A real advantage of a buckwheat pillow is that you're not stuck with the fill level it arrives with. Add or remove hulls, and you change both the height and the firmness. This guide walks through how.
Getting the fill right matters: the right height keeps your head and neck in a comfortable, neutral line whether you sleep on your side, back or stomach, and the right firmness changes how a meditation cushion supports your hips and knees. Our Sleep Position Guide and Meditation Cushion Guide go into those specifics; this page focuses on the mechanics of adjusting fill.
How fill changes your pillow
More hulls make a pillow taller and firmer. Fewer hulls make it shorter and softer. Because the hulls move independently rather than compressing like foam, the pillow holds whatever height you set it to, night after night, until you decide to change it again.
Adjusting your fill, step by step
- 1. Unzip the cover. Most of our pillows have a zipper along one edge made for exactly this.
- 2. Remove or add hulls a little at a time. Take out or add about a handful or a cup at once, rather than guessing at a big change.
- 3. Zip it back up and try it for a few nights. Fill level is a feel thing, and it's easier to judge after sleeping on it than by squeezing it in your hands.
- 4. Repeat as needed. Small adjustments over a few tries usually get you to the right spot faster than one big change.
- 5. Store any extra hulls in a breathable bag or container. A cloth or paper bag works well; keep them somewhere dry in case you want to add them back later.
- 6. Top up when it settles. Hulls compress very slightly with regular use over time. If your pillow feels flatter than it used to, add a cup or two of fresh buckwheat hulls.
Approximate fill by product
Fill amounts vary by product and are approximate; use them as a starting point, not an exact spec:
| Product | Approximate fill |
|---|---|
| Round neck roll | About 2.75-3.5 lb |
| Travel | About 3-3.5 lb |
| Japanese | About 4-5 lb |
| Standard / Queen | About 9-11 lb |
| Round zafu | About 6-7 lb |
| Crescent zafu | About 2 lb |
Want more fill from the start?
If you already know you like a firmer, fuller pillow, we also offer an extra-filled Standard pillow, so you don't have to add hulls yourself right away. If you'd rather start from scratch, our Cover Only option lets you fill a cover to your own exact preference using hulls purchased separately.
When to top up
There's no fixed schedule. Some people top up every few months, others go a year or more. The simplest test: if the pillow feels noticeably flatter than when it arrived, or your head sinks further than you'd like, it's time for a cup or two more.
Need fill? Shop buckwheat hulls, available in bag sizes from 3 to 500 lb. See our Care Guide for how to keep hulls fresh between adjustments.