Body Coolers for Funeral Homes

A body cooler holds a deceased person under refrigeration until embalming, viewing, cremation or burial. For a funeral home, the right cooler comes down to three things: how many bodies you need to hold on a busy week, how you load (cot, tray or shelf), and how much floor space and door clearance you have.

American Mortuary Coolers builds and ships mortuary body coolers from 2-body roll-in units to walk-in morgue coolers. Compare the main sizes and styles below, and call our specialists if you need help sizing one for your building.

Body cooler sizes at a glance

Roll-in, upright, vault or walk-in

Roll-in body coolers

The cot rolls straight in at floor level, so staff do not lift or transfer the body. Our 2-body standard-width roll-in runs on self-contained 115V refrigeration, and the TR3 triple-wide gives three parallel cot positions.

Upright body coolers

Bodies rest on roller tiers stacked inside one cabinet, which saves floor space. Extra-wide cabinets such as the Model 3BX are bariatric-capable.

Vault-style morgue coolers

Each body has its own chamber, door and slide-out tray, so opening one position does not disturb the others. See the 2-body vault cooler and the 4-body vault cooler.

Walk-in mortuary coolers

A walk-in room with mortuary racks holds the most bodies per square foot. Door location and size are configured to your building, from a 6x8 up to large care-center rooms. Compare them in walk-in mortuary coolers, and add mortuary racks and lifts.

How to choose a funeral home body cooler

• Capacity: plan for your busiest week, not your average one, and leave room for growth.
• Loading: roll-in for cot-direct loading, upright tiers to save floor space, vault chambers for individual access, walk-in for volume.
• Body size: choose an extra-wide or bariatric-capable model if you regularly receive larger decedents.
• Space and access: measure the room, the doorways and the route the cooler takes into the building.
• Power: check the electrical requirements listed on each model before you order.

Body cooler questions

What is a body cooler for a funeral home?

It is a refrigerated cabinet or room built to hold deceased persons safely until embalming, services or final disposition. Funeral homes also call them mortuary coolers, morgue coolers or cadaver coolers.

How many bodies should my cooler hold?

Most single-location funeral homes start with a 2 or 3-body cooler. Firms with several locations, or that also serve a crematory, usually move to a 4 to 10-body unit or a walk-in.

Do you have bariatric body coolers?

Yes. Extra-wide 2 and 3-body models and several vault coolers are built for larger decedents. Check the interior dimensions on each product page.

Can we pay by purchase order or finance a cooler?

Yes. You can check out online with financing, or send a purchase order or request a formal quote.

Shop every model in mortuary coolers and morgue body coolers, or browse all mortuary equipment.