I've been using those expensive green plastic stakes that have a little metal underneath the plastic coating. I stress 'a little metal' cause that is all your get with them. The stakes keep breaking down in heavy wind if the stake is of any size and under weight.
Is there something that is better to use for staking?

I was wondering if fiberglass rods would be more durable? Don't know where to get any to test em.

Stakes for what?

If you are staking trees, a heavy duty metal T post works well. The wind won't be blowing them over. You will need a post driver or sledge hammer to drive them.

If you are making a trellis for beans to grow up, just plain old willow bean poles work well.

If you are staking tomatoes, don't bother. Just mulch the area and let them sprawl.

If you are staking concrete forms, steel stakes are best, but wooden stakes cut from 1x2 and sharpened are OK if the ground is not too hard and rocky.

I have used bamboo and 1"x2" scrap board with the bottom sawed to a point. I used to make cages from rolls of cement re-enforcing wire, but they would blow over where I am now. Here, I bought sheets of a lightweight version of re-enforcing wire and bent them over the beds to make quonset hut style supports. The plants grow up through and then drape over the wire. I use twine to tie them to the wire until they reach up through.

I just got another idea I would like to try. If I made the supports lower, the plants would be suspended just a few inches off the ground, sort of like letting them sprawl, but allowing air circulation. I'll have to think about this more to forsee any negatives. Maybe less air circulation or too crowded. I'll have to try this on a few and see how it works.