Why Metal Feels Colder Than Wood at the Same Temperature

Metal and wood at room temperature are actually the same temperature—but they feel different.
Metal feels colder because it conducts heat away from your skin much faster than wood.
Your hand is warmer than both materials, so heat flows out of you on contact.
With wood, heat transfer is slow, so your skin doesn’t cool as quickly.
Metal’s free electrons make it an excellent heat conductor, unlike wood’s insulating fibers.
The faster your skin loses heat, the colder the material feels—even if both are equal in temperature.
That’s why metal spoons feel icy in winter, while wooden spoons don’t.
The same principle explains why stepping on tile feels colder than stepping on carpet.
Thermal conductivity, not actual temperature, drives your sensation of “coldness.”
So when metal feels freezing, it’s really your body’s warmth rushing away into it.