The Best Stainable Wood Fillers of 2025 for Repairing Furniture, Decks, and More.

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Wood fillers help hide the appearance of cuts, cracks, and nail holes in painted or finished wood trim and furniture, but they are also frequently used to fill in gaps that remain after putting up drywall or installing a new door frame. The best way to ensure that guests never notice the patches is to invest in a stainable product that has a texture similar to that of the adjacent wood. We put five of the top stainable wood fillers to the test to determine which ones perform the best. 

Finding a wood filler that blends well with the wood type, is easy to apply, and doesn’t cost a fortune is key to getting good results. After testing each wood filler on a variety of wood surfaces, we found Minwax, with its easy-to-use design, superior finish, and affordable price to be the best of the bunch. Read on to discover more of the best stainable wood fillers on the market and to learn more about our test results. 

1. BEST OVERALL: Minwax 42853000 Stainable Wood Filler
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2. BEST BUDGET: J-B Weld 8257 Kirkwood Wood Repair Epoxy Putty Stick
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3. BEST EPOXY: Abatron WoodEpox Epoxy Wood Replacement Compound
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4. BEST FOR OAK: Goodfilla Water-Based Wood & Grain Filler
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5. BEST CELLULOSE BASED: Elmer’s E887Q Stainable Wood Filler, 3.25-Ounce
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Our Top Picks

The products below are our top picks for some of the best stainable wood fillers based on quality, price, and the shopping considerations mentioned above. Regardless of the specific attributes of a wood project, there’s a stainable filler below that fits the bill.

Best Overall

Minwax 42853000 Stainable Wood Filler

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What We Like

• Consistency makes it easy to apply
• No shrinkage while drying 
• Matches natural wood color

What We Don’t Like

• Not quite as strong as some wood fillers

Specs 

• Type: Latex based
• Quantity: 16 ounces 
• Indoor/Outdoor: Both
• Drying Time: 15 minutes

Our Ratings: Ease of Use 5/5; Appearance 4.5/5; Durability 4/5; Value 5/5 

Minwax wood filler yields excellent results, is easy to use, and doesn’t cost much, which is why it tops our list of wood fillers. With its latex-based formula, Minwax has a smooth mud-like consistency that is very easy to spread over larger and smaller gaps and cracks. There were no lumps to work around, and it was thin enough that we didn’t need to use our fingers to apply it. We were able to fill a ¾-inch diameter hole that was ¼-inch deep with ease. 

Whereas other wood fillers took hours to dry, Minwax is a fast-drying liquid wood filler, ready for sanding in smaller cracks in under an hour and for larger jobs in about four hours, speeding along the job so we could move onto the staining phase. It also doesn’t shrink as it dries, so there was no need to apply a second layer to fill in gaps. Once dry, the filler’s smooth consistency meant that it was easy to sand the surface down to a stainable finish. Though not quite as strong as some of the cellulose-based wood fillers we’ve tried, Minwax still held up well to bumps and knocks once dry and fully cured. Minwax also took the stain well, and its natural wood color was a close match to our pine board. 

What our tester says: “Minwax has that just right consistency for filling in tiny nail holes or larger cracks. I was able to make even larger repairs with a single application, which isn’t the norm with most wood fillers.” —Tony Carrick, Product Reviews tester and writer

Get the Minwax wood filler on Amazon or at Lowe’s.

Best Budget

J-B Weld 8257 KwikWood Wood Repair Epoxy Putty Stick

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What We Like

• Simple-to-use roll design 
• Easy to apply to cracks and chips
• Creates a strong bond

What We Don’t Like

• Doesn’t hold stain as well as others
• Lumpier consistency

Specs 

• Type: Epoxy based
• Quantity: 1 ounce 
• Indoor/Outdoor: Both
• Drying Time: 15 to 25 minutes 

Our Ratings: Ease of Use 5/5; Appearance 4/5; Durability 4/5; Value 5/5 

Scratches, dents, and nicks occur frequently around the home, and they’re usually not large enough to warrant a full bucket of wood filler. However, once enough of those little imperfections have accumulated, you’ll want to fix them. This J-B Weld epoxy-based stainable wood filler is affordable and can be applied quickly with just your fingers.

The 3.5-inch-long tube of filler has two separate parts of an epoxy formula that you knead together to prep. If you don’t mind getting your fingers a little dirty, JB Weld is very easy to use. We could pinch off a very precise amount of the filler, press it together to mix, and its Play-Doh-like consistency made it easy to push into small gaps and cracks with our fingers.

Kwikwood does have noticeably larger particles of wood in it than other fillers. While this helped to create a strong, hard repair, it also made it more challenging to achieve a smooth finish that was level with the surrounding wood. We spent more time during the sanding phase to blend it evenly with the surrounding wood surface than we did with some of the other wood fillers we tested. 

True to its name, Kwikwood dries quickly, taking between 20 minutes to set for a shallow repair and about an hour for our larger ¾-inch in diameter, ¼-inch deep divot. While this made for a quick turnaround time, we found that Kwikwood didn’t hold wood stain particularly well. The instructions advise mixing the stain into the filler before applying. This process was messy and the stain didn’t mix evenly into the filler. These characteristics make it a good choice for fast repairs on surfaces you intend to paint over or cover but not ideal for filling chips, cracks, or nail holes on stained furniture. 

Get the J-B Weld wood filler on Amazon or at Lowe’s.

Best Epoxy

Abatron WoodEpox Epoxy Wood Replacement Compound

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What We Like

• Resists rot, mildew, and water
• Consistency makes it easy to apply once mixed
• Sands easily to a smooth, even finish

What We Don’t Like

• Need to mix it ahead of time
• Doesn’t match natural wood color

Specs 

• Type: Epoxy based
• Quantity: 12 ounces 
• Indoor/Outdoor: Both
• Drying Time: 1 to 3 hours 

Our Ratings: Ease of Use 4.3/5; Appearance 4/5; Durability 5/5; Value 4/5 

While most wood fillers are rated for indoor and outdoor use, they lack the durability of Abatron WoodEpox epoxy-based wood filler, which has a formula specifically designed to resist mold, mildew, rot, and water. Once the stainable and paintable wood filler is dry, it will remain permanently bonded to the wood around it and will not shrink over time or with changing weather conditions. This ability to ward off Mother Nature makes the waterproof, solvent-free wood filler a good solution for repairing decks, outdoor wood furniture, and other outdoor woodwork. 

WoodEpox comes in two separate containers that are mixed in equal parts to produce 12 ounces of filler. Divvying out equal parts and mixing them in a separate container made the application process a little more complicated than most wood fillers. Similar to other epoxy wood fillers, we found that the best way to mix the two-part compound was by kneading it with our fingers. Once mixed, the putty-like consistency allowed us to push WoodEpox into cracks and divots with relative ease. 

WoodEpox dried in about an hour for our shallow repair and in a few hours for our larger divot repair. Since WoodEpox has a smooth consistency, it was relatively easy to sand. And while it holds stain well, it dries to a lighter white consistency that doesn’t match natural wood color, thus limiting its use to painted surfaces and darker opaque stains. 

Get the Abatron wood filler at Amazon or Walmart.

Best for Furniture

Goodfilla Water-Based Wood & Grain Filler

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What We Like

• Smooth consistency makes it easy to work with
• Matches wood color well 
• Sands to a smooth finish

What We Don’t Like

• Too pricey for filling nail holes

Specs 

• Type: Cellulose based 
• Quantity: 8 ounces 
• Indoor/Outdoor: Both
• Drying Time: 15 minutes 

Our Ratings: Ease of Use 4.7/5; Appearance 5/5; Durability 5/5; Value 4.5/5 

With its great color-matching quality and smooth consistency, Goodfilla is a favorite for making repairs to wood furniture. The cellulose-based, stainable wood filler has a finish that resembles the grain and color of natural red oak. If the initial color doesn’t quite match the existing flooring or furniture, the filler can be mixed with stains, tints, pigments, or dyes to achieve the perfect shade.

You get what you pay for with Goodfilla. While it was certainly the priciest of the wood fillers we tested, it also performed better than any of them. Its consistency is smooth and butterlike, which made filling everything from small nail holes to larger ¾-inch divots easy. Goodfilla dries quickly, is easy to sand, and has no shrinkage, so there was no need for a second coat on any of our test pieces. It dries to a rock-hard shell that held up to our efforts to chip and dent it. Goodfilla also did the best job of matching the surrounding wood color, and we found it to be one of the best wood fillers when it came to receiving stain. 

While Goodfella’s high price tag may not make it a good choice for basic jobs, such as filling nail holes in baseboards, it’s certainly worth the cost if you’re repairing chips and cracks in wood furniture and other finish carpentry. 

What our tester says: “I love how easy this product is to apply. It goes on smooth, fills even larger holes well, and sands down to an even finish that matches bare wood seamlessly.” —Tony Carrick, Product Reviews tester and writer

Get the Goodfilla grain filler on Amazon and Walmart.

Best Cellulose Based

Elmer's E887Q Stainable Wood Filler, 3.25-Ounce

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What We Like

• Easy to use for smaller repairs
• Matches wood color well 
• Sands easily 

What We Don’t Like

• Hard to get a lot of product out of the bottl

Specs 

• Type: Cellulose based 
• Quantity: 3.25 ounces 
• Indoor/Outdoor: Both
• Drying Time: Up to 24 hours 

Our Ratings: Ease of Use 4/5; Appearance 5/5; Durability 4/5; Value 4/5 

Cellulose-based, stainable wood fillers like this one from Elmer’s use fibers that imitate the feel and appearance of real wood. In its squeeze bottle form, Elmer’s is designed to be an easy and cheap fix for small repairs, including cracks, chips and nail holes. 

Elmer’s was the only wood filler we tested that uses a squeeze bottle design, and we had mixed feelings about it. The small applicator point, coupled with the thick consistency that’s characteristic of a cellulose-based wood filler, made it a challenge to squeeze filler out. We found that massaging the bottle with our fingers prior to removing the cap and cutting a large opening on the tip helped to make squeezing filler out of the bottle an easier process. But while we were able to coax enough wood filler out to handle smaller repairs, this is clearly not a wood filler designed to handle larger ones, such as our 3/4-inch diameter divot.

That said, the convenient squeeze bottle design made it a quick and easy option for filling nail holes and smaller chips. We were able to squeeze out a dab onto the repair and scrape away excess with a putty knife. Elmers also dried to a hard consistency quickly and was relatively easy to sand. Once dry, it was a close match to natural wood color and held stain and paint well. 

Get the Elmer’s stainable wood filler at Amazon.

Jump to Our Top Picks

How We Tested the Best Stainable Wood Fillers

After researching the top stainable wood fillers for repairing furniture, flooring, and more, we discovered that the best options are determined by their type, quantity, drying time, compatibility with multiple surfaces, and other special features included by select brands. Keeping that in mind, we chose five good stainable wood fillers and put them to the test. 

We conducted three tests with each filler, using them to fill small nails holes, small cracks, and a large ¾-inch wide divot. We evaluated each filler based on several factors, including how easy it was to apply, the amount of time it took to dry, how easily we were able to sand it to a smooth, level finish, and its ability to match natural wood and receive stain. Finally, we factored in price to determine the overall value of each stainable wood filler. 

What to Consider When Choosing a Stainable Wood Filler

Before choosing a stainable wood filler to renew the look of old furniture or to fix baseboards, consider important factors like drying time and the quantity of filler required. Once you have a better idea of your requirements, you’ll be able to find the best stainable wood filler for your project.

Types of Stainable Wood Fillers

The four basic types of stainable wood fillers are categorized by their formulas: gypsum-based, epoxy-based, vinyl-based, and cellulose-based.

Gypsum-based

Gypsum-based stainable wood fillers are typically used for indoor repairs to fill gaps in baseboards and drywall. This type of filler is made out of gypsum dust that must be mixed with water to create the paste. Once the filler has dried, it is no longer pliable. Instead, it takes on a similar consistency to hardwood or even rock, in some cases. 

Gypsum-based wood fillers are the most affordable type of filler. Because these fillers are susceptible to water damage, even after the filler has dried, they shouldn’t be used in locations where they may be exposed to moisture.

Epoxy-based

Epoxy wood fillers are the most durable and resistant, but they also require the most preparation before use. For the epoxy to have the desired consistency and adhesion, the two parts must be mixed according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once the epoxy is mixed, it can be applied to the affected area.

Ideal for use in outdoor conditions, epoxy-based wood fillers can expand and contract with changing temperatures. Because of their natural water resistance, they’re also the best suited fillers to seal the wall or foundation of a home against wind and rain.

Latex-based

Latex-based stainable wood fillers are commonly used for outdoor locations because they require less initial preparation than epoxies. They also set very quickly after they have been applied and are usually water-resistant within an hour. Latex fillers are also easy to work with, so they’re useful for fixing holes, repairing gouges, rebuilding portions of rotted wood, and restoring outdoor furniture.

When latex-based fillers have fully dried, they have a rigid consistency like hardwood. This consistency allows you to use sandpaper on the filler to create a smooth finish. You can also drive nails or fasten screws through latex filler without damaging the repair, adding to their durability.

Cellulose-based

Cellulose-based fillers are another official category of stainable wood filler, though they’re rarely labeled as such on product packaging. Instead, cellulose-based fillers’ packaging will indicate that they contain real wood fibers. Compared to latex-based fillers and epoxies, these wood fillers are relatively inexpensive. Because cellulose fillers are water soluble, they can be mixed with stain to create a richly colored material before application.

Some cellulose-based fillers can be used outdoors, but others are strictly for indoor use. Be sure to consult the product’s directions to verify how and where the filler can be used.

Project

The type of project will determine which stainable wood filler best suits your needs. Factors like preparation time, the amount of filler required, and any constraints around drying time (like impending rain) should all inform the product choice. 

• Indoor projects can range from filling a gap between baseboards to touching up a piece of fine wooden furniture or repairing hardwood floors. Though any suitable wood filler can be used for indoor projects like these, epoxy fillers would be the last resort, as they take much longer to prepare and dry than other formulations.
• Outdoor projects that require a stainable exterior wood filler might include fixing gouges in a fence, repairing cracks in a deck, restoring and staining outdoor furniture, and sealing up holes in a home’s exterior wall to protect from the elements. The best choice for projects like these is an epoxy-based stainable wood filler. For smaller repairs, it’s fine to use a latex-based outdoor wood filler or even a cellulose-based filler that is rated for exterior use.

Versatility

Most wood fillers are sold in small containers, each with a specialized purpose for one kind of minor repair or another. If you’re in renovation mode and need a lot of stainable wood filler to complete a long list of projects, it’s best to invest in a bulk wood filler product that has a wide range of applications. 

Before purchasing a large quantity of stainable wood filler, confirm whether it’s suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. Also consider how malleable the filler is before it dries—if you’re going to buy in bulk, it may be worth purchasing a small container to check how easy it is to work with before buying the large container. Examine the manufacturer’s recommended uses for the product, and the consistency of the filler when it has fully cured. For instance, it’s a good idea to use an epoxy-based stainable wood filler to fix a hole in an exterior wall because epoxy adapts best to temperature fluctuations.

Quantity

The quantity of wood filler required will depend on the scope of the project. The good news is that wood filler manufacturers sell their products in a variety of quantities, from miniscule to a bucketful, so you won’t have to pay for a ton of filler just to repair a few scratches.

For minor repairs, there are stainable wood fillers that come in a form similar to a crayon, allowing you to fill shallow cracks by simply swiping the filler material over them. Stainable wood filler packages between 8 to 16 ounces are appropriate for mid-size projects, like touching up the gaps after replacing the baseboards in a home. Any fillers that exceed this quantity are best for larger projects, like renovating an entire room or repairing an old deck or fence.

Drying Time

Be sure to note the approximate drying time of the stainable wood filler to determine exactly how long you have to complete a repair and smooth out the area before the filler hardens. Some products dry very quickly, which is convenient for outdoor applications, as it’s important for the filler to dry before it’s exposed to rain or snow.

When using stainable wood filler to repair a larger section of wood, it’s best to use a product that takes a while to dry; this will allow time to make the repair and form the filler into the desired shape. Drying time varies from product to product, so be sure to refer to the manufacturer’s directions for details.

FAQs 

If you’re still wondering how to select the right stainable wood filler for your project, review the answers to these frequently asked questions.

Q: How do you apply wood filler?

The easiest way to apply wood filler is to use a putty knife. Begin pressing the filler into the top of the affected area and slowly manipulate it into the repair, overfilling if necessary. After the crack, gouge, or scratch is filled, but before the filler dries, use the putty knife to remove any excess so it’s flush with the surface.

Q: How do you prepare a wood filler?

Some wood fillers, including epoxy-based and powder fillers, have to be mixed before they can be used. To prepare the stainable wood filler, carefully follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer. This usually involves mixing two parts of an epoxy together or mixing water with a powdered filler.

Q: How do you stain wood filler?

After sanding your wood and preparing the repaired area, apply the stain directly to the filler using a small paintbrush, or stain the entire piece of wood and the filler together for a more uniform look. 
If you have concerns about how the stain will look on the filler when it dries, test it out first on a scrap piece of wood. When the filler on the scrap wood is dry, test the stain so that you know how it will look before you commit to staining your furniture, floor, or any other wooden surface. 

Q: What is the difference between wood putty and wood filler?

The main difference between wood putty and wood filler is that putty typically remains somewhat pliable, which allows it to shrink and expand with the cold. This makes wood putty suitable for filling large gaps in a wall. Wood filler hardens to a consistency that’s similar to wood because it contains sawdust and wood fibers. Wood putty is made primarily of plastics, though there are also some plastic wood fillers.

Q: What is the best material to fill large gaps in wood?

The best material to fill large gaps in wood depends on the size of the gap. Furniture and wood floor fillers are the best option if the gap is no more than ¾-inch inch in diameter. For larger holes, you’ll need to use a plug of wood or sawdust along with wood filler to make the repair. 

Q: How thick can wood filler be applied?

You can generally apply wood filler to a thickness of up to ⅜ inch. Any thicker and the repair is less likely to hold up over time. 

Q: Can you drill into a wood filler patch?

Wood fillers dry hard enough that you can drill or screw into them. That said, if you do plan to do either, we suggest using an epoxy wood filler, which dries harder than other types of wood fillers. 

Q: How long does stainable wood filler take to dry?

How long wood filler takes to dry varies depending on the size of the repair. Most wood fillers dry in less than 30 minutes for small repairs, such as filling nail holes. Larger repairs, such as filling a large crack, can take 4 to 6 hours to dry and as much as a full day to cure. 

Meet the Tester

Tony Carrick is a freelance writer specializing in home improvement, landscaping, technology, home security, and design. His articles have been featured on such sites as Popular Mechanics, Futurism, SFGate, Pro Tools Review, and more. Tony has conducted rigorous product testing on everything from power tools to home security systems to backyard grills. With each review, his goal is to help readers determine whether a product meets their needs and if it is or isn’t worth its price tag.

Additional research provided by Timothy Dale.

 

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