Are wooden toys actually better than plastic for toddlers?

Across the parenting communities we read, the case for wooden toys is mostly about durability, lack of batteries/sounds, and open-ended play rather than developmental superiority. Specialist subreddits like r/toddlers and r/moderatelygranolamoms consistently praise wood for holding up to years of abuse, but they also flag that 'wooden' doesn't automatically mean non-toxic or Montessori-aligned. Check finishes (water-based paint, FSC certification) before assuming a wood toy is safer than a well-made plastic one.