Quick answer
Choose Polycomposite for bathrooms, kitchens and other rooms with regular moisture, or when stronger thermal and noise insulation matters. Choose Hardwood in dry rooms when lower panel weight, a custom colour or solid panels matter. Both have a smooth protective painted coating, so neither material shows natural wood grain.
Key takeaways
- Use waterproof Polycomposite where steam, splashes or condensation are regular; keep Hardwood to dry rooms.
- Hardwood has lower panel weight and is the only option for custom colours and solid-panel shutters.
- Both materials look smooth and painted; compare insulation, styles, price and guarantee rather than expecting visible wood grain.
Choose Polycomposite for regular moisture or stronger thermal and noise insulation. Choose Hardwood for a dry room when lower panel weight, a custom colour or solid panels matter. Both materials have a smooth protective painted coating, so neither shows natural wood grain. Price and guarantee length come after those practical differences.
What is the difference between Hardwood and Polycomposite shutters?
Hardwood and Polycomposite shutters use different core materials beneath a similar painted finish. Hardwood shutters use real timber beneath a smooth protective coating. Polycomposite shutters use a waterproof wood-plastic polymer beneath the same type of smooth protective coating, with metal insertions inside the louvres and frame.
The coating covers the natural grain on Hardwood, so the finished appearance is smooth rather than visibly wooden. Polycomposite also has a smooth painted surface. The visual difference is therefore smaller than the material names suggest. The real decision is waterproofing, panel weight, insulation, custom colour availability and whether the specification needs solid panels.
Neither material is a universal quality upgrade over the other. Polycomposite answers moisture and insulation priorities. Hardwood answers lower panel weight, custom-colour requests and solid-panel specifications in dry rooms. Start with the room and shutter layout, then compare the commercial route.
Material decision
Hardwood and Polycomposite compared by the features that change the choice
| Feature | Hardwood | Polycomposite |
|---|---|---|
| Core material | Real timber | Waterproof wood-plastic polymer |
| Finished appearance | Smooth protective painted coating; natural grain is covered | Smooth protective painted coating |
| Regular moisture | Dry rooms only | Bathrooms, kitchens and humid rooms |
| Panel weight | Lower weight; useful when larger panels are required | Heavier |
| Thermal and noise insulation | Adds a fitted internal layer when closed | Better than Hardwood because of metal insertions inside the louvres and frame |
| Colour | White or a confirmed custom colour | Available finishes confirmed at survey |
| Styles | Louvred styles, shaped work and the only solid-panel option | Louvred styles and shaped work; not solid panels |
The measured opening still decides panel widths, hinges, frame position and shaped-work suitability. Material does not replace the final survey.
Which material suits bathrooms, kitchens and dry rooms?
Choose waterproof Polycomposite for bathrooms, kitchens, utility rooms and other spaces with regular steam, splashes or condensation. Its wood-plastic polymer construction is the moisture-safe option in the Shutters Design range. A painted surface alone does not make a real-timber shutter waterproof.
Use Hardwood in living rooms, bedrooms, studies, dining rooms and conservatories where regular moisture is not part of the room conditions. A dry room does not automatically require Hardwood. Polycomposite can still be chosen there when its stronger insulation is more important than lower panel weight, custom colour or solid-panel availability.
One home can use both materials without looking mismatched. Their smooth painted finishes allow Polycomposite in a bathroom or kitchen and Hardwood in a dry reception room or bedroom while keeping a consistent white appearance. The material should change where the room requires it, not simply because another room used the alternative.
Which is better for larger panels, thermal insulation and noise?
Hardwood has a lower panel weight than Polycomposite, which can help when a measured dry-room design needs larger panels. Lower weight can make the proposed arrangement more practical, but it does not create a universal maximum panel size. Width, hinges, frame position and the available swing still need to be confirmed at the home survey.
Polycomposite provides better thermal and noise insulation than Hardwood because it has metal insertions inside the louvres and frame. Hardwood still adds some insulation as a fitted timber shutter when closed. The window condition and finished fit also affect the result. Read more in our thermal insulation shutters guide.
Do not turn the relative insulation difference into a fixed saving, temperature change or acoustic rating. The window behind the shutters must be sound, the frame must suit the reveal and the panels must close correctly. Material is one part of the complete fitted result.
Do the materials look different, and which styles are available?
Hardwood and Polycomposite both have a smooth protective painted coating, so neither material displays natural wood grain. White remains the main recommendation because it works with changing wall colours and furnishings. Custom colour matching is available only on Hardwood and must be recorded in the chosen specification.
Both materials are available in Full Height, Tier on Tier, Cafe Style, bifold and tracked louvred arrangements. Solid panel shutters are Hardwood only. Shaped work in either material is confirmed from the measured opening. Use the plantation shutter styles guide to compare coverage and panel movement separately from the material choice.
The two materials also carry different manufacturer guarantees. Polycomposite has a 10-year guarantee and Hardwood has a 5-year guarantee. The longer Polycomposite guarantee is a commercial difference, not a reason to ignore a dry-room requirement for lighter panels, custom colour or solid panels.
Published routes
Price, lead time and guarantee by material
| Material and route | Price per sqm | Typical lead time | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan & Save Polycomposite | £260 | 8-9 weeks | 10 years |
| Plan & Save Hardwood | £260 | 8-9 weeks | 5 years |
| Express Polycomposite | £315 | 2-3 weeks | 10 years |
| Express Hardwood | £380 | 2-3 weeks | 5 years |
All rates include VAT, the home survey, supply and fitting. Only Express is British-made. Material suitability still comes before the order route.
How do price, lead time, guarantees and final room choice compare?
Plan & Save costs £260 per square metre for either material. Express Polycomposite costs £315 and Express Hardwood costs £380. Express usually takes 2-3 weeks, while Plan & Save usually takes 8-9 weeks. Every rate includes VAT, the home survey, supply and fitting.
Polycomposite has a 10-year manufacturer guarantee and Hardwood has a 5-year manufacturer guarantee on either route. Only Express is British-made. Guarantee length and manufacturing route are useful commercial differences, but neither makes Hardwood suitable for a wet room or removes the panel-weight advantage of lighter wood in a dry room.
Choose in this order: rule out Hardwood where moisture is regular, then compare insulation, panel weight, colour and solid-panel requirements, and finally choose the price and lead-time route. Use the complete shutter range comparison for the broader specification and the plantation shutter pricing guide for current rates and inclusions.
