Choosing a coffin for someone is probably not something you have ever given much thought to, if any. When it actually comes to it, it can feel surreal. It’s difficult. Take your time.

There’s a huge range of coffins out there. In Britain we have more choice than in any other country on earth.

Do you have to buy a coffin from an undertaker?

No you don’t. Undertakers are beginning to realize that a great many people want to buy this last gift for someone who has died themselves, not through a third-party. If your undertaker refuses to accept a coffin bought by you, take your business elsewhere. Any problems, contact us.

Cost

You can spend as much as you like on a coffin, from 150 pounds to several thousand.

No one wants to feel like a skinflint and choose something disrespectfully cheap. But here’s a thing: there’s almost no difference in appearance between a bottom-of-the-range veneered MDF ‘oak’ coffin and a solid oak one at five times the price. If you throw good money at a coffin it is highly unlikely that anyone will notice unless it is made from other materials like bamboo or willow or cardboard.

Ask yourself:

1. What you can afford
2. Which material you think appropriate
3. What you like the look of