Particleboard, MDF or Solid Wood: What Is Furniture Made Of?

Three terms — particleboard, MDF, and solid wood — appear in every furniture spec and design drawing, but rarely come with a clear explanation. In practice, each material has a specific role: the wrong board in a kitchen carcass swells within a season; an MDF door front without moisture-resistant treatment buckles above a sink; and under-dried solid wood warps off its geometry six months after installation. This guide explains what Chinese furniture factories actually use, which technical specs matter, and what to lock into your spec sheet when ordering furniture from China.

Particleboard: the carcass standard

Particleboard (PB) — known as ЛДСП in Russian-language markets, DSP or chipboard in European trade — is compressed wood chips and resin binder, surfaced on both faces with a decorative melamine paper or PVC laminate. It forms the structural backbone of 80–90% of flat-pack and semi-custom furniture in the low-to-mid price range.

Technical specs:

• Density: 550–750 kg/m³ (typical production average around 680 kg/m³)
• Standard thicknesses: 16 mm (carcass sides and tops), 18 mm (heavier-duty variant), 22–25 mm (loaded horizontal shelves), 8–10 mm (back panels)
• Formaldehyde emission: E1 (≤0.1 mg/m³ per EN 13986) — minimum for occupied spaces; E0 (≤0.05 mg/m³) — for children’s furniture; E2 — technical applications only

Moisture-resistant particleboard is marked MR-grade (also written ЛДСП В in CIS markets) and can be identified on the cut edge by green-tinted particles from paraffin wax. Standard particleboard in a wet zone without additional sealing will begin to swell at the edges within weeks.

Edge banding — the critical weak point. The laminate face is durable; open edges are not. Specification norms:

• ABS 0.4 mm — decorative, low-stress edges
• ABS 2 mm — working edges: bottom shelf fronts, drawer floors, any edge at risk of water contact

An unbanded edge will swell from moisture within 48–72 hours and off-gas formaldehyde from the binder resin. This is a mandatory inspection point during pre-shipment quality control.

Where particleboard is used:

• Wardrobe and cabinet carcasses, shelves, pedestals
• Internal vertical dividers and horizontal shelves
• Back panels (8–10 mm)
• All concealed horizontal and vertical surfaces

MDF: door fronts and profiled elements

MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) is made from fine wood fibre compressed at high pressure. The surface is homogeneous — no visible chip or grain — and this is the key functional difference:

• Higher density: 700–800 kg/m³ (10–15% above standard PB)
• Clean milling: homogeneous fibre cuts without chipping — allowing routed classical profiles, radius edges, and carved ornament on kitchen door fronts
• Finish-ready surface: perfect smoothness for lacquer, high-gloss acrylic Hi-Gloss film, and natural veneer without chip-texture telegraph-through

MDF variants:

• Standard MDF — door fronts, decorative panels, profiled mouldings
• MDF MR (moisture-resistant) — paraffin additive; for kitchens and bathrooms
• MDF FR (fire-retardant) — for HORECA contract projects with fire-safety requirements
• HDF (High Density Fiberboard) — 800–1100 kg/m³; used in laminate flooring underlayers and premium drawer bottom panels

MDF runs 20–40% more expensive than equivalent-thickness PB, but is irreplaceable wherever complex geometry or a clean painted finish is required.

Solid wood: species and applications

“Solid wood” is not one material — it covers dozens of species with fundamentally different characteristics. Writing “solid wood” without specifying the species is like writing “fabric” without the type.

Softwoods (pine, spruce):

• Density 450–550 kg/m³; soft, relatively inexpensive
• Easy to plane and finish; takes stain and lacquer well
• Drawback: dents easily, prone to resin pockets
• Use: country-style frame fronts, decorative elements, entry-level beds

Hard deciduous (beech, birch, ash):

• Density 650–760 kg/m³; dense, uniform structure
• Beech steam-bends well — the standard for bentwood chairs and curved sofa backframes
• Use: dining chairs, bed frames, sofa carcasses, mid-range dining tables

Premium species (oak, walnut, teak):

• Density 650–800 kg/m³; high hardness, pronounced grain
• Teak contains natural oils — outstanding natural moisture resistance
• Use: kitchen and bathroom countertops, dining tables, staircases, industrial-style interiors
• Price premium: oak runs 2–3× beech; teak 3–4×

Plywood (not solid wood, but occupies the same structural niche): birch plywood 12–18 mm is the best material for load-bearing sofa frames — stronger than solid wood along the load axis, stable across humidity swings. Also used for drawer bottoms in premium carcass furniture.

Material comparison

Material	Density	Moisture resistance	Milling	Emission	Cost	Best use
PB E1 (standard)	550–750 kg/m³	Low	No	E1	$	Carcasses, shelves
PB MR (moisture-resistant)	550–720 kg/m³	Medium	No	E1	$$	Kitchens, bathrooms
MDF standard	700–800 kg/m³	Low	Excellent	E1/E0	$$	Door fronts, profiles
MDF MR	700–800 kg/m³	Medium	Excellent	E1/E0	$$$	Kitchen door fronts
Solid pine	450–550 kg/m³	Weak	Good	—	$$	Frames, décor
Solid beech/ash	650–760 kg/m³	Medium	Excellent	—	$$$	Chairs, bed frames
Solid oak/teak	650–800 kg/m³	High (teak)	Excellent	—	$$$$	Countertops, stairs
Birch plywood	640–690 kg/m³	Good	Good	E1/E0	$$	Sofa frames, drawer bases

What to specify when ordering from China

Foshan and Guangzhou factories use E1 particleboard as standard. Major Chinese board manufacturers (Dare Global, Luli Group) produce to CARB P2 — the North American equivalent of E1. For orders requiring E0 or CARB P2 certification, request a batch certificate before production starts — without it there is no incentive to use the more expensive board.

MDF for door fronts comes from the same mill base. Key control points:

• Confirm MR treatment for wet-zone applications
• Density verified by certificate, not verbal assurance

Solid hardwood (oak, ash) in China is partly sourced from Northern European suppliers. Always confirm moisture content: 6–12% is the norm for dry interior use; above 12% means deformation risk within six months of installation.

Note on duties: import duties and VAT on furniture vary by destination — typically 5–10% in Thailand (VAT 7%), 5% VAT + 5% duty in the UAE, and variable rates across EU markets. Your freight forwarder should confirm the applicable HS code (Chapter 94 for furniture) before shipment.

What an inspector checks at pre-shipment:

• Board type matches the spec (class, thickness, MR/standard)
• Edge banding on all working edges — especially bottom shelves and back panels
• No laminate bubbling, chips, or bare board exposed inside the carcass

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Choosing the right material and locking it into the spec sheet is half the quality guarantee. The other half is finding a factory that actually follows the spec rather than substituting cheaper board after sample approval. Dream View sources from vetted manufacturers in Foshan and Guangzhou, verifies materials during production, and delivers furniture to your project site at a fixed 10% commission. Submit a request or send your design brief — we’ll calculate costs at no charge.