Cremation continues to appeal to a broader audience each year. Low in price and environmentally friendly, it now is the burial of choice for more than 48 percent of the U.S. population. By 2020, the American Cremation Association predicts that 54 percent of all people will choose cremation over traditional burial.
Given its increased popularity, cremation has now led to a burgeoning industry centered on the creation and sale of stylish cremation urns. If you are considering this final arrangement for you or someone in your family, you can ensure the safe and efficient storage of the remains by learning how to choose from today’s top urn choices.
The Top 5 Cremation Urns
You may consider investing in any of these top five cremation urns for you or your loved ones.
1. Memorials 4U Elite Cloud Handcrafted Funeral Urn
The handcrafted urn from Memorials 4U comes in a stylish sky blue color and features delicate etchings that give the urn added appeal and dimension. It comes with its own velour protective bag and can hold up to 200 pounds of cremains. It sells for less than $80 and can be engraved with your name as well as date of birth and death.
2. Perfect Memorials Urn
When you prefer cremation urns with flourish and detail, you may prefer the Perfect Memorials large fancy flourish cremation urn. This urn has a volume of 200 cubic inches and opens with a secure threaded lid. It comes in an understated yet elegant slate gray color with a matte finish and features delicate, artistic engravings for added beauty. The urn retails for around $110, making it budget-friendly and practical for a family who needs to watch their pennies. It is also acceptable to use for ground burials and accommodates most state and local burial laws.
3. Liliane Memorials American Hero Urn
Families of military personnel and veterans may prefer cremation urns that reflect the deceased’s military service. Liliane Memorials offers an American Hero urn embellished in an American flag pattern. The urn also features a cobbled surface for extra dimension and beauty. It weighs a little more than four pounds and has an internal volume of 200 cubic square inches. This Liliane Memorials American Hero urn retails for a reasonable $109.99 and can be shipped in as few as two days. While suitable for ground burials, it also has a decorative design that makes it perfect for displaying in your home if you prefer.
4. Beautiful Life Small Urn
For various reasons, families may decide to split or divide the cremains of a loved one. When you only need an urn large enough to hold a small portion of cremains, you may find Beautiful Life’s funeral urn to be right for you. This urn is not large enough to use for full cremation ash. However, it does have a volume of three cubic inches. This urn would also be suitable for using to hold the cremains of an infant or pet. It sells for a budget friendly $29.99 and comes in soft pink floral pattern.
5. Tree of Life Cremation Urn Necklace
More people today are choosing to save a small bit of their loved one’s cremains to wear in cremation urns that double as necklaces, bracelets, or other jewelry. If you have such intentions, you can keep your loved one close to you by choosing Tree of Life’s cremation urn necklace. Selling for under $17, this necklace urn features a beautiful engraving of a tree and measures 18 inches long. It is hypoallergenic, making it suitable for people with metal allergies to wear. It only holds around a cubic inch of cremains, however.
The Main 4 Tips to Consider When Choosing Cremation Urns
While you may not relish in a shopping excursion for cremation urns, you still should keep these four important criteria in mind before making your selection.
1. Size
The size of the urn may be foremost in your mind as you make your selection. You should choose one that accommodates the size of the person being cremated. Adults, of course, require larger urns than children or infants. Most of the urns for sale today can hold up to several pounds of cremains and have volumes of up to 200 cubic square inches.
2. Budget
Another factor to keep in mind when shopping for cremation urns involves cost. While cremation itself is lower in price than traditional burial, urns can vary in price and cost anywhere from $20 to $200 depending on details like the size, decorative finish, and manufacturer. While funeral homes make available urns for clients, they generally cost a bit more than those that you can buy online. You typically cannot find urns for sale in retail stores. With that, if you want the best deal, you may find one that suits your budget on the Internet.
3. Color or Pattern
You also presumably want an urn that reflects well on the person you will bury in it. As noted, you can find urns with American flag finishes, flowers, or other decorative details. You also can find understated and elegant urns that feature etchings and engravings. You also may want to choose an urn that can be customized with the deceased’s name and dates of birth and death. Moreover, you can find urns in an assortment of shapes and styles, such as college mascots, bowling balls, cartoon characters, and many more options.
4. Environmentally Friendliness
Finally, you may consider how environmentally friendly you want your urn to be. While most cremation urns are made from materials like porcelain or ceramic, you can also find urns made from more eco-friendly materials like cardboard, hemp, and cloth. If you worry about your cremains harming the environment after you are gone, you may feel more at peace with your decision to be cremated by choosing an urn that is biodegradable.
Cremation continues to be a popular final arrangement for many people. When you want to honor your loved one, you may keep these criteria in mind before deciding what kind of funeral urn to choose.
