difference into context, one published table based on the Wood Handbook gives specific gravity 0.48 for Douglas-fir, 0.55 for paper birch and 0.72 for Oregon white oak, so a dense oak plank weighs about half again as much as a Douglas-fir plank of the same size. The density of specific species is listed in the wood density table.
Where each type dominates
Europe. Pallet production is based on softwood, mainly spruce, pine and fir from Nordic, Baltic and Central European forests, because those species are abundant, light and easy to work. Standardized pallets such as the Euro pallet are produced from softwood boards and blocks; see the Euro pallet and spruce and fir.
North America. Both groups are used, with strong regional differences. In the southern United States, southern yellow pine dominates; see southern yellow pine. In the Appalachian and eastern hardwood regions, sawmills sell large volumes of oak and mixed hardwood lumber to pallet makers, and pallets are one of the largest markets for low-grade hardwood. Poplar is also used; see poplar and birch.
Southern hemisphere and Asia. Plantation softwoods such as radiata pine are dominant in New Zealand, Chile and Australia; see radiata pine. Tropical and temperate hardwoods and fast-growing species such as eucalyptus supply pallet lumber in some Asian and African markets.
For a species-by-species overview, see pallet wood species.
Practical differences in manufacturing
- Nailing. Dense hardwood resists penetration and tends to split near edges. Producers use pneumatic nailers with ring-shank or helical nails, sometimes with pre-drilled or tapered-point nails. Softwood accepts nails easily. See pallet nails and fasteners.
- Moisture. Freshly sawn hardwood is heavy with water and can shrink and check as it dries; green lumber also raises mould risk after treatment. See wood moisture content.
- Sawing. Hardwood wears blades faster and needs more power; softwood is quicker and cheaper to cut.
- Grading. Pallet lumber is typically low-grade material, including wane, knots and short lengths, which affects strength more than species does.
Performance, cost and rules
Hardwood's advantages show up in reusable, closed-loop pallets that carry heavy loads or go through many handling cycles: it resists impact, board splitting and fork damage. Softwood pallets are lighter, which saves freight and handling effort, and are cheaper to buy and to treat. Pallet weight is a real cost factor for air and parcel freight and for manual handling; see the pallet weight guide.
Stiffness and deflection matter too: a stiffer hardwood deck may allow thinner boards for the same capacity, while softwood often needs thicker or additional boards. Actual capacity depends on the design, the grade of the lumber and the fasteners as much as on the species, and is determined by testing rather than by species alone.
Cost and availability
Price depends on log supply, sawmill yield, lumber grade, drying and transport; see timber price drivers. Hardwood pallet lumber is often cheaper per cubic meter where low-grade hardwood is a by-product of higher-grade sawing, and softwood is cheaper where plantation conifers are plentiful. The cheapest species per cubic meter is not necessarily the cheapest per pallet-trip: weight, repairability and breakage rate all enter the calculation.
ISPM 15 and species
ISPM 15 applies to coniferous and non-coniferous raw wood alike. Hardwood pallets need treatment, debarking and an official mark for international trade, in the same way as softwood. Australia's import conditions say so explicitly, covering both coniferous (softwood) and non-coniferous (hardwood) packaging material. See ISPM 15 explained.
Frequently asked questions
Are hardwood pallets stronger than softwood pallets?
Generally yes, at the same dimensions, because hardwood is denser and stiffer. But pallet performance depends on the design, board thickness and fasteners, and softwood pallets are designed to meet their rated loads.
Why does Europe use softwood for pallets?
Softwood is abundant, light and easy to process in Europe, and standardized pallets such as the Euro pallet are designed around it.
Is poplar a hardwood or a softwood?
Poplar is a hardwood in the botanical sense, but its wood is relatively light and soft, so it behaves more like a softwood in pallets.
Does the wood species matter for export?
For plant health rules, no: both are subject to ISPM 15. For performance and weight, species matters, and customers sometimes specify it.
Sources
- Table of Relative Working and Physical Properties (Metric) — Oregon State University College of Forestry
- ISPM 15 import requirements for timber packaging — Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
- ISPM 15: Regulation of wood packaging material in international trade (2009) — International Plant Protection Convention (FAO)
- Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material — USDA Forest Products Laboratory (via WoodWeb)