Shop Buckwheat Pillows

The contrary is true.

Due to the unique structures of the buckwheat hulls filling material, these pillows are probably the coolest and most breathable sleeping cushions you can buy.

Using a Cooling Pillowcase on top of the cushion can further help hot sleepers.

The hulls inside the pillow do make a rustling sound when the pillow is moved around.

So compared to other types of pillows like memory foam or latex, there is a noise.

Depending on the pillowcase material and overall construction of the buckwheat hulls filled bed cushion, this noise level can be very little to almost not noticeable.

Buckwheat Hulls(specially fresh ones) have a natural earthy smell to them.

Same as Millet Hulls used in Millet Pillows.

It might be bothersome to some people but for majority of Sleepy Heads out there it is not a problem at all.

Over time the smell disappears though.

No they do not get moldy.

Unless the cushion is constantly exposed to excessive moisture, buckwheat sleeping pillows do not get moldy.

A lot of our female customers go to bed with wet hair, which is not really optimal when it comes to proper maintenance of this type of bed cushion, but in our 7 years of making bed pillows now, we never had any bad feedback about mold building up.

Properly taken care of, these pillows can last you up to 10 years.

You may need to refill the pillow or top up the filling from time to time, but the cost for doing so is the fraction of the cost of a new fancy memory foam filled pillow.

Absolutely.

It is very important for our kids to have good head and neck support since theirs bones and joins are still growing, and using the wrong pillow can have serious implications for your kids posture down the road, if such a pillow is used for many years.

So Japanese buckwheat pillows are highly recommended for kids.

Please be advised though that due to suffocation risks and other risks associated with any type of product you give to kids or let kids use, it might be advisable to get a super lightweight pillow first.

Because larger pillows are heavy and that can be a danger to young kids or children.

It is due to the benefits sleeping on a buckwheat hulls filled pillow can have for posture induce problems like neck pain, headaches and migraines as well as lower back back and shoulder pain, that an estimated 80 Million Japanese people sleep on buckwheat husk filled pillows.

No other pillow is as popular in Japan as this one.

Compared to other pillows that are often filled with memory foam or fibers, buckwheat hull pillows are quite heavy yes.

Depending on the size and manufacturer, weights can go anywhere from 2lbs for a travel size pillow, up to 18lbs for a king size buckwheat pillow.

We recommend using a Japanese Plus size as that's all that is really needed for proper head support.

The reason is that proper spine and body alignment when sleeping is a huge contribution factor to chronic issues people suffer from that visit chiropractors or physical therapists.

So having a good mattress and pillow is essential to keeping your visits to the doc to a minimum.

A Japanese sleeping pillow is best for side and back sleepers.

While in some cases it might work for stomach sleepers, it is not recommended for such, because stomach sleepers need a really flat and thin pillow, which a buckwheat hull pillow is definitely not.

Most people that primarily sleep on their stomach, use a specially designed stomach sleeper pillow.

Buckwheat shells when cleaned properly do not attract bugs.

While it is possible that bugs get into the cushion depending on where and how it is stored/used, the chances are less than 0.05% and it happens super rarely.

The likelihood is probably the same as getting bugs into a memory foam filled bed cushion.

No there are no dust mites in any sort of cushion filled with buckwheat hulls..

They are actually considered hypoallergenic.

While people with severe allergies might still not be able to use them though (and it is always suggested to consult with your doctor if you have allergies).

Some side effects if using a buckwheat hull pillow, can be:

• Pressure and discomfort in the areas of the ears(this is mostly being reported by people who have been using super soft pillows for many years, and then switched to a buckwheat pillow)

• Sensitivity to the natural smell of the hulls and in rare cases allergic reactions to the buckwheat shells(if you are allergic to nuts it is likely you are allergic to buckwheat too)

• Dissatisfaction with the maintenance needs of this type of pillow. Unlike synthetic sleeping cushions, buckwheat hull bed cushions require periodic cleaning.

• Som people are also not happy with the weight of a buckwheat bed pillow and find them to heavy. Although most of the time this concern can be remedied by option for a smaller size pillow instead of a full blown standard or kind size pillow.

• High Cost. High quality buckwheat pillows are considerable more pricey than other cushions since most of them are hand made items and they incur higher shipping costs compared to let's say memory foam cushions as they cannot be compressed and therefore need to ship in a much larger box than a compressible foam pillow

If a buckwheat hulls pillow gets wet, there's no need to panic.

As long as it's just water that got into or onto the pillow, it can easily be remedied.

1.) Empty out the hulls from the pillowcase

2.) Put them in a large container and let it sit outside in the sun for a day

3.) Then refill them back into the pillowcase

Sobakawa Pillows come in various sizes and shapes.

From travel to king size.

Due to the unique functionality of these pillows, a smaller size like a japanese size or travel size often suffice for most people on the hunt for new pillow.

The larger a Japanese Sobakawa pillow gets the heavier it gets, which isn’t practical for a lot of people.

Check out our size guide for a comprehensive list of sizes and shapes.

Alternatives are millet hull filled cushions (much lighter than buckwheat hulls), rice filled sleeping cushions and hemp hulls cushions(much heavier than buckwheat hull pillows), wheat husk sleeping cushions( they can be very dusty) and flax seed pillows.