Natural and Organic Pillows
What are the different kinds of organic pillows?
All of our pillows are made with an organic cotton outer. Inside, the pillows can be filled with a variety of different materials: organic cotton, organic wool, shredded rubber/shredded latex, contoured rubber, kapok, buckwheat or millet or a combination of the above
Read below or quick links to: Wool Pillows | Latex/Rubber Pillows | Cotton Pillows | Contour Pillows | Kapok Pillows | Alpaca Pillows | Buckwheat and Millet Pillows
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type of organic pillow?
Organic Cotton Pillows:
Similar to wool, organic cotton pillows have a traditional pillow feel. Filled with organic cotton batting and covered in organic cotton fabric, organic cotton pillows are an excellent latex-free and vegan option. They are also great for people with MCS as the content and the cover are 100% certified organic cotton. Organic cotton pillows tend to be on the firm side but can be ordered in different thicknesses like this organic cotton pillow from OMI.
Organic Wool Pillows
Our organic wool pillows have a feel similar to conventional polyester filled pillows. If you prefer a conventional pillow, one of these pillows can be right for you. Plus, wool has great moisture wicking and temperature regulating properties to help keep you cool and dry while you sleep. Several of our wool pillows have different levels of firmness from light to heavy fill. If you are interested in the properties of wool but want a softer feel consider the Spiraled Wool Pillow by OMI or our luxurious light and airy Alpaca and Wool Pillow. Or, our adjustable wool pillows from Sachi Organics and TFS Honest Sleep allow you to add or remove fill to achieve the right loft for you. Our favorite wool pillows are the Sachi Organics Wooly Bolas Pillow. These pillows are made up of little “balls” of wool that can be added or removed through the zippered cover. The wool can be moved around to create more or less neck support and/or an indentation for your head. We find that through either removing or adding wool, these pillows are ideal for most people.
Shredded Rubber Pillows
Many of our customers like shredded rubber pillows. The small pieces of natural latex/natural rubber that fill the pillow can be moved and squished around inside of the pillow to create more support at the neck area, or to create an indentation for the head. Although the feel is different, it is this malleable quality that makes these pillows similar to feather pillows. Some manufacturers are using a new method to create this type of pillow that is called a “latex noodle” these are very small extrusions or punches of latex that create a very similar feel to the shredded latex.
Since the latex is so easy to manipulate, these pillows are ideal for people who sleep in multiple positions and need a different feel throughout the night. Many of our shredded rubber pillows have a zipper so you can add or remove fill to your liking. These pillows are very supportive and would be considered semi-soft. An advantage to a shredded rubber pillow is that it will not compact or flatten over time like organic wool or cotton pillows can. A customer favorite is the Freefrom Shredded Latex Pillow.
Kapok Pillows
Kapok pillows have a feel that is most similar to down pillows and is considered a good vegan alternative to down. The kapok inside can be squished around and is light and “feathery”. Kapok is extremely sustainable as kapok fiber is the product of the seasonal flowering of the Kapok tree! Many of our kapok pillow options are adjustable and have the ability to add or remove fill like this kapok pillow by Sachi Organics.
Organic Buckwheat and Millet Pillows
Buckwheat and Millet Pillows are made from organic cotton fabric and filled with Organic Millet or Buckwheat Hulls. Hull filled pillows conform around your head and neck and provide a very supportive and firm feel. A buckwheat or millet pillow tends to sleep cool as air circulates very easily through the pillow. Most of these pillows, like this Buckwheat or Millet pillow by Sachi Organics come with a zipper so you can add or remove hulls to your liking. You will also notice that most Buckwheat and millet pillows are not the normal standard, queen or king size as they would be much too heavy, they come in smaller sizes.
Contour Pillows
Our contour pillows offer the most support, however, the height of the “contours” need to be just right for your body in order for this to be a great option. Many people who like a memory foam pillow have success with contour pillows. Try this contour pillow by Suite Sleep.
How do I know what pillow is best for me? Read our blog post for help choosing the perfect organic pillow.
How do I care for my organic pillow?
One recommendation that we can make for all of the organic pillows is to use a zippered barrier cover. A barrier cover will add an additional layer of protection and will also keep your pillow free of dust and dander. If you use a barrier cover, it is less likely that you will need to clean or launder your pillow. While a very small selection of our pillows are “washable” we feel like the safest way to clean all of them is to spot clean only when needed. For spot cleaning, a solution of baking soda and water is very safe and will also act as a natural deodorizer. For full pillow freshening, you can leave your pillow out in the sun once or twice a year. The UV from the sun acts as a disinfectant and will help freshen your pillow. You do want to be careful of how long you leave a shredded rubber/latex pillow out in the sun as organic rubber/latex will degrade more rapidly if it is exposed to UV light for extended periods of time. If you’d like to re-loft your pillow, you can place your pillow in a very low heat or no heat dryer with either wool dryer balls or tennis balls for 30 minutes. The action of the dryer/tennis balls bouncing off the dryer walls and into your pillow will help re-loft your pillow. If you do wash and dry a “washable” pillow, please note that it may not come back to its exact original shape as the cotton may shrink and make the pillow smaller.
