Acacia wood is more versatile and durable than Suar wood. Acacia wood is naturally resistant to moisture or water. Suar wood is highly resistant to decay and dry-wood termites.
Suar Wood
The Suar wood (Scientific Name Albizia Saman), also known as Monkeypod, Monkey Pod, Raintree, and Mimosa, is native to Central and South America.
Suar (Monkey Pod) is a medium-hard, durable, extremely strong, rot, and decay-resistant hardwood. It is a versatile wood, used for making all types of indoor and outdoor furniture.
Due to its crisscrossed interlocking grains, it is resistant to cracks and splits.
Acacia wood
Acacia wood is durable, stable, and good-looking hardwood. It is widely used for making quality furniture, flooring, serving bowls, and many more. Acacia wood is known for its strength and deep, rich hues appearance. It has a chocolate-brown or rusty red color.
Acacia wood has many great natural properties that make it different from other hardwoods. Wood is extremely hard and heavy, But easy to work with all types of tools.
There are about 1350 species of Acacia. About 1000 species are found in Australia and the rest in the Asian region.
Some of the famous species of Acacia are as follows.
- Acacia Koa (Acacia koa)
- Creeping Wattle (Acacia saligna)
- Box Leaf Wattle (Acacia buxifolia)
- Coastal Wattle (Acacia longifolia)
- Flax-Leaf Wattle (Acacia linifolia)
- Green Wattle (Acacia decurrens) and many more.
| # | Suar wood | Acacia wood |
| Scientific name | Albizia saman (syn. Samanea saman, Pithecellobium saman) | Acacia |
| Family | Fabaceae | Fabaceae |
| Wood color | golden to dark brown | Rich reddish-brown to dark brown |
| Tree Height | 15–25 m (49–82 ft) tall, with, a 3-4 ft (1-1.2 m) trunk diameter | 15–30 meters (49–98 ft) tall, with 12 meters (39 ft) trunk diameter. |
| Workability | Easy to work with both hand and machine tools | Easy to work with power and hand tools. |
| Finishing | It glues and finishes well | Finish well |
| Rot Resistant | Rot and decay resistance | Rot-resistant |
| Availability | Easily Available | It is easily available in Australia and Asia |
| Type | Hardwood | Hardwood |
| Uses | Veneer, plywood, millwork/trim, carving, cabinetry, furniture, musical instruments, and decorative wood items | Furniture, Flooring, kitchen accessories, decorative items, and much more. |
Color/Appearance
Suar Wood Color
Suar wood’s heartwood color is golden to dark brown, sometimes with darker streaks. Whereas sapwood is yellow/white.
The grain is usually straight, but can also be interlocked or wavy with a medium texture. Suar wood has large open pores and a medium natural luster.
Acacia Wood Color
Acacia wood is deep, rich reddish-brown in color. It has always been in demand due to its rich color.
The grain of Acacia wood can be straight or wavy.
Uses
Suar Wood Uses
Suar wood is a great choice for making quality furniture and cabinetry. It is a durable wood so the furniture does not require regular care and maintenance.
Suar wood is versatile, Along with furniture, It is used for Veneer, plywood, millwork/trim, and carving.
It is a tonewood, and its natural properties make it a great choice for making musical instruments (guitars and ukuleles).
Acacia wood Uses
Acacia is a hard, strong, durable, rot-resistant, and water-resistant hardwood. It is used for many purposes.
Acacia wood has great stability, which makes it an excellent choice for making quality furniture and flooring.
Acacia wood grains are very dense so they do not absorb moisture. Therefore it is widely used for durable flooring.
But due to its anti-bacterial and water-resistant properties, it is widely used for making kitchen accessories such as cutting boards, serving bowls, and food bowls.
Working with Suar and Acacia wood
Suar wood
Generally, Suar wood is easy to work with both power and hand tools. Somewhere interlocking or irregular grain patterns may result in fuzzy during planning operations. Glues and finishes well.
Suar wood can be stained and painted easily, it accepts all types of stains and paints.
Acacia wood
It has also been a good experience working with Acacia wood. Due to the straight grain, It is easy to shape and work. Acacia wood holds glue, nails, and screws well.
The density and weight of Acacia wood are much higher than Suar wood. So the weight of Acacia wood can be a problem when you work on height.
Acacia wood can be stained easily, its wood grain accepts stain well.
Which hardwood is sustainable? Suar wood vs Acacia wood
Suar and acacia both are sustainable hardwood because it grows very fast, and trees grow in all types of soil. These trees do not require regular care and maintenance.
Suar and Acacia hardwood species are not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Which Wood is Best?
Suar and Acacia Both woods are excellent. They can be used for many purposes. Acacia wood is a better choice for durable flooring, as it is harder and stronger than Suar Wood. Suar (monkeypod) is suitable for all types of furniture.