Toy materials for wooden toys

The most common types of wood used for wooden toys sold on the domestic market include: pine, rubberwood (Hevea), basswood, basswood plywood, MDF (medium-density fiberboard, commonly known as density board), beech, and rubberwood.

Pine: the most affordable option (imported pine is more expensive); lightweight, pale in color, with prominent grain patterns; more prone to cracking or splitting upon impact compared to other woods. Rubberwood (Hevea): widely used for wooden toys; pricier than pine; high density and weight; uniform grain; highly impact-resistant. Basswood: light beige in color; lightweight; virtually grain-free; impact-resistant; more expensive than both pine and rubberwood. Basswood plywood: easy to cut; commonly used for wooden jigsaw puzzles. MDF: a dense, brown-colored engineered wood panel; easy to cut; frequently used for painted components of wooden toys; economical.

Beech: features uniform grain; its cross-section displays small, rice-like dots; more expensive than rubberwood; also highly impact-resistant. Rubberwood: primarily used for toys intended for export—especially those designed for very young children—due to its excellent tactile feel and outstanding safety profile. In general, imported wood tends to be more expensive—and often of higher quality—than domestically sourced wood. Impact resistance also depends heavily on proper pre-processing drying: precise control of drying time is essential, as improper drying often leads to wood cracking. The above-mentioned woods constitute the primary materials used in wooden toy manufacturing.

Overall, wooden building blocks are generally quite impact-resistant. Considering value for money, rubberwood offers the best balance of performance and practicality.