Makura Miracle Pillow

About the Pillows

1. WHY BUCKWHEAT HULL FILLING?

   The natural filling has many advantages over conventional fiberfill, foam, or feather fillings. The most important quality for the relief of pain is that the material conforms to the exact contours of the head and neck providing a compliant passive support. This means that you have the same amount of support in all areas minimizing the stress on all areas of support. Other filling materials which compress, try to recover their original shape and this puts stress on the muscles of the neck. Other advantages of the buckwheat hull filling are the "cool in the summer, warm in the winter" insulating properties, the ability to adjust the size to your individual needs by removing or adding back filler so the pillow fits you just right. The filling also lasts for many years making the pillow the best value cervical pillow on the market. Long after other pillows have collapsed and worn out a buckwheat hull pillow will still be fully functional. Buckwheat hull pillows are also environmentally friendly - for each pillow put to use it will save the manufacturing of the synthetic filling for ten or more ordinary pillows.
   

2. HOW LONG DO THE PILLOWS LAST? DO THE HULLS WEAR OUT OR CRUMBLE?

   The Makura Miracle pillow should last for about 8 to 10  years.  The hulls do not break down or wear out, but they do become polished with use. As the natural texture of the hulls become polished the pillows actually work better than new because the hulls move and conform to your contours easily. After the first year or two of use of the Makura and Rejuvenator Deluxe pillows you may need to add a little more filler as the polished hulls take up about 7% less volume. This should only need to be done once, it is not a continual process. Both the Makura and Rejuvenator Deluxe pillows have a little extra hulls in them than most people need and it is recommended that you remove and save the extra hulls for possible future use. If you ever do need additional hulls, they are available for a nominal charge.
   

3. WHAT ARE BUCKWHEAT HULLS?

   Buckwheat hulls are the husks that protect the buckwheat kernel from the various elements of nature. It is not a wheat at all, but actually a fruit (fagopyrum esculentum) related to rhubarb. The buckwheat used in our pillows is organically grown in the United States, using no fertilizers or pesticides. We use an exclusive hull cleaning process that uses screen sifting and vacuum cleaning to remove any buckwheat flour residue from the hulls.
   

4. DO THE PILLOWS EVER GET BUGS/MITES/FUNGUS?

   The hulls are what provide the natural protection to the buckwheat kernel from natures invading organisms, and since they are a fiber they are not nutritive. It is unheard of for any of our pillows in regular use to ever get any infestation. Any natural pillows kept in storage for long periods of time that are not in use may provide a habitat for any number of organisms, therefore if you are going to store a pillow for long periods of time it is recommended to keep the pillow in a freezer at least for one day per month as a preventive measure, especially if you live in a hot and humid environment. Alternatively, you may use a vacuum pack sealing system. This is preferable to adding chemical agents to the pillow. We believe that people should not be exposed to chemicals when they are sleeping. Most synthetic fiber, foam and feather pillows have formaldehyde, UV inhibitors, anti-fungal agents, stabilizers, plasticizer, etc. added. There are no chemical additives used in the growing of hulls for our pillows, and the only cleaning agent used is air. If your buckwheat hull pillow ever becomes unusable due to any natural cause, we will provide you with a free replacement pillow. It is our understanding that pillows with cleaned buckwheat hulls may actually harbor less mites than synthetic pillows do.
   

Using the Pillow

1. WHAT ARE BUCKWHEAT HULL PILLOWS USED FOR?

   Buckwheat hull pillows are commonly prescribed by health care professionals for the relief of neck pain, back pain, headaches, muscle tension, snoring, TMJ syndrome, cervical and lumbar subluxations, torticolis, sleeplessness, and other conditions.
   

2. I'M ALLERGIC TO WHEAT AND GRAIN, CAN I USE BUCKWHEAT HULL PILLOWS?

   Buckwheat hulls are not a grain like wheat, they are a fruit. Hulls are Hypo-allergenic and very few people are allergic to buckwheat hull pillows. In actual usage it seems that about one in six thousand people can not use the pillows because of their allergies. This may be actually related to the tiny amount buckwheat flour residue. According to studies about 1 to 5% of the population may be allergic to the proteins in buckwheat flour, however our exclusive double-cleaning process removes virtually all of the buckwheat flour from the hulls. If you notice any allergic reaction such as itchy throat, watery eyes, runny nose, etc. discontinue use of the pillow. Please report any reactions to us and return the pillow for a refund. Buckwheat flour residue in unclean hulls as used in some imitators of our pillows may have a higher risk of allergic reaction.
   

3. I'VE HEARD ABOUT HEATING OR COOLING BUCKWHEAT PILLOWS, IS THAT HELPFUL?

   Refrigerating or freezing buckwheat pillows is certainly alright. Cold therapy can sometimes be useful for the reduction of swelling and can relieve pain.

   Heating buckwheat hull pillows is possible but we do not recommend it because it can reduce the moisture content of the hulls and is potentially unsafe. We heard of one case of another pillow manufacturer who recommended micro waving their pillow, and the user micro waved the pillow several times in a short period of time, then put the pillow on a bed with an electric blanket. That created excessive heat and apparently created a fire. We have not confirmed that story. In fact I could not even cause the hulls to burn when I took a lit flame to them, but nevertheless we suggest caution if you ever plan on heating any natural grain pillow. IMPORTANT: Hot and cold therapy are only appropriate for certain conditions, and then only for certain limited amounts of time. Please consult your doctor for their advice and recommendations before using any type of hot or cold therapy of any type especially in the head and neck area.

4. CAN CHILDREN USE THE PILLOW

   Newborns, and infants under 4 months old must never use ANY pillows or soft bedding materials such as comforters, sheepskin bed warmers etc. due to increased risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) according to the CPSC (Consumer Products Safety Commission). Although you can breathe straight through buckwheat hull filled pillows, the Carbon Dioxide concentration can increase causing risk to infants. Children 1 to 3 years old love the Comfort Roll, children 4 to teens prefer the Makura Miracle Pillow Traditional size.
   

5. CAN I USE THESE PILLOWS ON A MEMORY FOAM MATTRESS ?

   Buckwheat hull pillows work great on memory foam mattresses and mattress toppers. They provide a similar type of shaping to your body that the memoryfoam does. The adjustable feature of the pillows allows hulls to be removed to match the support needs of different types of beds, whether it is a tempur-pedic mattress, or a waterbed of the most sophisticated floatation system. Fewer hulls are used when you have a soft mattress that allows the mid body to sag that lifts the head. You can use more hulls when you have a firmer system that keeps your spine fairly straight. The pillows also work fine on adjustable air mattresses.
   

6. HOW CAN I CLEAN THE PILLOWS?

   The pillow cases can be machine washed and tumble dried. Iron if desired. Since it is almost impossible to dry soaked buckwheat hulls, we do not recommend cleaning the hulls. The inner liner will rarely need cleaning, but when it does simply remove the hulls from the zippered opening and wash the liner in warm water and tumble dry. Use only a non-chlorine bleach if using bleach. Replace the hulls when the liner is completely dry.