Choosing a coffin

The base model in the Dutch funeral catalogue. Made of pressed wood particles with a thin veneer or laminate finish. Used in a large share of crematies (cremations) and sober burials.

Price range: from around EUR 250; a simple chipboard coffin usually costs EUR 250 to EUR 400.

Ecological note: chipboard often contains glues and lacquers that release substances during cremation. Newer water-based-glue versions exist and are preferred by sustainability-focused providers.

Symbolic note: neutral, unadorned. Often chosen when the focus is on the ceremony rather than the object.

The traditional choice. Pine, oak, or, at the higher end, walnut, cherry or mahogany. Visible grain, metal handles, lined interior.

Price range: roughly EUR 600 to EUR 2,500, with premium hardwoods reaching EUR 5,000 or more.

Ecological note: domestic, unlacquered, air-dried wood is the most sustainable variant; tropical hardwoods and heavily varnished finishes are the least.

Symbolic note: solidity, tradition, weight. Common at religious and formal funerals.

Hand-woven from willow branches, often domestic. Lightweight, breathable, with a softer visual character than wood.

Price range: roughly EUR 600 to EUR 1,500.

Ecological note: fully biodegradable, low-energy production, no lacquers. One of the lowest-impact options for both burial and cremation.

Symbolic note: natural, handcrafted, often chosen for natural burial (natuurbegraven) or sustainability-oriented ceremonies.

Made of layered, reinforced cardboard. Strong enough to carry up to standard adult weight, with a smooth or printable surface. Suitable for burial and, at most crematoria, for cremation; check with the crematorium, as a few do not accept cardboard.

Price range: roughly EUR 200 to EUR 700.

Ecological note: highly biodegradable, low production footprint, no metal fittings.

Symbolic note: deliberately simple. Often chosen by families who want children or friends to paint and decorate it before the funeral.

Coffins woven from seagrass, water hyacinth, bamboo, or jute. Sometimes lined with linen or hemp instead of cotton. Designed to break down quickly in the soil or burn cleanly.

Price range: roughly EUR 700 to EUR 1,800.

Ecological note: among the most sustainable choices. Funeral directors who focus on sustainability, such as those in GreenLeave, a network of funeral directors working to make funerals more sustainable, can advise on them. Fabrics are unbleached and untreated.

Symbolic note: explicit return to the earth. Common at natuurbegraafplaatsen (natural burial sites).

Any of the above coffins, finished with personal artwork. Some families commission an artist; others paint the coffin themselves at home or at the funeral centre during opbaring (care of the body).

Price range: depends on the base coffin plus EUR 200 to EUR 1,500 for artwork.

Ecological note: paint choice matters. Water-based paints are preferred for cremation to limit emissions.

Symbolic note: a way to make the object personal, especially valuable for the death of a child, an artist, or someone whose identity was strongly visual.

A reusable outer coffin used during the ceremony, with a simple inner coffin that is cremated. The outer coffin is cleaned and reused. Rarely offered in the Netherlands and usually no cheaper than a basic coffin; ask your funeral director whether it is available.

Price range: around EUR 450.

Ecological note: reduces material use compared to a single-use coffin.

Symbolic note: chosen by people who want a coffin at the ceremony while using less material.

A coffin made by a family member, a friend, or a local carpenter, sometimes during the years before death. Increasingly available through specialised Dutch workshops that offer kits and guidance.

Price range: roughly EUR 250 to EUR 1,500 in materials, plus labour if commissioned.

Ecological note: depends on materials; usually low impact when local untreated wood is used.

Symbolic note: high. The coffin carries the act of making as part of the farewell.

For people whose body does not fit a standard coffin (around 2.0 m and up to 100 kg), or for very small coffins for children and infants. Some providers also offer dual coffins designed to hold two people who die close together.

Price range: child coffins from around EUR 200; XL coffins typically EUR 200 to EUR 600 above the standard model.

Ecological note: same as the underlying material category.

Symbolic note: practical necessity. Worth recording as a preference in advance for unusually tall or large people, since standard models are not always available within the Wet op de lijkbezorging six-working-day window.

A reinforced coffin meeting international transport standards: zinc-lined, sealed, often heavier and more expensive. Required when the body crosses borders, including for burial abroad.

Price range: around EUR 1,500 to EUR 3,500, plus repatriation logistics.

Ecological note: zinc lining limits biodegradability. This is a regulatory requirement, not a preference.

Symbolic note: for many migrants, expats and binational families, this is the coffin that takes the person home.

A coffin is one line in a funeral budget that typically runs from around EUR 1,500 for a sobere uitvaart (sober funeral) to EUR 10,000 or more for a fully arranged ceremony. Choosing a EUR 400 cardboard coffin instead of a EUR 2,000 oak coffin is a real saving, but it may matter less than other decisions, location, transport, ceremony, catering. The coffin is mostly a decision about what feels right, not what is cheapest.