Empty Capsule Sizes

If you are wondering what size capsule you should purchase for your desired supplement dosage, you are not alone. It is a very common question asked by people filling their own capsules, because no one wants to purchase the wrong pill capsule size and have to return them. So how do you know if you need to buy the size 000, 00, 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 pill capsules? Here is an easy to read empty capsule size guide/chart to help you choose the size that is right for you.

Dimensions

Overall Closed Length measures how long each sized capsule is when it has been completely closed shut with the powder inside.

The Cap is the shorter part of the capsules that is placed over the body when it has already been filled.

The Body is the longer end of the empty capsule that is placed inside the capsule filling machine holes and filled with the powder.

Use the empty capsule size charts below to determine what size capsule you should purchase for your desired supplement dosage.

Capsule Dimensions
Size	Closed (in)	Cap Dimensions (in)		Body Dimensions (in)
Size	Length	Length	Diameter	Length	Diameter
000	1.024	0.508	0.391	0.862	0.376
00	0.921	0.464	0.337	0.791	0.324
0	0.850	0.427	0.301	0.726	0.289
1	0.764	0.388	0.274	0.646	0.261
2	0.693	0.346	0.252	0.596	0.241
3	0.618	0.315	0.230	0.529	0.220
4	0.563	0.283	0.210	0.476	0.200
Tol.	± 0.012	± 0.014	---	± 0.014	---

Weights / Volumes

Capsule Volume measures the available filling capacity of the capsule, in milliliters (ml).

Capsule Weight is the weight of the empty capsule, measured in milligrams (mg). Vegetarian capsules are slightly heavier than gelatin.

Empty Capsules
Size	Volume (ml)	Weight (mg)	Weight (mg)
Size	Capacity	Gel. Capsule	Veg. Capsule
000	1.37	158 ± 10	163 ± 10
00	0.95	123 ± 7	136 ± 7
0	0.68	99 ± 6	105 ± 6
1	0.48	76 ± 5	79 ± 5
2	0.36	61 ± 4	63 ± 4
3	0.27	48 ± 3	50 ± 3
4	0.20	38 ± 3	40 ± 3

Weight Capacity measures how much of your desired powder you can fit inside each empty capsule.This depends largely on the density (measured by grams per milliliter) of the powder, which vary widely. "Fluffy" or "Light" powders with a low density (around 0.6 g/ml), can’t fit as much into a capsule as a powder with a high density (around 1.2 g/ml).

Weight Capacity by Powder Density
	Capsule Size
Density	000	00	0	1	2	3	4
@ 0.6 g/ml	822	570	408	288	216	162	120
@ 0.8 g/ml	1096	760	544	384	288	216	160
@ 1.0 g/ml	1370	950	680	480	360	270	200
@ 1.2 g/ml	1644	1140	816	576	432	324	240