This paper presents a review of research progress for biomass-derived hard carbon materials for sodium-ion storage. It provides an in-depth analysis of hard carbon anode materials obtained from biomass with the aim of identifying an optimal structure performance relationship. Different sodium-ion storage mechanisms in hard carbon and models proposed in the literature are discussed and compared. Hard carbon property – performance correlations are analysed based on recent published data. This paper also provides insight into the common methods for preparing hard carbon from biomass, as well as effect of preparation conditions on the physical properties of hard carbon materials. Observed structural changes are directly correlated with preparation parameters and biomass precursor used. In most cases, biomass derived hard carbon materials thermally treated between 1200 °C and 1400 °C have been identified as providing ideal structural properties for improving sodium-ion storage performance in battery cells. However, certain drawbacks including poor cycling stability and low initial coulombic efficiency still hinder the wider applications of hard carbon for sodium-ion batteries. To that end, methods for addressing the negative performance characteristics are provided, including the requirement for novel characterization techniques and advanced material engineering.