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Buckwheat Pillow Review and Analysis


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.

Score: 8 out of 10





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