Presswood vs wood pallets: differences and when to use each

A presswood pallet is made from wood fiber and resin molded under heat and pressure into one piece, with hollow nesting feet and no nails. It is still wood, but engineered wood, which puts it outside ISPM 15 and gives it very different handling characteristics from a nailed pallet of sawn lumber.

#Side-by-side comparison

Presswood figures are from Litco International's published catalog (footprints from 20 × 24 in to 48 × 45 in and 1200 × 800 mm, in several load grades). Prices are 2026 US estimates.

#Why exporters use presswood

For one-way international shipments, solid wood pallets must be heat treated and marked to ISPM 15, and a missing or doubtful mark can hold up a shipment. Presswood removes that step. It is also light, which helps air freight, and clean: no nails, splinters or bark. Nesting cuts storage space for empty pallets, which matters in a shipping department that keeps hundreds on hand. See export pallets and ISPM 15.

Presswood is also a practical answer when an importing country's inspectors are strict about wood packaging, or when the product itself is sensitive to nails and splinters (textiles, bagged powders, electronics). Because it is a catalog product, lead times from distributor stock can be short, while a custom wood pallet may take one to several weeks to build.

#Where solid wood is better

• Racking. Presswood is not designed to span rack beams. Solid wood pallets are.
• Heavy and concentrated loads. Presswood load grades top out around 2,500 lb dynamic in the manufacturer's catalog. A wood pallet can be designed for heavier loads, drums or machinery.
• Custom sizes. A local pallet shop builds any footprint; presswood comes in fixed molds.
• Durability and repair. Wood pallets survive many trips and are repaired; presswood is generally a limited-trip product.
• Moisture and outdoor storage. Ask the presswood manufacturer about limits on wet and outdoor exposure; solid wood tolerates rough outdoor yards well.

#Handling notes

Presswood pallets nest, so a stack of empties is compact but has to be de-nested by hand or with a dispenser before use. Forks should enter fully and square; the hollow feet and molded deck do not tolerate tine impacts the way a hardwood stringer does. Load evenly: the published ratings assume uniformly distributed loads, so drums, point loads and machinery need a different pallet. See load capacity.

#Cost

Per pallet, presswood and new standard wood pallets are in a similar range. The real savings for presswood are in export compliance, freight weight and storage space. For domestic use in racked warehouses, wood is usually the better value. See pallet cost.

#When to choose each

Choose presswood when: shipping one-way overseas or by air; loads are light to moderate and floor-stacked; you want no ISPM 15 paperwork; storage space for empties is tight.

Choose solid wood when: pallets are racked; loads are heavy, concentrated or oversized; you need a custom footprint; pallets are reused or repaired; domestic cost per trip matters most.

Other ISPM 15-exempt alternatives include plastic and paper pallets. See plastic vs wood. You can open a presswood pallet in the designer to choose a footprint and load grade.