Choosing the right casket for a loved one’s funeral can be an overwhelming experience. You want to be certain you choose one that will honor them appropriately. However, if you're considering an oak casket, you may also need to consider such factors as your budget.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- What’s an Oak Casket?
- How Much Does an Oak Casket Usually Cost?
- Main Types of Oak Caskets
- Where Can You Buy an Oak Casket?
Fortunately, this process doesn’t need to be as challenging as it may seem at first. By researching different types of caskets, you’ll more clearly understand which options fit your standards and price range.
One style worth looking into is oak caskets. This blog will describe what they are, how much they usually cost, what types of oak caskets are available, and where you might purchase one.
What’s an Oak Casket?
Oak is a popular casket material for a number of reasons. As the next section will elaborate on, its cost is sometimes one of them, as oak is a quality, durable material that costs less than several other options.
Many also find the overall look of oak appealing. Its graining pattern looks natural and recognizable, which makes oak a smart choice if you’re genuinely having trouble deciding what type of casket to purchase. You can’t go wrong with an option as timeless as this.
How Much Does an Oak Casket Usually Cost?
Most people wonder how much a casket costs when they begin considering their options. Truthfully, a range of factors will contribute to the overall price of a casket. That said, if you’re buying a wooden casket, most professionals consider oak to be a mid-range material. It’s not a premium option like mahogany, walnut, or cherry, but it’s of higher quality (and thus, a higher cost) than such options as pine, poplar, and willow.
That said, because oak is a mid-range material, the average cost of an oak casket will likely hover somewhere around $2,000, as this is the average cost of a traditional casket that’s made of mid-range materials.
Main Types of Oak Caskets
The following are some of the more common styles of oak caskets you might consider buying for a loved one’s funeral. While this is by no means a fully exhaustive list, it should help you get a sense of your options.
1. Traditional oak casket
The most common type of oak casket you’re likely to see at a funeral will consist of a basic rectangular base, often with a slightly curved top (although sometimes the top is flat). The casket may also feature some angles and lines sanded/carved into the wood to give it a more unique look.
A traditional oak casket will come in a variety of shades as well. This gives you the freedom to choose one that perfectly aligns with your tastes.
It’s also worth noting that an oak casket can be a half-couch casket or a full-couch casket. With a full-couch casket, the lid is one solid piece. With the half-couch style, the lid consists of two pieces, allowing you to display the upper half of your loved one’s body during a viewing while concealing the lower half with the bottom section of the lid.
Keep this in mind if you’re thinking about including a viewing as part of your loved one’s funeral.
2. Minimalist oak casket
In some cultures, people are discouraged from displaying signs of wealth or anything they might consider extravagant during funerals. Thus, the traditional style of oak casket may not be right for someone from such a culture.
However, if you don’t want your loved one’s casket to be too ornate, but you still would like to bury them in an oak casket, you’ll be happy to find there are many minimalist varieties available. These usually look like nothing more than plain wood boxes free of any artistry. This type of casket may be ideal for your goals.
3. Oak pet caskets
Sometimes people are so close with their beloved pets that they feel the urge to hold funerals for them when they die. If you plan on doing so, you should know that some suppliers offer oak pet caskets.
4. Oak cremation casket
Most crematoriums will still require you to keep a loved one’s body in a casket during the cremation process. This casket will also serve as a place to store the body until the actual cremation occurs.
If you’re planning on cremating a loved one, you might still want their casket to be aesthetically appealing. If that’s the case, you should research oak cremation caskets.
Some people choose cremation because it’s likely better for the environment in the long run than a traditional burial. This is the same reason natural burials are becoming more commonplace.
A natural burial typically involves burying the deceased in a biodegradable casket. Thus, you might be wondering if oak is a good choice for a natural burial. That’s understandable. However, if you want to purchase a wood casket that meets the criteria for a natural burial, you’re better off choosing an option such as pine.
5. Oak caskets of various sizes
A traditional oak casket will be the appropriate size to hold the body of an average-sized person. However, oversized oak caskets are available, as are smaller caskets.
This is worth remembering, as an initial online search for oak caskets will usually bring up average casket sizes. You may need to use more specific search terms if you want an oak casket that’s smaller or larger than average.
6. Painted oak casket
Most oak caskets will strike a balance between looking appropriately attractive, without calling too much attention to themselves. That said, because it’s possible to paint on oak, there are oak caskets available featuring more dynamic imagery. Options can include paintings of flowers, birds, and even landscapes.
If you do a little searching you can also find artists who will paint any imagery you choose on an oak casket. This may interest you if you have a specific type of painting you’d like to see on a loved one’s casket. However, if you do order a custom painted oak cabinet from an artist or supplier, you should expect to pay more than you would if you were buying a pre-manufactured casket.
7. Oak ashes casket
Some retailers offer oak “caskets” that actually serve to hold the remains of a cremated loved one.
While this would technically make these caskets urns, this entry still deserves to be included on the list because many of these urns are shaped like traditional oak caskets. They’re simply smaller.
8. Religious oak caskets
Some oak caskets look fairly traditional but are still somewhat distinct when compared to others, as they feature religious imagery or iconography of some kind. For example, it’s not uncommon for Christians to bury their loved ones in oak caskets with wooden crosses either painted or imprinted onto the top center of the casket.
That’s just one example. If you’re a religious person, research oak caskets featuring images or items that correspond with your spiritual beliefs.
Where Can You Buy an Oak Casket?
Because oak caskets have remained popular for years, many suppliers offer them. The following are just some of the typical options you may consider.
Local retailers
Odds are good several suppliers in your region sell caskets. Because many such businesses have cultivated positive reputations by providing customers with reliable service and products for decades, you may want to purchase your casket from one.
Online specialty retailers
A quick internet search reveals there are plenty of online retailers who specialize in selling caskets and other funeral supplies. Because browsing the internet will likely yield more options than you can find through local retailers, you might want to consider looking into these online shops before deciding which casket to purchase.
Just make sure you also read customer reviews of any retailer you plan on buying a casket from. This is an important purchase, and you want to be confident you’re buying a casket from a company that will deliver on their promises.
General retailers
Some people feel more comfortable buying caskets from established brands. This gives them the peace of mind that comes from knowing they likely don’t have to worry about being disappointed with the casket or service from a less-than-trustworthy retailer.
Luckily, if you’re such a person, you can buy oak caskets from many well-known retailers and marketplaces, such as Target, Alibaba, Walmart, and numerous others. Browse their online catalogs to see if one of them offers the type of oak casket you’re looking for.
Funeral homes
Sometimes a funeral home will also sell caskets and related items. If yours does, this may be another option worth considering.
You could save a lot of time you would otherwise have spent researching casket suppliers if your funeral home offers one that meets your standards.
Oak Caskets: A Classic Choice
When buying a casket, you probably have questions about various topics, from how much a casket weighs to how much you can expect to spend on a casket. You may also have questions about oak caskets in particular. Hopefully, this guide answered some of them.