How to choose a coffin.

The world of funerals is always a bit far from our daily lives when we are not faced with it. Also, few people are informed about the various steps to take when a loved one dies and what needs to be taken care of.

Funeral Insurance Comparator! Free and without commitment! Among the many obligations, the choice of the coffin is essential because French law makes it compulsory to transport the body of the deceased. Moreover, whether the person has chosen burial or an urn, the coffin remains essential for public hygiene, the environment, and health. Here are some guidelines for choosing it according to the wishes of the loved one and their budget.

Why choose coffins?

First of all, the casket is obligatory regardless of the mode of funeral chosen. If this is the case, the coffins are used for bottling and transporting the deceased to their last residence or to the place of cremation. The coffin must also meet particular criteria.

The regulations relating to coffinsDecree No. 2018-966 of 8 November 2018 and the decree of 20 December 2018 and Article R. 2213-25 of the General Code of Local Authorities define the characteristics of a coffin. The deceased's body must be placed in a coffin with a watertight basin, meeting resistance and bio-degradability standards when the dead has chosen to be buried and combustible when the person has chosen cremation.

Good to know: if the coffin meets all the mandatory characteristics, it does not have to be made of wood and the dimensions of 18 or 22 mm, depending on the case, also disappear.

Choose a coffin

You can choose caskets for a deceased loved one or plan your own funeral during your lifetime. Either way, you need to select a coffin, and the task is never easy. Whether it is cremation or burial, the coffin must meet applicable standards. Your best bet is to have professionals accompany you and bring you closer to a funeral director with a storefront near the funeral site. Get advice on-site and ask for a detailed quote. If you choose this casket for yourself, don't hesitate to ask as many questions as possible and choose it according to your personal desires and especially your budget.

Opt for wooden coffins in our country, wood is the primary material for making coffins. The origin of the wood and its essence have a significant impact on the price of the coffin. If you choose fir or pine, you will pay less for the casket than if it is made from elm, oak poplar, etc. Each species has its own advantages, such as resistance and longevity.

Opt for a cardboard coffin the deceased chose cremation, the coffins intended to be burned are often made of poplar, pine, or fir, but not only these woods. Today, more and more funeral directors are offering their customers cardboard caskets that are less expensive than the first ones. They are approved by the French state but be careful. Not all crematoriums accept them for technical reasons.

The price of a coffin

The casket is the main funeral room and often the most expensive. If it is a funeral and the casket is made of cardboard, prices vary between $ 200 and $ 800. If you choose a wooden coffin, it will cost at least a price of 500 to 1000 $ for the low end. A standard wooden model with four handles costs between $ 1,500 and $ 3,000, but there are also up to $ 8,000 depending on the type of wood and finish you want. The price of the casket still varies depending on how it is made, as it can be machined, semi-machined, or handcrafted.

Shades of coffins

The colors of the coffins are mainly used to protect the wood from the effects of time but also to improve the visual quality for funerals. Varnishes staining coffins are very toxic to humans and especially to the environment. You can ask for a water-based varnish that is more expensive but which meets environmental standards. You can still choose a raw wooden coffin without varnish.