Pros
Contoured support, adjustable height and firmness, good air
flow, durable, no smell, often affordably priced
Cons
Too firm for some, limited automatic contouring, heavy, some
noise
What is Buckwheat?
Buckwheat is, in fact, not a wheat, but a fruit (fagopyrum esculentum)
related to rhubarb.
Buckwheat hulls are what fill a buckwheat pillow. The hulls
are the husks that protect the buckwheat kernel from threats
posed by nature.
The hulls are not merely chaff, but are a much sought after
product that is often more valuable than the buckwheat kernel
it protects.
Video Review of Buckwheat
Pillow
Below, the pillow is evaluated for each characteristic on
a scale of one to ten. One means the pillow does not have the
characteristic, and 10 means it fully has the characteristic.
Firm
A buckwheat pillow is of medium to high firmness. And the pillow
will not sink in during the night (like feather or down pillows,
especially) and won’t push back (like fiber or foam pillows).
This “solid state” aspect of buckwheat means that
your neck can maintain a proper, neutral position for the whole
night. It also can mean less of a need to move around at
night since you won’t need to adjust yourself because the
pillow has changed shape.
The ability to maintain their shape is the reason many people
claim that buckwheat pillows provide relief from neck and back
pain, headaches, snoring, muscle tension, TMJ syndrome, and
sleeplessness.
Also, since snoring is often caused by an unnatural alignment
of the neck, a buckwheat pillow with its ability to maintain
proper support can reduce or eliminate snoring.
The possible downside to a buckwheat pillow holding its shape
is that… it holds its shape. In other words, while holding
its shape may be good for your neck, it may not be ideal for
your head and face, especially if you are a side or stomach
sleeper. I found my ear to be quite sore on the side that I
slept on after trying the pillow for a couple of nights.
Sure, the pillow likely needs to be broken in, but it would
still be nice if no pain were involved in the process.
Score: 9 out of 10
Contoured Support
A major advantage of a buckwheat pillow is that it can strongly
conform to the contours of the neck and head resulting in even
distribution, proper support and comfort.
However, getting the pillow to contour properly and comfortably
takes some work, seemingly more work than with other types of
pillows. For instance, I found the need to sometimes use my
hand to mould the pillow into the shape I wanted. This can be
a problem because, on average, a person shifts their body 12
times during sleep and moves his head and neck position 50 times.
So don’t be surprised if you find the need to recontour
your buckwheat pillow often during the night.
However, in fairness, it should be noted that the hulls compact
over time (this is called polishing), allowing the hulls to
be contoured more easily.
Finally, an absence of lumpiness helps the pillow provide good,
smooth contouring support. However, the hulls can collect on
one side of the pillow, but this can be easily fixed by gentle
shaking.
Score: 7 out of 10
Adjustable Height and Firmness
Many buckwheat pillows (the better ones) have a zipper that
allows the pillow to be opened, and this allows hulls to be
removed or added. Adding or removing hulls allows a person to
find the perfect amount of fill, height and firmness for their
personal preference.
Buckwheat pillows often come fully filled with hulls. You will
probably want to remove some hulls to reduce the height and
firmness of the pillow. You should save these extra hulls for
future use, such as when the hulls become polished and you need
to add more hulls to compensate for the lower volume. If you
ever do need additional hulls, they are available for purchase
from most buckwheat pillow retailers.
This adjustability is one of the main reasons, in my opinion,
that so many people find these pillows comfortable. Unlike most
other types of pillow, buckwheat pillows can be adjusted perfectly
in terms of volume no matter if you are a back, side or stomach
sleeper. However, be prepared to experiment several times with
the correct fill quantity before you find a level that’s
just right for you.
Score: 10 out of 10
Good for Back Sleeping
It can be good for back sleepers because of its firmness, adjustable
loft and contoured support. Score: 8 out of 10
Good for Side Sleeping
A buckwheat pillow is excellent for side sleepers because of
its firmness, adjustable loft and contoured support. As a side
sleeper much of the time, I like the way the buckwheat pillow
does not cause my nose to sink into the pillow as most other
pillows do. For this reason alone, I found myself breathing
a little easier.
Score: 9 out of 10
Good for Stomach Sleeping
I also like to sleep on my stomach. Here the buckwheat pillow
is not ideal unless you remove most of the hulls from the pillow.
Otherwise, there will be to much loft and firmness.
Score: 4 out of 10
Quiet
A buckwheat pillow is possibly the noisiest pillow you will
find. That’s not to say it’s too noisy. It’s
just that virtually all of the other types of pillows are silent
if you move them around. With the buckwheat pillow, you hear
a rustling sound from the hulls inside when you move it, similar
to a bean bag. With your head on the pillow, you will hear the
faint sound of the hulls being compressed. While noise is present,
it’s doubtful that the sound would be loud enough to be
a deal breaker for you.
Score: 3 out of 10
Air flow
Because the properties of the buckwheat hulls allow air to circulate
around them, the pillow is a poor insulator. This can be good
or bad depending on your preferences. If you like your pillow
to be close to room temperature, then you’re in luck. However,
if you like your pillow to act like a down or memory foam pillow
and get toasty warm by absorbing heat from your body, then you’re
out of luck.
Also, because air circulates through the pillow, moisture or
sweat will evaporate quickly, leaving the pillow dry and not
clammy. This is something probably everyone can appreciate.
It should be noted that regular use of the pillow will result
in increasingly compacted or polished hulls which will decrease
some of the air circulation throughout the pillow.
Score: 9 out of 10
Light Weight
My buckwheat pillow weights about four pounds and I have it
about 60% full. This is fairly heavy in comparison to most other
pillows. A heavy pillow can be good and bad. It can be good
in that it won’t move much during the night. It can be
a negative when making the bed or changing the case. A buckwheat
pillow, by the way, is not good for pillow fights because of
its weight.
Score: 2 out of 10
No Smell
A buckwheat pillow does not (or at least should not) have any
discernible odor. It also will not absorb odors over time. This
is a big plus for those of us who are sensitive to the smell
and “off gassing” that many new pillows seem to have
nowadays, especially memory foam pillows.
Score: 9 out of 10
Hypoallergenic
Buckwheat hulls are derived from the rhubarb family and are
not a grass or a wheat. As a result, allergies to buckwheat
hulls are rare. Specifically, about 1-5% of the population is
affected by them. Allergic / asthmatic reaction is likely due
to the dust on the buckwheat hulls and can result in an itchy
throat, watery eyes, runny nose, etc.
You can reduce the chances that the pillow will cause asthma
/ allergies by making sure that the hulls have been cleaned
thoroughly either by air blowing, vacuuming, sifting or roasting.
In regard to dust mutes, buckwheat hulls are not appealing to
them, unlike cotton, feather and foam. (The droppings of dust
mites, if case you don’t know, can cause allergies.) This
does not mean dust mites won’t live on the buckwheat pillow
slip. It merely means they don’t like to live inside with
the buckwheat in any significant quantity. Whether or not this
quantity will be small enough to result in fewer dust mite-related
allergies is not clear.
Score: 8 out of 10
Durable
They should last for eight or more years with proper care. This
lifespan makes the pillow one of the most durable you can buy.
The hulls do become compacted with use, and eventually the pillow
will lose about seven percent of its volume.
Score: 8 out of 10
Easy to care for
Directions for caring for a buckwheat pillow often call for
occasionally unzipping the pillow and removing the hulls from
inside and then washing the pillow slip or putting it into direct
sunlight. Once the cover is totally dry, the hulls can be placed
back into the pillow. It is not recommended that the hulls be
cleaned in any way.
Score: 6 out of 10
Low price
They are low to moderately priced, in part, because they tend
to come in smaller sizes than other types of pillows.
Score: 7 out of 10
Value
Since they last for many years and can be less expensive than
some other types of pillows, they are a good value.
