Top Marine Plywood Brands to Navigate Your Next Nautical Project

Marine plywood is an essential component for building and repairing boats, as it offers remarkable water resistance and durability. Choosing the right brand ensures safety and longevity in marine environments, which is why it's crucial to select from the leading names in the industry. Among the countless options, a few brands stand out due to their consistent quality and reliability in harsh conditions. To learn which brands are considered the best in marine plywood, see the comprehensive list below.

Illustration of marine plywood

Best brands of marine plywood in 2025

BS 1088 Lloyd's Certified Marine Plywood

BS 1088 Lloyd's Certified Marine Plywood, particularly those made from Okoume, is renowned for its exceptional quality and adherence to stringent standards. Manufactured in Europe, these panels meet the British Standard 1088, ensuring balanced construction, minimum face veneer thickness of 1mm, and high glue bond quality. Okoume plywood is 10-15% lighter than other species like Meranti or Sapele, making it ideal for lightweight marine applications such as kayaks and small boats. The Lloyd's Register certification involves regular factory inspections and sample submissions, guaranteeing compliance with the standard. This certification is crucial as it distinguishes high-quality marine plywood from lesser alternatives. For more details on Okoume Lloyd's BS 1088 plywood, visit the product page.

Joubert Plywood

Joubert Plywood is a leading producer of high-quality marine plywood, known for its durability and resistance to moisture-related damage. With a production capacity of 80,000 m³ per year and a presence in 35 countries, Joubert Plywood ensures global accessibility. The company boasts a strong export turnover of 60% and employs 365 employees and partners worldwide. Joubert's commitment to quality and sustainability is evident in its certifications that meet stringent environmental quality legislation. The company's Gender Equality Index scores, such as 91/100 for Joubert Les Eliots SAS, further highlight its ethical standards.

Roseburg Marine Plywood

Roseburg Marine Plywood is a top-tier product in the marine plywood market, renowned for its high-quality Douglas-fir B-grade or better veneers used in the face, core, and back of each panel. These panels are fully sanded, with core gaps limited to 1/8" or less, ensuring durability and resistance to moisture. Roseburg's Marine Core panels meet stringent industrial standards, including compliance with PS 1 and LEED v4 certifications, and are certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The company's commitment to sustainability is evident through its Environmental Product Declaration and the use of moisture-resistant adhesives without added urea formaldehyde resins. With over 600,000 acres of sustainably managed forestlands, Roseburg has been a reliable supplier of quality wood products since 1936. Learn more about their Marine Core panels.

Hydro-Tek

Hydro-Tek is a renowned brand for marine plywood, known for its superior quality and durability. Manufactured with more plies than traditional marine plywood in North America, Hydro-Tek ensures both stability and strength. It adheres to the British Standard 1088 and utilizes select, uniform Light Red Meranti face and core veneers, making it virtually free of core voids and highly resistant to delamination. This marine plywood is ideal for boat construction and high moisture applications, offering enhanced screw holding and superior moisture resistance. Available in various thicknesses, Hydro-Tek marine plywood is a top choice for demanding marine and exterior projects. For more detailed information, visit the Hydro-Tek marine plywood page.

Okoume Marine Plywood

Okoume Marine Plywood, particularly from manufacturers like the Joubert Group, is renowned for its high quality and adherence to stringent standards such as the British Standard 1088 (BS-1088) and certifications from Lloyds of London. This plywood is made from the Okoume tree, primarily sourced from Western Africa, and is valued for its lightweight, high strength-to-weight ratio, and excellent durability in marine environments. The Joubert Group ensures sustainability by limiting annual logging to no more than 7% of the available Okoume timber. Okoume plywood is widely used in boat construction, including racing boats and luxury yachts, due to its water resistance and dimensional stability. It is also used in other applications such as furniture and automotive interior trim. For further insights, visit this comprehensive guide on Okoume plywood and its uses.

Aquatek Meranti Marine Plywood

Aquatek Meranti Marine Plywood is a highly regarded product in the marine plywood market, manufactured to the British Standard 6566 (BS6566) and produced by a factory in South East Asia. It features Keruing faces for strength and durability, and a core made of uniform color light red Meranti, ensuring a strong and durable panel. This plywood is known for its water and boil proof (WBP) glue, one-piece face veneers, and even grain, making it ideal for boat building, decks, and other exterior structures. Aquatek Marine Plywood is available in various thicknesses and is a cost-effective alternative to European and North American marine plywood products. Its superior durability and insulation properties make it a preferred choice for marine applications. For more information, visit the Aquatek Meranti Plywood product page.

Bruynzeel Plywood

Bruynzeel Plywood is renowned as one of the best producers of marine plywood, with over 40 years of experience in the industry. Developed in the 1930s by Cornelius Bruynzeel, this marine-grade plywood is known for its durability and compliance with the stringent British Standard 1088 certification. It is made from 100% weather-resistant Gaboon veneers, ensuring high quality and resistance to moisture. Bruynzeel's Hechthout product is manufactured using a patented process, resulting in highly flat, stable, and lightweight panels. The company offers a 20-year guarantee on its marine plywood, reflecting its commitment to excellence. For more insights into the history of Okoume marine-grade plywood, visit this detailed resource.

Coosa Composite Board

Coosa Composite Board is a leading alternative to traditional marine plywood, offering high-density, closed-cell polyurethane foam reinforced with continuous strand fiberglass and woven roving. This material is 30% to 60% lighter than marine plywood, absorbs less than 1.5% water by weight, and is resistant to rot, mold, mildew, algae, and insects. With over 20 years in the industry, Coosa Composites has revolutionized marine construction, with over 200,000 boats utilizing their panels. Their composite boards provide exceptional strength, durability, and are easily fabricated with standard tools. Ideal for marine and high-humidity applications, Coosa boards are a superior choice for projects requiring high strength-to-weight ratios. Discover more about this innovative material on their official website.

King StarBoard

King StarBoard®, the premier marine-grade high-density polyethylene sheet, is renowned for its superior quality and durability in the marine industry. Produced using the advanced K-Stran™ manufacturing process, it ensures exceptional flatness and consistency. With over thirty years of service, King StarBoard® has become the industry standard, offering a matte finish that resists UV, humidity, and water, and boasting a tensile strength of over 4,100 psi and elongation at break of more than 600%. It is easy to fabricate with standard woodworking tools and requires no painting or refinishing. Available in various thicknesses, including 1/4" to 1-1/2", and standard sheet sizes of 54" x 96" and 48" x 96", King StarBoard® is ideal for replacing wood and building marine components.

Tricel Honeycomb Panels

Tricel Honeycomb Panels are a leading choice for marine applications due to their exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, weighing up to 80% less than traditional plywood while maintaining equivalent strength. These panels, made from phenolic-impregnated kraft paper cores skinned with 1.5mm Okoume plywood, are ideal for bulkheads, cabinetry, furniture, and other interior marine structures. They offer significant economic and performance benefits, including improved fuel economy and reduced transportation costs. Tricel's innovative design and materials make them a preferred option for yacht builders and marine industry professionals. The company's products are available in various sizes, including 4' x 8' sheets, and are recognized for their durability and lightweight characteristics. For more detailed information, please visit the Tricel marine page.