One of the fastest-growing tech trends gaining popularity across the world is having a range of technological devices (like smartphones, tablets, laptops, accessories, and gaming peripherals) covered in a wood finish.
This replaces the trend of using plastics or metals, such as stainless steel, chrome, or even gold.
Today, we can choose from a range of finishes to personalize our devices.
Like the deep, antiquated vibe of mahogany? Or how about the fresh, earth-loving vibe that a bamboo finish brings to a space? A pale soft maple or birch is the perfect accompaniment to a minimalist space, while a rich cherry gives you that sumptuous, enveloping feeling that the coziest computer rooms feature.
Here is a closer look at the pros and cons of having wooden hardware compared to the more traditional plastic and metal finishes on our devices.
Pros and Cons of Wooden Hardware for Your Devices
We can start by taking a quick look at some of the pros of having wooden hardware for your devices, whether it’s a set of speakers, a PC monitor, the PC tower, or your smartphone, before revealing some of the downsides.
If you want to watch your favorite shows or spend hours exploring immersive worlds in today’s most graphically demanding triple-A video games, what better way is there to do so than from a stylish and sophisticated wood-encased smartphone?
Pros
Whatever your reason may be for considering having wooden hardware for your tech, the three main pros are:
- Personalization – wood is more versatile than standard plastic hardware. It’s easier to customize by way of staining, cutting, shaping, sanding, and painting.
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Durability – most sustainable woods today used for hardware are extremely robust and can handle more weight than plastic outer bodies/casings.
With the right care, attention, and regular maintenance, wooden hardware can outlast plastic by many years. - Aesthetically pleasing – Wood has a more natural look and is more pleasing to the eye than plastics and metals. Static wooden hardware devices can even help enhance the look of the room they are in. For gamers, these aesthetic touches coordinate with the theme of whatever title is being played. Whether it's exclusive jackpots like Forge of Olympus, indie role playing games (RPGs) like Travellers Rest, or massive multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs) like World of Warcraft (WoW), a set of wooden hardware is a great way to bring a little of those immersive worlds out into the gaming setup.
Cons
Of course, with wooden hardware, there are also a few minor drawbacks. They include the following:
- Sustainability/impact on the environment – cutting down trees to turn them into wooden hardware for our technological devices comes at a huge cost to the environment. Some of the most notable environmental impacts of using wood in this way are increased carbon emissions and, not forgetting the most obvious impact, deforestation.
- Cost – wooden hardware is far more expensive than plastic hardware.
- Maintenance – wood is harder to maintain than plastic materials.
When it comes to the pros and cons of using plastics instead of wood, the most obvious advantages are that plastic is much easier to produce and is far more affordable than wood.
Plastic hardware requires very little maintenance and is super easy to clean and maintain. It is also much lighter and easier to move around. However, unlike wood, plastic can easily crack, split, or crumble over time, and it isn’t as aesthetically pleasing.
Plastic hardware has more of a sterile look and feel and in no way enhances the aesthetics or décor of a room. The other downside to plastic is that producing it and then disposing of it is an incredible waste and increases pollution.
Final Thoughts
When considering the option of wooden hardware casings for your devices (whether that means designing and building it yourself or investing in store-bought wooden hardware), you should weigh up the pros and cons of both.
There’s definitely an emerging trend for wooden hardware instead of metal or plastic, but you have to think of the long-term impact and whether it’s practical for you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aleksandra Djurdjevic
Senior Content Creator
Aleksandra Djurdjevic is a senior writer and editor, covering jewelry, accessories, and trends. She’s also works with services, home décor. She has previously worked as ESL teacher for English Tochka. Aleksandra graduated from the Comparative Literature department at the Faculty of Philosophy in Serbia. Aleksandra’s love for the environment, crafts and natural products over the years helps her continue to be a top expert at Wooden Earth.
