Split-couch Or Full-couch – Which Is The Better Casket?

By Author: Andrew Smith
Total Articles: 27
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Many people have little knowledge and many have absolutely no knowledge about coffins. Most of us also have no knowledge about the various styles, materials and alternatives accessible nowadays. This is justifiable because unless you've organised a memorial service for a friend or family member or pre-arranged for yourself, the topic of death is mostly not discussed.

Let’s throw some light on the major differences between a split-couch and full-couch coffin/casket.

Split-Couch Coffin/Casket

This is the most commonly used coffin, the one which you may have probably seen multiple times in funerals. The cover of a split-couch coffin comprises of two separate pivoted pieces. In a wake or open-coffin funeral, just the head-segment of the casket is left opened for viewing that shows just the upper body of the deceased person. Both lids of the coffin can open, but generally they’re opened only to place the body in the casket by funeral service providers.

Split-couch coffins are often also called as a half-couch or cut-lid coffin. Although used quite rarely, ...
... a 3/4 split-couch coffin is also available, inside it the closed section covers the body from knees down only.

Full-Couch Coffin/Casket

This coffin type is by and large less popular, but it can be seen in numerous funerals in the UK. The cover of a full-couch coffin is made up of one piece, normally pivoted. The casket is additionally full-couch because the whole body of the deceased is revealed whenever the lid is open or closed. The body of the deceased person becomes visible, when the cover of a full-couch coffin is opened.

What’s The Difference between the Two Types of Coffin/Casket?

The main reasons that could have clarified why split-couch and full-couch coffins do not exist anymore. The two types of caskets have been used for so many years that it’s difficult to establish a single reason behind their design. Some experts have stated that split-couch designs developed in the twentieth century to encourage the open coffin viewing during a visitation, reflecting the development of funeral homes and parlours.

Some people think that the full-couch coffins are utilised when the funeral doesn’t involve viewing of the deceased’s body, which means closed coffin ceremony.

In reality, neither a split nor full-couch coffin prevents the viewing of the deceased’s body in the funeral ceremony. The choice to see the deceased or not rests totally with the close family or companion, and both types can offer this sort of service. A few full-couch coffins come with an all-glass top that can cover the head of the deceased.

At last, the decision to utilise a split or full-couch coffin depends upon you, or you companion or family. If you have taken a funeral package or funeral cover, then you need to ask the service provider what types of coffins/caskets they deliver.