Is Wood Furniture Stronger Than Plastic?

Since furniture is a long-term investment, it is vital to ensure the product you are buying has the ability to last longer and is strong enough to endure the wear and tear it will face over the years.

The two materials primarily used to manufacture furniture are wood and plastic. We will discuss how the two compare in different aspects to help you pick the best one according to your needs.

What Are Wood and Plastic Made of?

Before comparing the two, we need to know how wood and plastic differ in their composition. Wood is a naturally occurring polymer that consists mainly of solid strands of cellulose fibers bound tightly with lignin. On the other hand, plastic is also a polymer but not a naturally occurring one. It is derived from the artificial polymerization of various materials such as crude oil, coal, cellulose, salt, etc.

What Makes Wood Furniture Stronger Than Plastic?

The naturally occurring, long chains of fibers in wood help spread any pressure exerted on its surface evenly, and the lignin helps resist stress. Cellulose’s linear orientation and a high degree of polymerization in wood’s structure make it an extremely durable option to manufacture all types of furniture. Although standard plastic is also derived through the process of polymerization, over time, it has proven to be less durable than wood.

Plastic is considered a weaker option to make furniture than wood because it tends to chip, break, warp, or even melt much more easily than its counterpart. On the other hand, furniture made of wood stays intact, looks classy, and can hold its value for decades or even longer.

How Does Wood Furniture Compare to Plastic?

To support our stance that wood furniture is more robust than plastic, we will consider an essential piece of furniture found in almost every household: the stool. Let’s say you have guests over, and you have to offer your not-so-light friend a stool to sit on; which one would you choose? Would you hand them your 10-year-old sturdy wooden stool or a plastic stool with flimsy legs? Of course, if you wanted to keep your plastic stool intact, you would choose the wooden piece of furniture, wouldn’t you? Let’s also consider sitting down at your desk to complete some work or write the next great American novel. A plastic desk may wobble as you work, whereas a wooden desk will certainly be more solid and stable.

We don’t think you would ever consider buying a plastic bed or a TV unit that is made of plastic either. Who wants to risk their expensive LED falling off of its place due to broken furniture legs!

What Are Some Other Advantages of Using Wood Furniture?

Besides durability, wood has many other advantages over plastic that make it a better choice for manufacturing furniture. Here are a few other benefits that wood has to offer:

• Wood is a renewable resource which makes it environmentally friendly.
• Its malleability makes it a great option to mold into different types of furniture.
• It is ideal for cold weather as it retains heat much more effectively in comparison to plastic.
• Using wood furniture has proven to help elevate your mood and positively impact your mental and physical health.
• Wood does not contain any harmful chemicals found in plastic, such as BPA, that adversely affect human and animal health.

Some Advantages of Plastic

Although we have discussed in detail the many benefits of wood over plastic, we cannot dismiss the advantages that plastic has to offer when used to manufacture different types of furniture.

Since plastic is lightweight compared to wood, it is an ideal material to make furniture that is specially designed for children. It would be pretty difficult for a 2-year-old to drag around a heavy wooden stool, so the best option would be to buy them a plastic chair.

Another reason people may opt to buy furniture made of plastic instead of wood is their limited budget. Plastic is much more affordable than wood.

Final Thoughts!

In this article, we have discussed why wood is known to be a better overall choice for furniture than plastic. Plastic furniture also has a few advantages that make it a favorable option for many people. Ensure you have considered all your needs before spending your hard-earned money on any type of furniture.