Urns Size Guide

Selecting the correct urn size for your loved one can be difficult. Urn sizes are not standardised across stores so every retailer or funeral home will have different sized urns for each of their sizing categories. Affordable Urns make this simple with only three sizes available. Adult urns which are suitable for most adults. Infant/child urns which are used primarily for children or young teenagers. Finally there are keepsake urns which can be used to store a small amount of ashes. Pet urns can also come in various sizes depending on what pet the urn is for. This urns size guide will show you all you need to know about our sizes and what to look out for, as well as some thoughtful alternatives.

How much ash will you receive?

The ashes you receive from the crematorium can vary due to multiple different factors such as sex, body weight, bone density and other reasons. Because of this, it is impossible to know the exact amount of ashes you will receive after the cremation process is finished. Luckily, there is an approximate formula that can be used to roughly determine the amount of ash that you will receive. For every kilo of bodyweight on the person, approximately 36 millilitres of cremation ashes will remain. 

How to calculate using the formula

To calculate the approximate ash you will receive, you first need to know the weight of the deceased. If they were 80 kilos, you take this number and multiply it by 36 which leaves us with 2,880 millilitres of ash. It is always a good idea to pick an urn that is of a larger size. Since this would have been an adult, our adult urns can comfortably hold up to 3350 millilitres so this would be what you would choose. Some like to use a buffer of 10% to ensure their ashes will fit. To do this, you take your final result of 2880 and multiply it by 1.1, leaving you with a figure of 3168 millilitres which is still enough to fit in our adult size urns. It is always best to contact the crematorium for information as they may give you a more detailed and accurate figure. If you do happen to purchase an urn that is too small, you can always scatter or bury the excess until the ashes fit snugly inside the urn.

Urn sizes

Here you can see all of the urn sizes, their capacity and their use in our store.  Pet urns have varying sizes so for ease of legibility, their sizes will be shown under their product pages. The same formula may be used to determine how much ash you will receive. 

Urn Size	Urn Capacity	Purpose
Adult urns	3350 mL	Used to hold the ashes of most adults and teenagers
Child/Infant urns	1440 mL	Used to hold the ashes of babies, infants and children
Keepsake urns	Up to 150 mL	Used to hold a portion of the ashes
Pet urns	From 150 to 3000 mL, depending on the pet	Used to hold the ashes of your beloved pet. Size will vary depending for which pet and urn design

Alternative options

Urns may not always be the best option for most families. If that is the case, then you might want to consider some of the alternative options. Scattering tubes are one such option that allow you to scatter your loved ones ashes in a dignified way. They are easy to use and are a great way to transport their ashes to their favourite place. They are also a very affordable option for families that are on a tight budget. 

Keepsake Urns are another great resource particularly for those who wish to have a smaller item to keep their loved ones in. Some people dislike urns due to their size, so a small keepsake urn that can fit in the palm of your hand is perfect. Keepsake urns are only designed to hold a portion of the ashes, so if you only wanted to buy a keepsake urn then you will need to either scatter or bury the remainder of your ashes. Keepsakes are also perfect options for families who wish to divide the ashes among multiple people. This is great for when everyone wants a remembrance of your loved one but they don't live together.. 

Another suitable alternative to urns can be Cremation Jewellery. These are lovely necklaces, rings or wristbands that are designed to hold a portion of your loved ones ashes. These are similar in purpose to the keepsakes mentioned before but are a much more stylish and fashionable option. The jewellery itself looks just like normal jewellery, and is made from high quality materials such as sterling silver to reflect this. 

Whatever choice you decide, we hope this article has helped you to know all of your options and what sizes you will need to get. By knowing how to calculate the ashes received using your loved ones or pets weight, you will get a good approximation as to what size you will need. Affordable Urns provides Australia the cheapest urns while maintaining the best quality to ensure everyone can have access to a proper way to honour their loved ones memory. If you are looking for such an urn, take a look at our site to find your perfect urn.