Top 7 Best Japanese Buckwheat Pillows
Pillows are important. There’s a lot to say about them, but the main thing is how they’re the most important part of a good night’s sleep.
Whether you’re outside camping or curled up in your bed, we’ve all been through the frustration of flipping a pillow too many times to try and get “the good side”. If it’s a hot night, it’s more important to get a pillow that isn’t too thick or too cold or warm.
This is why a Buckwheat Pillow is an amazing investment.
They’ll sink under your head and make you feel like you’re floating, whether you’re camping out by a river in your sleeping bag under the stars, or if you’ve just realized that your pillow at home is simply too much to tackle.
Buckwheat pillows are perfect for a traditional Japanese futon! Check out our list of the best here!
The Seven
As it’s the size that differs from company to company as opposed to the quality, the companies will be assessed and reviewed rather than the pillow itself. So, if you see the pillow you love but see that it’s not the right size, a larger or smaller size will be done on Amazon by the same company.
1. iLiving Buckwheat Pillow
Here’s what you go for if you’re looking for style or aesthetic. iLiving Boast an array of different styles to add to your collection.
If your room is littered with Japanese culture, from scrolls to paintings to posters of the latest films or J-pop stars, then this pillow would fit in perfectly.
It is first on the list, however, as it is a niche one. The fact is that it may simply not fit into your room or your aesthetic. If you’re looking for something more plain, with a better quality of hull, then this is not the pillow for you.
For this reason, this pillow is more style than substance. It still has the substance it needs, and it still cradles your head as you sleep, but it simply may not be the right one for you.
2. Natures Pillows
Natural, minimalistic, and beautifully effective, this pillow simply gets everything right.
Soba refers to the buckwheat, where kawa refers to leather. This means that this pillow is soothing and cooling on pressure points that you usually sleep on.
Not only therefore is it practical and efficient at not attracting bugs and supporting your comfort on those long winter nights to those shorter summer days, it can help you heal, much like a massage.
I’m sure we’ve all been there where you wake up and your shoulder is just killing you. There’s a moment of panic, what if it’s because of that bad habit or that thing that happened a few days ago? What if it’s serious? Then a couple of days later and the injury is gone. You realize you just slept on your shoulder in a strange way.
Well, not only does this pillow heal this problem with it’s unique design, it also prevents it from happening again in the future.
3. Beans72
This is the pillow that simply gets everything right.
Unlike foam pillows, it won’t collapse when you lay your head on it. Instead there will be a satisfying “whoosh” as the flow of air disperses amongst the beans and the pillow absorbs your head ready for a relaxing evening or a good night’s sleep.
Again, because of the quality of this pillow, you won’t be waking up with strange aches and pains. This is even if you’re laying on your back typing away on your laptop or reading a book, which means that not only is this pillow great for sleep, it’s also great for relaxation!
100% unbleached cotton and 100% natural Buckwheat with an impressive hull structure, this pillow will keep you dreaming and keep the bugs at the door at the same time. What you’re buying here is comfort.
4. J-Life
This one is a little different, and it’ll depend on why you wish to buy a Buckwheat Pillow whether or not you’ll think about it. That being said, it is important to bring it to your attention. This is because you may be looking for a buckwheat pillow to soothe a stiff neck, rather than to sleep a sounder night.
You may even be looking for a pillow that you can prop behind yourself while you work. If you’re looking for a similar reason to these, then it’s important to look at J-Life’s pillows.
You can get a standard pillow from them, or you can invest in a neck pillow which will have all of the benefits of the earlier pillows, only instead of focusing on a general area it will soothe and help your neck in particular and keep your posture correct when you’re propped in bed reading or working.
5. Zen-Chi
It has been a long day at work. You’ve kicked off your shoes. You’re ready to play around in bed, reading, watching movies, or playing videogames on your laptop. You’ve set everything you need up. You kick off your socks. Then you fall back into bed.
That fall is a trust fall.
Because of this you will want a pillow that you trust. One that isn’t going to make your fall painful or a bit of a surprise about how far back you go.
This is what Zen-Chi is all about: trust. You can trust these pillows to be comfortable, to be cooling, and to be all natural. You can also trust them to soothe your shoulders and your side when you sleep or relax in bed.
They’re also easily refillable and organic, meaning that you can decide how much Buckwheat you want or need depending on the situation. This means that if you’re camping and you need a little bit of extra support, you can simply put a bit extra in. With these pillows it’s easier to tell the difference, so while the others are refillable, it can be more difficult to judge for them what the “correct” amount is.
6. PiloMio
This is a pillow for the one looking for the standard, and then looking to surpass it.
You get exactly what you pay for with this pillow and it simply does everything it needs to do.
You’ll find it fitting in nicely with your bedsheets and the rest of the room. You’ll find it comfortable. You’ll find it incredibly cooling and impressive. So, if you’re looking for a pillow and you don’t want to venture through page after page online looking for one that can suit any need, you simply need to click on the link and purchase this one.
The hull is also removable, meaning that if this pillow doesn’t immediately satisfy you, which it probably will, you can change the parts of it that aren’t suitable and swap them for something that will hold your head up and your dreams while still having a great pillow to sleep on in the meantime.
7. Infinite Nature
This one is also incredibly customizable, meaning that if after a few days you’re still waking up with a few strange aches and pains you can simply change the pillow so that it will suit you a lot better.
Don’t be fooled by the picture, the organic nature of this pillow is simply being shown by a minimalistic photograph, and that’s all it needs because this pillow’s positive effects speak for itself.
You can change anything you don’t like about it, but you’ll still be waking up pain free in a cooler and lighter atmosphere. It’ll make your mornings easier, but it’ll also make getting out of bed a lot more difficult!
Buyers Guide
Why Are You Buying?
The first thing to think about is why you’re thinking of investing in a Buckwheat Pillow.
There are a lot of benefits. They are all cooler, they all help your body keep fresh and ache free when you wake up in the morning, and they are all natural, but one of these benefits will suit your needs a lot more than the others.
If you specifically have a problem with your shoulder, a larger pillow will be better as your head will have more room to be supported. This is also as your head will be cradled more due to the impact zone that hovers above the buckwheat. If it’s just your neck that’s a problem, though, a neck pillow may be a better investment.
Material
The reason you’re buying one may be to cut down on how much unnatural products you use. In this case it’s important to look at the materials to see how sustainable.
All of these pillows can be filled with 100% natural Buckwheat, but also look at what the hull is made of, whether that be just Buckwheat or a mixture. As well as this you can see whether or not the pillow is 100% cotton or made from another material.
Quality
The quality is always going to come first, however, what quality means in this case will relate to your situation.
As a higher quality will mean less bugs, then if this is what you’re looking for a fluffier pillow will always be the option for you. However, the intrinsic quality can be perfection, but if the side effects of a lower quality pillow such as bugs don’t bother you, then quality will mean something different.
What this means is that if you’re looking for a pillow that cools, the quality of the hull itself is less important than the quality of the materials used to make the pillow itself. You’ll want cotton in this case so that the pillow can breathe and invite you into a faster and better sleep.
Do Buckwheat Pillows Attract Bugs?
The answer to this is a simple one: it depends. The highest quality of Buckwheat Pillow will have the hull and interior of the pillow designed differently so that there will be more of a mix of what goes into it.
As bugs love seeds and all things natural, however, using only Buckwheat will attract bugs. This can be a big problem or a small one, depending on your own individual situation. For example, if you don’t live in a swampy area or if you always sleep with your windows closed or use bug repellant candles or anything like that, then your decision is easier.
However, if you’re planning to use it on a camping trips or bugs are a problem for you, then a higher quality of Buckwheat Pillow will be needed in order to not attract bugs. This will affect prices when it comes to deciding what to buy.
What About A Body Pillow?
If you’re looking for a Japanese Buckwheat Body Pillow, then Amazon probably isn’t the best place to be looking.
Amazon sellers and distributors only really show the standard pillows, so if you’re looking for something longer to help your sleeping posture, then something from sellers such as Eco & Eco may be better.
However, you can buy King Size Buckwheat Pillows from Amazon, so it really depends on the purpose of the body pillow. If you have a smaller bed and want something to curl up next to, then a King Size pillow will serve the same purpose.
What Is Used in Buckwheat Pillow Filling?
Buckwheat is not actually a grain like wheat, instead it is a fruit related to rhubarb. It is all natural, but Buckwheat Pillows will have a protective hull that will protect the fruit. This is where the quality can soar or drop.
A lower quality hull will mean that the seed is more likely to get damaged or attract bugs.
During the “de-hulling” process, the quality of pillow is decided by the materials added of used. If the hull is double sided, the pillow will be fluffier.
Usually the pillow itself and the hulls are made from cotton, but it can also be made of hemp which will keep the pillow fresher. The hulls can also be made of Buckwheat itself.
Just be careful that you trust the buyer, which is why Amazon is the best option, because sometimes in order to appear to be of a higher quality, Buckwheat Pillows will be treated with chemicals if importe