The 10 Best Bamboo Plywood Companies to Buy From (Today)

Plywood is manufactured from various types of hardwood, softwood, or a mixture of the two.

It’s one of the most widely used materials in our homes. However, it comes with some environmental problems.

For starters, the mass production of plywood plays a significant role in deforestation. Then, factor in the glue used to adhere to the sheets of plywood that emit harmful emissions.

So, don’t you think it would be amazing if we could find a durable, long-lasting, sustainable alternative?

Hasn’t anyone in the timber industry been able to come up with a building material that doesn’t harm the environment as much?

Luckily, someone has. It’s called bamboo plywood!

Below, we look at the best natural bamboo plywood companies to buy from. Take a look!

Bamboo Plywood: A Quick Overview

Manufacturers make Bamboo plywood from several fine layers of bamboo strips. Then, each strip is laid parallel to the others and dried in a kiln.

After that, the layers are smoothed and laminated from one edge to the other to create a single-ply panel of wood. Then, several sheets are cross-laminated and heat-pressed together to create multiple layers, or multi-ply, of bamboo plywood.

This provides extra stability and reduces warping. As a result, bamboo plywood is more stable and has about 50% less contraction and expansion than other types of timber.

While this may sound like a tedious, time-consuming process, it still has one of the cheapest production costs.

Hence, bamboo plywood is being hailed for its numerous advantages compared to other wood-based building materials.

If you’re interested in learning more about bamboo as a building material, you can read our article “Bamboo Homes: Your Ultimate Guide (Plus See These Examples).”

Bamboo Plywood Benefits

There are three main types of bamboo plywood grain: horizontal, vertical, strand-woven, and carbonized bamboo plywood.

All of these are made by laminating thin strips of bamboo to form sheets of bamboo for use in cabinets, walls, flooring, and other bamboo products.

While each type offers a slightly different finish and is suited to a different purpose.

For example, strand-woven bamboo flooring is very strong (stronger than hardwoods such as oak) and is a top choice for an appealing and hard-wearing surface that can handle high traffic in any home.

Horizontal bamboo plywood is made by laying the bamboo strips horizontally before being glued together and machined into the final product. This makes the bamboo grain more prominent and makes for a pleasing finish.

Vertical bamboo plywood is made by placing the thin strips of kiln-dried bamboo vertically in relation to the axis of the finished bamboo sheets, which means the grain is less visible.

Hence, the finished panels have a more textured look and are less recognizable as bamboo.

Carbonized bamboo plywood is treated by smoking it in a kiln to change its color to a rich, dark brown.

Carbonized bamboo plywood is a popular choice because many say it has the perfect color, which is darker and, they argue has more character.

The different types of bamboo plywood share many of the same benefits.

Take a look.

Sustainable

Possibly the top advantage of bamboo plywood is that it doesn’t require the destruction of forests, which is one of the leading causes of climate change.

Instead, bamboo is harvested annually from commercially maintained plantations.

From these plantations, bamboo is harvested every year without destroying the groves or the entire plantation. Then, with the next rainy season, new bamboo stems appear in place of the old.

Another benefit of bamboo is that it’s categorized as a type of grass, not a tree.

Consequently, it has a faster growth rate of about 3–5 years to mature as opposed to trees, which generally take decades, if not centuries, to reach full maturity.

Like trees, bamboo serves as a carbon sink, absorbing carbon dioxide as it grows and locking the greenhouse gas into the end product.

Enduring

If you’re looking for a building material with excellent durability and dimensional stability that will stand the test of time, bamboo plywood is an ideal material.

Its tensile strength is 28,000 per square inch, compared with 23,000 for steel, bamboo is much sturdier and more heavy-duty.

Here’s another example to give you an idea of how strong bamboo plywood is.

According to experts, it’s 25% harder than Red Oak and 12% harder than North American Maple.

Those are two of the sturdiest types of hardwood available, which says something about the level of durability that bamboo plywood offers.

Bamboo plywood is also highly resistant to ants and termites, making it a terrific choice for all kinds of projects, both indoors and out.

Versatile

Ask anyone who has tried to construct anything out of wood, and they’ll tell you that you need flexible, easy-to-manage building materials.

After all, you’ll be cutting, shaping, sanding, and nailing your pieces of wood, which requires a specific set of mechanical properties.

So, you need materials that can provide ease of use, whether by hand or conventional woodworking equipment.

Bamboo plywood checks all of these boxes. It’s why experts recommend it for both novice and seasoned woodworkers.

Bamboo Plywood Products

Now that we’ve discussed the benefits of bamboo plywood, let’s take a look at just a few ways you can use this durable, exquisite-looking material.

As you can see, it is an exceptionally versatile construction material.

• Wall paneling
• Bamboo cabinets
• Worktops
• Butcher’s blocks
• Furniture
• Toys
• Scaffolding
• Bamboo decking
• Bamboo countertops

Best Bamboo Plywood Companies

Because of its countless applications and limitless advantages, suppliers and designers are lining up to get their hands on as much bamboo plywood as they can.

Check out this list of the 10 best bamboo plywood manufacturers, suppliers, and wholesalers in the country.

1. Amazon

Everyone knows that Amazon sells a wide range of products. Yet, did you know that they also sell bamboo plywood?

Not only that, but they have a pretty comprehensive selection. You can take your pick from various thicknesses, weights, and species in any grain type you desire.

2. Northwest Bamboo

The manufacturers at Northwest Bamboo specialize in producing and selling the finest quality timber.

Yet, they pride themselves on their quality bamboo building materials, including bamboo veneer and dimensional bamboo lumber.

Although, their best-selling products have to be bamboo plywood panels. They’re available in three types: micro laminate, single ply, and three plies.

They also come in various sizes that range from 5 mm up to 40 mm.

3. ZMADTO

ZMADTO Plywood Co. Ltd is a joint venture between two leading wood manufacturers: Langfang Xingshan Wood Co. Ltd. and Hunan ADTO Group. Together, they’ve made it their mission to create top-quality building materials.

First, established in 1993, their factory employs hundreds of workers, technicians, and sales representatives.

Their continued success has boosted their expertise, allowing them to improve their products yearly.

As a result, it’s become a leading company in the woodworking industry and currently exports to over 20 countries worldwide.

4. Forest Plywood

Based in Southern California, Forest Plywood is a company known for its eco-friendly solutions when it comes to construction and building materials.

They offer an extensive range of bamboo plywood with other types, such as veneers, flooring materials, and design applications.

Their inventory and onsite mill make them one of the fastest and most efficient distributors.

5. HQC Bamboo

HQC Bamboo is one of China’s leading suppliers of bamboo plywood.

They may have only launched in 2008, but this company has quickly risen to the top of the list of international exporters with renowned clients like Maersk, FLORENS, and Evergreen Marine Corp.

This large-scale manufacturer and distributor have an impressive selection of bamboo plywood.

Then, after selecting your choice of panels, your order will be produced and shipped in about 7–10 days.

6. Smith & Fong Plyboo

One of the more seasoned companies on our list, Smith & Fong, first introduced the world to bamboo as an environmentally safer solution than hardwood in 1989.

Based out of San Francisco, they quickly learned the tricks of the trade and were soon manufacturing their bamboo right out of Taiwan and China.

Yet, it wasn’t until 1996 that they started distributing bamboo plywood, branding it as ‘Plyboo.’

Over the years, they’ve adapted and grown but have always managed to provide their customers with sustainable, safe, long-lasting design solutions.

7. Ambient

Ambient is a renowned name in the world of wood manufacturing.

Recently, they’ve been putting all their efforts into reducing formaldehyde emissions through their high-quality products.

They offer bamboo plywood in various colors, thicknesses, and compositions to meet all your woodworking needs.

Another feature that makes this company stand out from its competitors is they send flooring samples via standard mail. It’s a cheap and practical way for homeowners to try out several ideas before ordering.

8. Cali Bamboo

Cali Bamboo has one mission and one mission only: to promote green building materials.

This dream of providing designers and builders with more sustainable timber has become the company’s motto, helping boost its success.

Having launched in 2004, Cali Bamboo has been on a fast trajectory, increasing its inventory, material types, and customer base every couple of years.

They’ve even been on the list of the 500 fastest-growing private companies published by Inc. Magazine.

9. Fordaq

Fordaq isn’t a bamboo plywood manufacturer per se, but they do manage most, if not all, the market for leading wood professionals.

Thanks to the beauty of technology, Fordaq has built a vast network of successful bamboo and wood manufacturers worldwide.

They also have offices and headquarters in various cities around the globe to meet the high supply and demand of the bamboo market.

Yet, it’s their website that’s truly impressive, with one of the largest databases of contact information, import and export transactions, and an expansive online market to cater to all your woodworking demands.

10. QingDao Baitwood

As you probably guessed from the name, QingDao Baitwood is a Chinese plywood manufacturing facility. It was founded in 1998 and currently has over 20 years of experience in the industry.

As a result, they’ve developed a solid customer base, thanks to their heavy-wearing, top-quality line of sustainable bamboo building materials.

They’ve also learned a few tricks along the way, including building a dedicated team of workers and administrators, as well as relying on advanced equipment to produce flawless products.

A Final Note

After reading about the upsides of bamboo plywood, you probably think we could all use a bit more bamboo in our lives now.

Fortunately, there are plenty of suppliers around the world offering high-quality materials at affordable prices.

Now, all you have to do is decide which of these 10 best bamboo plywood companies you’ll buy your next batch from.

For more information about sustainable building materials, read our rundown of the top 23 sustainable building materials here.