Container Styles Guide
Our Container Styles info page defines common bottle and jar terminology to help you select the right container. The image below explains basic container "anatomy", to which we will refer throughout this article.
- Mouth - The opening at the top of a container
- Neck Finish - The area of a container that holds a cap or closure. For more information about neck finishes, visit our neck finish info page
- Shoulder - The sloped area of a container between the neck and body with a curved radius
- Label Panel - A flat area upon which a label can be applied. Typically 1/8" to 1/4" down from the shoulder and up from the base
- Wall - The thickness of the container, which is typically measured along the sides
- Base - The bottom of a container, which has a curved radius
General Bottle Shapes
A plastic or glass bottle is considered to be
round
when the container's horizontal cross section or base is a circle. An
oval
bottle has an oval-shaped base while an
oblong
bottle has a rounded rectangular base.
when the container's horizontal cross section or base is a circle. An
oval
bottle has an oval-shaped base while an
oblong
bottle has a rounded rectangular base.Round Bottles
Oval Bottles
Oblong Bottles
Boston Round Bottles
(boston rounds, round bottles, squat boston rounds)
Boston rounds have straight sides with gradually curved shoulders. SKS' boston round bottles are considered to be a "squat" style with a wider, shorter profile than traditional boston rounds.
Buy Boston Round Bottles
Boston rounds have straight sides with gradually curved shoulders. SKS' boston round bottles are considered to be a "squat" style with a wider, shorter profile than traditional boston rounds.
Buy Boston Round Bottles
Cosmo Round Bottles
(cosmo rounds, bullet bottles, jefferson round bottles)
Cosmo rounds are tall, narrow bottles with gradually sloped shoulders. Cosmo round bottles are narrower versions of boston rounds.
Buy Cosmo Round Bottles
Cosmo rounds are tall, narrow bottles with gradually sloped shoulders. Cosmo round bottles are narrower versions of boston rounds.
Buy Cosmo Round Bottles
Cylinder Bottles
(cylinder rounds, cylindrical bottles)
Cylinder bottles are tall and narrow with straight sides. These bottles have horizontal shoulders that transition into the sides abruptly.
Buy Cylinder Bottles
Cylinder bottles are tall and narrow with straight sides. These bottles have horizontal shoulders that transition into the sides abruptly.
Buy Cylinder Bottles
Pharmaceutical Bottles
(pharm rounds, round packer bottles, tablet rounds, pill bottles, wide mouth rounds)
Pharmaceutical rounds are straight-sided, wide-mouth bottles with short, sloped shoulders.
Buy Pharm Round Bottles
Pharmaceutical rounds are straight-sided, wide-mouth bottles with short, sloped shoulders.
Buy Pharm Round Bottles
Sauce Bottles
(woozy bottles, woozey bottles, keuka bottles)
A round bottle with a narrow neck that tapers into a wider base. Woozy bottles have a gradual, smooth taper from neck to base while sauce bottles have a more rounded shoulder. Sauce bottles often have indented label panels.
Buy Woozy & Sauce Bottles
A round bottle with a narrow neck that tapers into a wider base. Woozy bottles have a gradual, smooth taper from neck to base while sauce bottles have a more rounded shoulder. Sauce bottles often have indented label panels.
Buy Woozy & Sauce Bottles
Cosmo Oval Bottles
A cosmo oval is a tall bottle with a narrow depth that has gradually sloped shoulders and an oval base.
Buy Cosmo Oval Bottles
Buy Cosmo Oval Bottles
Straight-Sided Ovals
These oval bottles have straight vertical sides, a narrow depth, horizontal shoulders and oval-shaped bases.
Buy Straight-Sided Ovals
Buy Straight-Sided Ovals
Flask Bottles
(apothecary bottles, oblong bottles, flasks)
Similar to a straight-sided oval, a flask has a narrow depth and horizontal shoulders with an oblong-shaped base.
Buy Oblong Flask Bottles
Similar to a straight-sided oval, a flask has a narrow depth and horizontal shoulders with an oblong-shaped base.
Buy Oblong Flask Bottles
Tottle Bottles
(inverted oval bottles, tube bottles, Malibu tubes)
Tottles are oval bottles with rounded bases meant to stand on their caps.
Buy Tottle Bottles
Tottles are oval bottles with rounded bases meant to stand on their caps.
Buy Tottle Bottles
Naples Oval Bottles
An exception to the "oval" rule, this bottle has a round base but an oval-shaped cross section. A naples oval has gradually sloped shoulders that taper down to the narrow base.
Buy Naples Oval Bottles
Buy Naples Oval Bottles
