Capsule Manufacturing: Capsule Size Chart

Capsule manufacturing requires precision and a bit of science if the final product is to be effective. The size of a supplement’s capsule is determined by the density of ingredients it contains, but there are some other general rules of thumb to follow as well.

In this article, we are going to go over the key differences between capsule sizes, the most comfortable capsule size for your end consumer, and more.

Average Capsule Size Chart: Length & Diameter

When looking at the capsule size, we take a few things into consideration including length, diameter, capacity, mass, and powder density. In Exhibit 1, you will see how to configure the length and diameter of your capsule. This will help you effectively use the length and diameter capsule size chart.

Exhibit 1 – Capsule length and diameter

After you have an understanding of how the capsule is measured, you can then use Exhibits 2 and 3 to help you determine the size of the capsule you need. The higher the number the smaller the capsule, so size 3 is much smaller than the capsule size 000.

Keep in mind that the wider the diameter and the longer the pill the harder it will be for your end consumer to swallow it. This is why selecting an optimal capsule size is crucial for the success of your supplement business.

Exhibit 2 – Capsule size

Size	Closed Length (mm)	Body Length / Diameter (mm)	Cap Length / Diameter (mm)
000	26.0	21.8 / 9.6	12.8 / 9.9
00	23.4	20.1 / 8.2	11.8 / 8.6
0	21.5	18.4 / 7.3	10.8 / 7.6
1	19.4	16.3 / 6.6	9.8 / 7.0
2	17.6	15.1 / 6.1	8.8 / 6.4
3	15.7	13.4 / 5.6	8.0 / 5.8

Exhibit 3 – Capsule length / diameter

Average Capsule Size Chart: Capacity & Mass

Not only is it important to consider length and diameter before manufacturing supplement capsules, but you will also want to keep capsule capacity and mass in mind as well.

What is capacity exactly? To simplify it, your capacity addresses how much product your capsule can hold.

Although it would be ideal to select a smaller capsule for your end consumer, you may need to select a larger capsule to manufacture if the product going into the capsule exceeds your desired capsule size.

Size	Capacity (ml)	Mass (mg)
000	1.37	158± 10
00	0.95	123± 7
0	0.68	99± 6
1	0.48	76± 5
2	0.36	61± 4
3	0.27	48± 3

Exhibit 4 – Manufacturing capsule capacity and mass

Average Capsule Size Chart: Powder Density

Another factor to consider is powder density. Powder density is exactly what the name suggests: it indicates how dense (or compact) your powder is. Exhibit 5 is a great representation of the different levels of supplement density.

Exhibit 5 – Manufacturing capsule density

After finding out how dense your powder is, you can use Exhibit 6 to help you further select a capsule size that’s right for your end product.

Size	0.6 g/ml	0.8 g/ml	1.0 g/ml	1.2 g/ml
000	822	1096	1370	1644
00	570	760	950	1140
0	408	544	680	816
1	288	384	480	576
2	216	288	360	432
3	162	216	270	324

Exhibit 6 – Capsule mass by density

Why Size 00 Capsules?

In capsule manufacturing, sizes 00 and 0 are the most common capsule sizes because they are large enough to fit the product but also easy for individuals to swallow. As mentioned earlier, a smaller capsule is ideal, but too small and the product may not fit proportionally. We commonly use size 00 capsules because they allow several ingredients in one easy-to-take capsule.

Choose Equinox Nutra for Supplement Capsule Manufacturing

Still not sure which capsule size to choose? At Equinox Nutra, we take out the guesswork from selecting the optimal capsule size. Our team is here to help you select an optimal capsule for your supplement line, so you can get back to doing what you doing best: running your business.

If you are looking for a trusted supplement manufacturer, look no further. Contact us today to get a quote!