Which Size Urn to Purchase Before you Buy
Here is our guide to picking out the correct urn sizes to help make the process of choosing an urn as smooth as possible.
When someone passes and is cremated, the amount of ashes that remain usually depends on the size of an individual's bone structure. A tall woman with broad shoulders, when cremated, will yield more ashes than a slightly overweight shorter man.
In most instances, the average adult, when cremated, will produce around 200 cubic inches of ashes. When shopping for an urn, this will be the most prevalent size you find sometimes it will hold a little more or a little less, but this is the average adult size. Children younger than 13 depending on their height and size will yield roughly 100-122 cubic inches when cremated. Children under the age of 8, as well as infants, yield roughly 50 cubic inches after cremation.
The next most popular size is a keepsake urn. A keepsake urn holds a portion of remains; however, it is a very small portion, measuring out to roughly a few tablespoons. A good rule of thumb to follow is this: one pound of body weight equals roughly one cubic inch of urn space (a little less).
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Do Cremation Pendants Hold Ashes?
Cremation Pendants hold a very small portion of ashes; the amount is oftentimes less than a teaspoon. They open either through a small screw on the side or bottom, or through a threaded screw that is connected to the chain.
What is a Keepsake Urn?
Keepsakes hold a small portion of cremated remains, generally around 3-15 cubic inches, which weigh out to roughly 3 tablespoons. These are a wonderful way to share cremated remains among family even among friends. Some families will place a majority of their loved one's ashes in one large urn to be placed in a columbarium, to be scattered, or placed on display in a family member's home, and then the family members will each keep a small portion themselves in either a keepsake or a cremation pendant necklace. If you've purchased a pendant, buying and filling a keepsake can be a wonderful extra step of protection in case you ever lose or misplace the pendant. This way the pendant can be replaced and more importantly, re-filled, with your loved one's remains.
What is a Companion Urn?
Companion urns for two persons are created with true love in mind. The bond between two lovers can be so deep and powerful that they or their family want to cherish and remember that bond after death. Companion urns allow for the ashes of two people to be placed side by side oftentimes in a separate compartment for eternity. Companion urns traditionally hold around 400 cubic inches.
Is the Urn you Purchased too Small?
It's possible you bought a child-sized urn or infant urn, a medium-sized urn, or a keepsake. The medium sized urns are ideal for families who would like to split ashes between keepsakes, as well as an urn, multiple urns, or for families who would like to scatter a portion of the remains and keep the rest. Child-sized urns will be smaller, holding only 120 cubic inches or so, and sometimes they are purchased in mistake for a full-sized adult urn. The best way to check what size you are purchasing is to see how many cubic inches it holds.
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