Intro
You have probably heard rave reviews about buckwheat pillows, prompting you to consider one. That’s great because buckwheat hull pillows truly do live to their praises and are great additions to your sleep environment.
Not only are these kinds of pillows super supportive but they also sleep cool, and best of all, are made from organic materials.
However, not all buckwheat pillows are made the same, so, in this guide, we list four of the best buckwheat hull pillows we found, together with what to look for when purchasing such pillows, and a list of their benefits.
Best Buckwheat Pillows 2021
Best Overall
Best Standard Size
Best Queen Size
Best Travel Size
Best Budget
Sweet Zzz Buckwheat Pillow
(Best Overall)
- 100% organic certified buckwheat hulls
- 100% organic certified cotton
- 50 Night Trial
- 1-Year Warranty
- Japanese Size (14” x 20”)
Best Overall
Sweet Zzz is a very reputable green aware company that has been making some of the best natural and organic bedding products in the industry.
Their buckwheat pillow is the best one we tested for its dye-free organic cotton outer cover and organic cotton inner cover, 3d-shaped buckwheat hulls, 50-days free return policy, and great customer service. Simply put, it is better in just about everything compared to other pillows.
Features:
- Superior Support: This pillow is moldable to contour to your head and neck, offering proper spine support.
- Adjustable: You can customize this pillow to your preferred loft. It has an invisible zipper that allows you to take out or add more hulls to achieve your desired loft.
- Cooling: The pillow is highly breathable due to its 3D structure which discourages compacting and promotes airflow. This keeps your head cool throughout the night and keeps your pillow dry and free of moisture buildup.
- Size: Japanese (14” x 20”)
- Fill: 5 pounds of 100% organic certified buckwheat hulls
- Outer & Inner covers: 100% organic certified cotton
ComfyComfy Buckwheat Hull Pillow
(Best Standard Size )
- Breathable for Cool Sleep
- Durable Cotton Twill
- 30 Night Trial
- Size: Classic (14” x 23”)
Best Overall
ComfyComfy pillows have been helping people find restful sleep through their natural buckwheat pillows. The family-run business hand weaves the pillows and builds them from 100% organic raw materials. We chose this pillow as the best standard because it felt like very comfortable compared to other standard sized buckwheat pillows.
Features:
- Cooling: this pillow feels cool with no overheating issues to report
- Size: Classic (14” x 23”)
- Inner fillings: 4- 10lbs of organic buckwheat hulls depending on pillow size
- Outer cover: The outer cover is made of durable organic cotton.
- Extra hulls: Comes with 1-2lbs of extra buckwheat hulls, to help customize or replenish your pillow.
- Price: $100
Beans72 Buckwheat Pillow
(Best Queen Size)
- 100% Buckwheat
- 100% Unbleached Cotton
- 30 Night Trial
Best Queen Size
Buckwheat pillows are an invention of the Japanese. The buckwheat pillows from Bean72 are handmade by genuine Japanese leaving in the heart of Texas. They use organic materials sourced in the US and are simply the best queen size pillow we tested.
Features
- Fillings: 100% Organic Buckwheat and 100% Natural Cotton
- Cooling: Buckwheat hulls allow free flow of air throughout the pillow. Keeping it cool constantly.
- Outer Cover: Made from 100% unbleached Cotton
- Benefits: Relieves neck pains, tension, muscle pains, and headaches
- Support: Doesn’t collapse, therefore offering great support to the head, neck, and spine.
- Weight: 10-12lbs depending on the seasonal conditions of the crop.
- Adjustable: Has a zipper to enable you to customize your pillow’s firmness
- Price: $75
Sachi Organics Buckwheat Cylinder Neck Pillow
(Best Travel Size)
- Organic Buckwheat
- Covered in a sturdy cotton canvas
- 30 Night Trial
- Easy Adjustment
Best Travel Size
Sachi Organics has been in the pillow making business for over 40 years, so they probably know what they are doing. The family-run business is careful to source the highest quality materials produced under the highest standards. They value the environment and ensure their pillows reflect that.
And true to their word their buckwheat cylinder pillow is not only the healthiest but best travel size neck pillows we tested.
Features
- Outer Cover: 100% organic cotton canvas
- Pillow Shape: Cylindrical shape that easily contours to neck and shoulders.
- Support: Provides firm support
- Fillings: Buckwheat hulls
- Adjustable: features a zipper for easy adjustment
- Ability to purchase extra pillowcase with the pillow
- Size: “14 x 6”
- Weight: 2.2lbs
- Price: $37
Zen Chi Buckwheat Pillow
(Best Budget)
- Organic Buckwheat
- 30 Night Free Trial
- Easy Adjustment
Borrowing from centuries-old wisdom of making buckwheat pillows, Zenchi knows a thing or two about a quality buckwheat pillow. Their 100% organic hull pillow with superior support is the best value buckwheat pillow we tested.
Features
- Smell: Pillow is chemical and odor-free
- Filling: Filled with 100% organic buckwheat hulls
- Cooling: Buckwheat hulls promote air circulation throughout the pillow making it highly breathable and cool to sleep on
- Support: Naturally contours to the head, neck, and spine for proper support and maximum comfort
- Therapeutic: Relieves, tensions, muscle cramps, neck, and headaches
- Adjustable: you can customize the pillow’s firmness by adding or removing hulls
- Size: Standard (26 x 20)
- Weight: 6.8lbs
Buckwheat Pillow Buying Guide
What Is A Buckwheat Pillow? What Is It For?
You probably know what buckwheat is. A buckwheat pillow, however, is not to be mistaken to contain buckwheat flour. Instead, this type of pillow is made from the hulls of buckwheat fruits rather than the fruit itself.
Buckwheat pillow, popularly known as Sobakawa in Orient nations (where it originated) is a type of pillow filled with the hulls of buckwheat seeds. It’s best known for its strong support due to the hulls’ ability to conform to one’s head and neck.
The 3D nature of Buckwheat hulls, keeps them from compacting, which means that they don’t collapse under the weight of your head.
Thus, these types of pillows offer optimum support throughout the night. Something beneficial for a good night’s rest.
With these pillows, some people go so far as to say that they got their neck pains cured. It is possible since the thousands of tiny hulls contained in the pillow conform to the shape of your neck promoting proper spine alignment.
All of the pillows reviewed above provide this benefit.
Buckwheat pillows are also popular for their cooling ability. One of the biggest causes of insomnia is excess heat. The hollow nature of buckwheat hulls allows the free flow of air throughout the pillow, which helps keep it nice and cool.
The fact that buckwheat is a natural substance, makes these pillows safe to use. Besides, the thorough clean-up of hulls in these pillows makes them hypoallergenic.
If you suffer neck and back pains, buckwheat hull pillows can be a great addition to your medication. Of course, you have to consult your doctor first.
How To Shop For The Best Buckwheat pillows And What To Look For?
When looking for the best buckwheat pillow several factors come to play. The most crucial ones include the size, customizability, and materials used. In this guide, we look at these and more factors that you should consider when buying a buckwheat pillow.
1- Loft and Loft Adjustability
We are all made differently and have different sleep positions as well. One major thing to look out for when choosing a buckwheat pillow is its loft and whether it’s adjustable. The non-compacting nature of buckwheat hulls means this type of pillow is rather firm.
Depending on how you are built and your sleep position, you will want an adjustable pillow.
For instance,
Side sleepers require higher loft pillows compared to stomach and back sleepers. A high loft pillow in this instance will do best to breach the gap between the head and the mattress.
Back sleepers, on the other hand, need a low to medium loft pillow. Such pillows offer the right amount of support for a proper spinal alignment without raising the head too high or allowing it to sink too low. As a back sleeper, you want a pillow that will allow you to create the right loft.
Similarly, stomach sleepers require the lowest loft if any.
Luckily, most buckwheat pillow manufacturers know how important this feature is and so they make these pillows with zippers to allow you to reduce or add hulls as you need. Most of them also provide an extra 1lb of hulls to help you adjust or replenish the hulls in your pillow accordingly.
2- Pillow Size and Shape
To benefit from Buckwheat pillows, you need to pick the right size. Buckwheat pillows just like other pillows come in standard sizes of 20” x 26”, Queen 20” x 30”, King 20” x 36” and a smaller size known as the Japanese pillow of 14” x 20”.
The right size pillow will depend on your body needs and if you must, the use and aesthetics of your bedroom. To pick the right pillow you need to consider your sleeping style, your body size, and how you sleep.
A tall person who is also on the heavier side will probably be uncomfortable using a small pillow. On the other hand, a petite person will not be comfortable using a large pillow such as a queen or king size.
Your sleep position also plays a huge role here, for example, a side sleeper needs a bigger pillow to fit the space between the head and the bed.
How you sleep is also a crucial factor, if you toss and turn then a longer pillow such as the queen or king pillow will provide more consistent support.
Generally, most people are okay with the standard size pillow, but since buckwheat pillows are firmer, you should really consider what will work.
Pillow weight:Remember the larger the pillow the heavier it gets. A standard size buckwheat pillow can weigh up to 9lbs, while a king-size weigh up to 14 lbs. If you have trouble moving around heavy objects, this is something you should consider.
Buckwheat pillows also come in different shapes, mainly rectangular and cylindrical. Rectangular pillows adopt the normal shape of pillows and are great for back and stomach sleepers.
Cylindrical shaped pillows, otherwise known as neck or cervical pillows are great for side sleepers, for traveling, and for those who toss and turn at night.
3- Cover and Fill Materials
Check to confirm that your buckwheat pillow is stuffed with 100% organic buckwheat hulls. This way, you are sure that you are sleeping healthy.
The cover material of your buckwheat pillow is very important. Go for something organic such as certified organic cotton or bamboo cover.
Some pillows will also contain other fill materials to increase the pillow’s comfort. Such materials include shredded cotton or foam. In such instances, the best extra fill would be a natural material such as cotton.
4- Good Value For The Price
Buckwheat pillows are not the most expensive pillows out there, but they still cost a lot. So, it’s important to ensure you get value for money. Some of the things to consider include the pillow’s price against its features and quality of materials. For the best experience choose an organic pillow.
Check to see whether the size of the pillow is reflected in its price. Larger pillows consume more materials and are therefore more expensive than smaller pillows. For example, Bean72’s queen-size goes for $75 while the small (Japanese Pillow) goes for $45.
To ensure your investment is protected, check that your pillow has a sleep trial period and a good warranty. In case you don’t like the pillow after trying it out, it’s good to know you can return it for an exchange or full refund.
5- Reviews That Speak Well For Both The Pillow And Its Company
Buckwheat pillows are not as common as other pillow types thus they are not easily found in everyday bedding stores. The best place to get a buckwheat pillow is online.
Now, this pauses a challenge in that you are not able to ascertain the manufacturer’s advertisement claims before purchasing the pillow.
Luckily, product and company reviews tell you whether to trust a company’s pillows or not. Read as many reviews as possible to confirm that the pillow works as advertised.
6- Reasonable Return Policy and Pillow Warranty
Given the price of a buckwheat pillow, you want to ensure that you’ll have peace of mind even after the purchase. That’s what return policies and warranties are for.
Look for a pillow with a reasonable return period of not less than 30 days. Most buckwheat pillow companies like the ones reviewed here will offer you a 30-day or more return window and issue a full refund if you are unsatisfied.
Pillow warranties usually cover defaults caused by poor workmanship. In such scenarios, the pillow company can choose to repair or replace the pillow regarding the extent of the damage.
Buckwheat pillows are long-lasting and can last up to 10 years or more.
They are also mostly made with a strong cotton twill weave outer cover which is highly durable too. As such, don’t be surprised if you only get a return period that acts as the warranty.
Is A Buckwheat Pillow For You? Buckwheat Pillow Advantages
When all is said and done, your needs and preferences greatly determine whether a buckwheat pillow is for you. In this guide, we list the major benefits of buckwheat pillows. Hopefully, you will know with absolute confidence whether a buckwheat pillow is or isn’t for you.
1- Excellent Support
Buckwheat pillows are best known for their excellent support. The hulls inside a buckwheat pillow are malleable and mold perfectly to your head and neck. This allows a proper sleeping posture which relieves pressure on your spine, leading to a restful night’s sleep.
Unlike many other pillows, buckwheat hulls are compact and don’t collapse under pressure, this prevents the pillow from bottoming out, which can distort your spinal alignment.
No matter your sleep position, buckwheat pillows have superior support capabilities. Many attest to this after experiencing reduced neck and back pains.
Read our full list of the best latex mattresses for 2019
2-Very Good Cooling
The nature of buckwheat hulls, which are hollow and 3D in shape, allows for the creation of thousands of tiny air pockets. These air pockets promote the free flow of air which helps keep buckwheat pillows cool.
The hull’s inability to compress prevents the air pockets from collapsing. This eliminates the need to turn the pillow to the cooler side as it sleeps cool throughout the night.
Besides, you can toss the hulls into a freezer during hot humid nights to add an extra cooling effect.
3- Less Allergies
There have been talks that buckwheat pillows attract dust mites and can potentially aggravate asthma attacks. However, you should consider such information with a pinch of salt.
Reputable buckwheat pillow companies clean the hulls through a multistep cleaning process. Some companies even indicate that these hulls are air cleaned, preventing the use of fumigants. These are the companies you should consider buying your pillows from.
The fact that the cleaned buckwheat hulls are devoid of any protein or buckwheat dust means that they add no nutritional value rendering them unattractive to bugs.
With a good natural strong outer cover, these pillows prove to be more hypoallergenic than most other pillows. In the case that you suffer from grain allergies, you should consult your doctor on whether buckwheat is a safe grain for you.
4- Good Durability and Value
Buckwheat hulls are naturally strong and pressure resistant. The hull’s ability to resist compacting helps maintain the pillow’s firmness longer.
In addition to this, most buckwheat pillows feature a strong cotton outer cover that doesn’t wear or tear quickly from the friction caused by the hulls.
All this helps buckwheat pillows last longer than most pillows. These pillows have an average shelf life of about 10 years. Some people have had these pillows for up to 20 years and can attest to their durability.
They are easy to maintain since you can easily remove the hulls, and clean the cover of the pillow.
The same goes for replenishing the hulls if they accidentally leak. You can just get more hulls and fill them in.
Read our full list of the top natural and organic mattresses.
5- Side and Back Sleeper’s Delight
Buckwheat pillows are great for back and side sleepers. The pillow’s excellent support and contouring abilities help you sleep better, opens airways, and reduces snoring.
If you are a side sleeper, you probably know how important loft is for proper spine alignment, avoiding stiff necks, headaches, and backaches in the morning.
One common problem with other side sleeping pillows is the fact that they shift and give in during the night, requiring you to wake up and mold them back into shape.
The greatest benefit of buckwheat pillows is their ability to stay in place. They offer true support that is consistent throughout the night. The pillow’s moldability allows it to contour perfectly to your head and neck, providing a proper spine alignment for a refreshing sleep.
The same goes for back sleepers. When sleeping on your back, you need a certain loft consistency to ensure your spine is properly aligned.
With buckwheat pillows, you can achieve the perfect loft and mold the pillow to provide the desired support. As mentioned before, the pillow will stay in place all night long, ensuring you get a proper night’s rest.
Read our full list of the best mattresses for side sleepers.
Conclusion
There you have it, a well put together guide, that explains what buckwheat pillows are, what to look for when purchasing them, and their benefits. Additionally, this guide lists 4 of the best buckwheat pillows we reviewed. This is to point you in the right direction if you are in the market for one.
Now that you know what to look for in a buckwheat pillow, you can shop with confidence. Hopefully, a buckwheat pillow will be for you and that neck or back pain will be a thing of the past.
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1 Comment
This post is an in-depth guide and an eye-opener of what to look when choosing what is right for you. My partner has had neck pains that just won’t go away and this is what I was looking for to make her sleep better. Nice read. Thanks.