![microbead squish pillow microbead squish pillow](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/GRwAAOSwBPZfvF5z/s-l400.jpg)
It felt lighter than traditional pillow fill types like down or even polyester. I opened the box and found an 18×12″ kidney bean-shaped pillow tucked in a plastic bag along with wrinkled xeroxed instructions. I assumed the microbeads would be heavier, like hard plastic. I actually wasn’t too sure what to expect until it arrived on my doorstep. Sleep well! Microbead Pillow Initial Impressions Lightweight
![microbead squish pillow microbead squish pillow](https://www.deluxecomfort.com/main_images18/MBR-mini-PCamo-01.PT01.jpg)
This microbead pillow’s sinister and foreboding silhouette is complimented with a heart of evil “air beads” that will destroy the earth for your children. Thus, microbead pillows are usually marketed using consumer-friendly names like “cloud pillow,” or “air bead pillow.” That sounds better! It is increasingly abundant as a form of litter in the outdoor environment, particularly along shores and waterways, especially in its foam form, and also in increasing quantities in the Pacific Ocean.” – Wikipedia “Polystyrene (microbeads) is very slow to biodegrade and is therefore a focus of controversy among environmentalists. Look at the image at the top of the page. It’s pretty hard to argue that a handful of that is anything but bad for the environment! It’s pretty yucky stuff that will sit in a landfill for hundreds of years.
![microbead squish pillow microbead squish pillow](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31RhQeUA3ML._SL500_.jpg)
Granted, the type of microbeads used in shampoos and toothpastes are a different type and obviously used for different purposes, but the negative connotation remains. They have been revealed to pose a serious danger to our environment. In fact, President Obama signed a bill that outlaws selling and distributing these products. Why do they avoid the term microbead? It’s most likely because the microbeads used in personal care products have have a less-than-stellar reputation. I suspect that many consumers of microbead pillows aren’t sure what their products are actually filled with. It turns out that most microbead pillow manufacturers don’t overtly employ the technical and often negatively perceived term, “microbead” in their marketing materials. You could call microbeads a synthetic alternative to buckwheat hulls, but it’s a bit deceptive to use the term “sobakawa” to describe a microbead product that contains no buckwheat. The space between the pieces of fill promote airflow, which keeps your head cool at night.
![microbead squish pillow microbead squish pillow](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/EcEAAOSwx3VeMFaX/s-l300.jpg)
You can shift the pillow’s fill to conform to the shape of your head and neck providing even and comfortable support. These tiny pieces work together allowing your pillow to be: Buckwheat hulls and microbeads are similar in that the individual pieces of filling are each approximately 3-4 mm in diameter. I went shopping online and noticed that some of the popular microbead pillows used the term “sobakawa,” which is japanese for “buckwheat,” in in their product descriptions.īuckwheat hulls (the hard outer shells that protect the buckwheat plant’s seeds) have been used as pillow filling for hundreds of years. I started a buckwheat pillow company a few years ago (go ahead, click the link up in the upper-left corner), so I couldn’t resist ordering one of these things to see what the hell it was. The pillow that flashed on screen was apparently filled with microbeads. “A pillow 300 years in the making, based on the traditional Asian buckwheat pillow.” Recently I overheard an exceedingly optimistic narrator on television say: A handful of clouds… err… microbeads Have you seen those late-night microbead pillow informercials?