Part of our series on bulk mason jars — read the overview first if the format is new to you.
A true wide mouth mason jar has an 86mm opening and an 86-2030 lug finish, and it earns its place on a line that fills chunky, whole-piece or hand-packed product: pickles, salsa, fruit in syrup, ferments, candles. From 8 oz to 32 oz the finish stays the same, so one cap covers the whole family. If your product pours like water, a regular mouth jar in the same capacity uses less glass and a smaller closure, and is the better buy. Minimum quantities and pricing are quoted per project, since they depend on the mould, decoration, quantity and freight terms.
When the 86mm opening is worth specifying
Wide mouth jars carry more glass and a larger closure than regular mouth at every capacity, so the choice needs an operational reason. There are three.
- Fill speed. Pickle spears, peach halves and pico de gallo bridge and jam in a narrow opening. Co-packers routinely report 20-40% higher line throughput with a wide mouth, and less product lost at the filler bowl.
- Hand packing. Artisan pickles and layered desserts need a hand inside the jar. Dill spears load vertically through 86mm at 18-25 jars per labor-hour, against 8-12 through a regular mouth.
- Emptying the jar. Consumers get the last spoonful of a nut butter or spread out of a wide mouth, and they take kimchi or kraut out with a fork. A narrow opening makes each serving awkward.
Whole fruit in syrup, such as pear slices or cocktail cherries on stems, also needs the clearance so it does not bruise at the shoulder. Candle pourers use the same jar for different reasons: the opening gives a full-diameter melt pool, makes wick centering easy and leaves room for embeds, and most 8-12 oz candle lines in North America now specify it by default.
If none of these applies to your SKU, stay with regular mouth. Where you are unsure, time the fill on 50 jars of each type with your own product. Its geometry decides the answer better than any general figure.
Dimensions for the five 86mm sizes
A co-packer will want more than the capacity before agreeing to a trial run. The figures below are approximate values for flint jars and should be confirmed on the drawing for your order.
| Spec | 8 oz wide | 12 oz wide | 16 oz wide | 24 oz wide | 32 oz wide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overflow capacity | ~270ml | ~380ml | ~530ml | ~760ml | ~1050ml |
| Thread finish | 86-2030 | 86-2030 | 86-2030 | 86-2030 | 86-2030 |
| Body diameter | ~85mm | ~90mm | ~90mm | ~95mm | ~95mm |
| Height | ~85mm | ~105mm | ~135mm | ~160mm | ~175mm |
| Glass weight | ~230g | ~280g | ~350g | ~440g | ~520g |
| Pcs per case / per pallet | 12 / ~2,300 | 12 / ~1,900 | 12 / ~1,440 | 12 / ~1,100 | 12 / ~960 |
| Units per 40HQ | ~45,000-55,000 | ~38,000-45,000 | ~28,000-34,000 | ~22,000-26,000 | ~18,000-22,000 |
Below 8 oz, "wide mouth" means something else. A 4 oz wide mouth jar typically has a 63mm finish, which gives spice and body-scrub brands the same scoop access but needs its own caps. A range that runs from 4 oz to 32 oz therefore carries two closure systems, 63mm and 86mm, on top of any regular mouth SKUs. List every finish before you fix the sizes, because each one adds a cap stock, a set of change parts and a reorder point.
Line fit: capper, change parts and label panel
The 86-2030 lug finish runs on standard steam-cap lug cappers. Two-piece canning lids close by a different process and usually mean hand or semi-automatic closing below 30 jars/minute, which suits home-canning positioning and gift markets rather than commercial fill. Choose one system per line; running both across SKUs doubles the closure inventory.
Existing 70mm change parts will not handle these jars. Star wheels, guides and capper chucks are machined to the body diameter and finish height. Within the 86mm family the picture is better: the 16 oz, 24 oz and 32 oz jars share the finish and have body diameters of 90-95mm, so a line can often move between them with a guide-rail adjustment instead of a full change-parts swap.
The label panel on a wide mouth jar is shorter and squatter than on a regular mouth jar of equal capacity. Send the label die line with your inquiry and we check it against the jar drawing for wrap conflicts before samples are made.
Compliance documents and the line trial
Retail chains and co-packers ask for the same set of documents, and they should reach you ahead of the trial, not with the shipping papers:
- FDA 21 CFR 177 food-contact declaration
- lead and cadmium migration reports at Prop 65 detection limits
- LFGB reports where any of the volume goes to the EU
- thermal-shock certification of ≥42°C differential for hot-fill, and higher for retort
- confirmation of the annealing grade
For the trial, put 200-500 jars through your own filler, capper and labeler at target speed. Measure vacuum on 30 samples; the target is 20-28 kPa at a fill temperature of 63-70°C. Hold the finished cases for 72 hours and measure again. Vacuum decay above 10% points to a mismatch between finish and lid, which costs little to correct at this stage and a great deal once a container is on the water.
Put the inspection levels in the contract: AQL 1.0 for functional defects and AQL 2.5 for cosmetic ones, together with a 2-3% transit breakage allowance and the way credits or replacements are handled.
Packing, pallets and container loading
These jars are heavy per case. A 12-pack of 32 oz wide mouth holds ~7kg of glass, so the packing specification matters. The usual export pack is a corrugated 12-pack with full-height dividers on a 100×120cm pallet, with corner boards and shrink wrap, and a pallet weight of no more than ~900kg for floor stacking. A 40HQ holds 20-26 pallets depending on the size mix, and lug caps can travel in the same container as the jars.
On a first order, ask for a drop test on the packed configuration to ISTA 1A or an equivalent: 10 drops from 76cm. It settles packing disputes before there is anything to dispute.
A full 40HQ of 16 oz wide mouth is roughly 28-32 CBM. For a shipment under 15 CBM, compare a 20GP with LCL. LCL glass is handled twice, once at each container freight station, and breakage runs 1-2 points higher.
If the product needs a gasket seal instead of a lug cap, the airtight jar range covers similar capacities, and the glass jar category shows both mouth types side by side. Brands planning frozen storage should also read the thermal shock guide for freezer-safe jars.
What to include in the brief
- Sizes: which of the 8, 12, 16, 24 and 32 oz jars you need, or a description of the product so we can suggest them.
- Quantity: the number per size and your annual forecast.
- Closure: 86mm lug cap and its color, two-piece lid, or a decorative cap, so jar and closure are quoted together.
- Filling process: hot-fill temperature, retort or cold fill. This sets the thermal-shock requirement.
- Receiving: destination port or ZIP, dock equipment, and whether a co-packer takes delivery for you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum order, and can it be split across sizes?
Minimums are set per project. They depend on the mould and on the line it is scheduled to run on, so we confirm them with the plant once the sizes are known.
How does a printed or frosted jar compare in cost with a labeled one?
That is quoted per project and moves with the mould, the decoration, the quantity and the freight terms. Decoration minimums can differ from glass minimums, so ask for the decorated jar as a single line item.
Can wide mouth jars hold carbonated or actively fermenting product?
Standard stock jars cannot. They are rated for atmospheric fill, and a standard jar starts to fail at around 15-20 PSI of internal pressure. Active ferments need venting lids or a pressure-rated vessel, and you should see internal-pressure test data before relying on either.
What should we do if a pallet arrives with crushed cases?
Photograph the pallet before the wrap comes off, record the damage on the delivery receipt, and file the claim within 7 days. Damage that repeats on one shipping lane is usually solved with smaller case counts or pallet top sheets on that lane.