Memory-foam pillow swap to Natural-fill pillow

Why make the swap

• Why switch to natural-fill pillow

  Buckwheat hulls, feathers and down, or natural latex, in a cotton cover. Our pick is organic buckwheat hulls in an organic cotton shell, and you can add or remove hulls to set the height.

• What's the concern with memory-foam pillow

  Polyurethane foam gives off VOCs, more when it’s new and warm, a study of crib mattresses found. Older foam often held flame retardants, though their use in furniture foam has been falling since 2013.

• General information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor, especially if you’re pregnant, nursing or have a health condition.

• Good to know before you buy

  Buckwheat is firm, makes a slight sound when you move your head, and the hulls have a little smell of their own, the maker says. If feathers bother you, choose buckwheat. Natural latex: skip it if anyone in the house has a latex allergy. The foam data come from mattresses, not pillows.

  ORGANIC TEXTILES natural latex pillow, organic cotton cover, standard firm: The maker says the cover is GOTS-certified organic cotton.

• Sources (2)

  1. Boor et al. 2014: VOCs from all 20 crib-mattress foams (opens in a new tab)
  2. Cooper et al. 2016: flame retardants declined after TB117-2013 (opens in a new tab)

  Health and safety facts on this page come from these sources. What a pick is made of comes from its maker's listing or website, as stated on the date we checked.