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Buckwheat Facts & The 7-Step Buyer's Guide
We use only premium organic pillow
grade buckwheat hulls. Our hulls are grown in North America so that we can ascertain
the quality and integrity of the hulls we use. Our hulls are then put
through a rigorous cleaning process to remove dust and debris..
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What grade
of buckwheat is best?
Despite the claims that various manufacturers make,
there is only one grade of buckwheat hulls for pillows. It is best
described as pillow grade or pillow quality buckwheat hulls. Anything else is an
eye catching misnomer. The key criteria is that the buckwheat hulls used must be
clean, dust-free, North American Grown, and expertly milled. Once cleaned,
quality buckwheat hulls require no further special treatment.
What is the secret?
The buckwheat hull pillow's secret lies in the unique interlocking shape of the smooth outer shells of the
buckwheat fruit (fagopyrum esculentum). This unique type of filling
allows the pillow to be shaped by hand to suit individual preferences. The buckwheat
hull pillow conforms
to the exact contours of the head and neck. It then tends to provide stable
support all night long. This kind of compliant support allows the muscles of the
head and neck to relax; thus, relieving stress and pain. You'll sleep more
soundly and wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day!
How long will my pillow last?
Under normal use your pillow should outlast all types of foam
and feather pillows. We recently had a call from a fellow who claims to have had
his pillow for thirty four years. We also know of one elderly gentleman who has
sat on his Sea Swell Small Deluxe Pillow for well over seven years now! How's
that for hardy!In fact, the longer you use your pillow the better the pillow
becomes. As time passes, the buckwheat hull shells become polished and can slide past one
another more easily. The smoothing of the hulls enhances the pillow's support
qualities. The filling of your pillow gets better with age. It will not grow old
and tired.The pillow will loose about 6% of its volume during the first
two years. All Sea Swell Design our buckwheat hull pillows are sold overstuffed so that you can take some of the extra stuffing out
when you first get your pillow. Put the extra stuffing aside so that you may add
some at a later date.
Shape Your Sleep
Each buckwheat hull pillow
produced by Sea Swell Design is made with a zipper. We don't believe in selling a pillow without
one. The zipper is all-important!Some companies sell buckwheat hull pillows with out a zipper at a
reduced cost. Never buy a buckwheat hull pillow without a zipper. Here's why:
1) If your pillow has a zipper, you can adjust its firmness by
removing some of the stuffing. Doing this increases the amount of space
available for the hulls to move; consequently, making the pillow less firm. With
our buckwheat hull pillows,
you may wish to take out as much as one quarter of the filling to create the
right fit for you! Do not throw the spare hulls away. Store the spare hulls in a
paper bag. You may need to remove or add stuffing once or twice to make the
pillow's firmness just right for you.
2) Hygiene!! Eventually, you will want to wash your pillow.
Without a zipper the pillow can not be washed. The
hulls must be removed prior to washing. The liner
may then be washed and completely dried before replacing the hulls.If you have the opportunity, buy a pillow and a pillowcase. A
pillowcase that fits your buckwheat hull pillow makes it much nicer to sleep on.
Sea Swell Design's pillowcases are made with beautifully
tightly woven 100%
cotton ticking. The sort that you would find in an exclusive bedding store and made in the European style - very nice!
Allergic to Feathers and Can't Find a Good Pillow?
Some customers who are allergic to grains are concerned about
possible allergies to buckwheat. Buckwheat is not wheat at all. It is not even a
grain. Buckwheat is a fruit related to the rhubarb family. While we are only aware of one allergic reaction to buckwheat, if you or anyone in your family has any history of allergic reactions to anything what-so-ever we strongly recommend that you get tested for buckwheat allergy before using any buckwheat product as some allergic reactions can be severe, shocking and dangerous to your health.
Why Are Sea Swell Design's Buckwheat Hull Pillows
Better than Pre-formed 'Cervical' Pillows?
The support provided by the buckwheat hulls is the result of
the movement of thousands of individual relatively incompressible components
(the hulls). When arranged by hand and then pressed by your head, the hulls
provide an equal and opposite force in all directions. There are no elastic
forces built up in the pillow as weight is applied. In essence, the hulls act a
bit like a fluid. Once you have achieved a comfortable position with your
pillow, each individual hull is essentially in equilibrium. The hulls are not
required by any form or structure to regain a prefabricated form or shape.
Therefore, your muscles don't have to fight to keep your head in position. Your
muscles can relax!
Even a down pillow can not provide this kind of support. Down
becomes tangled with other down and looses its fluid like quality. Also, with
time down will lose its loft.
| Comparison
of Pillows |
Sea Swell Design Pillow |
Down or Feather Pillow |
Foam or Synthetic Pillow |
| Shapes to Suit Individual Needs |
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| Adjustable in Firmness |
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| Allows Air to Circulate |
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| Keeps Head at Comfortable
Temperature |
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| Non-Toxic Production |
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| Expected Pillow Life (in years) |
10 + |
6 - 10 |
2 - 4 |
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The More You Use It The More You'll Love It!
It may take a couple of nights for you to adjust to your new
buckwheat hull pillow. Take some time to get to know your pillow. Change the amount of stuffing
as you like so that it will be just right for you! Once you establish a sleeping
relationship with your pillow you won't want to sleep without it. The only
danger is that you might like it so much you will take it traveling and leave it
on the plane or a hotel room. The number of reorders we get because of lost,
given away, and "spousally-stolen" pillows would surprise you!
Sleep Tight While
Traveling
Buckwheat hull pillows offer much more support than
conventional pillows and therefore do not have to be as big and bulky. Sea
Swell Design's Small
Deluxe buckwheat hull pillow is the perfect
traveling companion. It is perfect for use in bed at home, in the car, on the
plane, and in hotel rooms. You can now take your favorite pillow anywhere you
go! We also have the cervical neck pillow (U shaped travel pillow) for traveling. See our Products! |
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Seven
Step Shopper's Guide to Buckwheat Hull Pillows
7 good qualities to look for in
a buckwheat hull pillow! |
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If you are looking for a buckwheat hull pillow and you don't know what to
look for, then let me help. It does not matter where you buy your pillow as long
as you follow the guide lines below.
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The pillow must be adjustable. It must have a zipper!
You must be able to take buckwheat hulls out or put some back. You will want
to adjust your pillow to suit your needs. After all, not all shoulders are
created equal. Also, once in a while you will want to wash the pillow. The
buckwheat hulls must be taken out prior to washing and the lining completely
dried before putting the hulls back. All Sea Swell pillows are sold with a
zipper. Zipperless pillows are not
recommended.
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The buckwheat hull filling should
be grown in North America.
If
it is not domestically grown, then it may have been fumigated before
entering North America. The buckwheat hulls used in Sea Swell pillows are
domestically grown and cleaned.
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The pillow should have a buckwheat
filling which has been cleaned of debris.
The milling
process of the hulls produces dust and straw-like debris.
Sea Swell Design's pillows have been cleaned using a double cleaning process
to remove dust, buckwheat flour, and debris from amongst the hulls. This
process makes the buckwheat filling more expensive. Sea Swell Design uses
only top quality buckwheat hulls. Some manufacturers
sell poor quality pillows with unclean buckwheat at lower prices.
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Be sure your new pillow is made of
natural fiber -- 100% cotton for example.
The fabric that is
used should be of reasonable weight and have a tight weave. There should be
some indication as to the quality of the fabric. Sea Swell Design uses 100%
cotton poplin. Cotton poplin has a tight weave and is soft and smooth to
sleep on.
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The pillow should be overstuffed
when you buy it; otherwise, you will need to buy extra stuffing at a later
date.
When you get your pillow take some of the extra stuffing out and store it in
a paper bag. During the first year of use, your new pillow will lose about
5% - 7% of its volume. If you save the extra hulls, you won't need to buy more
hulls later. Sea Swell Design's pillows are sold overstuffed.
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A pillowcase is very nice!
Buckwheat hull pillows tend
to have a slightly textured feel to them. A pillowcase tends to smooth it
out and makes the pillow "a dream to sleep on." The pillowcase
should be made of a natural fiber - 100% cotton. Sea Swell Design's
pillowcases are high thread count 100% cotton ticking and MADE IN THE EUROPEAN STYLE.
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Buckwheat is heavier than foam and
feathers; therefore, your new pillow should be smaller than a standard sized
pillow.
Since Sea Swell's internet
debut, our 14" x 22" pillow has become the norm. It is by
far the best overall size for a buckwheat hull pillow. Larger pillows may be
used with caution or under the guidance of a health care practitioner. If
it is as large as a normal foam or feather pillow, then you may find it awkward,
uncomfortable, or cumbersome in bed. Larger pillows, however, do make great
reading pillows!
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