A companion urn is one of those memorial choices that feels both practical and deeply symbolic. On paper, it is a container decision: one vessel designed to hold two sets of cremated remains. In the heart, it often represents a shared life—partners who planned to be together, siblings who were inseparable, or two loved ones whose family wants a single, steady memorial place.
If you’re searching for a companion urn for two people, you’re likely trying to answer a few questions at once. How do companion urns actually work inside? What is a realistic companion urn capacity? Will it fit in a niche? Can it be buried? And what styles exist that feel like “us” without feeling like a product catalog?
This guide walks through those answers in plain language and practical steps, so you can choose a double urn for ashes with confidence—whether your plan is home display, cemetery burial, or columbarium niche companion urn placement.
What a Companion Urn Is (and the Two Main Interior Designs)
A companion urn is also called a two person urn, urn for couples, or shared urn for ashes. The defining feature is not the outside style. It is the interior structure, because that structure determines how the urn is filled and how the remains are kept together (or separate) inside.
Most companion urns are built in one of two ways.
A shared interior. This design has one larger interior space. Each person’s remains is typically kept in its own inner bag inside the single chamber. Families choose this style when they want one unified memorial and do not feel a strong need for physical separation beyond the two bags.
Two compartments. This design has a divider or two distinct chambers. Some are truly split down the middle; others have separate inner cylinders. Families choose this style when they want clear separation for personal, cultural, or practical reasons, or when they want the option to access one compartment without disturbing the other.
If you want to browse styles while keeping those interior differences in mind, Funeral.com’s collection of companion cremation urn options includes both shared-interior and compartment-style designs.
Companion Urn Capacity: The Simple Math Families Use
Capacity is listed in cubic inches and refers to interior volume. For companion urns, the simplest rule is to plan for the combined capacity of two adults—often around the 400 cubic inch benchmark—because many standard adult urns are commonly around 200 cubic inches.
A practical way to calculate companion urn capacity is the same method used for individual urn sizing: many families start with the “one cubic inch per pound” guideline, then add a buffer for a more comfortable fit. If you want a step-by-step calculator approach, Funeral.com’s urn size calculator guide explains the underlying logic and when it’s smart to size up.
For couples, you can think about it like this:
Estimated capacity target = (person one weight in pounds) + (person two weight in pounds) + buffer.
The buffer matters because cremated remains are typically returned in an inner bag, and companion urns may have dividers or internal frameworks that slightly reduce usable space. Choosing a companion urn that is “comfortably large enough” is usually the least stressful choice, especially if the urn will later be placed in a niche or vault where switching urns becomes harder.
How Companion Urns Are Filled (What Families Should Expect)
Most cremated remains arrive in an inner bag inside a temporary container. In a shared-interior companion urn, both bags are placed into the urn together. In a two-compartment design, each bag is placed into its own chamber, or the remains are transferred if the openings are narrow.
Some families prefer to handle transfers themselves at home in a calm setting. Others prefer to ask the funeral home to assist, especially if the urn is sealed permanently after placement or if the family is dividing ashes into multiple keepsakes at the same time. If you are transferring ashes yourself, Funeral.com’s guide How to Transfer Ashes Into an Urn Without Spills is a practical, beginner-friendly walkthrough.
Burial Companion Urns: What to Consider
A burial companion urn can be a meaningful choice when a couple is being placed in the ground together, or when a family wants one memorial container associated with one plot. The key practical point is that burial planning is often driven by cemetery rules, not urn preferences.
Some cemeteries require an urn vault or outer burial container for in-ground urn burial, and that requirement can affect the urn’s allowable exterior dimensions. If a vault is required, the companion urn must fit inside the vault’s interior space with clearance. This is where families sometimes discover that a companion urn can be “big enough” but still not fit the burial container system the cemetery requires.
If burial is part of your plan, start by asking the cemetery what is required and what the maximum allowable exterior dimensions are. Funeral.com’s Cemetery Urn Requirements and Urn Vaults Explained guides are designed around these exact questions.
Columbarium Niche Companion Urns: The “Measure First” Rule
A columbarium niche companion urn plan can be beautiful, but it is also where families most often run into fit surprises. Niche fit is about exterior dimensions, and niche sizes vary widely. Some niches are designed to hold two standard urns side by side. Others are designed to hold a single companion urn. Some allow either. Many have strict interior depth limits.
The calm planning step is to get the niche’s interior height, width, and depth in writing, and to ask whether the opening is smaller than the interior space. Then compare those numbers to the companion urn’s exterior dimensions before you engrave or finalize a non-returnable personalized piece. Funeral.com’s Cemetery Urn Requirements guide includes niche questions and “what to ask” checklists that prevent last-minute stress.
Most Common Styles for Couples and Families
Companion urns come in many visual styles, and families often find it easier to decide by imagining where the urn will live. A home display urn needs to feel steady in a room. A niche urn needs to fit the space cleanly. A burial plan needs to align with cemetery requirements.
These are the companion styles families most commonly consider:
| Style category | Why families choose it | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Classic upright companion urn | Traditional memorial presence; often works well for home display | Exterior dimensions for niche fit, closure type, and capacity |
| Chest or box-style companion urn | Home-friendly look, easier dimension measuring, can feel less “funeral” visually | Interior access panel size, closure security, and vault/niche fit if applicable |
| Two-compartment designs | Clear separation of remains within one memorial; can support family preferences | Whether both compartments have equal capacity and independent access |
| Matching urn sets (two separate urns) | Togetherness without a single shared container; often helpful when placement locations may differ | Whether the cemetery niche is designed for two urns and any orientation limits |
If you want to see these styles concretely, the Funeral.com urns for couples collection lets you compare shared interiors, two-compartment designs, and different shapes side by side.
Personalization: Engraving, Names, and a Cohesive Inscription
Many families choose to engrave both names and dates, and then add one short line that feels like a shared story: “Together Always,” “Forever in Our Hearts,” or a simple “In Loving Memory.” The most important practical tip is to confirm fit before engraving, especially for niche placement, because engraving can reduce return flexibility.
If you want wording ideas designed to fit engraving spaces cleanly, Funeral.com’s guide Final Messages to Engrave on a Custom Urn includes short quotes, names-and-dates formats, and character-limit tips.
If you are shopping specifically for personalization-ready pieces, browse engravable urns and review engraving guidance at personalized urn engraving so you know what line limits and formatting are typical.
A Calm Decision Checklist
Companion urn decisions feel big because they carry symbolism, but they can be made with simple checks that keep the choice grounded.
| Decision point | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Interior design | Shared interior vs two compartments, and whether you want independent access |
| Capacity | Total cubic inches needed for two people (weights + buffer) |
| Placement plan | Home, burial, or niche—because each has different constraints |
| Niche or burial requirements | Interior niche dimensions or vault rules before purchasing or engraving |
| Personalization | Names/dates format and a short shared line that fits character limits cleanly |
A Gentle Bottom Line
A companion urn can be a beautiful way to honor two people together, and the choice becomes much less intimidating once you focus on the practical fundamentals: interior design (shared or divided), capacity for two, and placement requirements for a cemetery or niche. If you measure first, size with a buffer, and engrave after you’re confident about fit, you can choose a two person urn that feels both meaningful and dependable.
If you’re ready to explore options, start with Funeral.com’s companion urns collection, and use the cemetery-fit and capacity checks in this guide to narrow to the styles that truly match your plan.
