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    Best Wood Decking From Consumer Reports' Tests

    We evaluated cedar, ipe, pine, and redwood to find the best wood for building a deck

    When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. 100% of the fees we collect are used to support our nonprofit mission. Learn more.

    beige painted home with wood decking and metal deck chairs Photo: Lisa Romerein/Getty Images

    It’s hard to match the beauty of a wood deck. Manufacturers of composites have tried for years to mimic the look and feel. Some brands mix wood pulp into their formulations. And others, like Trex and Azek, even produce decking boards with random grain patterns, in an effort to resemble the natural variances you’d find in real wood.

    But if all this still won’t cut it for you, we get it. Wood decking remains the most popular choice in most of the country. And it’s not just about looks. Despite varying performance levels when it comes to stains and dents (as a group, composites are better at resisting those), “all wood decking tends to shine when it comes to resisting flexing and slipping,” says Rich Handel, who oversees CR’s tests of decking.

    More on Decking
    CR's Decking Ratings & Buying Guide
    Best Decking From Consumer Reports' Tests
    Best Composite Decking From Consumer Reports' Tests
    Best and Worst Wood Stains From Consumer Reports' Tests

    What’s more, while lumber shortages and manufacturing delays have driven up the cost of lumber in general, they’ve also closed the price gap between entry-level wood options and more premium picks.

    Pressure-treated southern yellow pine—the No. 1 seller for years—is far and away the cheapest and most abundant wood, making it only more desirable in the early days of the pandemic. But that, in turn, led to shortages of the chemical solution used to make pressure-treated lumber, and now, pressure-treated boards cost more than ever. The good news is that, as a result, cedar, ipe, and redwood are now a more viable choice than ever—these options naturally resist rot and decay, so they don’t need a chemical solution. With closer pricing, you’re better able to shop for the best wood decking based on performance, not just cost. 

    If you’re unsure about which type of decking to buy, start with our decking buying guide, which provides more details about the ins and outs of wood and composite decking. CR members can also jump right to our decking ratings.

    How Consumer Reports Tests Wood Decking

    We put wood and composite decking through the ringer, starting with the locations where we perform our testing: Hot, dry Arizona and warm, muggy Florida. We drop multiple weights on our samples to see which dent and which don’t, and apply ketchup and mustard to see which are best at resisting stains. We also use specialized instruments to test each decking sample for resistance to flexing, to ensure that boards won’t bow or bend if you’re entertaining a crowd. Finally, we look at slip resistance—especially important if your deck is near a pool—and we see how the samples age over a span of three years at our two testing sites.

    Here, we zero in on the pros and cons of cedar, ipe, pine, and redwood—the four most common options you’ll find. Keep in mind, we test our wood decking samples without any protective stain—you can potentially add years to the life of your wooden deck if you stain and seal the wood properly.

    Best Wood Decking

    Other Wood Decking Options

    Paul Hope

    As a classically trained chef and an enthusiastic DIYer, I've always valued having the best tool for a job—whether the task at hand is dicing onions for mirepoix or hanging drywall. When I'm not writing about home products, I can be found putting them to the test, often with help from my two young children, in the 1860s townhouse I'm restoring in my free time.

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