Timber, plastic, metal and presswood pallets compared
Pallet material is usually chosen on habit or whatever a supplier already has, when it is actually answering four separate questions: how heavy it is to handle, how hygienic it is, what it costs over its life, and how it behaves in a fire.
Last updated 2026-08-24
The four questions that actually matter
Weight affects manual handling and, at scale, freight cost — plastic pallets are consistently lighter than a comparable timber pallet, and metal pallets are the heaviest of the common types. Hygiene follows from surface porosity: timber's porous surface can harbour bacteria and absorb moisture, which makes it harder to keep genuinely clean, while plastic and metal's non-porous, smooth surfaces resist microbial growth and are easier to sanitise — the main reason plastic or metal dominates food, pharmaceutical and other hygiene-sensitive supply chains.
Cost follows a consistent shape even where exact figures vary by supplier: timber has a materially lower unit purchase cost but a shorter working life and higher repair and replacement frequency; plastic costs more upfront but lasts longer, which can make it the lower total-cost option in high-reuse, closed-loop operations even at a higher purchase price. That total-cost calculation changes again for pooled equipment — see how pooled pallet schemes compare if hired pallets are part of the mix.
Fire behaviour: the one that is not automatic
This is the most safety-relevant distinction, and the easiest one to assume wrongly. Plastic pallets do not automatically share timber's well-understood fire behaviour — an untreated, non-fire-rated plastic pallet can behave very differently in a fire than timber does, which is exactly why fire-rated plastic pallet products exist as a separately certified category rather than "plastic" being one uniform material. The point that matters for a warehouse operator is that not all plastic pallets are fire-equivalent to timber, and the fire performance of the specific product in use is what counts, not the general material category. This site is not in a position to confirm a specific fire-test standard designation or rating figure for plastic pallets without direct primary-source verification, so none is stated here — confirm any fire-rating claim against the certifying body's own published listing before relying on it.
Presswood and moulded pallets
Presswood, or moulded wood, pallets are formed as a single piece rather than assembled from separate boards. They are common in export contexts, generally lighter than an equivalent timber pallet and cheaper again, but typically suited to single use or limited reuse rather than the long working life a timber or plastic pallet is built for. Their relevance to Australian exporters connects directly to the phytosanitary treatment requirements that apply to solid wood packaging leaving the country, and to the broader question of whether a pooled or owned pallet fleet makes sense once export and domestic legs are both in the mix.
| Pallet type | Weight | Hygiene | Cost pattern | Fire behaviour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timber | Heaviest of the common reusable types | Porous surface, harder to keep hygienic | Lower unit cost, shorter service life | Well understood; no separate fire rating typically needed |
| Plastic | Lighter than a comparable timber pallet | Non-porous, easy to clean and sanitise | Higher unit cost, longer service life | Varies by product — not automatically equivalent to timber |
| Metal | Heaviest overall | Non-porous, cleanable | Highest unit cost, longest service life | Non-combustible frame, but not a substitute for fire suppression |
| Presswood / moulded | Lighter than timber, single piece | Non-porous surface, easy to clean | Low unit cost, generally single use or limited reuse | Varies by product and the resin or binder used |
Where the choice connects back to racking
Whichever material is chosen, the pallet still has to sit correctly in the racking type it is stored in, and a damaged or undersized pallet of any material creates the same downstream problem covered in pallet quality and overhang — a load path the beam was not designed to see. Fire behaviour, in particular, is not just a pallet question in isolation; it interacts with the fire-suppression design covered under the Australian sprinkler standard and with whatever pallet decking or level material is fitted above it, so a change in pallet material on a stocked run is worth checking against the wider fire strategy, not just against handling preference.
Common questions
- Are plastic pallets always lighter than timber?
- Consistently lighter for a comparable size and duty rating, though the exact difference varies by product and is not a figure to treat as fixed across all plastic and timber pallets.
- Is plastic always more hygienic than timber?
- Plastic's non-porous surface is generally easier to clean and sanitise, which is why it is preferred in food and pharmaceutical supply chains, but hygiene in practice also depends on cleaning regime, not material alone.
- Do all plastic pallets have the same fire rating as timber?
- No. Fire behaviour varies by specific product, and an untreated plastic pallet is not automatically fire-equivalent to timber. Check the certified rating of the specific product, not the general material.
- Are presswood pallets reusable like timber or plastic?
- Generally not to the same extent — presswood pallets are typically suited to single use or limited reuse, which is part of why they are common in export and one-way freight rather than closed-loop warehouse cycles.
Part of our guide to the floor and what is bolted to it.