Wood stains

What's behind our wood stain Ratings?

Experts at our National Testing and Research Center tested 32 models in wood stains to see which ones perform best.

We look for:

Overall score
Overall score is a weighted average of each year's appearance for up to three years of testing.
Appearance after 3 years
Appearance after three years summarizes performance after one year of our accelerated weathering (i.e. equivalent to one year on a deck or three years on a vertical surface). Testing stops when appearance falls to fair or poor at which time, the product must be reapplied.
Appearance after 6 years
Appearance after six years summarizes performance after two years of our accelerated weathering (i.e. equivalent to two years on a deck or six years on a vertical surface). Testing stops when appearance falls to fair or poor at which time, the product must be reapplied.
Appearance after 9 years
Appearance after nine years summarizes performance after three years of our accelerated weathering (i.e. equivalent to three years on a deck or nine years on a vertical surface). Testing stops after three years, whether or not the product appearance falls to fair or poor. Products that at this point still rate at least good for appearance are considered superior products.

Connect

Forums

Discuss products and safety with subscribers and fans.

Follow Consumer Reports

Recommended wood stains

Recommended wood stains are standout choices with high scores. They include CR Best Buys, which offer exceptional value. When narrowing your choices, weigh features, price, and attributes that matter to you.

Recommended wood stains

Wood stain buying guide

To find the wood stain that is right for you, read our expert advice on which features to consider and how to find the best value.

Get started

Buy wood stains

Why shop here?

In addition to finding Ratings for the latest models, you can now shop online using an ad-free interface where you can buy wood stains in a safe-shopping environment.

Learn more about our Price & Shop program

Wood decking has a warmth that synthetic decks lack. But you pay a price in maintenance. To see how well each wood stain we tested protects, we coated sections of a deck with various wood stains. If you're looking for information about wood stains, Consumer Reports is your best resource. Consumer Reports’ wood stain reviews will give you honest buying advice that you can trust. Use our wood stain buying guide to discover which features are most important to consider. We also provide unbiased Ratings and wood stain reviews to help you choose the best wood stain for your needs.

Ratings & recommended wood stains

Wood stains (32)

Recommended models are standout choices with high scores. They include CR Best Buys, which offer exceptional value. When narrowing your choices among models, weigh performance, features, price, and attributes that matter to you, such as color, size, or style.

Wood stain buying guide

To see how well each deck treatment we tested protects, we built a deck behind our Yonkers, N.Y., headquarters and coated sections with various deck treatments and wood stains. Then we left the deck exposed to whatever Mother Nature dished out. The best we tested still remained close to their original color after three years, picked up only a little dirt and mildew, and effectively protected the wood from cracking. The worst looked ratty and provided little protection after just one year.

Getting started | Types | Features | Brands

Home & Garden News

See also:: CO & smoke alarms
25 Tested; Sinks
See buying guide; Ladders
See buying guide; Radon test kits
11 Tested; Siding
30 Tested; Glues
23 Tested