Hullo Buckwheat Pillow – Small Size (14x20), Organic Adjustable Cooling Pillow for Side & Back Sleepers, Firm Neck Support – Breathable Cotton Cover – Made in USA

I'll be upfront: I was skeptical. A pillow filled with buckwheat hulls sounded gimmicky, and the price gave me pause. But after weeks of use, I'm a total convert — and I want to give you the honest, practical review I wish I'd had before ordering. What it actually feels like Forget everything you know about pillows. This isn't fluffy, it isn't squishy, and it doesn't compress under your head like foam or down. It's heavy (think: small sandbag) and when you first pick it up, you might wonder what you've gotten yourself into. When you move or shape it, it makes a soft shushing sound — like shifting sand. That's normal, and within a few nights you'll barely notice it. The magic is in how it supports your head. Instead of sinking through the pillow until your head is practically on the mattress, the hulls conform to the exact shape of your head and neck and stay there. No gaps. No pressure points. Proper alignment all night. The adjustment period is real — don't give up This is the most important thing I can tell you: give it at least a week, ideally two. The first couple of nights may feel awkward and firm. You're retraining your body after years of spongy pillows. Several people I've talked to nearly returned it on day three and then fell completely in love by day five or six. Push through. Customize the fill to your liking The pillow ships pretty full, which works great for some people and is too firm for others. The zipper opens easily and you can remove hulls to dial in exactly the loft and firmness you want. I'd suggest removing a cup or two at a time and testing it out. Save the extra hulls — you can always add them back, and you can purchase more separately when the pillow eventually needs refreshing years from now. A few honest notes: • Smell: There's a noticeable buckwheat scent when it first arrives. It's earthy, not chemical or offensive. Air it out for a day or two and it fades significantly. • Heat: This pillow runs remarkably cool. No more flipping to the cool side at 2am. Air circulates through the hulls in a way foam simply can't match. • Noise: Present, but soft — more like white noise than a distraction. Within a few nights it'll fade into the background. • Weight: It's not a pillow you'll be fluffing and flipping casually. Once it's where you want it, it stays put — which is actually part of why it works so well. • Sleeping position: Works beautifully for back and side sleepers. Stomach sleepers may find it less ideal. Bottom line I haven't woken up with neck stiffness since switching to this pillow. I didn't realize how much my old pillow — a nice memory foam one — was subtly failing me until I experienced what proper support actually feels like. The price seems high until you consider that the hulls last for years and are replaceable, and that the shell is genuinely high quality. I won't be going back. If you're on the fence, just know: it's returnable, but you probably won't need to.

This pillow is filled with magic. I was skeptical of the whole concept of a buckwheat hull pillow, and was worried about some reviews that mentioned strange odors and noises and having to get acclimated to the new feel of the pillow. I'm here to tell you--take the leap of faith! For what it's worth, I had no problem acclimating. These are natural, organic hulls (not chemically fermented), and the pillow case is a superior organic cotton quality. The craftmanship is excellent. It's a little heavy, and sounds like a sand bag, but the moment you rest your head on the pillow, you wonder how you lived without one for so long. No odors with this pillow, and you'll sleep like a baby. There's a slight noise when you shape the pillow to fit your head, but nothing to complain about (and definitely nothing to keep you up at night over). But above all else, this pillow got rid of my neck and shoulder pains. I had a high quality memory foam pillow and it just wasn't doing the trick anymore. I was waking up with bad neck pains and stiffness, sometimes needing acupuncture or medicated rubs. This pillow gives you so much support that you wake up feeling completely balanced. I know it sounds like this is too good to be true and that I'm "selling it," but I really can't speak highly enough about how amazing this pillow is. Try it. Love it. (And if you don't, you can return it! Win-win!)

When I first got the pillow, the first thing I noticed, was how heavy it was. The first night was not what I would call comfortable, between the extra firmness of the pillow, the noise of the buckwheat hulls, and the weight, I felt myself waking up to adjust during the night. After a couple of nights, I was ready to send the pillows back, same with my wife. Here is where the miracle happens, after a couple of more nights, my wife said that wow she had grown to actually like the pillow. It was however still to stiff for me. I then took to the internet to see if there was nay solution. The manufacturers website indicated that you can control the firmness by taking out some of the hulls. Genius, it seems so obvious now, but not having to deal with a pillow that was customizable before, I was frustrated. So I removed about a quart of the hulls. Magic, it was like a completely different pillow more suited to my side/stomach sleeping style. Another plus, the hulls have not compressed like other stuffing materials and remain firm, so that if I want to read in bed, I do not have a divot where I lay my head. If you do, just pick the pillow up and re-distribute the hulls. So several months in, both my wife and I are happy...and you quickly get used to the soft shushing noise the hulls make.

It took about 5 nights to get the filling to where it was comfortable for me to sleep on. Once that happened, I noticed that I was actually looking forward to getting into bed. There are several things you might want to consider. The weight of the pillow is heavy. So if you’re used to turning your pillow over or around the bed, it’s not going to happen with ease. The noise will take some getting used to as will the slight odor. It’s been two weeks and it’s either dissipating or I have gotten used to it. Either way, it’s no longer an issue. After saying all this, I haven’t had any neck pain, nor a wet head (I also have a cooling pillowcase on). I think it’s a love-hate trial thing but give it two weeks. It might be the best sleep you have had in a long time. Remember to keep the box and wrapping if you need to return it.

This buckwheat hull pillow item description photos show one thing, but when a pillow is order received, the pillow received is totally different. Item photos show the buckwheat hulls being half hulls, fully intact, which is what should be contained inside a (true) buckwheat hull pillow. However, the pillow sent out to a customer, as in my case anyway, the pillow contains bits and pieces broken up pieces of hulls that are smaller than pea size. No way! A true buckwheat hull pillow should contain hulls about ¼ inch size, as actually being shown in the description, not bits and pieces and broken up hulls pieces smaller than a pea. A true buckwheat hull pillow should never fell hard when laying your head upon, no matter the amount of hours. These bits and broken up hull pieces will in fact become hard, and hard to sleep upon! A pillow containing bits and pieces of hulls will in fact become hard, causing discomfort and making for an adjustment and many adjustments throughout a night of sleeping. However, if the hulls are of the proper size, as in a (true) buckwheat hull pillow, there should not be much adjustment(s) throughout the nights sleep. Just a fist adjustment to become comfortable for a good restful relaxing sleep. Even a (true) buckwheat pillow having the full ¼ inch size hulls, will take several nights to become use to sleeping upon a buckwheat hull pillow though, but it will become comfortable as time goes. I learnt the hard way ordering this pillow because I took it that this pillow will contain the hulls as being shown in the photo descriptions, the fully ¼ inch hulls, but my pillow ordered and received contained only bits and broken up pieces of hulls. Nothing but false advertising! I returned the pillow and am awaiting for a full refund. My pedigree in saying what I have is from having a (true) buckwheat hull pillow for over 40 years, 3 of them in those 40 plus years, because they will become worn out after years of use, but I was hoping to replace my last one with a new on, as in when placing my order for this pillow, even with its (premium price), but when I opened the box and lifted out the pillow and felt what that pillow contained, I knew right off that this was not and is not a (true) buckwheat hull pillow. Yes, it contains buckwheat hulls, and they can call it a buckwheat hull pillow, but it is not a (true( buckwheat hull pillow, and as said, only bits and broken up pieces of buckwheat hulls are contained, not what a (true) buckwheat hull pillow should contain (the ¼ inch size) buckwheat hulls. That is a (true) Buckwheat Hull Pillow! Order this pillow at your own risk. I learnt the hard way. I took for granted what this business manufacturer tried to convey with its shown descriptions on Amazon to be what they call a buckwheat hull pillow. Not so! They finally ran into someone who does in fact know the difference! However, I guess if I would have contacted Hullo, I would have found out for sure, but, why would they not mention their pillow(s) contain small broken up pieces? And, why do they show and portray their pillows to contain actual ¼ inch size hulls? Which is what their photos do show. Here again; false advertising by this Helix company known as Hullo, and they really know nothing, nothing of what a (real and true) Japanese sobakawa pillow (Buckwheat Hull Pillow) really is and what they actually are and about! What a shame and a discredit to this wonderful pillow! My story about a Japanese sobakawa pillow can continue, but I believe I got the point across to any future customers!

Bought the Hullo several weeks ago and glad I did. Instructions and other users claimed it takes several days or a week to get used to but the first night I fell right asleep and slept through the night (something rare for me).The pillow is neither fluffy or hard as a rock but it is firm. Because it completely cradles your head, neck and shoulders with no gaps, the weight of your head and neck is evenly distributed--that has got to be a good thing. I bought the Hullo because this brand seemed to be the only buckwheat pillow reviewed where people did not complain of bugs being inside and I found none. There is no smell to the pillow and the slight rustling noise when you move your head is barely noticeable. Since purchasing the pillow I have slept through the night more often than before, I think mostly because the pillow stays cooler than a traditional pillow (I don't know if air flows through it or not but at least it doesn't collect heat). The Hullo has not cured the aches and pains of my neck and shoulders but I think it is helping (that along with heat therapy, stretching exercises and being more aware of posture). Expensive yes. So is not being able to sleep through the night. There was nothing to lose knowing it could be returned if it didn't work out.

As someone who suffers from MCS and hyperosmia, smell is usually at the top of my list of concerns. With this pillow, there's certainly a scent of buckwheat at first (quite strong at first tbh) but it's not offensive. It doesn't set off any chemical alarms or anything like that. And after sitting it out for a couple days to air out, the smell is literally gone, just scentless. As for the pillow itself, it's clearly extremely high quality for what it is. You may or may not like this type of pillow, but I don't believe personal preference should factor into the review. If you like a buckwheat pillow at all, this one is absolutely incredible. If you don't like buckwheat pillows, then probably don't buy one :) I personally like the "stays in place" shaping of a buckwheat pillow, though if you are prone to tossing and turning all night, it may not be perfect. Though if you're like me and toss and turn all night *because* of the pillow, it may be a good fit! If I had to nitpick one thing, it'd be the packaging. I get it, packaging in plastic is cheap and easy, but if you go out of your way to spend the money to make this fancy pants all organic thing, spend the extra dollar and just package it better in cardboard to avoid the plastics if that's your audience. Not a deal breaker for me, but a nitpick that could bug people really adamant about avoiding all chemicals/plastics/etc.

Buckwheat pillows are great for a lot of folks. I enjoy the pillow, but I sleep on my side, and need to put my arms up under my pillow around my head to sleep. When I do that, it's very difficult to find a perfect way to position the pillow, but that's not the pillows fault. If I don't put my hands under my head, it supports me absolutely perfectly and I love it other than the fact that my arms start hurting because I'm trying to rest them on my side which doesn't work. Long story short - if you like Buckwheat pillows, you should enjoy this. EDIT: It's been about 8 months since I bought this, and I'm here to change my review to 5 stars. After some initial adjustment, I've been sleeping incredibly comfortably with this pillow every night. I can't even imagine going back to a regular pillow now. This has given me the best night's sleep I've ever had for months and is still in great shape. After 7 months the hulls had flattened out a bit and I added some new ones to make it more firm, but with the size and adjustability of the pillow, that was totally optional - it would have been just as comfortable either way. Just a great product.

Good for sleeping on my back for a nap for an hour. But not for a night's sleep, as I can't sleep all night on my back. Half the night maybe, but not 8 hours straight thru. When I sleep on my sides the rest of the night, this pillow is not manoeverable because even using 4.5 lbs out of 13, it's still too heavy. I still plan on keeping it for a spare room, so my review is mixed. What I need it for is to get my ears out of play. Waking up with sore ears is a No-No. This pillow does the job for that.

Searched the internet for review and previously bought a cheap one that came with mites and totally regretted it. The Hullo one had very clean buckwheat husks without any buckwheat dust unlike a previous cheaper mite infested pillow. Pay more to get better quality is definitely recommended especially for a pillow you sleep on everyday.

Pillow is good size and the hulls are of good quality. But I have tried multiple times to contact customer support to receive extra hulls for the pillow and haven't gotten any response.

We slept very well since we got this