Mitchell Oak Wood Urn

Ten and a half inches wide and just under eight tall, the Mitchell is one of the roomier oak urns without being showy about it. The design is plain: straight sides, a flat lid, no carving, and the grain doing all of the decorative work. Oak darkens slightly over years in a lit room, which most families find they come to like.

At 280 cubic inches it takes an adult up to about 280 pounds, with margin left over. That extra room is worth having if the funeral home returns the ashes in a rigid container you would rather transfer whole. Choose it for a mantel or a shelf at eye level where the width has somewhere to sit, since it is broader than a standard columbarium niche will accept.

• 280 cu in; covers an adult up to roughly 280 lb
• 10.5 in wide by 7.75 in tall
• Engraving available, and shipping is free at this price