Casket Vs Coffin (6 Differences Explained)

 

If you ever find yourself in a position where you need to choose someone’s coffin, you might also hear the term “casket” thrown around, too.

They both seem the same, so you may wonder if they’re interchangeable or if there are any real differences between them.

In fact, they are different.

The shape, quality, lid, material, price, and general associations are all major differences between a casket and a coffin.

Let’s look at these differences in more detail.

 

Casket Vs Coffin (What’s The Difference?)

 

1. Shape

 

A primary difference between a casket and a coffin is its shape.

A casket tends to be rectangular in shape.

It may have some layered embellishments on the lid, but it’s ultimately a rectangular shape.

Coffins, on the other hand, have a tapered shape.

The head and foot of the coffin have tapered edges to make them resemble the human form a bit more.

Coffins were primarily built this way to save on wood and materials.

The tapered edges meant that coffin makers didn’t need to use as much wood to finish it.

This made coffins cheaper to buy.

When choosing between a casket or a coffin, one of the things to consider is the shape.

A lot of people prefer caskets these days because the rectangular shape is less morbid.

Tapered coffins bring to mind ghoulish vampires and zombies.

Most people don’t want to think of their loved ones in that way.

So, they choose a casket that has a more modern design to it.

 

2. Quality

 

Another big difference between caskets and coffins is the quality used to make them.

Caskets tend to use higher quality timbers and materials than coffins.

That’s because coffins, due to their shape, are cheaper to make.

Since they’re cheaper to make, many people choose coffins because they’re a budget-friendly way to bury one’s dead.

They’re not looking to make the coffin more expensive.

Caskets are expensive from the start, so people tend to want them to be as high-quality as possible.

When making a casket, the manufacturer will use high-quality timber to construct it.

The timber looks better and tends to stand up against rot and deterioration longer than coffins.

Casket makers also tend to make their caskets with more care and design than coffin makers.

Coffin makers understand that some families just want an unembellished carrier for their loved ones.

They’ll produce a durable coffin but won’t finish it with many details.

Caskets tend to have ornate construction.

They’re seen as a higher quality version of a coffin since they’re stronger, more durable, and look better.

 

3. Lid

 

Another major difference between caskets and coffins is the lid.

Caskets often have hinges while coffins have a lid that just covers the top of it.

This makes a difference in how one views the body.

At a funeral with an open casket, for example, the hinges on the lid allow the family to decide if they want a full view of the body or only half view.

The hinges allow the family to choose between the two different versions.

Half-views mean they can choose to show only the top half of the body.

This is ideal for families whose loved ones may have died in an accident.

It reduces the amount of work that the funeral home needs to do to restore a body for a viewing.

They can focus on the top half and leave the lower half mostly untouched.

Some families might find having only a half view of their loved one easier to handle emotionally as well.

A full-view casket means that the lid is entirely open.

The funeral guests can see the entire body.

A casket gives families more options on how to present the body at a funeral.

Coffins, on the other hand, don’t have that choice.

The lid is removable which means you get a full view of the body or no view of the body.

When the body gets buried, the lid gets nailed into the coffin to secure it.

 

4. Material

 

The materials used to make coffins and caskets are also different.

In most cases, a casket can use either wood or metal.

Coffins are usually made just out of wood.

While you might be able to find someone who will make the coffin out of a different material, most manufacturers just use wood.

That’s because coffins tend to be the cheapest way to bury one’s dead.

If the coffin maker used metal to make the coffin, it would defeat the purpose of making a cheap burial chamber.

Caskets, on the other hand, can be either metal or wood.

Those looking for a cheaper casket will want to use wood.

Those who don’t mind spending extra money on their loved ones can choose metal.

Metal caskets are more durable than wood.

With time, wooden caskets will deteriorate into the ground.

Metal caskets might grow rusty, but they won’t deteriorate nearly as quickly as wooden caskets.

If you want your loved one’s casket to last a long time, a metal casket may be an ideal choice.

With caskets, you get more choices for the material used to make them.

With coffins, you only get one choice.

 

5. Price

 

The price is another main difference between a casket and a coffin.

Caskets can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000.

Since coffins are cheaper than caskets, you can expect their prices to be lower than those of caskets.

There are several reasons why caskets cost more than coffins.

For one, caskets use more materials in their manufacturing.

Because coffins have that tapered end, they don’t use as many materials.

That helps the manufacturer save on costs which means they’re able to sell coffins at cheaper prices.

Secondly, caskets use better quality materials.

The type of wood tends to be stronger.

Since it uses better wood, manufacturers spend more money on getting that wood.

Higher-quality wood is more expensive than low-quality wood since there’s more demand for it.

There’s also usually less supply of it available.

Because the manufacturer spends more money to make it, they sell it at higher prices.

The actual material also determines the cost.

Wood is a cheap option, but you can sometimes find manufacturers who make their caskets out of brass or other types of expensive materials.

Expensive materials mean expensive caskets.

The materials used inside the casket also influence the price.

If you end up buying caskets that come with silk-lined interiors, you can expect to pay a lot.

Coffins will also have some sort of fabric liner inside them, but they tend to be on the cheaper side.

Finally, caskets have metal rungs on the outside of them.

This allows pallbearers to easily move the casket around.

Coffins do not have those metal rungs on the outside of them.

Caskets are more expensive because they include those.

 

6. Semantics

 

A final reason caskets and coffins are different has to do with semantics and associations.

In the United States, it’s more common for people to call a coffin a “casket.”

Even if it’s technically a coffin, it’s more common to call them caskets in the United States.

In Europe, it’s the opposite.

Even if the coffin is technically a casket, they might still call a casket a “coffin.”

As such, for some people, the only real difference between the two is semantics.

Associations also play a role in differentiating the two.

When people say coffin, it conjures up thoughts of the supernatural or dead.

Coffins have become synonymous with evil or large groups of the dead.

To make dying more plateable, funeral homes started to call coffins “caskets” instead.

A casket is a more dignified way to refer to a burial chamber for the dead.

It’s easier for families to say than a coffin.

As such, a difference between coffins and caskets is how people refer to them and the associations that people have with both terms.

 

Should You Choose A Coffin Or A Casket?

 

Now that you know the differences between a casket and a coffin, you may wonder which one is the right pick for your needs.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing between a coffin and a casket.

 

1. Budget

One of the biggest factors to consider is your budget.

Funerals are expensive to have.

While some people have life insurance or funeral insurance, those policies don’t always cover the full cost of a funeral.

Several factors add to the final price of a funeral.

You have the funeral home fees.

They usually charge you for providing a space to hold the funeral.

They also tend to include other things like driving the body from the mortuary to the funeral home.

They’ll also usually drive the body to the cemetery if the burial is right after the funeral.

They also sometimes include the price of flowers, but you also usually have to pay extra for that service.

Some funeral homes also prepare the body for viewing.

They’ll embalm the body, dress them, and then apply makeup to make it easier to look at them.

Because funeral costs can get so high, you may find that some of the services are out of your budget.

You can make them a bit more affordable by choosing to bury your loved one in a coffin rather than a casket.

Coffins are cheaper than caskets and can help bring down the price of your overall funeral cost a bit more.

On the other hand, if you have a large budget for a funeral, you can splurge on a great casket.

While most caskets tend to use wood, you can spend extra on getting a metal casket for your loved one.

You might choose stainless steel, copper, or even brass.

Metal caskets tend to last longer, so your loved one will remain protected in the ground longer.

Depending on your budget, you might want to choose a coffin over a casket.

 

2. Embellishments

Caskets and coffins can look pretty bare on their own.

If you want your loved one’s burial chamber to be reflective of who they were, you might want it to have some embellishments.

If you do, you’ll want to choose a casket over a coffin.

Caskets use better wood or better materials in their manufacturing.

As such, they’re able to handle embellishments better than coffins.

Casket manufacturers are also better equipped to handle embellishments than coffin makers.

Coffin manufacturers expect most people to buy their products because they want something cheap.

If the individual asks for embellishments on the coffin, they might not have the tools or experience to do that.

As such, caskets are often the better choice for embellishments.

You can choose anything when it comes to embellishments.

Perhaps your loved one had a favorite saying.

You could have that etched into the casket.

Perhaps you want a portrait of them etched into the casket.

Maybe you want the corners of the lid to be in the shape of their favorite animal or flower.

With caskets, you have a bit more availability to customize them to better match your loved one’s personality.

 

3. Material

A final decision you need to make is whether the material and color of the casket or coffin matter to you.

If it does matter, a casket is the better option.

You get more choices with a casket.

You can go as cheap as having a cardboard casket to as expensive as a casket made of silver or gold.

Most caskets use wood, however.

If you choose a wooden or metal casket, then you can also choose the color.

Some manufacturers also stain the wood to give it a bit of color.

This can further customize your loved one’s burial chamber and make it that much more special.

If you want a choice in the material and color used for your loved one’s burial chamber, you need a casket.

 

Conclusion

Coffins and caskets serve the same purpose.

However, their shape, lid, and quality are different.

Knowing the differences can help you choose the right one for your loved one.