Maple Janka Hardness at a Glance
Hard maple (sugar maple) sits at 1,450 lbf on the Janka hardness scale, one of the highest ratings among North American hardwoods. That number means it takes 1,450 pounds of force to push a steel ball halfway into the wood face. Soft maple covers several different species ranging from 700 to 950 lbf, and which type you buy matters for floors, workbench tops, and cutting boards.
| Hard maple Janka | 1,450 lbf (6,450 N) |
|---|---|
| Soft maple Janka | 700–950 lbf (varies by species) |
| Test method | 0.444″ steel ball embedded halfway into wood (ASTM D143) |
| Key comparison | Red oak = 1,290 lbf · Hickory = 1,820 lbf · Cherry = 950 lbf |
| Industry use | Hard maple floors standard for bowling alleys and NBA courts |
| Lumber yard note | Generic "maple" is often soft maple — ask specifically for hard maple |
In this guide:
- What the Janka number actually measures
- Hard maple vs. soft maple — two species, two numbers
- How maple compares to oak, walnut, cherry, and hickory
- Choosing the right maple for your project
Part 1: What the Janka Number Actually Measures
Hard maple's Janka rating of 1,450 lbf is a specific physical measurement. Understanding what it actually tests lets you reason about any species, not just maple.
The test itself
A steel ball 0.444 inches in diameter gets pressed into the face of a wood sample at a controlled rate. The test stops when the ball has penetrated exactly halfway: 0.222 inches deep. The maximum force recorded during that push is the Janka rating, measured in pounds-force.
That's it. No falling weights, no repeated impacts. One slow, steady push. Per Wikipedia's Janka hardness test article, the governing standard is ASTM D143, conducted at 12% moisture content on wood clear of knots.
Gabriel Janka, an Austrian-born wood researcher, developed the test in 1906 to evaluate wood flooring performance. He needed a reproducible way to predict how wood would hold up under foot traffic and furniture loads. The test spread globally because it's simple, consistent, and correlates well with real-world wear.
To make the number concrete: 1,450 lbf is roughly the weight of a small motorcycle concentrated on a pencil-eraser-sized ball. Hard maple holds that force before it marks.
What Janka does not measure
Janka hardness is one data point. It doesn't measure:
- Tensile strength — how well wood resists breaking across the grain
- Splitting resistance — how easily it splits along the grain
- Stiffness — how much it flexes under load
- Workability — how easily it machines, planes, and sands
Hard maple at 1,450 lbf is also one of the more demanding species to machine. Its density dulls saw blades and plane irons faster than red oak (1,290 lbf). Finishing maple is harder than its Janka number implies: the dense, closed grain resists stain, so blotching is a real risk without a washcoat or gel stain. Light Wood Stain covers the specific approaches for blotch-prone species like maple.
Janka tells you what the wood's surface can absorb. It doesn't tell you how easy the wood is to work.
Part 2: Hard Maple vs. Soft Maple
"Maple" at the lumber yard usually means one of two things, and they perform very differently.
Hard maple: 1,450 lbf
Hard maple comes from two species: Acer saccharum (sugar maple) and Acer nigrum (black maple). You'll see it labeled "hard maple," "sugar maple," or "rock maple." All the same thing. For figured grain varieties, see Curly Maple.
The Wood Database's hard maple profile puts it at 1,450 lbf and roughly 44 pounds per cubic foot, making it one of the densest domestic hardwoods. Its tight, closed grain resists moisture penetration. The sapwood is creamy white to light tan. The heartwood runs reddish-brown.
Hard maple handles sustained impact without denting or wearing through. That's why it's in every bowling alley, NBA arena, and professional butcher block.
Soft maple: 700–950 lbf
Soft maple is a commercial category covering multiple species. The Wood Database's soft maple entry lists the main ones:
| Species | Janka (lbf) |
|---|---|
| Silver maple (Acer saccharinum) | ~700 |
| Bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) | ~850 |
| Red maple (Acer rubrum) | ~950 |
All three get sold as "soft maple" at lumber yards. The numbers vary, but the practical range is 700 to 950 lbf.
Red maple at 950 lbf matches cherry exactly and nearly matches walnut (1,010 lbf). "Soft" is a relative label within the maple family. For painted cabinets, furniture carcasses, or millwork, soft maple performs fine. The hardness difference from hard maple shows up only under sustained impact.
The lumber yard problem
Generic "maple" at a big-box store is frequently soft maple or an unlabeled mix. That's a problem if you're building a workbench top or kitchen floor.
Two ways to check, per The Wood Database's hard vs. soft maple identification guide:
- Weight: Pick up a board. Hard maple is noticeably heavier than soft maple: 44 lbs/cubic foot vs. 32–38 lbs/cubic foot.
- Price: Hard maple priced near white oak or white ash is in the right range. Hard maple priced near poplar is soft maple.
Ask specifically for "hard maple" or "sugar maple." Most reputable lumber yards can tell you exactly what species they have in stock.
Part 3: Maple vs. Other Species
Hard maple's 1,450 lbf puts it near the top of the domestic hardwood range. The table below shows where it lands, drawn from The Wood Database's Janka hardness reference and the Bell Forest Products species chart.
| Species | Janka (lbf) |
|---|---|
| Eastern white pine | 380 |
| Poplar | 540 |
| Douglas fir | 660 |
| Silver maple | 700 |
| Cherry (black) | 950 |
| Red maple | 950 |
| Black walnut | 1,010 |
| Red oak | 1,290 |
| White ash | 1,320 |
| White oak | 1,360 |
| Hard maple | 1,450 |
| Hickory | 1,820 |
| Brazilian cherry (Jatoba) | 2,350 |
| Ipe (Brazilian walnut) | 3,680 |
Hard maple vs. hickory
Hickory at 1,820 lbf is 25% harder than hard maple. For tool handles that absorb repeated shock, hickory's extra hardness matters. For flooring and furniture, the difference is rarely visible in use. Hickory's interlocked grain makes it harder to machine than hard maple, and it moves significantly with seasonal humidity changes. Hard maple is the better choice for most interior applications.
Hard maple vs. cherry
Cherry at 950 lbf is 35% softer than hard maple. A cherry dining table top picks up dings from serving dishes; a hard maple top handles the same use with less marking. Cherry finishes far more easily: it accepts oil finishes beautifully, stains predictably, and deepens in color over time. For furniture where appearance drives the decision, cherry's lower Janka number is a reasonable trade.
Hard maple vs. red oak
Red oak at 1,290 lbf is 11% softer than hard maple. Oak dominates residential flooring because it's hard enough for daily wear and far easier to stain and finish than maple. Maple's dense, closed grain resists penetrating stains. To get a uniform color on maple, you need a washcoat, gel stain, or dye. For stained floors, oak is more forgiving. For the hardest domestic floor that holds up to heavy use, maple wins.
Part 4: Choosing the Right Maple for Your Project
The Janka number is a decision tool.
Use hard maple when impact matters
Hard maple (1,450 lbf) is the right choice when surfaces will take repeated impact or sustained abrasion:
- Kitchen floors and entryways — chair legs, foot traffic, dropped pots
- Workbench tops — mallet strikes, planing pressure, chisel work
- Butcher blocks and cutting boards — knife pressure, moisture, repeated contact. Mineral Oil for Wood covers the food-safe finishing process for these surfaces.
- Tool handles and mallet heads — shock absorption at high Janka numbers
- Children's furniture — it will take a beating
Soft maple handles most furniture fine
For furniture that sees daily use but not heavy impact, soft maple (700–950 lbf) works fine and costs less:
- Painted cabinets and face frames (hardness invisible under paint)
- Drawer boxes and interior furniture components
- Bedroom furniture and case pieces
- Millwork and trim
The hardness difference between hard and soft maple is invisible in a painted cabinet. Save the premium for surfaces where it earns its cost.
When hardness barely matters
For low-use applications, any wood in the 500–1,000 lbf range works. Shelving for books, cabinet backs, and decorative pieces don't need 1,450 lbf. Poplar or soft maple at a third the cost performs identically for those uses.
The price consideration
Hard maple runs 20–40% more per board foot than soft maple at most lumber yards. For a workbench top or kitchen floor that sees years of daily use, that premium pays for itself. For a bedroom nightstand that holds a lamp and a book, you're buying hardness you'll never notice.
Building your first project on a tight budget: soft maple or poplar for furniture, hard maple for anything that needs to handle impact. That's Janka hardness applied to a real shop decision.
Where This Fits
Hardness is one dimension of a species decision. Oil-Based Wood Stain covers why maple's dense grain makes it one of the harder species to stain evenly — and what to do about it. For other species comparisons, Acacia Wood Hardness covers the Janka scale for exotic hardwoods.
Sources
Species data comes from The Wood Database, which maintains consistent, source-cited Janka ratings for hundreds of species, and from the test's historical documentation.
- Wikipedia — Janka Hardness Test — test history, Gabriel Janka, ASTM D143 standard
- The Wood Database — Hard Maple — species profile, 1,450 lbf, commercial uses
- The Wood Database — Soft Maple — species profile, 700–950 lbf range by species
- The Wood Database — Hard vs. Soft Maple — identification guide and application differences
- The Wood Database — Janka Hardness — test methodology, scale, 100+ species data
- Bell Forest Products — Janka Hardness Chart — visual species comparison chart