We have been searching for eco-friendly bed pillows to replace our worn-out, synthetic ones. Here are three good reasons we're leaning towards buckwheat-filled pillows. Let us know if you have any opinions!
• Comfort: Buckwheat-filled pillows are not for everyone, and there can be an adjustment period if you're accustomed to fluffy pillows. However, they're worth trying as they provide support for the back and neck. The buckwheat filling also allows for better air circulation and is cooler in warm weather. We remember sleeping very well on the buckwheat pillows at our parents' house.
• Organic material: Many of the buckwheat hulls and pillows on the market, such as the ones from Serenity Pillows, are certified organic. (Some also include organic millet.) This is great for the environment and our sleeping bodies!
• Less disposable: This is actually the main reason we're strongly considering buckwheat pillows. Any time they need to be refreshed, the zippered pillow cases can be emptied out and washed, and the buckwheat hulls placed in the sun before refilling. The pillows can last for years, and when the time comes, we can toss the filling in the compost and replenish with new buckwheat. Vendors like Serenity and Mountain Rose Herbs sell bulk hulls for $3.50-$4.50 per pound.
We're actually thinking of making rather than buying our pillows, using organic cotton fabric and about 5 pounds of hulls for each pillow. It's pretty self-explanatory, but there's a good TipNut tutorial for anyone who's curious.
Other buckwheat products for the green home:
Bamboo Lap Table: Buckwheat Keeps Your Lap Cool
Soaps and Wrist Cushions from SkinnySkinny
(Images: Serenity Pillows, Mountain Rose Herbs)
Apartment Therapy's Sofa Shopping Guide
Nikki’s Sweet and Cheery Print Studio
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Sprout Side Table
5 Things Paris Taught Me About Travel
Recipe: Ham, Cheddar & Chive Egg Bakes
I recently switched to a buckwheat/millet pillow (the Bucky Duo Bed Pillow to be exact) and I have NEVER slept better! No more neck pain. No more hands falling asleep if I roll onto my back. It's the most amazing thing ever!
My husband and I recently switched from memory foam pillows to the Serenity Shambho pillows (we call them ShambWow!), which contain buckwheat hulls and a thick layer of wool. They are amazing, particularly if you're a back and/or side sleeper. We each have the smallest size, which is actually perfect for scrunching up under your neck. They were $50 each for the small size and totally worth it.
I also bought the Bucky Duo pillow recently and love it. I used to have a very thin, flat pillow and I like that I can take out filling in the Bucky Duo in order to make it as thick or thin as I want. Also, if you sleep on your side, the millet side of the pillow is not as noisy against your ear as the buckwheat side.
Love the concept of buckwheat, but DARN noisy, they are!
I never found them comfortable.
we bought 2 standard size buckwheat pillows with a wool layer thinking they'd be great and ended up hating them. So now we're stuck with these expensive buckwheat pillows sitting in storage. They were uncomfortable (they're really hard, even if you take a bunch of hulls out -I think we removed a gallon of hulls per pillow) and make a loud crunchy sound every time you move your head (even on the wool side). I love that they are compostable and that you can adjust thin/thickness, and that they are all natural, but I just can't handle them. I think, however, if you get a small size, you could really like them - those standard pillow size ones are too heavy to adjust under your head and neck and too loud. So if you go for it, get a smaller one, maybe meant more for neck support. We just ended up getting some soft, squishy down-alternative pillows that we love and that do a better job of neck/head support.
We have been sleeping with 100% buckwheat pillow for about 6 months and I'll never go back to down. Our mattress is very firm and the buckwheat pillow keeps my back and neck aligned. I used to have a sore back and neck when I woke with my soft, fluffy down pillow... but no more!
My husband uses one and seems to like it. However, originally it was bought for me (back and neck pains) but it just did not work out. I felt as if the insides kept on disappearing and were never where I wanted them.
My husband uses either a buckwheat pillow or an ergonomic pillow; in either case, they are weird sizes and don't fit our pillow cases, or any other pillow cases. Drives me nuts from that perspective. I tried sleeping with the buckwheat pillow, but never took to it. It just felt too hard.
My husband and I use Kapok pillows. Kapok is the down from a seed pod. It is quite soft and comfortable.
I like my big, fluffy pillows but my neck and shoulder are in major pain today. I think I'm gonna have to break out my buckwheat pillow and give it another try. I never really loved the buckwheat pillow, as I toss and turn and it's very noisy and not terribly comfortable (it's great if you just settle in and sleep on your back because it molds to your neck, but if you move around you kind of have to mush your face into it to remold it to you--if that makes any sense). Still, I'll give it another go.
I've been sleeping on buckwheat pillows for about 5 years now and will never go back. Mine are actually from a cheesy "as seen on tv" store in the mall. If I'm out of town and not with my pillow, I always wake up with a creak in my neck. I love how I can just push it up under my neck for instant support. I had a friend make my pillowcases out of an old batik, since the size is akward and small.
I love the combo of my buckwheat pillow and my down pillow. I don't think I would like it if I just had one or the other...
I've been having issues with neck pain, so I think I'll definitely give buckwheat pillows a shot! Maybe fluffy pillows aren't doing it for me anymore!
I recently switched to an organic millet hull pillow, they are very smooth and work similar to the buckwheat pillow. In the beginning I was a little skeptic if this pillow can eliminate my neck pain. The first 10 min on the pillow was kind of weird because I was not used to it but I love it ever since. I bring it everywhere with me. I've got one for my husband and he snores less than before and I can breath better as well and sleep like a baby. It was not even expensive I've got my pillows from swisspillows.com and they even have some with lavender in it.
We have had buckwheat pillows for about 4 years now and I will never go on vacation without my pillow. It is so supportive for me and my husband loves it because it never gets hot. It takes some getting used to but I do not even care or notice anything about it anymore. So glad I discovered them.
I've been sleeping on buckwheat pillows for a couple years now. I like them so much that I decided to manufacture them myself: http://hullopillow.com/