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Wood caskets, or coffins, are among the most popular and used by many families in burials. That’s because many believe wood offers more elegant, warm and elaborate decorative options than ones made of metal. However, just because you know you want to purchase a wooden casket doesn’t mean your decisions are over. There are still many considerations left to make if you’re hoping to find the best option. This will depend on your budget and the type of wood you want the casket to be made out of.
Generally speaking, maple or oak caskets are the best wood caskets for most people. They are somewhat expensive but hard and durable. If you’re on a stricter budget, you may want to consider pine caskets as they are significantly more affordable.
In this article…
- List of Wood Caskets
- Editors’ Picks…
- Oak Casket: Rustic Oak
- Maple Casket: Oxford Solid maple Wood Casket
- Pine Casket: Titan Casket Eco Pine Box
- Mahogany Casket: Mahogany Solid Wood with Velvet Interior
- Walnut Casket: Winston Solid Walnut
- Cherry Wood Casket: Kai Poplar Wood Casket with Satin Cherry Finish
- Biodegradable wooden casket: Terra Cado Natural Casket
- Frequently Asked Questions About Wood Caskets
Our List of Wood Caskets
Editors’ Picks
For those who want a more hand-picked list of the top wooden caskets, check out the options below. Our editors researched dozens of online casket sellers, read through reviews and technical specs to find the best options for the most popular types of wood caskets. The winners are listed below as well as some reasoning behind why they made this years’ cut.
Oak Casket: Rustic Oak
What we like about it: Oakwood is well known for being exceedingly strong and durable. So if these are the qualities you’re targeting, we strongly recommend this option. On top of the durability, this particular casket has a very interesting rustic finish, which is very elegant and a somewhat walnut stain to give it a textured barn board finish. The inside texture is very soft to the touch and lightly patterned to match the simple and dignified outward design.
- Solid Oak Wood. Oakwood is known for being exceeding strong, heavy and durable wood. It is an attractive light color with a prominent grain and a natural look and feel.
- Distinctive Shell Design. Every component of this casket is carefully hand crafted. The oakwood takes on a natural, aesthetic feel, contributing to premium quality on this build.
- Custom “Rustic Oak” Finish. Instead of a gloss finish, we opted to balance aesthetics with the natural oak wood qualities by providing a walnut stain with a textured barn board finish.
- Swing Bars for Easy Transport. Oak can be heavy. We provide convenience and style by adding swing bars for easy transport.
- White Textured Duck Cloth Interior The Textured Duck Cloth interior, accented by a rustic head panel, is lightly patterned and very soft to the touch
- Adjustable Bed. Both the head and foot section of the bed can be adjusted.
Maple Casket: Oxford Solid maple Wood Casket
What we like about it: Maple caskets are not easy to come by if you’re shopping online. However, this option is available and it’s a very good one. The casket has squared corners and an adjustable bed and mattress. It’s made out of solid maple, and has a very natural color to it. The interior design is elegant yet plain, and is made out of rosetan velvet.
- Squared Corners
- Adjustable Bed and Mattress
- Swing Bar Handled Hardware
- Lid Locking Mechanism
- Solid Maple Wood Construction – (Not a veneer laminate)
- Fully Insured Product Warranty
Pine Casket: Titan Casket Eco Pine Box
What we like about it: it’s not easy to find a casket below $1,000 but this one gets the job done and isn’t as harmful for the environment. This 100% biodegradable handcrafted casket is made out of white pine and comes with rope handles. The construction also consists of biodegradable screws making this an excellent choice for individuals looking for affordable and eco-friendly burials or cremations. We have another biodegradable option further down our list so be sure to look down for another option.
- Free shipping directly to funeral home. All Titan caskets and coffins ship free directly to the funeral home or destination of your choice. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, funeral homes must accept your casket without charging extra fees or penalties
- Ships immediately. Contact Titan to request an earlier delivery date. For delivery arrival windows that include multiple days (e.g., Arrives: Jan 1 – 4).
- Premium Quality. With its high quality build and design, this pine coffin comes fully assembled and is biodegradable. Suitable for green cemeteries and Jewish funerals, and available with wood or rope handles.
- All Titan Casket burial caskets and coffins are proudly made in America from high-quality and locally-sourced materials and represent modern design and American craftsmanship
Mahogany Casket: Mahogany Solid Wood with velvet interior
What we like about it: This elegant mahogany casket comes with a glossy exterior and fine velvet interiors. Those who reviewed this casket highly went with the lacquer finish with expedited shopping, so we recommend this option for readers. If you’re in the market for a mahogany casket, this one is also quite competitive from a pricing standpoint. Most mahogany caskets we’ve found (and especially ones you’ll find in-person) can be well north of $3,000.
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- Item Weight : 210 Pounds
- Date First Available : August 25, 2016
- Manufacturer : Overnight Caskets
Walnut Casket: Winston Solid Walnut
What we like about it: The Winston Solid Walnut casket is sturdy and durable, but isn’t quite as heavy as some of the other wooden caskets on our list. This one comes in at just 200 pounds which is on the lighter side as far standard-size wooden caskets go. The coffin has a matte walnut finish and adjustable handle hardware.
- Solid Hardwood
- Matte Walnut Finish
- Adjustable Bed and Mattress
- Adjustable Handle Hardware
- Locking Mechanism
- Fully Insured Product Warranty
Cherry Wood Casket: Kai Poplar Wood Casket with Satin Cherry Finish
What we like about it: This material is among the most popular for wooden caskets, and that;s because it strikes a good balance between high-quality and affordability. As you can see in th e picture, the finish and craftsmanship is on the plainer side. However, the casket doesn’t look cheap. We also liked that the casket came well-reviewed with folks praising the customer service and timeliness of the delivery.
- Country of Origin: Canada
- Shell: Solid Poplar
- Size (interior): 79″L x 24 “W x 14″H
- Size (exterior): 83″L x 28″W x 23″H
- Designed to fit standard size burial vaults
Biodegradable wooden casket: Terra Cado Natural Casket
What we like about it: This completely biodegradable option is expertly woven and assembled in a way that allows the manufacturer to produce this without chemical glues and metal fasteners. That means once this casket is in the ground, it won’t cause as much of a negative environmental footprint as other options. The casket is supported by a wooden frame and a cotton interior. Even though it’s woven together, the manufacturer claims it can support as much as 441 lbs.
- Expertly woven and assembled with high quality biodegradable materials free from glues and metal fasteners
- Suitable for green burials and clean cremations
- Durable natural rope handles that can withhold a minimum of 441lbs
- Cotton Interior
Frequently Asked Questions About Wooden Caskets
Below you’ll find some of the most frequently asked questions we see popping up among those who are looking for wooden caskets. If you have questions that you don’t see answered here, feel free to email us: [email protected]. Someone from our staff will try to answer in a timely manner. Know that we cannot respond to every reader, so we ask kindly for your patience.
Are wooden caskets cheap?
Depending on the type of casket you get, wood caskets can be cheap or expensive. Pine caskets are generally considered cheap, because the wood is soft and prone to breaking down a lot faster. Mahogany and oak caskets are considerably more expensive and elegant, however, they will also cost you a lot more in comparison.
How much is a wooden casket?
Costs of wooden caskets depend on the type of wood they are made out of. Mahogany and Oak caskets can be north of $3,000. This price, however, will vary location to location. We always advise readers to shop around both online and at their local funeral homes. If you buy a casket online, funeral homes must respect that purchase and use your casket (which you can have shipped directly to the home).
What is the cheapest type of casket?
Pine is considered the cheapest type of wooden casket. However if you are on a very tight budget, you may also be able to find cardboard or wicker caskets.
What is the best wood for a coffin?
The answer to this is highly subjective. However, if you have the means to comfortably afford one, we typically find Mahogany and Oak caskets to be of the highest quality. However, the finish and craftsmanship that goes into the casket is vitally important. So never assume that a Mahogany or Oak casket will necessarily be good. That’s why we recommend readers rely on our research or other reviews/recommendations where possible.