Coffee wood vs olive wood dog chews: how to compare them fairly
We make coffee wood chews and we do not make olive wood, so we cannot give you measured figures for olive wood, and we have not found an official source that compares the two. What decides the comparison is the same set of questions for both woods: where the wood comes from, how dry it is and where that is measured, what sizes and tolerances you get, how it is packed, and what papers come with it. Below are those questions, with our full answers for coffee wood, so you can set any olive wood supplier's answers beside ours.
- For buyers choosing a wood chew range
- Coffee wood, with an olive wood checklist
- About 6 minutes to read
Why we won't publish a side-by-side table of the two woods
A comparison written by someone who sells one of the two tends to end with that wood winning, and ours would be no different. Without our own measurements of olive wood, any line we wrote about its hardness, splintering or lifespan would be a claim we could not support.
A fair comparison is made on the same questions, answered by each supplier with numbers and documents. If one supplier answers with measurements and the other with adjectives, that tells you something too.
The questions that decide it, answered for coffee wood
| Question | Our answer for coffee wood | For olive wood, ask |
|---|---|---|
| Where does the wood come from? | Mature Robusta trees, 20+ years, cleared at the end of their productive life for new planting, Central Highlands of Vietnam | Which trees, which region, and why they were cut |
| What part of the tree? | Trunk, bark removed, core kept, both ends cut off (about 5–7 cm each) | Trunk, branch or root, and what is cut away |
| Moisture, and where measured? | Below 14%, measured at the core, before vacuum packing | The figure, and whether it is core or surface |
| Any treatment? | No chemicals added in production, no pressure-stabilising step | Oils, coatings, chemicals or pressure drying |
| Sizes and tolerance | Six sizes, XS 10–11 cm to XXL 22–23 cm; tolerance stated in centimetres | Size table with length, diameter and weight |
| Packing | Vacuum-sealed, 1, 2 or 3 pieces per bag, desiccant inside | Is it sealed against moisture in transit? |
| Cracks | Accepted level written on the proforma invoice before deposit | Is the crack level agreed in writing? |
| Export papers | Every shipment: commercial invoice, packing list, B/L. When your market requires them: C/O, phytosanitary and fumigation certificates | Which of these the supplier issues |
Where the wood comes from, and why it matters
Our coffee wood is sourced from mature Robusta trees (20+ years) at the end of their productive life, cleared to make way for new planting. It is a byproduct of the natural farm renewal cycle in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Coffee is a perennial farm crop, not forest timber, and the wood is collected farm by farm. Harvesting is confirmed by the local authorities, which is the basis for the certificate of origin. Our two factories are in Đắk Lắk and Gia Lai provinces, in the same coffee region.
For any wood chew, the source answers two buyer questions at once: can the supply continue, and can origin be shown on paper. Ask an olive wood supplier the same. More on our source in where coffee wood comes from.
Moisture and cracking: compare the method, not just the number
Every supplier quotes a moisture figure. What matters is where it was measured and whether it holds after packing. Thick wood dries from the outside in, so a surface reading on a large chew can look drier than the centre really is.
We commit to below 14% at the core for every size. We do not promise 10–12%, because drying coffee wood that far makes the large sizes crack heavily. A supplier who quotes a very low figure for all sizes should be asked how the large sizes avoid cracking at that level. Our reasoning is in why we measure moisture at the core, and the causes of cracks in why coffee wood chews crack and splinter.
Papers, tests and customs
On our export documents a coffee wood chew is described as a wooden pet toy, because it is a toy, not food. Every shipment comes with a commercial invoice, a packing list and a bill of lading. A certificate of origin, a phytosanitary certificate and a fumigation certificate are provided when your market requires them. For the EU the certificate of origin is the EUR.1 under the EU-Vietnam agreement.
Tests are worth comparing too, but only when both suppliers name the substance tested. A "safety test" that names nothing cannot be compared with anything. Tests we already hold are shared free; a new or third-party test is paid by the buyer. Our existing coffee wood test is described in what our SGS coffee wood test covers.
The fairest test: both woods, same dogs
Specifications narrow the field. The final decision is made by dogs and by your customers' reviews. Put samples of both woods in front of the same dogs, in comparable sizes, and note how each wears, cracks and smells after a few weeks in a normal home.
- Choose sizes by diameter and weight, not by size name. Size names differ between suppliers.
- Keep both in their original packing until the test starts.
- Supervise the dogs, and take each chew away once it is worn small.
- Record cracks and fragments, not just how long each chew lasted.
Our minimum is 50 pcs per product, and coffee wood can share an order with hemp, loofah and coco coir toys, so a first order can test a small range side by side. See how mixed orders work.
Questions about coffee wood and olive wood
Is coffee wood or olive wood better for dogs?
We make coffee wood only and have no measurements of olive wood, so we do not rank them. Compare both on source, moisture at the core, treatment, sizes, packing and documents, then test samples with real dogs.
Do you make olive wood chews?
No. We make coffee wood chews, along with hemp, coco coir and loofah toys and pet beds.
What moisture level is your coffee wood?
Below 14%, measured at the core before vacuum packing, for every size.
Is your coffee wood treated?
No chemicals are added in production, and there is no pressure-stabilising step. Fumigation, when a shipment needs it, is done before export customs clearance.
Can I order a small quantity to compare?
Yes. The minimum is 50 pcs per product, and your first 3 samples are free; you pay the shipping.
Put coffee wood in the comparison
Start with samples: your first 3 are free, you pay the shipping.