Funeral QuestionsCoffins & Caskets
Coffin and casket types, materials, costs, legal requirements, and how to choose one that suits the funeral you're planning.
Choosing a coffin or casket is one of the first practical decisions a family makes after a death, and one of the easiest to overspend on without a clear sense of what's actually available. This hub brings together the site's guidance on materials, cost, what can go inside, and the less commonly known options worth asking about.
What Are Coffins and Caskets?
A coffin is the tapered, six-sided shape, wider at the shoulders; a casket is a rectangular box with a hinged lid. Functionally they do the same job, and every crematorium and cemetery accepts both. See how do you choose a coffin or casket for the full comparison of shapes, materials, and typical prices.
Why This Choice Matters
The coffin or casket is often the single largest, most mark-up-able line item in a funeral quote, decided within days of a death and with little time to shop around. Understanding the real range of options, from simple cardboard through to solid timber, and knowing what's negotiable (supplying your own, decorating one, or renting a display casket for cremation) puts the decision back in the family's hands rather than the showroom's.
Key Concepts
- Coffin vs casket: a shape and regional-naming difference, not a functional or legal one. See how do you choose a coffin or casket.
- Rental (display) casket: a reusable outer shell used for the service, holding a simpler container that's what's actually cremated. See how do rental display caskets work for cremation.
- Bariatric coffin: an oversized coffin for a person whose size exceeds standard dimensions, routinely arranged by funeral directors. See what if a standard coffin doesn't fit.
How It Works Where You Are
The choice itself is much the same everywhere, but naming, typical prices, and consumer protections differ by country. Most Australian and UK funerals use a six-sided coffin, while caskets are the norm in the US. Price transparency rules differ too: UK funeral directors must publish a standardised price list that includes a basic coffin, NSW and Victoria require coffin prices to be published, and in the US the FTC Funeral Rule requires a casket price list and protects your right to buy a casket elsewhere. Country-specific guides:
- Australia: how to choose a coffin in Australia
- United Kingdom: how to choose a coffin in the UK
- United States: how to choose a casket in the US
Common Mistakes
- Equating price with respect. What a family remembers is the service and each other, not the model name of the coffin.
- Deciding in the showroom without a budget ceiling in mind. Set it beforehand, not while looking at the range.
- Assuming rental caskets or oversized options aren't available. Both are more common than families expect; ask directly rather than assuming.
- Not confirming cremation compatibility before sourcing your own coffin, or an oversized one. A coffin or casket that doesn't meet a specific crematorium's specs creates a distressing last-minute scramble.
Related Topics
- Cremation: what happens after the service, including the equipment constraints that affect coffin and casket choice.
- Burial: plot and vault sizing, relevant when choosing a larger coffin or casket.
- Funeral Costs: how the coffin or casket fits into the broader funeral quote.
Common Questions
Do you legally need a coffin at all? For cremation, yes, a rigid, combustible coffin or approved container is required. For burial, most places also require one, though some jurisdictions permit shroud burial in specific circumstances. See how do you choose a coffin or casket.
Can you supply or decorate your own coffin? Generally yes, provided it meets size, rigidity, and (for cremation) combustibility requirements. See how do you choose a coffin or casket for what to confirm first.
Is a rental casket the same as a simple cremation coffin? No. A simple coffin is bought outright and is itself what's cremated; a rental casket is a reusable outer shell for the service only, with a simpler container cremated separately. See how do rental display caskets work for cremation.
Knowledge Base
Choosing and Cost
What Can Go Inside
Sizing
Cremation Options
Forum Discussions