How Do I Know What Size Urn to Buy?

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Urn size is an important consideration when planning a funeral

When planning a funeral, urn size is an important consideration. How do you know what size urn to buy? There are so many options, and most people aren’t familiar with how choosing an urn factors into funeral planning until the time comes. And the last thing you want to be worrying about are small details like urn size at such a difficult time. So let’s simplify this and make choosing the right sized urn as uncomplicated as possible.

It’s fairly obvious that the larger the urn, the more ashes it can hold. Cremation urns come in a variety of sizes, and the size you need will depend on how much cremated remains you have. The rule of thumb with urns is that you’ll need one cubic inch for each pound of bodyweight pre-cremation. If you don’t know your loved ones weight, you can estimate based on their height and age with an online body weight calculator to figure out the dimensions of the urn you need. We’ve linked a good calculator on this site to help you.

Before you purchase an urn, remember that you don’t have to choose an urn right away. You can always store the ashes in a temporary container until you find the perfect urn. This allows you time to make a decision with thought and intention without the pressures of choosing the perfect urn in a short amount of time. Most funeral homes will allow you to rent a temporary urn if you are unsure of what you want permanently. Purchasing an urn is an emotional decision, so take your time, and explore options while you consider what you’d like to do.

What factors should be considered when selecting an urn size?

When planning a funeral, there are many factors to consider. One important decision is what size urn to choose. Using the online calculator, you’ll be able to determine how many cubic inches the cremated remains are expected to be. A typical urn holds one pound of pre-mortem body weight per cubic inch. In other words, take the weight of your loved one before they pass, and that’s approximately how many cubic inches you’ll need in your urn.

You’ll also want to factor in whether the ashes will be divided among family members, or laid to rest in a single urn. If you plan to divide the ashes, keepsake scattering urns are ideal, and allow each family member to take some of the ashes and store them in a mini-urn in their home.

What are the most common urn sizes?

When shopping for a cremation urn, the most common sizes are the scattering urns, a child (or pet urn), a standard urn or a companion urn.

Scattering urns are small and meant to divide ashes among different households. Our Maple Nail scattering urns will hold approximately 13 cubic inches. Besides dividing ashes, these tiny urns work wonderfully for small pets under 13 pounds.

A child or pet urn is designed to hold the cremated remains of a small child under 75 pounds. This size also works well for small to medium-sized pets. These urns are beautiful and their size beautifully represents the small stature of a life lost too soon. It’s a beautiful way to honor their memory in your home.

A standard urn will hold approximately 200 cubic inches of cremains, so the size of an average adult 200 pounds or less.

Companion urns will hold 2- 200 cubic inch boxes inside, for two average adults to be memorialized together in one urn. The larger size of the companion urn also makes it an option for a family burying a family member who is significantly over 200 pounds when they pass.