Pillows

Shopping Tips

When purchasing buckwheat pillows, ask the retailer about their buckwheat-hull supplier's cleaning methods. Buckwheat dust lingering on improperly cleaned hulls has been known to trigger asthma attacks. High-quality pillows contain hulls that are cleaned very thoroughly, either by air blowing, vaccumming and sifting the hulls to remove dust or by roasting them, which burns off the dust. Look for retailers that are supplied by U.S. or Canadian suppliers, rather than international suppliers, that can offer assurances of proper cleaning methods.

Avoid pillows made with a mixture of natural and synthetic latex. The latter is treated with chemicals during the manufacturing process.

Also, look out for "Hypodown," billed as less allergenic than traditional down. While the pillows contain 20 percent syriaca clusters, or milkweed, they still contain 80 percent goose down, which doesn't alleviate any of the problems associated with animal cruelty (see The Backstory).

Because natural-material pillows are on the expensive side, you can cut costs buy purchasing fills separately and stuffing them into a zippered pillow encasement you already own. Many retailers, such as White Lotus and Eco Bedroom, will supply stuffing material in bulk for a reasonable price.

To preserve the life of your pillow, invest in a washable, removable organic cotton or Pure Grow Wool pillow encasement. These also help to block dust mite allergens from your current pillow.