Urn Size Guide: How to Choose the Right Urn Size
Choosing an urn is one of the quiet, caring tasks that follow a loss. We hope this guide makes the question of size a little easier, so you can focus on choosing a memorial that feels right.
The general guideline: 1 cubic inch per pound
Urn capacity is measured in cubic inches. A widely used guideline is 1 cubic inch per pound of body weight before cremation. For example, someone who weighed 170 pounds would usually need an urn that holds at least 170 cubic inches.
This is a planning guideline, not an exact measure. Height, bone density and the cremation process can all change the final volume. If you are between sizes, choosing the larger urn gives a little extra room, and an urn can never be too large. Your funeral home or crematory can also tell you the actual volume if you would like to be certain.
Standard adult urns are usually about 200 cubic inches, a benchmark that comes from a 1985 capacity study by the Cremation Association of North America (CANA).
Sizing for a beloved pet
The same guideline applies to pets: 1 cubic inch per pound of body weight before cremation. Many of our pet urns list a pet-weight range beside each size to make this simpler. If your pet was between two ranges, the larger size is the gentler choice.
A gentle note about sculpted urns: figurine urns, such as our cat and dog sculptures, are shaped rather than box-shaped, so they hold less than a box-shaped urn of a similar size. The weight range on each listing already allows for this. Please follow the listed weight range and capacity for that urn rather than applying the 1 cubic inch per pound guideline strictly.
Sizes in our collection
Adult urns (one person)
Each of these urns is made to hold the ashes of one person. You can browse them all in our cremation urns collection.
| Urn | Capacity |
|---|---|
| Diplomat Military Medallion Urn | 167 cu in |
| Octagon urns: Octagon 3D Inlay, Roses Octagon Inlay, Carnations and Dogwood | 167 cu in each |
| Book urns: Celtic Cross, Cross, Doves, Decorative Border, Psalm 23 and Lord's Prayer (English and Spanish) | 168 cu in each |
| Astoria urns: Astoria 3D Inlay, Cherry Blossoms, Lilies and Hibiscus | 189 cu in each |
| Tablet Niche Cultured Granite | 190 cu in |
| Newport urns (horizontal and vertical scenes) | 200 cu in each |
| Hampton Flat Base, Hampton Vertical, Vertical and Sports 3D Inlay Urns | 200 cu in each |
| Ambassador II Clock Urn, President's Urn and President's Military Medallion Urn | 200 cu in each |
| Temple Niche Cultured Granite | 200 cu in |
| Ambassador and Hampton urns: Ambassador 3D Inlay, Hampton 3D Inlay, Gardening Ambassador, Gardening Hampton, and the Cherry Blossoms, Lilies, White Roses and Red Roses Ambassador | 207 cu in each |
| Niche Urn and Military Niche Urn (hardwood, for columbarium niches) | 210+ cu in each |
| Ark Niche Cultured Granite | 220 cu in |
| Roses Inlay Vertical Urn | 227 cu in |
| Military Photo Display Urn | 231 cu in |
| Tablet Cultured Granite | 240 cu in |
| Cross, Eternity, Memoir and Tree of Life Sheesham Urns | 245 cu in each |
| Temple Cultured Granite | 250 cu in |
| Tablet Millennium Cultured Granite | 275 cu in |
| Millennium, Ark and Temple Millennium Cultured Granite | 300 cu in each |
| Military Memory Chest Urn | 315 cu in |
| Renaissance and Belmont Clock Urns | 400 cu in each |
Our adult urns range from 167 to 400 cubic inches, and many of them hold about 200 cubic inches. Several of our book, octagon and Astoria designs hold a little less than 200 cubic inches, so if your loved one weighed more than an urn's listed capacity, a larger urn is the gentler choice. The niche models are designed for columbarium niches and vaults. Our slim hardwood Niche and Military Niche Urns each hold one person, and two of them can sit side by side in a standard 9″ × 9″ × 9″ niche.
Companion urns (two people)
A companion urn is designed and sized to hold the ashes of two people together. Our companion urns range from 360 to 600 cubic inches. You can see them all in our companion urns collection.
| Urn | Capacity |
|---|---|
| Love Birds Companion Book Urn | 360 cu in |
| Hardwood companion urns: Soulmates (Mountain Lakes Hampton, On the Beach Ambassador, New Lakes Ambassador and New Lakes with Cross Ambassador), Photo, Love Birds Inlay, Boxwood, Laser Art Carving, Boston II, The Lord Is My Shepherd, Roses Vertical, Newport Vertical, Newport Horizontal, Cedar and Renaissance | 400 cu in each |
| Companion Niche Urn (hardwood, fits a standard 9″ × 9″ × 9″ niche) | 440+ cu in |
| Companion Cultured Granite Memorial Urn | 600 cu in |
Only the urns in this section are designed to hold two people. If that is your family's wish, please choose a companion urn.
Keepsake urns (a small portion)
Keepsake urns hold a small portion of ashes, so several family members can each keep a loved one close, sometimes alongside a full-size urn. Our keepsake urns range from 10.6 to 64 cubic inches. You can see them all in our keepsake urns collection.
| Urn | Capacity |
|---|---|
| Memorial Display Keepsakes: Whitetail Deer, Bass Fishing, The Lord Is My Shepherd, Rustic Paradise, Butterfly, Soulmates, Hummingbird, Golfing and Lighthouse | 10.6 cu in each |
| Boxwood Small, Small Cedar and Small Hamilton Urns | 41 cu in each |
| Small Photo Display Urn | 45 cu in |
| Teddy Bear Keepsake Urn | 64 cu in |
- For pets: the Shotshell Keepsake Urn (3 cu in), and the X-Small size (3 cu in) of the Brass Slate Pawprint and Teal Brass Pawprint Vases.
Pet figurine urns
Most of our figurine pet urns use this size chart. Some figurines come only in the larger sizes.
| Size | Pet weight | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 0–12 lbs | 15 cu in |
| Medium | 13–28 lbs | 35 cu in |
| Large | 29–68 lbs | 85 cu in |
| X-Large | 69–92 lbs | 115 cu in |
| Jumbo | 93–116 lbs | 145 cu in |
Other pet urns
| Urn | Capacities | Pet weight |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Wood, Classic Wood Photo, Classic Wood with Adornment | 55 / 85 / 115 / 145 cu in | 0–45 / 46–70 / 71–95 / 96–125 lbs |
| Classic Rosewood, Rosewood Border | 12 / 30 / 70 / 144 cu in | 0–10 / 11–26 / 27–60 / 61–125 lbs |
| Classic Horizontal and Vertical Photo | 104 / 148 cu in | 0–80 / 81–120 lbs |
| Brass and Teal Brass Slate Pawprint Vases | 3 / 45 / 85 / 125 / 200 cu in | 0–3 / 4–30 / 31–65 / 66–110 / 111–160 lbs |
| Aluminum Slate Pawprint Vase | 60 / 90 / 150 / 200 cu in | 1–45 / 46–70 / 71–120 / 121–160 lbs |
| Tower Photo | 35 / 110 / 240 cu in | 0–30 / 31–85 / 86–200 lbs |
| Black Garden Rock | 30 / 50 / 120 / 600 cu in | 0–20 / 21–50 / 51–100 / 101–480 lbs |
| Limestone Garden Rock | 65 / 300 cu in | 0–60 / 61–240 lbs |
| ShadowCast breed sculptures (one size each) | 25 to 241 cu in | See each listing |
We are here to help
If you are ever unsure, please write to us at shop@memorial-urns.com. We are glad to help you choose. You may also find answers in our Frequently Asked Questions.
Sources: the 1 cubic inch per pound guideline is widely attributed to the Cremation Association of North America (see Heartland Cremation); the 200 cubic inch adult standard comes from CANA's 1985 capacity study (see Connecting Directors). Capacities are taken from each product's listing.