PineTales Buckwheat Pillow - with Matrix Design Pillowcase - Japanese Plus Size 14" x 20"

I discovered Sobakawa pillows in 2000 when my sister gave me one for Christmas. At first, I was very skeptical about how sleeping on Buckwheat Hulls would improve my sleep. I tried it more or less as a joke the next night, thinking that it wasn't going to be comfortable. I woke up the next morning and immediately noticed that I didn't have a sore neck. My wife commented that I wasn't tossing and turning like I usually did. When I positioned my head and was comfortable, it stayed in that position. My feather pillow slowly compressed and caused the angle of my head to change. I would have to fluff it up to get comfortable again. My biggest surprise was that I had slept almost an hour longer than usual. I figured that was just a fluke but decided to keep on using it a bit longer. The results were the same over the next several weeks, fewer aches and pains and about an hour of extra sleep. Ever since then, I've been a loyal Sobakawa user. I tell you this to establish my credentials using Sobakawa Pillows. I've gone through about 6 or 7 pillows during the last 20 years. I received my new "PineTales pillow" yesterday. On my first inspection, I was impressed by the thickness of the cover material. It was much thicker than any of my previous pillows. It was overpacked with Buckwheat Hulls so it could be adjusted to my needs. It also had a sturdy zipper closure to make that adjustment easier. Only two of my previous pillows had a zipper, and none of them were overpacked. I was impressed with the thought they put into the comfort of their customers. So, without making any adjustment, I tried it last night. My first thought was that the thickness allowed me to side sleep more comfortably while keeping my spine straighter. The thickness of the cover material muffled all of the sound from the Buckwheat hulls moving around. The weight of the pillow kept it from moving. I woke up this morning feeling good. I sleep with a Bi-Pap Machine, which records my sleep time, and surprisingly, I slept 9.6 hours last night. This was a new record sleep time for me. That one night experience motivated me to write this very long review. Sleep is critical to a healthy life. If you haven't tried a Sobakawa pillow, it may be a life-changer and a life-saver. The PineTales pillow is definitely the best I've found in my 20+ years of using a Sobakawa pillow. If you were to ask why I gave this product a 5 Star rating, my answer would be that this was all I was limited to giving them. If they added another Star, the PineTales Team would get 6 Stars. It is a very well made product. I am looking forward to many comfortable nights using my new PineTales pillow. Please note that I was not paid in any way for this endorsement, I did purchase the pillow on Amazon, and it arrived yesterday 2/3/2021.

First impressions: I ordered a 14" by 20" and while smaller than your average pillow, I feel this will be more than enough, at least for myself. The smell is a natural, light, fresh and pleasant scent. There's no overpowering earthy musty smell that I read about in other reviews. The outer case itself is very soft with some cushion and nice quality, I love that it can easily be removed for washing. The zippers are super easy so opening it up to adjust the filling amount is a snap. I'm actually happy with the amount in it so that's where I'll start, it feels incredibly comfortable. The buckwheat shells are much softer and lighter than I had expected. They aren't hard or crunchy but very light and delicate. The noise made from them when moving on the pillow is nothing louder than microbeads (so not noisy at all), but they are much more supportive. When lying down on it I immediately noticed a very relieving support to my neck that instantly relieved tension. The buckwheat isn't so firm that it feels too stiff like some pillows that mold and then you practically have to beat them to get them to give like a firmer bamboo or memory foam, rather it adapts for you without giving too much like a worn out/ emptied goose down pillow. So, overall it smells nice, it's size is customizable, it's made out of quality materials, and it seems to be a properly supportive pillow. I suffer with migraines, fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome from back injuries, and have been through ergonomic spinal pillows, memory foam, bamboo, neck pillows, goose down, the list goes on- hundreds of dollars spent on the search for the right pillow. I'm desperate for relief and a good night of sleep, this pillow seems promising, so I will update my review after trying it out for a month.

First, if you already know you want one of these you will find this one to be an excellent choice. It's nicely made, had no weird odors and did not give me any skin reactions. The Japanese size is oddly small, but then you realize that your head is not that big. Why do we have such enormous pillows anyway? If you aren't sure if you want a buckwheat pillow here's my feedback as a first time owner. Yes, when you first put your head down you think "this is a rock". But honestly, I have gotten the best sleep on this thing! I don't move around at all during the night. It's perfectly supportive. I'm so happy. If you have been unhappy with your pillow this is worth a try. It's a very different option. I haven't taken any fill out of mine, it has just the right amount to hold my head parallel while I'm on my side. But this particular one does have a zipper so you can remove fill if you want to make it more adjustable (more room for the buckwheat to move around in it).

This is my first time using a firm pillow like this, so I wasn't sure what to expect. First off, this is smaller than a "normal" size pillow. My average size pillow case has a lot of extra fabric around it. That's not a bad thing, just not what I was expecting. (I don't shop for pillows a lot). This is a very firm pillow. Almost feels like laying your head on a piece of wood. Unlike a stiff piece of wood, however, you can nestle your way into the pillow a little bit, and create a nice contour for your head. But once you stop moving, there is no leeway. And after a long night of sleep, it stays in the same shape as the beginning of the night. I've had no problems with it "deflating". One thing I really like about this pillow is there is very little heat retention. I've had no problems flipping the pillow looking for "the cool side". All in all, this isn't the plush, fluffy pillow that feels like a cloud. This is a workhorse that will do its job all through the night.

nice pillow with buckwheat, i would suggest pillow rapper require to be more thicker when it come just one plastic bag.

Smaller than I expected but it is a good pillow.

Best pillow I have owned. Keeps cool and the filling is adjustable. The pillow has a pleasant and subtle scent, and the cover is also soft yet cool. The rustling sound of the filling is not bothersome at all, like I anticipated. You don't sink into the pillow, so it retains firmness and allows for greater neck stability. I have been waiting for PineTales to get more stock, so I can purchase bigger sizes. I highly recommend their brand of pillows. I have been getting much better quality sleep and it is a joy to not awake with neck pain.

Received a pillow that was smaller than what i ordered (i received the travel size), wrong order was packed in - already requested for a refund. Pillow was of good firmness when I inspected it upon receiving, but unfortunate that it was not my order.