Composite decking hasn’t been around all that long. Trex intoduced it in 1996, and for awhile that brand name was synonymous with the product.

Because it uses recycled materials and gives builders an alternative to wood — a dwindling resource — composite decking was a great idea whose time had come. It didn’t take long for other companies to get in on the action. Today the best composite decking isn’t necessarily Trex, although it might be depending on what you’re looking for.

Composite decking design and manufacture remains a work in progress. Early versions had serious problems. In 2013, Trex settled a class action lawsuit over the quality of its early decking boards, which faded in the sun, absorbed moisture and became moldy. Significant improvements since then by Trex and other manufacturers addressed these issues.

If you’re looking for the best composite decking boards, consider these factors:

• Cost: Low cost doesn’t necessarily mean low quality.
• Durability: Composite decking generally outlasts wood, but some products offer longer warranty periods than others. PVC decking technically isn’t a composite but is durable.
• Style: These vary. Some boards are molded with a wood grain. Others aren’t. Some have a non-slip surface, and some grooved edges for use with hidden fasteners.
• Color: What you see is what you get. You can’t stain it, and painting usually isn’t recommended. The introduction of color streaking in the early 2000s allowed manufacturers to produce increasingly authentic-looking decking.
• Eco-friendliness: The percentage of recycled materials varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, but most products are LEED-certified green building materials.

When shopping for composite decking, you’re most likely to encounter these brands:

TimberTech (AZEK)

AZEK, located in the Chicago area, has been making PVC products since the 1980s and began producing PVC decking in 1999. In 2012, it joined forces with TimberTech to make quality decking boards.

TimberTech decking boards are generally regarded as some of the best and most expensive available. The capped PVC boards in its AZEK line come with a 50-year warranty, while warranties for TimberTech Pro (four-sided capped composite), Edge (three-sided capped composite) and Specialty (uncapped composite) boards run 30 years.

Cali Bamboo

While many manufacturers solved the water absorption problem by “capping” their products, San Diego-based Cali Bamboo addressed it by using recycled bamboo fibers instead of wood fibers. Bamboo is not only less absorbent but a more sustainable building product.

Founded in 2004, the company specializes in interior flooring and branched out to other building materials, including composite decking. Besides its BamDeck boards, manufactured with recycled bamboo fibers (60 percent) and recycled plastic (40 percent), the company offers a TruOrganics line, made from 100 percent wood fibers and capped on all four sides with durable PVC.

At about $15 per square foot, BamDeck composite decking lands on the low end of the price scale. But TruOrganics boards cost about five times that much, putting them on the high end. On its website, the company states it’s the only one that offers wide-plank decking.