FAQ

A kapok pillow uses the soft fiber surrounding the seeds inside kapok tree pods. MAREA uses 100% kapok fill, with no foam blended into it, inside a zippered GOTS certified organic cotton sateen shell. Some pillows marketed as kapok pillows are mostly latex or memory foam with a little kapok mixed in; ours is kapok only. The fiber itself is hollow; a 2021 review in Oriental Journal of Chemistry reports a measured porosity of about 77 percent, which is why a kapok pillow is so light. Learn about kapok.

Kapok gives you a soft, light, moldable plant fiber fill that you can shape by hand, and our hidden zipper lets you set the height yourself by removing or adding fiber. A quick fluff now and then keeps it lofty, and the zip off cover takes care of the washing.

The fill is 100% wild harvested kapok. No latex, memory foam, polyester fiber or down is blended in.

Our kapok is gathered from wild ceiba trees in Indonesia rather than farmed. What wild harvested means.

Both cotton layers of the pillow. The shell around every MAREA pillow and our zip off pillow cover are made from the same organic cotton sateen, and both are GOTS certified. Certified by Oregon Tilth, license GOTS-10229. For the pillow cover: this product has been manufactured in accordance with GOTS. Our sheet set and duvet insert, coming soon, use GOTS certified organic cotton sateen under the same license. GOTS covers the organic fiber content, the processing chemicals allowed and the chain of custody; the standard is published at global-standards.org, and you can look the license up in the GOTS certified suppliers database. The kapok fill inside is 100% wild harvested. What GOTS means.

MAREA pillows are designed in Hawaii and handcrafted in the USA. Our kapok is wild harvested fiber from Indonesia.

Yes. The kapok fill is a plant fiber, and the shell is cotton. There is no down, feather or wool in the fill.

Our kapok is gathered from wild trees rather than farmed, from the seed pods the trees produce on their own. And because a MAREA pillow is adjustable and refillable, you can top it off with fresh kapok instead of replacing the whole pillow. Read more on whether kapok is sustainable.

Kapok is a plant fiber you can shape by hand. Down comes from birds, and memory foam is a manufactured polyurethane foam. A MAREA pillow gives you kapok's soft, light feel plus a zipper, so you set the height instead of living with a fixed one. Kapok vs down. Kapok vs memory foam.

Kapok fiber is mostly air (about 77 percent by one measurement), and the fill stays loose, so it doesn't hold heat against your head the way dense memory foam can. The Sleep Foundation describes memory foam as notorious for trapping heat. Do kapok pillows sleep hot?

Our fill is 100% kapok, a plant fiber, with no down, feathers, latex or foam blended in. Pair it with the zip off cotton cover and wash the cover often. If allergies are a concern, our kapok and allergies guide covers what to know.

No. The fill is 100% kapok and the shell is cotton. If you have a severe latex allergy, contact us before ordering and we will answer any questions.

Open the hidden zipper over the bed or an open box. Remove or add small clumps, close the zipper with the fabric clear of the teeth, and fluff to spread the fill. Change a little at a time, then try the pillow in your normal sleep position.

Standard is 20 × 26 inches, Queen 20 × 30, King 20 × 36 and the Body Pillow 20 × 54. Size sets width and length; you set the height with the fill.

Choose the length that fits your bed and how much room you like. Most sleepers on a queen bed choose the Queen, and a king bed looks best with two Kings. Then set the height by adjusting the fill.

Yes, and it's what MAREA was built around. Side sleepers need the most height, and an adjustable kapok pillow lets you match the fill to your shoulder width. It ships full, so most side sleepers keep most of it. Side sleeper guide.

Yes. Take out a few handfuls so your head rests level rather than tipped forward. Back sleeper guide.

Yes. Stomach sleepers usually want the lowest pillow, so take out more fill until your head sits low, and keep the extra for later. Stomach sleeper guide.

Set a height that feels good in the positions you actually use, and keep the fill you remove so you can fine tune it. Because kapok is loose, you can also push a little more fill to one side.

Yes. It ships full, which suits broad shoulders, and you can add refill kapok if you want even more height.

Both, depending on how full you keep it. Loose kapok has a soft, moldable feel; more fill makes the pillow fuller and firmer, less gives it a lower, softer profile.

Like any loose fill, kapok settles with use. Fluff it to bring the loft back, and add a little fresh fill whenever you want more height.

Whenever it feels uneven. A shake and a quick reshape by hand is all it takes.

Because the fill is loose and refillable, you can keep a MAREA pillow going by topping it off instead of replacing it. When to refill or replace a pillow.

Hug it, rest your top knee on it, or tuck it behind your back. Because the fill is loose, you can push more kapok toward whichever end needs it. Body pillow guide.

No. Keep the filled pillow dry and spot clean the shell if needed. The zip off outer cover is the layer that goes in the washing machine. See complete care instructions.

Remove it from the pillow, zip it closed and machine wash cold on a gentle cycle. Tumble dry low or line dry, and follow the care label. The cover is sold separately.

The pillow comes in its organic cotton sateen shell, with the hidden zipper for adjusting kapok. The removable cotton sateen outer cover is sold separately, or you can use a pillowcase in the right size.

The shell holds the fill. A removable cover or pillowcase is the washable layer over it. A protector is an extra layer some people add for spills. Compare the layers.

Cold, on a gentle cycle, as the care label says. Keep the filled pillow out of the washer.

Yes. A few hours in the sun on a dry day is a great way to freshen it up. Keep it dry, and let the washable cover handle regular cleaning.

Stop using it while it's damp and contact us. We'll help you sort it out.

There's no foam in it, so there's no foam smell to air out. Kapok is a natural plant fiber and can have a light natural scent when new; airing it in a dry, ventilated space takes care of that. If anything seems off, contact us.

Our covers are made for our sizes: Standard 20 × 26, Queen 20 × 30, King 20 × 36 and Body 20 × 54 inches. A pillow with the same dimensions will fit.

A matched cover sits smoothly over the pillow without squeezing the fill, which is why we make one for each size.

Like other natural fibers, kapok can burn, so keep it and all bedding away from flames, sparks and smoking materials, and don't use heat to dry or sterilize the fill. Kapok and fire safety.

Each MAREA refill bag holds 3 lb of loose kapok. Add small handfuls until the loft feels right, then keep the rest dry and sealed for later. One bag goes a long way.

Yes. Store clean, dry fill in a sealed bag, away from moisture and heat, and add it back whenever you want more height.

If it has a zipper and is made to be refilled, yes. Adding kapok to a different fill creates a blend, so the feel will change.

Work slowly over the bed or an open box, away from fans. Move small clumps rather than loose pinches, and keep the zipper closed when you're done.

Fresh kapok brings back loft and fullness. If the shell itself is damaged, contact us.

Sleep on your pillow for up to 100 days from delivery. If it isn't right for you, or you'd like a different size, contact us. We'll send a prepaid US return label, used pillows included, and refund the full price of your pillow. Read the full return policy.

Covers can be returned within 100 days of delivery if unopened, unused, unwashed and in the original packaging. See return details.

Refill is packed to order and is final sale. If a bag arrives damaged or isn't what you ordered, contact us and we'll make it right. See return details.

Shipping to the 48 contiguous states and Washington, DC is free on orders of $80 or more and $8 below $80. Alaska, Hawaii and US territories use the carrier rate shown at checkout. Read the shipping policy.

Orders ship from the USA, usually within 1 to 2 business days, and tracking is emailed when your order is on its way.

Pillows are $129 Standard, $149 Queen, $169 King and $209 Body, before any applicable tax. The outer cover is sold separately.

Use our contact page for material, care or order questions. For order help, include your order number.

Buying two or more pillows takes 15% off the pillows, and adding a cover or refill to a pillow order takes 15% off those. Both apply automatically at checkout, no code needed.

Our organic cotton sateen sheet set and organic cotton duvet insert are coming soon in Twin, Queen and King. Join the launch list on either product page, or explore the bedding collection.

The sheet set machine washes cold on a gentle cycle and dries on low or on a line; the full routine is here. The cotton duvet insert is spot clean only, with a washable duvet cover, sold separately, doing the regular washing.

Sheet sets and duvet inserts can be returned within 100 days of delivery if unused, unwashed and in their original packaging, with a prepaid US label. Original shipping charges are not refundable. See the return details.