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34 Comments

  1. Thank you for all the info you provide and the research you do to make it as correct as possible!

  2. Thank you for all the research and your time and effort to make a better world. Carol Albuquerque NM

  3. mary grace zakowski says:

    The information you provide is priceless and I look forward to every post. I am definitely interested in the organic pillow.

  4. Amanda lanz says:

    I was so happy when I found my daughter an organic cotton/wool fill toddler pillow. Next, it’s time to find an organic option for Mom and dad.

  5. Jessica Schwechler says:

    I was looking for a pillow that I would find comfortable and finally found an organic cotton pillow and I love it! It took me like 4 or 5 years of trying different ones. It’s just the right height and firmness.

  6. Hi, Irina. I laughed so hard at your description. There’s a line in an old song that says, “a piece of stone I will use for my pillow,” and that’s how I feel about sleeping on buckwheat. But . . . it’s the only pillow I can use for my neck problems. Would love to try one with wool. Maybe that would help. As always, thanks for your honesty. Judy

  7. Galina Niyazov says:

    Thank you so much for the post, I’ve been looking for more nontoxic bedding lately and was not sure where to buy, but as always your blog has answers for a lot my inquiries: so far thanks to you I changed make up, hair care products, skin care products, cookware, dishwasher powder, even tried your advice on using mustard seeds to wash dishes, also changed a lot of my baby products, among a few others I can’t recall now. But I’m avid follower of your blog and recommend it to everyone who is interested in more healthy living !

  8. Anonymous says:

    Thank you for the informative post! Almost a year ago, I bought a Brookstone® 4-in-1 Bed Wedge Pillow, and it smelled horribly for a long time…. Now I know why. Do you have any suggestions on how to make old non-organic pillows a little less toxic? Do washings or covers help in addition to letting them off-gas?

  9. I hope it does not contain flame retardants, which do not offgass and may shed more. As for VOCs, it off-gasses faster in a humid and hot environment. ~Irina

    1. Anonymous says:

      Thanks! I was planning on buying a couple new non-toxic pillows, but I guess I’ll have to buy a few more to replace some of the pillows that we already have.

      1. We can’t always eliminate potentially harmful chemicals completely from our environment but it is so important not to be exposed to them when we sleep. ~Irina

  10. Victoria Faith Schrack says:

    I’ve always been the kind of person that likes hard beds and pillows and I’ve been looking for an organic option, so I’d love to try this pillow! Thanks for all the information you share! It’s so helpful.

  11. How timely! I’ve been looking into trying a buckwheat pillow! shared this on fb and ig 😉

  12. Thanks for the recommendation! I purchased a buckwheat breastfeeding pillow, which i believe was a recommendation of yours! I’ve loved that, so I’m curious on buckwheat for a pillow. If this wasn’t comfortable for you, I’m curious what else you recommend. I bought two pillows from Naturepedic and I’m a bit disappointed. Their flat and lumpy after 6 months.

    1. Hi, Jenny: I think what is comfortable for me is not that important. Everybody is different. My husband sleeps on a pillow he loves that is very uncomfortable for me. As I said in the post, there is also wool, cotton, kapok, latex, and US down to choose from. Get a coupon and call the two retailers I outlined in the email that you will receive after you signed up and talk to them to figure which organic pillow would work for you the best. I am going to be looking into a spiral wool and a shredded latex pillows next. Does it help? P.S. My 5-year old son sleeps on organic kapok/organic cotton pillow (the only certified organic kapok I was able to find) by Naturepedic, and it works fine for him but I would not like it for me. ~Irina

  13. Nelgryn Spooner-Garner says:

    Thank you Irina. The information is invaluable. If the foam pillows are problematic, the foam mattress toppers must be worse? Is there another option for the toppers?

    1. Yes, there are two options for mattress toppers – organic latex foam or wool. ~Irina

  14. I entered! I loved it that you shared that you didn’t really like it! I know what you mean though-everyone has a different opinion on the best pillow to sleep on. 🙂

  15. We had a buckwheat breastfeeding pillow and loved it. It was heavy, but comfortable. I would imagine adding wool would help with that. I would love to try it!

  16. Thanks for all the great information! You really helped me in a phone consultation when my husband and I were shopping for a new mattress. Greatly appreciate your research on all products! I have shared your blog with everyone.

  17. This filling would not be used in your breakfast porridge, and it might be good to change the description to “Buckwheat Hulls pillows,” which more accurately describes the material inside. They were a great fad over 15 years ago and I began making my own after a few years. Because, of course, being the more fragile, outside, discarded part of the kernel, the hulls will break down a little with use and eventually the pillow becomes more “flat and lumpy” as one person mentioned. Comfort depends mostly upon having the right amount of filling each individual’s body structure and personal preference. Sometimes it only takes sewing another seam along the outside edges in order to tighten it up.

    After awhile I found an on-line supplier of the hulls and began making my own for just that reason. Small “travel” size pillows and neck rolls, especially, are easy to make and alter to one’s own neck size and comfort preference. It’s not a lot of trouble to experiment and redo to find just the right dimensions of cover fabric and correct amount of filling for yourself.

  18. I would be very interested in trying out this pillow. Thank you for your honesty with regard to your feelings about the comfort of this pillow. Your articles and research are very much appreciated!

  19. Here’s something I wish I had included in my previous comments: I think the type of pillow with thick cotton or wool covering the hulls might definitely detract from the excellent comfort of the buckwheat hulls filling alone, the way they used to be. Using only a good-grade of cotton outside cover, they feel very nice and flexible if not filled too full and tight. I found that a smaller-than-standard pillow size is most usable – they get heavier and less maneuverable in larger sizes. (This all makes me remember them fondly and determine to make one again. I have tried out other pillows these last years which are expensive and have to be used, so this was not much thought about.)

  20. Great post as always Irina!
    You recommend choosing natural/certified latex. What can be the dangers of choosing the one that isn’t? Assuming it’s made in the USA.

    1. Hi, Natalie: It is good to hear from you. I used to be confused about that, too, until I discovered that there is no way of knowing whether non-organic natural latex is fully natural without synthetic additives. For example, Talalay natural latex has never been certified organic. I wonder why. It is only Dunlop natural latex that can be certified organic. Does it help? ~Irina

      1. oh, totally missed this reply.
        yes, this is very helpful, thank you!

  21. Thank you for all this information. I have learned so much. The latest successful product recommended by you is the Hairprint shampoo & conditioner. Finally, a product that works and feels great! Thank you.

  22. Any idea if Coco-Mat meets your standards? We went to a showroom recently and were really impressed, but I’m not sure if it is actually what it claims to be.

  23. I saw a 2004 scientific study showing that buckwheat pillows have high endotoxin levels. This concerned me, so I started looking into millet pillows. However, I can’t tell if the same problem exists, or if the endotoxins are a serious problem. Any advice? Thank you!