Great quality sleep is a non-negotiable. We spend nearly a third of our day asleep, and the lack of it can cause stress and decrease our quality of life.
However, buying a great pillow doesn’t have to mean giving up your core values! The good news is that there are many organic pillows available today with materials ranging from organic shredded latex to organic wool.
For this article, we will go over 9 of the best organic pillows available. Not all of these pillows have an organic certification, but all of them do have organic materials.
There are a few common organic certifications that are relevant throughout this discussion, such as the following:
- GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard): You will find that the GOTS standard is most often used for cotton, although it isn’t limited to just that. Final products can also be GOTS certified.
- GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard): The GOLS standard is specifically applied to organic latex products, ensuring that the latex was sourced sustainably.
- Organic shredded latex (GOLS certified)
- Organic kapok fiber (GOTS certified)
- FSC-certified rubber trees
White Lotus Home - US
With 40 years in the industry, White Lotus Home is one of the pioneers in providing natural household products. The brand is a GOTS certified organic company and is a member of the Organic Trade Association and Green America.
About The Organic Pillows
White Lotus Home has an excellent collection of the best organic pillows, especially for those who have a bit of trouble with sleeping discomfort.
Their KaPillow (Kapok Pillow) is adjustable, affordable, and, best of all, completely natural. As a contour pillow, it will help support your neck and keep it aligned with your spine for a comfortable night’s sleep.
It comes in a standard size as well as queen and king sizes. You can also get this pillow with a zipper.
Although anyone can use this organic pillow, it will be most beneficial for side sleepers and pregnant women. You may also use the pillow to relieve some stress from your hips.
If you aren’t a fan of this kapok pillow, they also have pillows made from organic wool and natural latex.
Materials
The Kapillow is made of organic cotton sateen fabric and is filled with kapok fabric. The organic cotton shell used in this pillow is GOTS certified and sourced from Pakistan.
On the other hand, kapok is a natural fiber from the Ceiba Tree, which sheds seasonally. No machinery is required to harvest kapok since the tree sheds naturally. It’s similar to down in feel but has the benefit of being plant-based.
The Kapok that White Lotus uses is not organic-certified (yet), but they will be able to get the certification once they start buying more of the material.
If you’re a vegan and a down pillow is not on your agenda, one made from kapok is a perfect alternative pillow.
Ethics And Community
As an eco friendly company, White Lotus Home focuses explicitly on its environmental initiatives. They do this by promoting the value of a green home free of toxic materials (which are more prevalent than you might think)
They also ensure that their products are environmentally and socially responsible, made without exploiting the planet and its people.
Furthermore, all White Lotus products are handmade in the US.
Avocado - US
Responsible, authentic, and trusted, Avocado is one of the best brands today in the world of organic bed mattresses and bedding. They are a B-certified corporation with products designed in Hoboken and produced in California using only the best natural and organic materials.
About The Organic Pillows
Avocado has a decent collection of organic pillows in various sizes made with different eco friendly materials. They even have a pillow for yoga(speaking of yoga, you can take a look at our yoga mat guide here) and meditation!
But the star of the show is the Avocado Green Pillow. Completely non-toxic, this natural latex and kapok pillow is completely adjustable and is available in standard, queen, and king sizes. Plus, it also comes with a 100-night trial and a year-long warranty.
You can customize the amount of certified organic latex and kapok you want in the pillow for a sleeping experience that is tailor-suited to your needs. The stuffing is placed inside an organic cotton jersey liner before it is zipped inside a quilted organic cotton cover.
The Avocado Green Pillow is vegan certified and certified organic, making it the perfect organic pillow for the eco-conscious individual. Avocado also has organic mattresses that perfectly complement their green pillow.
This certified organic pillow is made for any type of sleeping position. However, you may add or remove fill as much as is ideal for you. If you need more of the fill material, you can also purchase it on their website.
Materials
The Avocado Green Pillow is 100% organic. The filling is organic shredded latex (GOLS certified) and organic kapok fiber (GOTS certified). Although it isn’t a fully organic shredded latex pillow, you can change up the kapok to latex ratio as much as you want.
Meanwhile, the pillow has an organic cotton shell and an organic cotton lining. Plus, the pillow cover is OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified, ensuring only the absolute best quality!
The latex comes from their very own farms in India and is sourced from FSC-certified rubber trees. The cotton is sourced from India and farmed with adherence to National Organic Program (NOP) standards.
If you want to know more about the lengths Avocado goes to just to provide sustainable and ethical value, you can check here.
Ethics And Community
When it comes to ethics, Avocado sets the standards high. They raise their own sheep and have their own rubber trees where they can source the materials, ensuring that there aren’t any unethical practices going on at any level of the supply chain.
Their products are manufactured in a GOTS-certified factory in Los Angeles. All production teams are paid living wages, and child labor and discrimination is a definite no.
To add, Avocado is also climate-neutral and is a member of 1% for the planet.
With the belief that ‘we all live downstream,’ Avocado does what it can to limit its environmental and social impact by operating on two pillars: sustainability and social responsibility.
If you are interested in how the brand contributes to the community and environment, read more here.
Sol Organics - US
Sustainable, organic, fair, and transparent, Sol Organics is a Minnesota-based household essentials brand. They are passionate about affordability and making sure ethical and clean products are accessible to the general consumer.
About The Organic Pillows
Sol Organics’ Down Pillow comes in two sizes: standard and king. They also have three firmness options.
Soft for the stomach sleepers, medium for the back sleepers, and firm for the side sleepers. This ensures that you are getting adequate support for your neck and spine, no matter what your preferred sleeping position is.
This down pillow is lightweight and super comfortable, plus it gets softer with each wash. It is machine washable with cold water.
If you are a fan of the fluffiness that most down pillows have, you will definitely like this one.
Materials
The down pillow is made of 100% Canadian White Down with an even baffle box construction for the filling. Their down is sustainably and ethically sourced from Canada.
The outer layer, on the other hand, is made from 100% GOTS certified organic cotton. They only use cotton free from hazardous chemicals or dyes and have not been processed with pesticides, herbicides, or endocrine disruptors.
Their cotton is also bought from fair trade farmers, ensuring that they use materials per the highest environmental and social sustainability standards.
If you want to know more about Sol Organics’ cotton, you can read their in-depth guide here.
Ethics and Community
The Down Pillow is made in Canada using only ethical and sustainable materials. All employees make living wages, and there is never any child labor involved in the production process.
Community-wise, Sol also ensures that a portion of each purchase goes to various funds worldwide. $7.50 of each purchase will go to one of four charities of your choice.
Thus, by purchasing a simple pillow, you are already reaching out across the world and lending a hand.
Birch by Helix - US
Birch aims to make homes cozier and safer places by creating only the best sleep products. With sustainably sourced organic products that don’t have any toxic chemicals, their pillows are going to be your new best friend.
About the Organic Pillow
Birch’s Organic Pillow is made with organic latex, cotton, and wool and comes in standard and king sizes.
These materials give this organic pillow excellent shape retention, flexibility, temperature regulation, and breathability.
This Birch pillow will provide adequate support for a comfortable night’s rest without being too bulky or flat. Plus, organic latex pillows have antimicrobial properties and has defenses against dust mites and mildew.
The whole pillow is Greenguard Gold and GOTS certified.
Materials
The Birch Organic Pillow comprises three core materials: organic wool, organic cotton, and organic latex. All responsibly and ethically sourced.
The Birch organic pillow is made of an organic latex core and wool, with the latex fill acting as natural protection against dust mites while the wool helps with plushness and moisture management.
The wool used is organically and ethically sourced from New Zealand, following measures that guarantee only the best practices for free-range, pasture-fed sheep. The natural shredded Talalay latex is sourced from Southeast Asia.
The pillow cover is made of GOTS certified organic cotton that’s soft to the touch and keeps the pillow breathable for your comfort.
Since this is partially a wool pillow, it is not suitable for vegans. But don’t worry! There are plenty more organic pillows for all of our vegan friends.
Ethics And Community
Birch is particular about environmental protection, social equity, and economic viability, much like us here at Puratium. It isn’t just about making an excellent product (which they already have) but also about doing good for the environment and community while you’re at it.
All Birch products are handmade in the US.
They also partner with groups like Wool Integrity NZ and Rainforest Alliance. Their partnerships with various groups and organizations help certify that they are doing what they can to ensure their products are made ethically and sustainably.
Natural Bed Company - UK
The Natural Bed Company, unlike the other brands on this list, is a bed frame company. They’ve been in the business for 40 years, and in that time, they’ve branched out to other home essentials like pillows and robes.
About The Organic Pillow
The brand’s Tencel Filled Pillow is their nod to providing high-quality sleep products. This organic pillow is soft yet supportive enough to help align your neck and your spine for a well-rested night of sleep.
It has a Tencel filling and an organic cotton cover with some Tencel quilting. The organic cotton pillow comes in the standard UK size of 50 x 75 cm.
The organic cotton cover is removable, so you can easily clean it to keep your pillow clean and luxurious.
Materials
What sets this pillow apart from others is its filling. While Tencel is pretty popular in clothing and some household items, it isn’t one of the most used materials to create the best organic pillows. Curious about Tencel? Read more about it in our guide to vegan fabrics.
However, the brand’s use of Tencel is a pretty good choice. Tencel is a lovely, luxurious material that’s more eco friendly and sustainable than its other rayon counterparts (i.e., viscose and modal). It’s also machine washable and is better at retaining warmth than cotton.
If you suffer from allergies and can’t use materials like natural wool and down, Tencel is one of the best options for you. The material is the perfect bridge between natural and synthetic materials, so it has properties from both ends of the spectrum.
The Tencel is also GOTS-recognized.
Ethics And Community
The Natural Bed Company is a relatively small team of professionals, but their decades of experience in the business give them all the necessary expertise to deliver quality products.
Their organic pillows are made in Germany. However, most of their production happens in their workshop in England.
Naturepedic - US
Founded in 2003, Naturepedic is a family-owned business with a mission of transforming lives through better sleep products. They are passionate about health, safety, and the environment and aim to integrate this passion into their products.
About The Organic Pillows
Naturepedic’s Organic Latex Pillow is a comfortable and soft organic pillow that never goes flat. It perfectly cradles your head, so you wake up refreshed and ready to start your day.
If your pillows aren’t doing enough in terms of spinal alignment, this pillow is the one for you. This organic latex pillow comes in standard and queen size and has a 1-year limited warranty.
The pillow doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals, and you can rest assured there aren’t any toxins off-gassing from your pillow.
This organic latex pillow also helps regulate heat and will stay cool throughout the night.
Materials
The pillow is made of extra soft GOLS certified organic latex core, giving your neck all the support it needs. Aside from being GOLS certified, the latex used in this organic pillow is FSC Rainforest Alliance certified.
The outer cover is made of organic stretch knit cotton, which helps with breathability and temperature management. Of course, they only use GOTS certified organic cotton, so you can be sure that it’s sourced sustainably.
The organic cotton cover is soft to the touch and gives the pillow a luxurious and plush feel.
Ethics And Community
Naturepedic is dedicated to helping the environment through its business practice. At a fundamental level, they are trying to contribute by ensuring their customers have excellent, eco friendly products that are good for people and the environment.
But on a larger scale, they are committed to protecting the planet by choosing only the most eco-conscious materials and using eco friendly practices.
Naturepedic is also a member of 1% for the planet, which signifies that they donate at least 1% of their annual gross income to environmental causes.
They are also Green America Certified and a member of the American Sustainable Business Council. If you would like to know more about their sustainability efforts, we highly encourage looking at their sustainability report.
Lunara - US
Lunara Sleep is a Colorado-based sleep product company. Their commitment is to make a natural and toxin-free pillow that gives adequate support without compromising comfort.
About The Organic Pillow
Lunara’s flagship product, and the one that started it all, is the Lunara Wellness Pillow. It is an all-natural, adjustable latex pillow made with a 2-inch layer of latex and 2 layers of 1-inch natural latex layers.
This organic pillow is best for side sleepers but can be used by anyone. If you want something with a little less loft, you can easily take out one of the layers through the zipped area. On the flip side, if you need a higher pillow, just add another later (which you can purchase separately).
It has an organic cotton cover, the quilted cover sealed with a zip enclosure for easy access to the layers.
The Wellness Pillow is a bit more expensive than most other organic pillows, but if you’re willing to give them a try, they have a 30-day money-back guarantee. Their focus is truly on improving your sleeping conditions, so this might be the answer to your sleeping discomfort!
Materials
The Lunara Wellness Pillow is primarily made from 100% natural latex and 100% organic cotton.
The latex used in this pillow is not 100% organic, but it is natural. Meaning, no synthetics involved. There will also be no off-gassing of chemicals from this pillow, which is so common in other pillows, even those that advertise no odor at all.
They use latex sourced from Southeast Asia, Africa, or South America.
The cotton is 100% organic, which means it has a bit of a stretch to it. If you want to add an extra layer of latex, the organic cotton cover can easily accommodate one more.
Ethics And Community
The pillow itself is made in Colorado, although the materials are sourced both locally and internationally. The sewing, filling, and finishing all happen in Colorado.
Lunara Sleep also donates a portion of each purchase to Whiz Kids Tutoring, a Denver-based tutoring program for at-risk children in elementary and middle school.
Lifekind
With almost 25 years in business, Lifekind is all about providing its customers with the highest level of transparency. Although they used to be a catalog-only company, they have now transitioned to having an online presence.
About The Organic Pillows
Lifekind has a wide variety of the best organic pillows available. They stock buckwheat pillows made from buckwheat hulls, organic wool pillows, latex pillows, organic cotton pillows, and even down pillows.
To give a bit of variation to our product features, let’s talk about their Buckwheat Pillow, which you can get with or without a wool wrap.
It is a pretty firm pillow that is large enough to be adjusted to your liking. The core of this organic pillow is made from buckwheat hulls, and the outer layer is made of certified organic wool, which provides insulation.
The outer covering is made of organic cotton. If you don’t want a wool pillow, you can also opt for a buckwheat pillow with just the certified organic cotton cover.
Materials
This buckwheat pillow, from its name, is primarily made from buckwheat hulls. Buckwheat hulls are tough shells from buckwheat seeds that are commonly used as filling for upholstery and pillows. They are particularly appreciated as an allergy-free alternative to other raw materials.
Buckwheat hulls also do not retain heat, which makes them good for heat management.
If you are getting the buckwheat pillow with a wool wrap, the type Lifekind uses is certified organic by GOTS and is sourced from New Zealand. This indicates that the sheep were treated well, and the wool itself was minimally processed.
Similarly, the organic cotton used in their products is also GOTS certified organic. Their cotton is not bleached and is never chemically treated, making it an excellent natural fabric for the conscious buyer.
Ethics And Community
All Lifekind products are manufactured in California in their eco-factory. Their average employee retention is around 10 years, which shows their commitment to treating their employees the right way.
In their factory, they exclusively use natural and certified organic materials, ensuring that there is no comingling of synthetics and other potentially harmful components. All products are handmade and to order.
If you’re interested in knowing more about their factory, check out more details here.
Bean Products - US
Passionate about the planet and crazy about comfort, Bean Products has been around since the 1980s. The goal is to create home essentials that are good for the body and environment. They provide their customers with the ultimate comfort using the best and most sustainable materials.
About the Organic Pillow
Bean Products has different kapok-filled pillows in their collection. While most brands only carry two or three sizes, they have eight different options. You can get their Bean Products as a neck roll, toddler pillow, and in different sizes (e.g., king, queen, standard).
This pillow is soft and fluffy while still being firm enough to support your neck and spine. It will not bottom out while you’re using it.
Kapok is a great alternative pillow to own since it has a similar fluff and feel but without any animal components. If you are allergic to down or if you’re vegan, then this pillow should be on your list.
However, if kapok is not your thing, Bean Products has plenty of other options for you. You could opt for an organic shredded latex pillow or a buckwheat pillow. They even have polyester fills that you can use as an alternative pillow, although this wouldn’t be high on our recommendations.
Materials
The pillow filling is 100% made of kapok fibers. As we’ve mentioned earlier, kapok is a great material since it has a relatively low environmental impact—especially when compared to cotton or synthetics.
Harvesting kapok does not require cutting down the trees, nor does it need any pesticides, so there isn’t any unnecessary harm to the environment. To add, kapok is crucial in forest preservation efforts and is highly valuable in rainforest ecology.
The outer covering of the pillow is made of 100% organic cotton.
Ethics And Community
Most of Bean Products’ items are made in the US. However, they do have select products that are made elsewhere. Regardless, their organic pillows are among those produced locally.
Sustainability is the very heart of the company’s operations, and they have been a sustainable provider even before some of us were born!
If you’re looking for wellness and home products to add to your home, we highly recommend looking into this brand.
Choosing The Right Organic Pillow
Choosing the best organic pillow to help you sleep better isn’t an easy task. We all sleep in different positions, and different pillows work for various purposes.
However, by considering the following, you will be much more capable to choose which organic pillow works for you.
Firmness And Support
For a pillow to help you sleep at night, it needs to support your neck and spine.
The best organic pillow for you is one that is firm enough to give you support but also plush enough to keep you comfortable.
A latex pillow that is too firm will likely cause some unwanted pressure while you sleep, while a down pillow that is too soft and plush may give you neck pain due to the lack of support.
Loft And Sleeping Position
Your sleeping position is critical in deciding which is the best pillow to buy.
Side Sleepers
Side sleepers need the most loft or height on their pillow. Because their shoulder blades are the ones in first contact with the mattress, there’s a tendency that the neck will not get enough support, thus causing pain.
The pillow you get has to compensate for the space between your head or neck and the mattress.
Stomach Sleepers
If you’re a stomach sleeper, you’re going to need a flatter pillow. Since you are going to lie down backside up, you don’t want to twist and strain your neck while you’re sleeping.
As such, it’s vital to get a pillow that’s just the right height for your comfort without it pushing your head upward too much.
Back Sleepers
Back sleepers need to watch out for pillows that push their neck too forward. This has the likelihood of straining your neck and even causing posture issues.
The general rule for back sleepers is 4-5inches, although your exact number may vary depending on personal preference.
No Preferred Sleeping Position
There are some people who don’t have a favored sleeping position, and that’s completely okay! If you’re one of those people or if you’re simply unsure of which sleeping position describes you best, the best organic pillow for you is one with an adjustable fill.
A solid latex fill or an adjustable loft may not be the best option for you. What’s important is you can constantly adjust the pillow filling to your preferences.
Just remember, back, and side sleepers will need the most support, while stomach sleepers will need a little less.
Materials
Of course, let’s not forget about what your pillows are made of.
When you buy an organic pillow, it’s a commitment to choosing organic textiles and better production processes. This means letting go of cheap synthetics that may off-gas chemicals, negatively affecting your health.
We highly recommend choosing pillows made from natural and organic fibers. Fillings like natural latex and buckwheat hulls are great options, especially if you’re a vegan.
However, natural fillings like down and wool will also work as long as they are sustainably and ethically sourced. We highlight that they have to be responsibly sourced because animals often go through a lot of abuse in these types of environments.
When choosing organic materials, it’s always good to check for organic certifications.
Look out for ones like the Global Organic Textile Standard or Global Organic Latex Standard. Certifications from the FSC and OEKO TEX are also helpful.
Final Thoughts
That’s it! A solid collection of the best organic pillows for our stomach, back, and side sleepers! Whether you get a latex pillow or a kapok pillow, we hope this list helped improve your night’s rest.
And while you could choose cheap, synthetic pillows, choosing natural and organic is the far better choice. You are not only making a conscious choice for yourself, but you are also making one that’s great for the environment.
Resources:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5449130/
