Materials · Wood & Bamboo
A key card with grain
No two wooden cards are identical — which is exactly the point. For boutique, luxury and eco-flagged properties, wood turns a utility into a keepsake.
Our wooden cards laminate real veneer — birch, cherry, sapele, walnut and other species — over the same RFID inlay used in PVC cards. Finish with laser engraving for a crafted look, UV print for brand color, or both. Bamboo offers a more uniform surface and gentler pricing for larger volumes.
Highlights
FSC-certified options
Chain-of-custody documentation available for certified-source orders.
Laser or print finishing
Engraving, full-color UV print, debossing — or combinations.
Same chips as PVC
MIFARE®, NTAG® and LF options — your locks read them identically.
Wooden key cards — technical data
- Face material
- Real wood veneer — birch, cherry, sapele, walnut and carbonised bamboo, graded sheet by sheet before pressing
- Construction
- Cross-laminated veneer faces over a bonded RFID inlay — grain directions opposed to keep the card flat
- Finished thickness
- 1.0–1.4 mm typical — thicker than CR80 plastic; designed for contactless readers
- Finish
- Natural oil or matte water-based lacquer; edges sealed and sanded smooth
- Branding
- Laser engraving (permanent, no ink), UV inkjet colour print, or silk-screen
- Heat behaviour
- No softening point — wood tolerates heat that warps plastics; keep below ~70 °C to protect adhesives
- Water resistance
- Sealed surface handles wet hands, splashes and humidity; not built for immersion
- Sourcing
- FSC-certified veneer available with chain-of-custody documentation for ESG reporting
- Chip compatibility
- All 13.56 MHz and 125 kHz chips — wood is RF-transparent, so read range matches plastic cards
Inside a wooden key card
A wooden card is a three-layer veneer sandwich. Two graded veneers are pressed grain-against-grain around the RFID inlay, then edge-sealed and finished. Because wood does not block radio waves, the antenna reads exactly as it would inside plastic — the lock never knows the difference.
≈ 1.0–1.4 mm finished — a warm, matte object guests notice and keep
- Face veneer · 0.5–0.6 mm Graded birch, cherry, sapele, walnut or bamboo; laser-engraved branding
- RFID inlay + adhesive Chip and antenna bonded between food-safe adhesive layers
- Back veneer · 0.5–0.6 mm Opposing grain direction keeps the card flat through humidity swings
When wood is the right call
- Sustainability is part of the stay: a wooden card is the one piece of your brand a guest holds twenty times a day.
- You run a boutique, lodge or eco-resort where a plastic card would feel off-brand at check-in.
- You want engraving, not ink: laser-burned logos read premium and never rub off.
Wooden key card questions
Do wooden key cards work with standard hotel locks?
Yes — with contactless (RFID) locks. Wood is transparent to radio waves, so the 13.56 MHz or 125 kHz inlay inside reads exactly like a plastic card. Because wooden cards run 1.0–1.4 mm thick, they are not suitable for insert or swipe readers.
Will wooden cards warp, crack or splinter?
The two veneers are pressed with opposing grain directions — the same principle as plywood — which keeps the card flat through humidity swings. Edges are sealed and sanded, and the finished surface is smoother than most guests expect.
How is our logo applied to a wooden card?
Laser engraving is the signature option: permanent, ink-free and impossible to rub off. For colour, UV inkjet prints directly on the sealed veneer, and silk-screen works for flat brand marks. Many properties combine an engraved logo with printed room-directory details.
How do wooden cards handle water and pool areas?
The oiled or lacquered surface shrugs off wet hands, splashes and bathroom humidity. They are not built for immersion — for waterparks and swim-up bars, pair wooden room cards with silicone RFID wristbands.
Start your order
Need key cards that just work at check-in?
Send your lock brand and quantity — you will get a factory-direct quote and a free sample pack to test in your own locks before you commit.