What to Know Before Buying a Cremation Urn

Most people buy a cremation urn once or twice in a lifetime, usually in a week when there is already too much to decide. There is no need to rush. Ashes are normally returned in a simple temporary container, and they can stay in it for as long as you need. This guide sets out what to know before buying a cremation urn, in the order the questions tend to come up, with examples from our cremation urns for ashes.

Every size and detail below comes from the page for that urn, so you can check each one before you decide.

Decide where the urn will rest before anything else

The place decides almost everything else, so it is the best first question. An urn that is right for a shelf may be wrong for a grave, and the other way round.

• At home. Almost any urn suits a shelf, mantel or sideboard. Choose on appearance and on how it closes.
• In a garden or outdoors. Look for a page that says the urn is suitable for outdoor display. Many urns are made for indoors only.
• Buried. Choose an urn sold as biodegradable, or ask the cemetery what it accepts. Our guide to how cremation urns are buried covers this in more detail.
• Scattered. A scattering tube is made for this. A decorative urn is not: it is heavy to carry and awkward to pour from.
• Shared. If the family would each like to keep a portion, you may need one or more keepsakes as well as, or instead of, a full-size urn.

If you have not decided yet, that is fine. Choose something you are happy to keep at home for now. Our guide on where to place a cremation urn may help.

How big does a cremation urn need to be?

Capacity is the one detail that cannot be put right afterwards. Outside measurements tell you whether the urn fits the shelf. Capacity, given in liters and cubic inches, tells you whether the ashes fit the urn.

The usual rule of thumb is one cubic inch of capacity for each pound of body weight before cremation, so many adult urns hold around 200 cubic inches (about 3.3 liters). The ashes themselves weigh far less than that sounds: the Cremation Association of North America says the average weight of adult cremated remains is between four and six pounds (CANA, Cremation Process, read October 7, 2026).

If the person was tall or heavily built, look for a larger capacity rather than hoping a standard one will do. The Infinity Adult Cremation Urn in Matte Black, for example, holds 4.1 liters (about 250 cubic inches), and its page gives that as suiting an adult of up to approximately 113 kg (250 lb). Our urn size guide shows how to work it out.

Pictured: Infinity Adult Cremation Urn for Ashes in Matte Black

The Infinity is kiln-fired ceramic, an upright oval with an infinity shape worked into the front and a small niche that holds a tea-light. It stands 36.5 cm (14.4 in) tall, and its page lists it as suitable for indoor and outdoor display.

For the ashes of two people, a companion urn holds both; see our companion urns.

Which material suits which place

No material is best in general. Each one suits a different resting place, and our guide to the materials used in cremation urns goes through them one by one. In short:

Metal, for a lasting urn at home

Metal urns are strong and usually close with a threaded lid. The Classic Band Metal Adult Cremation Urn in Brushed Silver and Gold is the traditional vase shape many people picture when they think of an urn: a brushed silver body, dark bands around the shoulder and a gold-toned rim on the lid. It holds 3.2 liters (about 195 cubic inches), stands 26 cm (10.24 in) tall and weighs 2.4 kg (5.29 lb) empty. Its page describes it as designed for display in the home.

Pictured: Classic Band Metal Adult Cremation Urn for Ashes in Brushed Silver and Gold

Ceramic, for the home or a sheltered spot outside

Ceramic gives the widest choice of shapes and colors. It is breakable, so it suits a settled place rather than one where it will be moved often. There are more designs in our ceramic urns.

Biodegradable materials, for burial

A biodegradable urn is made to break down in the ground. The Eco Burial Bamboo Biodegradable Urn for Ashes is a plain cylinder made entirely from bamboo, with a lift-off lid. It holds 3.1 liters (about 189 cubic inches), measures 21 cm (8.27 in) high and weighs 0.3 kg (0.66 lb) empty. Its page says it can be kept at home first and buried later, which helps if the burial is some months away.

Pictured: Eco Burial Bamboo Biodegradable Urn for Ashes - Adult

Cemeteries, churchyards and natural burial grounds set their own rules about containers. Some ask for a biodegradable urn and others have different requirements, so ask before you buy. You can see more in our biodegradable burial urns.

Recycled paper, for scattering

A scattering tube is a tall paper tube with a lid, made to be held in one hand. The Lotus Eco Friendly Scattering Tube is made from recycled paper with no metal or plastic parts and is printed with a pink lotus flower. It holds 3.93 liters (about 240 cubic inches) and stands 36.8 cm (14.5 in) tall. You remove the lid to fill it and push in a perforated tab when you are ready to scatter.

Pictured: Lotus Eco Friendly Scattering Tube for Ashes - Adult

Check how the urn opens and closes

This detail is easy to overlook, and it matters on the day you fill the urn. There are three common kinds:

• A threaded lid on top. It screws on and off, so the urn can be opened again. The Classic Band urn above closes this way.
• An opening in the base. Nothing shows from the front. Some are sealed for good: the Infinity adult urn is filled through the base, which is then sealed with the ceramic adhesive supplied. Its page suggests placing the ashes in a resealable bag first if you would rather not seal it permanently.
• A lift-off or push-on lid. Simple, and usual on biodegradable urns and scattering tubes. It is not a tight seal, so keep the urn upright.

Think about whether you may want to open the urn again, for example to share the ashes later or to move them to a burial urn. If so, avoid a permanent seal. Our guide on how to fill a cremation urn explains the steps.

If the ashes are being shared

A keepsake holds a portion rather than the full amount. The Infinity Small Urn for Ashes in Matte Black is a low ceramic oval with the same infinity motif, holding 0.7 liters (about 43 cubic inches). It measures 11.5 cm (4.5 in) high and 23 cm (9.1 in) wide. It is filled through the base, which closes with a stopper and a ceramic cover, and the adhesive supplied is optional.

Pictured: Infinity Small Urn for Ashes in Matte Black

There are more sizes and shapes in our small urns for ashes.

The five examples side by side

• Infinity Adult Urn in Matte Black: ceramic, 4.1 liters (about 250 cubic inches), filled through the base and sealed with adhesive, indoor or outdoor display.
• Classic Band Metal Adult Urn: metal, 3.2 liters (about 195 cubic inches), screw-top lid, display in the home.
• Eco Burial Bamboo Biodegradable Urn: bamboo, 3.1 liters (about 189 cubic inches), lift-off lid, home display and later burial.
• Lotus Eco Friendly Scattering Tube: recycled paper, 3.93 liters (about 240 cubic inches), removable lid and push-in tab, scattering.
• Infinity Small Urn in Matte Black: ceramic, 0.7 liters (about 43 cubic inches), base stopper, a portion of the ashes only.

When a full-size decorative urn is the wrong choice

A large display urn is not right for everyone. If all of the ashes will be scattered, a scattering tube does the job and nothing is left over to store. If the ashes will be buried in a natural burial ground, a metal or glazed ceramic urn may not be accepted. If you are taking the ashes on a flight, a heavy metal urn can be a problem at security, as the next section explains. And if several people each want to keep a part, a set of keepsakes may suit the family better than one urn in one house.

Rules worth knowing in the United States

Two rules from US federal bodies are useful before you buy. Other countries have their own rules, and airlines and cemeteries everywhere add their own.

You do not have to buy the urn from the funeral home. The Federal Trade Commission says that under its Funeral Rule a funeral provider "cannot refuse to handle a casket or urn you bought online, at a local casket store, or somewhere else", and cannot charge you a fee to do it (FTC, The FTC Funeral Rule, read October 7, 2026).

For a flight, the container must be one that can be X-rayed. The Transportation Security Administration suggests "a temporary or permanent crematory container made of a lighter weight material, such as wood or plastic", and says that if the container produces an opaque image it "will not be allowed". It also says its officers will not open a container, even if the passenger asks (TSA, Cremated Remains, read October 7, 2026). Some airlines have further restrictions, so check with yours. One option is to travel with the temporary container and move the ashes to the urn afterward.

Sizes and product details in this guide were checked against our product pages on October 7, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What should I know before buying a cremation urn?

Know how much the urn needs to hold, where it will finally rest and how it closes. Capacity must be large enough for the ashes, the material must suit the place, and the closure decides whether the urn can be opened again.

What size urn do I need for an adult?

As a general guide, allow about one cubic inch of capacity for each pound of body weight before cremation. Many adult urns hold around 200 cubic inches, about 3.3 liters, and larger capacities are available.

What material is best for an urn?

It depends on where the urn will rest. Metal, ceramic and wood suit display at home, biodegradable materials such as bamboo suit burial, and recycled paper scattering tubes suit scattering.

Do I have to buy an urn straight away?

No. Ashes are normally returned in a temporary container and can stay in it while you decide. Taking a few weeks to choose is common and does no harm.

Do I have to buy the urn from the funeral home?

In the United States, no. The Federal Trade Commission's Funeral Rule says a funeral provider cannot refuse to handle an urn you bought elsewhere or charge a fee to do so. Elsewhere, ask your funeral director.

Can any urn be buried?

Not always. Cemeteries and natural burial grounds set their own rules about containers, and some accept only biodegradable urns. Ask the burial ground before you buy.