Kapok Pillows

Fluffed up, a kapok pillow is as lofty as down and lighter than poly fiber. It compresses under your head rather than pushing back, which is why down sleepers like it, and it breathes, so it doesn't build heat the way poly does. It's naturally water-resistant and inhospitable to dust mites, which makes it a good choice for allergy sufferers who can't use feathers. Harvesting doesn't cut the tree; the pods are collected after they fall.

Kapok, buckwheat or latex

Kapok is the soft option. Buckwheat is firm and holds a shape; latex is springy and resilient. If you sleep on your stomach or like sinking into a pillow, kapok. If you need your neck held in one position all night, buckwheat, though many side sleepers get the same targeted support from kapok-filled neck roll pillows tucked under the neck or lower back.

Which kapok pillow

• Kapok bed pillow in standard, queen, king, Japanese and travel sizes. The everyday head pillow.
• Kapok neck roll for under the neck, lumbar support or between the knees.
• Sleeping Bean body pillow and the maternity pillow in their kapok versions.
• Kapok throw pillow inserts in euro sizes for sofa and bed cushions.
• Organic kapok fill by the pound for refilling or stuffing your own. Our fill calculator tells you how much.

Keeping the loft

Kapok settles with use. Fluff the pillow every morning like you would down, and when it's lower than you like, unzip and add a handful of fill. Don't put kapok in the washer: wet fiber clumps and stays clumped. Wash the shell, sun the fill, and pair the pillow with breathable organic pillowcases to keep the cover fresh between washes. Details in how to wash a kapok pillow and are kapok pillows good.