FAQ

WHY BUCKWHEAT HULL FILLING?
The natural filling has many advantages over conventional fiberfill, foam, or feather fillings. The most important quality for the relief of pain is that the material conforms to the exact contours of any part of your body providing a compliant passive support. This means that you have the same amount of support in all areas minimizing the stress on all areas of support. Other filling materials which compress, try to recover their original shape and this puts stress on the muscles. Other advantages of the buckwheat hull filling are the "cool in the summer, warm in the winter" insulating properties, the ability to adjust the size to your individual needs by removing or adding back filler so the pillow fits you just right. The filling also lasts for many years making it the best value cervical pillow filling on the market. Long after other pillows have collapsed and worn out a buckwheat hull pillow will still be fully functional. Buckwheat hull pillows are also environmentally friendly.

I'VE HEARD ABOUT HEATING OR COOLING BUCKWHEAT, IS THAT HELPFUL?
Refrigerating or freezing buckwheat is certainly alright. Cold therapy can sometimes be useful for the reduction of swelling and can relieve pain. Heating the Buckwheat is possible but we do not recommend it because it can reduce the moisture content of the hulls and is potentially unsafe. We heard of one case of a sleep pillow manufacturer who recommended micro waving their pillow, and the user micro waved the pillow several times in a short period of time, then put the pillow on a bed with an electric blanket. That created excessive heat and apparently created a fire. We have not confirmed that story. In fact we could not even cause the buckwheat hulls to burn when we tried to light them with a flame, but nevertheless we suggest extreme caution if you ever plan on heating any BUCKWHEAT filled product.

IMPORTANT: Hot and cold therapy are only appropriate for certain conditions, and then only for certain limited amounts of time. Please consult your doctor for their advice and recommendations before using any type of hot or cold therapy of any type especially in the head and neck area.

I'M ALLERGIC TO WHEAT AND GRAIN, CAN I USE BUCKWHEAT HULLS?
Buckwheat hulls are not a grain like wheat, they are a fruit. Hulls are Hypo-allergenic and very few people are allergic to buckwheat hull pillows. In actual usage it seems that about one in six thousand people can not use the BUCKWHEAT because of their allergies. This may be actually related to the tiny amount buckwheat flour residue. According to studies about 1 to 5% of the population may be allergic to the proteins in buckwheat flour, however our exclusive double-cleaning process of screening and blow cleaning removes virtually all of the buckwheat flour from the hulls. Please report any reactions to us.

CAN CHILDREN USE THE PILLOW
Newborns, and infants under 4 months old must never use ANY pillows or soft bedding materials such as comforters, sheepskin bed warmers etc. due to increased risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) according to the CPSC (Consumer Products Safety Commission). Although you can breathe straight through buckwheat hull filled pillows, the Carbon Dioxide concentration can increase causing risk to infants. It is also do not recommend young children under about 11 years old use buckwheat hull pillows, at least without careful adult instruction on the proper use, making the hollow area for the head and keeping the pillow close to the shoulders. Children prone to pillow fights should not be given access to these heavy pillows. There have been no reported safety problems reported to our company by any user of our BUCKWHEAT HULLS in all the time we have been in business, but feel it is our duty to bring to your attention these possible risks.

DOES BUCKWHEAT EVER GET BUGS/MITES/FUNGUS?
The hulls are what provide the natural protection to the buckwheat kernel from natures invading organisms, and since they are a fiber they are not nutritive. It is unheard of for any of our BUCKWHEAT in regular use to ever get any infestation. Any natural filling kept in storage for long periods of time that is not in use may provide a habitat for any number of organisms, therefore if you are going to store a BUCKWHEAT for long periods of time it is recommended to keep the BUCKWHEAT in a freezer at least for one day per month as a preventive measure, especially if you live in a hot and humid environment. Alternatively, you may use a vacuum pack sealing system. This is preferable to adding chemical agents to the pillow. We believe that people should not be exposed to chemicals when they are sleeping. Most synthetic fiber, foam and feather fillings have formaldehyde, UV inhibitors, anti-fungal agents, stabilizers, plasticizer, etc. added. There are no chemical additives used in the growing of our BUCKWHEAT HULLS, and the only cleaning agent used is air.

WILL THE BUCKWHEAT PILLOW HELP ME SLEEP?
A big problem for many people is they get to warm in bed. We all know that there is nothing nicer than being as (snug as a bug in a rug) when we are in bed. But how hard it is to get a good nights sleep on those hot summer nights, and now even in winter with our houses being so much warmer with central heating and those supper warm continental quilts.

WILL IT HELP WITH RESTLESSNESS?
Many people who sleeps on a buckwheat hull pillows indicate that they awaken in the same position as when they fell asleep. This is in part to do with the hollow you make in the pillow to rest your head in. When we move in our sleep our head starts the movement, but if it is held in the pillow like an egg in an egg cup then this helps reduce movement of the body. Also the weight of the pillow helps stop it being moved when you are sleeping.