Comparison
Hardwood vs Softwood Logs: Which Should You Burn?
Hardwood logs are denser, so a bag of them holds more wood and gives more heat, and each log burns for longer. Softwood logs are lighter, catch quickly and burn fast and bright, and they cost less per bag. For evening fires in a stove, hardwood is the better buy. Softwood is good for getting a fire going, for quick fires, and for keeping the cost down. Whichever you choose, it must be dry: 20% moisture or less.
The Logs Local team Kiln-dried logs from our yard in Keighley
In this guide
What's the difference between hardwood and softwood logs?
Hardwood comes from broadleaf trees such as oak, ash and beech. Softwood comes from conifers such as pine and Douglas fir. The names describe the type of tree, but most hardwoods are also denser, and that is what matters when you burn them.
| Hardwood | Softwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Our mix | Oak, ash, beech, sycamore, birch | Pine, Douglas fir |
| Lighting | Slower to catch | Catches quickly |
| Burn | Long, steady, good bed of embers | Fast, bright, needs topping up more often |
| Heat per bag | More | Less |
| Tonne bag price | £120 | £95 |
Prices correct as of 20 October 2026.
Which gives more heat?
Weight for weight, there's very little difference. Forest Research says the species has an extremely small effect on the energy in a kilogram of dry wood. But hardwood is denser, so the same size bag holds more kilograms of it, and more heat. That's why a bag of hardwood lasts longer than a bag of softwood.
Is softwood OK for a log burner?
Yes, if it's dry. Tar and soot in a chimney come mainly from burning wet wood or keeping the fire low and smouldering, not from softwood itself. Burn dry softwood hot, top it up little and often, and have your chimney swept regularly. On an open fire, softwood can spit more because of the resin, so keep a fireguard in place.
Which hardwood burns best?
- Oak is dense and burns slowly. It suits a stove that runs all evening. Our oak tonne bag is £150.
- Beech is also dense, with a steady burn and good embers. Our beech tonne bag is £140.
- Ash lights more easily than most hardwoods and burns well.
- Birch catches fast and burns bright, so it's useful for getting a fire going.
- Sycamore is easy to light and gives a moderate burn.
Our mixed hardwood bag combines all five, so you get some quick-lighting logs and some long-burning ones. See the best wood to burn for every common firewood compared.
Should I mix hardwood and softwood?
Many people do. Start the fire with kindling and a few softwood logs to get the stove hot, then add hardwood to keep it going. You get the quick start of softwood and the long burn of hardwood, and the softwood brings the overall cost down.
Which bag should I buy?
- Stove lit most evenings from October to March: mixed hardwood tonne bag, or oak if you want the longest burn.
- Occasional fires, or a tighter budget: softwood tonne bag.
- Both: a hardwood tonne bag plus a net of kindling, with a few softwood logs for lighting.
Questions
Does softwood cause chimney fires?
Chimney fires start in a build-up of tar and soot, which comes mostly from wet wood and smouldering fires. Burn dry wood, run the fire hot enough, and get the chimney swept regularly.
Is pine good firewood?
Dry pine lights easily and burns hot but quickly. It's good for kindling and starting fires, and fine as the main fuel if you don't mind topping up more often. See can you burn pine in a log burner?
Can I burn softwood on an open fire?
Yes, but it spits more than hardwood, so use a fireguard.
Are your softwood logs kiln dried?
Yes, dried below 20% moisture, the same as our hardwood. See kiln dried vs seasoned logs.
Back to the firewood buying guide.
Logs for this guide
Kiln dried below 20% moisture and ready to burn. Add a bag to your cart, then check out as normal.
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