Cremation Caskets Buyer’s Guide- Best Options You Can Buy Online

Best Cremation Caskets

Metal Caskets

Metal caskets are commonly made of steel, copper or bronze.

Steel’s thickness is measured in terms of “gauge.”

Generally, the thickest steel available is 20-gauge. You can also choose 18- or 16-gauge steel.

Another option is stainless steel, which is more durable than standard steel, but also much pricier. Like standard steel, the thickness of stainless steel is measured by gauge.

The most expensive metals for caskets are copper or bronze. The benefit to these materials is their resistance to rust.

Titan Casket - Orion White Steel Casket

This rubber-gasketed casket is crafted of strong 20-gauge steel.

The smooth, white finish and the white crepe lining the inside of the casket gives it a look of simple luxury.

Both the head and the foot of the casket are fully adjustable.

The square corners and the reinforced steel handles give this casket a traditional look.

The seller will ship directly to the funeral home of your choice, making the purchase of this casket easy and convenient.

Overnight Caskets “Praying Hands” Monarch Blue Finish

The finish as well as the velvet interior of the casket are in a beautiful shade of blue, at once both cheering and comforting.

The lid of the casket reveals a decoration of praying hands, making it a wonderful tribute to a person of faith.

The casket is of 18-gauge steel and includes a swing bar handle and a lock.

The head and foot of the casket are both adjustable.

Silver Rose Brush Casket With Pink Velvet Interior

This casket has an appearance that is both sturdy and feminine at the same time, thanks to its unique silver rose finish and pink velvet interior.

The silver rose detailing adds a note of sweetness and elegance.

The casket is made of 18-gauge steel with a full rubber gasket sealer.

The seller is known for excellent customer service and will work with you to make sure you receive the casket in a timely fashion.

Overnight Caskets - White Cross White Finish

Finished in white, this casket has an antique and traditional look.

That look is enhanced by the French fold design of the velvet interior.

The casket also comes with a Memory Record Tube and fits most standard burial vaults.

The exterior features gold decorations of crosses and praying hands, celebrating the Christian faith of your loved one, as does the gold-embroidered detail of the Lord’s Prayer on the inside of the lid.

Full Brush Copper Casket With Heritage Bronze Finish

A smooth and glossy copper and brown finish makes this casket look luxurious, as does the cream velvet interior with a French fold design.

The locking mechanisms and swing bar handle have a rich golden hue.

The price of the casket includes a memory tube.

The casket is fully gasketed and fits most standard burial vaults.

Excellent customer service is provided by this seller, who will make every effort to meet your needs.

Titan Steel Veteran Casket

Our departed veterans deserve the very best, and that’s what you get with this uniquely patriotic casket.

A classic finish of dark blue is decorated on the corners and handles with the image of an American eagle against a flag background.

The interior is lined with light blue crepe and decorated with an American flag inside the lid.

The square corners and swing bar handles give the casket a classic look, perfect to remember someone who proudly served their country.

Titan Panel Collection - Orion Red Steel Casket

Another patriotic choice, this casket catches the eye with its glossy red finish.

The casket seals shut with rubber gaskets so you can feel secure. It’s made of thick 20-gauge steel.

A white crepe interior is decorated with a “Flag at Rest” motif, indicating a patriotic soul who has gone to his/her final resting place.

Both the head and the foot of the casket are fully adjustable.

Titan Casket Andover Steel Casket

This 20-gauge steel casket comes in a stunning shade of blue, with gray details and a white crepe interior.

The casket can be shipped directly to the funeral home.

The bed is fully adjustable, and the casket can fit in a standard-sized burial vault.

Wooden Caskets

Along with metal, wood is a commonly used material for caskets.

A wide variety of cost and quality exists. The highest cost woods are mahogany, walnut and cherry; the lowest costs are pine, poplar and willow.

In between these extremes, you have medium cost woods like oak, birch and maple.

Most wooden caskets have a finish to make them smooth and glossy. In some cases, they may be polished by hand.

Here is a selection of quality wooden caskets to choose from.

Overnight Caskets - Mahogany Solid Wood With Velvet Interior

This luxurious casket is crafted entirely of mahogany, including the high gloss mahogany finish. The white velvet interior makes it even more luxurious.

Though pricey, this casket still represents significant savings from what you would pay for the equivalent from a funeral home.

As with most wooden coffins, this is not airtight or watertight, so eventually the elements will penetrate.

This is a reputable seller with excellent customer service, who will ship directly to the funeral home.

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Although crafted of inexpensive poplar, there is nothing cheap about this beautiful casket.

In fact, it is carved from the highest quality poplar available, graded for superior color and grain.

The casket is polished to a high gloss cherry finish, giving it a shiny red hue which truly looks elegant. This is enhanced by the cream velvet interior in a French fold design.

Westmount Solid Wood Caskets

This affordable casket is crafted of solid poplar with a glossy maple finish.

The interior is lined with cream-white velvet, with a half-couch and matching throw pillows.

The handles and locks are made of shiny brass, and a solid bottom ensures security for your loved one’s remains.

It also features an adjustable rest bed for both the head and the feet.

All caskets from this seller must undergo a rigorous 10-point inspection before they are sold.

Biodegradable Caskets

These days, many of us want to show respect for the environment, and this belief informs decisions about burial and cremation, too.

In a natural burial, the remains are placed inside a shroud or coffin which naturally decomposes into the earth.

No burial vault or embalming fluids are used.

There is a wide variety of biodegradable caskets available on the market. Here are a few of them.
Bamboo Lattice Coffin Natural Woven Green Casket
The bamboo woven into a lattice design gives this coffin a natural look, subtly enhanced by just the right amount of artistry.

The casket measures 71 inches long by 21 inches wide.

Bamboo Lattice Coffin Natural Woven Green Casket

The bamboo woven into a lattice design gives this coffin a natural look, subtly enhanced by just the right amount of artistry.

The casket measures 71 inches long by 21 inches wide.

The company is based out of the West Coast, so delivery times may be longer if you live in the Eastern U.S.

Natural Green Casket

This casket is the ultimate in simplicity, allowing you to save the environment and your money at the same time.

The wooden box with natural rope handles is “one size fits all,” so be prepared to cut it down to size if it’s going to be used for a small amount of ash or a more petite body.

This is an excellent choice if you are planning to have a simple, inexpensive memorial service.

The company is based out of the West Coast, so delivery times may be longer if you live in the Eastern U.S.

Biodegradable Extra Large Pine Casket

The wood for this pine box comes from sustainable forests, making this a solid environmental choice. It was also built without the use of any animal products, making it a good choice for vegans, too.

In addition, the casket meets the requirements for Orthodox Jewish burial.

It has been sanded to make the wood smooth and is completely free of metal, plastic, oil, varnish and chemicals. Even the handles are made of eco-friendly rope.

The casket is constructed with non-toxic glue which won’t harm the earth.

The casket arrives as a do-it-yourself assembly kit, making it easy to store if you’re not ready to use it yet.

Renting A Casket

Yes you absolutely can. A rental casket is an option for people who want to have a funeral service before the cremation, without the large expense of buying a casket.

What does a rental casket look like?

They’re exactly the same as regular caskets, which are made of wood or metal with a glossy finish. The only difference is they are used many times over. You rent it for the service, together with a pillow and removable cloth. The cloth keeps everything sanitary, so the casket can be used again.

How renting a casket works

Firstly, the deceased is placed into an alternative container (Which they will be cremated in). For the service, this container is carefully inserted into the rental casket, together with a protective sheet. That way, at no point does the deceased make contact with the casket.

The usual policy is that you’ll get a “looks like new” casket. After the service is over, the body is taken out of the rental casket and sent to its last journey to the cremation room.

The funeral service itself takes 30-40 minutes. This is how it usually happens:

1. The casket is raised on a platform that is usually decorated with flowers
2. A religious, or non-religious cremation service is held. For those from a particular denomination, you will need to contact your faith leader. Non-religious ceremonies are conducted by a celebrant, who are more flexible in what they can offer. It could be religious, spiritual, or somewhere in between.
3. The committal of the coffin happens, it is either lowered or withdrawn through a gate.

Costs

For a rental casket, you can expect to pay between $700 – $1000  and an additional $150-$250 removable items (Pillow and cloth).

Just for comparison, a traditional casket costs around $4000 – $6000, which is at least 4 times the cost of a rental.

The Coffin During Cremation

What happens to the coffin during cremation?

The coffin gets cremated with the body, in a furnace that heats at 1400 to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. After the process is finished you are left with metal nails from the coffin, and bone fragments.

The bones get reduced to ashes, and this is what the remains are. The weight of the remains is around 7 pounds for men and 5 pounds for women. You will also receive a Certificate of Cremation which is a legal document carrying the name of the person, as well as the date and place of cremation.

After the family receives the ashes, they usually place them in an urn to be later scattered in the wind, out of a plane, into the ocean, or wherever the person’s favourite place was. You may need to send the ashes to interstate or to overseas family members.

Here’s what different cultures say about the body and the soul:

Buddhists: “Attachment towards the dead is detrimental to the progress of the soul in seeking a new life after death.”

Catholic Church: They do not accept scattering of ashes. “The body is to be treated as a whole and should be kept as such.” For more information, our Catholic beliefs on cremation guide goes into more depth.

Islam: They absolutely disapprove the process of cremation. They bathe the dead and wrap them in cloth

Judaism: Orthodox Jews also strictly forbid the practice of cremation.

Hindu: After the cremation process, hindus forbid the ashes to return home. They must be scattered within 14 days of the cremation.

Furthermore it is recommended for the ashes to be cast into the river Ganges. The people performing the casting of the ashes have to leave without glancing back.

Jehovah’s Witness: Have no issue with the practice of cremation. Our Jehovah’s Witness funeral article goes into more depth about beliefs about death and dying.

What can you leave in a coffin during cremation?

While some people wish to take some of their possessions with them, this is not recommended for the cremation process. Since the jewelry and other possessions might be metal, they will not be reduced to ash.

It is recommended that you do not leave a person’s belongings inside. Let them stay intact and continue representing that person in your lifetime. If you wish to leave them for cremation, please tell the crematory staff before, who will advise you on whether it is possible.

If you wish to be extremely creative, you can always choose to turn your loved one’s ashes into cremation glass art. You can choose between many customized pieces including jewelry, glass orbs, paperweights, and much more. You may also want to use the cremains to make a cremation diamond.

 

Weight Of A Casket

How Much Does a Casket Weigh?

The weight of a casket depends, in large part, on the material from which it’s made.

For wooden caskets, pine is by far the lightest, weighing only about 43 pounds per cubic foot. Cherry or mahogany are the heaviest woods, at 53-56 pounds per cubic foot.

The weight of a metal casket is determined by the type and thickness of the steel. A stainless steel casket typically weighs about 494 pounds per cubic foot. 16- or 18-gauge steel is heavier than 20-gauge steel.

Other factors come into play to influence the weight of a casket, including the size of the casket and its fittings.

Types Of Caskets

You can go for a cardboard cremation container, a green cremation casket or a Jewish casket. We’ll look at the different options more closely below:

Cardboard cremation coffins

Cardboard cremation containers are also know as alternative containers. This is an eco friendly option, that is also budget friendly. You are saving trees and money at the same time. The prices of the ones we looked at went from $135 to $795.

You can also choose between coffin shaped and rectangular shaped container. It is a completely personal choice.

They are made out of 100% biodegradable material. The manufacturers use corn starch glues, wax coated lining and natural rope or fabric handles.

Green cremation caskets

If you care about nature, and wish to have clean ashes,  you can always go for the green option. These biodegradable coffins are made of cotton, wool, bamboo, wicker – all natural materials.

You could also look at the recycled cardboard option. They are made to resemble a traditional casket and will be a budget friendly option, compared to the price of renting a casket. They are fully combustible.

These biodegradable coffins are made from recycled paper, or they could also be made from cardboard. They contain wooden fibers important for stability of the coffin. The casket is lightweight and offers the cleanest ashes possible.

Jewish caskets

These are made completely out of plywood. Again, there will be no metal parts included. The wood is a good option because it’s fully combustible.