 Char is a byproduct of biomass gasification and pyrolysis, which can be used for various purposes, including soil amendment and the production of activated carbon and carbon-based catalysts. Depending on the biomass feedstock, gasifier design and operating conditions, char properties may vary significantly. In this study, the effects of biomass type, switchgrass, sorghum straw and red cedar, and equivalence ratio, 0.20, 0.25 and 0.28, on the physical and chemical properties of char produced from gasification were investigated. The results showed that the Brunar-Emmett Teller, BET, surface area of most of the char was 1-10M2 slash G and increased as the equivalence ratio increased. Char moisture and fixed carbon content decreased while ash content increased as equivalence ratio increased. Corresponding Fourier transform infrared spectra revealed that the surface functional groups of char differed between biomass types, but remained consistent with changes in equivalence ratio.