Here’s something your funeral director probably didn’t tell you: Walmart sells caskets.
Not only do they sell caskets, but they sell cheap caskets. And this isn’t new either; they have done so since 2009 with a “beta test” that became permanent.
As part of the data we collected for our funeral caskets prices guide, Walmart had some of the best deals we found. A 40% saving on something that makes up one of the most prominent funeral expenses is significant.
However – price isn’t everything; quality of product and service are just as important. A cheap casket isn’t worth much if it doesn’t show up on time and in one piece:
Our Verdict – Walmart Caskets
Walmart sells high-quality caskets from good manufacturers. Funeral homes are legally required to accept them under the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule. However, they are let down by their customer service experience and shipping time-frames, which don’t match the other better options available for buying caskets online.
So, buying a Walmart casket would never be our top recommendation.
But there are still circumstances in which they can be a decent option.
Read on to learn more about coffins and caskets from Walmart and whether they might be a good choice for you.
In This Article
What Caskets Does Walmart Sell?
Walmart doesn’t actually build its own funeral caskets; they sell third party caskets manufactured by three companies: Titan Casket, Overnight Casket, and Casket Emporium.
This means there is no such thing as a “Walmart Casket,” just “caskets sold at Walmart.”
Walmart’s Range of Options
The range of caskets Walmart offers is reasonably varied. On the website, they list 96 options. Once you remove duplicates and different color options of the same item, there are actually around 30 styles available. Primarily, they sell traditional wood and metal caskets like the following:
The metal options are mostly standard 20-gauge steel, although some are more premium options.
In terms of wood, they have both veneer and hardwood types available, coming in a variety of wood types, including poplar, mahogany, and oak. Naturally, the hardwood ones are more expensive.
Casket Alternatives
Basically, Walmart sells all the same kinds of caskets you can buy at a funeral home.
They don’t offer alternatives like wicker or cardboard caskets, which are quickly becoming a more popular option for green burials.
The most non-traditional they get is with a couple of options for budget pine boxes that are also suitable for cremation, from Titan Casket and Casket Emporium.
Related Article: Different Types of Caskets and Coffins [Complete Visual Guide]
How Is The Quality of Walmart Caskets?
When Walmart started selling caskets, there was a bit of a “fear-mongering” from less scrupulous funeral directors, implying they would be bad quality and “made in China”.
Those rumors were quickly met by a funeral director speaking up and saying no, actually, the casket was fine, and the family was happy.
It wasn’t a glowing review by any means. Still, given his conflict of interest (funeral directors markup caskets a considerable amount), I would never expect a glowing review.
That was in 2009. Since then, the quality has only gotten better.
As already mentioned, Walmart doesn’t actually make the coffins they sell. This is certainly a good thing – I doubt many people want a “Great Value™” casket, and thankfully that’s not what you or your loved one will be receiving.
All the caskets Walmart sells are of comparable quality to what you would get from the major brands like Batesville sold in a funeral home. We’ve previously reviewed coffins from the three manufacturers Walmart sources from, and they are all high-quality, solid, and sturdy options.
Our preference leans towards the options they offer from Titan Casket and Overnight Caskets. They’re clean, premium, and made in America. They’re both brands we included in our guide to the top caskets available on the market.
Yes, some caskets Walmart sells might be missing fancier features like swing bar handles, but these are things you’re not going to miss or care about, they’re not worth spending thousands of dollars on, and they’re not what we would consider being a “quality” indicator when it comes to choosing a casket.
The Best Priced Caskets on the Market?
Walmart casket prices are cheap. Really cheap. They range from $1,000 to $5,100.
They also have pine boxes available for as low as $800. However, we don’t consider those “caskets” in the traditional sense.
Affordable End
Once you factor in shipping of around $50, you can buy a 20-gauge steel Casket Emporium casket for $1,050. This is one of the most affordable options on the market today and impeccable value for money.
High-End
At the higher end, various hardwood and 18-gauge metal caskets at Walmart cost $3,000+. However, once you are spending that amount of money, we recommend going directly to the casket maker to ensure you are getting precisely what you need.
In-The-Middle
In the middle, there is a range of options from Titan Casket, including their Andover Series and Reflection Series offerings.
Interestingly, Walmart sells several Titan Casket caskets for a better price than they cost by buying directly from Titan Casket.
For example, when writing this article, the Andover Series casket in bronze costs $1,099 on Walmart’s website but $1,199 at Titan Casket. Once you consider shipping, the difference isn’t that great, but it’s still there.
Finance
Walmart caskets are also available with finance through options like Affirm if you cannot afford cash payment when buying the casket. Although there are certainly better options with more reasonable interest rates for credit on the market.
Things Start Falling Apart
Caskets from Walmart are high-quality, cheap, and of great value. What’s the problem?
The problem is that when you are buying a casket, you are also buying a service. You need the coffin delivered on time; it’s a big purchase. You may need advice on what you should be looking for and what you might be missing.
Walmart sells good caskets, but are they good at selling caskets? Unfortunately, no.
First, Walmart only sells its caskets online. Not in their stores. So you won’t get to see the casket before you buy it.
Their main big-box competitor in this space, Costco, who we have also reviewed, shows you what you will get in store:
The Process of Buying a Casket From Walmart
When you go to the Walmart website and search “Caskets,” you get a page like this:
Where do we even start? This is not helpful, especially for people who have never bought a casket before.
Next, you click on the casket you want to learn more about. The information on the product page is decent. It shows the features and specs of the casket, including facts about its exterior material (steel or wood) and interior lining (e.g. velvet or crepe).
But that’s as far as it goes. Shipping information and funeral home coordination details are lacking.
You could go to the reviews to find more information, but it’s bad. Most of the reviews on the product pages are painfully repetitive jokes from people who haven’t bought the product:
Shipping Time-frames
As already mentioned, shipping is $50. This is fine, considering the price of the caskets themselves. However, it is worth noting most other online casket retailers offer free delivery.
The real issue is Walmart’s shipping times. At best, they will ship in 3 days.
However, looking deeper, this is the best-case scenario. For most funeral caskets on the site, delivery is 1 – 2 weeks away. This is just too long to be a viable option, given the time frames involved with funeral planning.
This is if you can even get a casket shipped. At the time of publishing, Walmart aren’t shipping to all states and the only way to find out if you are one of them is to check on the day, because it changes frequently
Walmart will only ship caskets to funeral homes, not to personal residences, so you will need to get the address from your funeral director in advance. This is standard across the industry.
Customer Support and Returns
So far, we don’t know what we’re buying, and we don’t know if it will ship on time. Should we try giving Walmart a call to clarify?
Sadly, this is another dead end. Walmart’s online sales representatives don’t have expertise in selling caskets. They told us to contact the manufacturer.
If we were going to do that, we would buy from the manufacturer directly!
We also found reports from customers of Walmart selling them caskets that they didn’t have in stock. Walmart already had their money, and the customer didn’t have enough money to pay for a casket from another seller while their refund was pending because the funeral was in less than a week. They ultimately had to choose an alternative Walmart casket they didn’t want.
Our opinion is that this is totally unacceptable.
Regarding return policies, Walmart will only accept casket returns if the casket is defective. We can’t hold this against them; it is industry practice. But it’s something to be aware of.
Alternatives to Walmart Caskets
So, taken as a whole, our opinion on caskets from Walmart is negative. However, how do they stack up to the casket shopping alternatives?
Funeral Homes
First, the obvious one is buying a casket from a funeral home.
As a rule of thumb, we only recommend this in one circumstance: If you need the casket today.
Otherwise, they are prohibitively expensive and marked up arbitrarily. Despite all the issues we have with Walmart, if it isn’t urgent, we would likely prefer them over buying from a funeral home.
There’s no harm in asking your funeral director for a copy of their Casket Price List, but don’t get your hopes up.
And don’t be intimidated if you don’t like what you see: The FTC’s consumer protection regulations require that funeral homes must accept third party caskets – it doesn’t matter where you buy it.
Costco
Costco is another retailer that sells caskets – and they are a better option than Walmart.
The caskets they sell are of the same quality, and their prices are reasonable.
However, they still don’t have the expertise that casket retailers have, and you have to be a Costco member to get one.
Amazon
We are strong proponents of buying a casket from either Overnight Caskets or Titan Casket.
They have reasonable prices and good freight shipping fees and time-frames nationally, and you can coordinate with the casket maker directly.
Our Top Walmart Caskets Alternative
Other Online Casket Sellers
Finally, you can always go to the online retailers directly when buying a casket online. Good options include Trusted Caskets, alongside Titan Casket, and Overnight Caskets that we’ve already covered.
Due to their customer service, we typically suggest avoiding Thacker Caskets, Best Price Caskets, and Fast Caskets.
So, Should You Buy a Walmart Casket?
We do not recommend buying a casket from Walmart in most circumstances.
Walmart does offer high-quality, great-priced caskets from good manufacturers that funeral homes are legally required to accept.
However, their customer service and shipping time-frames are just not up to scratch unless you don’t have many other options.
If you have any further questions about caskets from Walmart or anything else beyond life, please feel free to leave a comment below or get in touch.
