Funeral Home Prep Room Equipment Guide: Coolers, Lifts, Racks and Embalming Tables
The prep room runs on a handful of major pieces: embalming tables, dressing tables, a lift, racks and a cooler. This guide compares the options for each with real capacities and explains how they work together.
Consumables come and go. The big equipment stays for decades, so it is worth choosing carefully and making sure each piece works with the others.
Quick answer: Anchor the room with an embalming table rated for your heaviest cases, add folding dressing tables for flexibility, a lift for cot-to-table and table-to-casket moves, and a cooler with racks and trays for holding. Match heights so the lift reaches the table, the cooler tiers and the casket.
Embalming Tables
| Table | Capacity | Height | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Oversized Embalming Table | 1,000 lb | Hydraulic, foot pump | Stainless top, perforated drain, removable head and arm rests |
| Multi-Height Stainless Embalming & Dressing Table | — | Multi-height | American-made stainless |
| Economy Multi-Height Folding Embalming Table | 600 lb | 32.5"–38.5" | 80" × 30" 304 stainless top, folds flat |
Dressing Tables
Folding dressing tables free the embalming table for the next case. The Extra Wide Folding Dressing Table has a 78 × 32 inch top, 700 lb capacity, 34-inch working height and folds to 9.5 inches thick. Multi-packs suit schools and disaster teams.
Lifts, Racks and Cooler
- Lift: A strap lift for casketing and a scissor lift for tray moves. See body lifts compared.
- Racks and trays: See the roller rack buyer's guide.
- Cooler: See the mortuary cooler buying guide.
American Oversized Embalming Table - Bariatric1,000 lb hydraulic
Economy Multi-Height Folding Embalming Table600 lb, folds flat
Extra Wide Folding Mortuary Dressing Table78×32 in., 700 lb
Body Casket Lift XL – 900 lb Battery Electric Mortuary Lift900 lb battery lift
4 Tier Side-Loading Mortuary Rack850 lb per tier
2 Body Standard Roll-In Mortuary CoolerRoll-in cooler
Bundles
The Hydraulic Embalming + Dressing Table Combo and the three-piece table bundle equip a new room on one pallet.
Consumables are listed in the prep room supplies checklist. Room layout is in the floor plan equipment checklist.
Matching Heights Across the Room
The most common prep room frustration is equipment that does not line up. If the lift cannot reach the top cooler tier, staff end up lifting by hand. If the dressing table is lower than the embalming table, every transfer becomes a strain. Write down the working height of each piece before you buy: the first tier of our 4-tier rack sits at 21 inches and the top at 69.75 inches, our extra-wide dressing table works at 34 inches, and our economy embalming table adjusts from 32.5 to 38.5 inches. Choose a lift whose range covers all of them.
Plan clear floor space, too: a full cot length in front of a roll-in cooler, room to walk around the embalming table, and a parking spot for the lift beside its charger.
Frequently Asked Questions
What equipment does a funeral home prep room need?
An embalming table, an embalming station or sink, dressing tables, a lift, PPE and supplies, plus refrigerated holding nearby.
Hydraulic or folding embalming table?
Hydraulic tables adjust height smoothly under load and suit daily use. Folding multi-height tables cost less and store flat.
What capacity embalming table do I need?
Choose 1,000 lb if you serve bariatric cases; 600 lb covers most standard work.
Questions about fit, freight or lead time? Call our Johnson City, Tennessee team at 1-888-792-9315 or email cool@mymortuarycooler.com.
