TheRoundup is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you make a purchase via links on this site, at no cost to you.
All products are reviewed in accordance with our Review Methodology.
Editorial Disclosure: Circadian paid TheRoundup.org an editorial fee for this independent brand review and gifted pillows for testing. Payment and gifting did not guarantee a positive review, and Circadian did not receive final editorial control.
Circadian makes natural, adjustable pillows from organic cotton, organic wool, kapok, buckwheat, and latex, hand-sewn to order in New Jersey.
Most pillows come in one fixed height and are made from foam or polyester, leaving sleepers who want a non-toxic pillow at the right height with very limited choices. But does Circadian solve this problem, and are their pillows worth the money?
Over more than two months, Carl from our testing team and his wife slept on four Circadian pillows at home.
If you're looking for a non-toxic pillow with adjustable fill, this Circadian pillow review helps you decide whether Circadian is right for you.
The best things about Circadian pillows are the adjustable fill, the organic certification on the whole cotton and wool pillows, and the handmade construction. On the downside, Circadian pillows are expensive, and the softer fills need regular fluffing.
Jacob Katz, Circadian's founder, designed every pillow in the range and chose every material himself.
Circadian is a natural pillow brand Jacob Katz started from his apartment after realizing most pillows are made of foam and polyester.
The Circadian range uses five natural fills (organic cotton, organic wool, wild-harvested kapok, buckwheat hulls, and natural latex). The Buckwool Hybrid Pillow combines two fills, buckwheat hulls on one side and organic wool on the other, bringing the Circadian range to six pillows.
Circadian designs its pillows in Washington, DC, and sells them through its own website, circadianrest.com.
Circadian pillows are made in a New Jersey workshop that has been making pillows since 1981. The New Jersey workshop makes each Circadian pillow to order, then fills it by hand and checks it before shipping.
The natural fills in Circadian pillows come from the following places.
We tested three of the six Circadian pillows, filled with cotton, wool, and kapok, plus the latex version of the Circadian Body Pillow.
Carl tested the cotton pillow under his head, and the kapok and latex pillows between his knees.
The Circadian Organic Wool Pillow is a $209 Standard pillow filled with layers of organic New Zealand wool inside an organic cotton sateen cover. The Organic Wool Pillow has the following specifications.
| Feature | Organic Wool Pillow |
|---|---|
| Fill | Organic wool from New Zealand, in layers |
| Cover | Undyed organic cotton sateen |
| Feel | Springy, softer than cotton and firmer than kapok |
| Weight | About 2.8 lb (1.3 kg), Standard size |
| Zipper | Short end, for adding or removing wool |
| Certification | GOTS certified organic, fill and cover |
Carl's wife sleeps on the wool pillow every night, and Carl passed on her overall impression.
My wife took the wool pillow as soon as the box arrived, so I never even got to test it myself. She loves the wool pillow and won't give it back. At first she found it a little too firm, so she opened the side zipper and took out about 20% of the wool.
After that, the loft was perfect for my wife as a front sleeper. She sleeps on the wool pillow without any neck pain, and says it holds its shape well.
I'm sensitive to smells, and I noticed a slight woolly smell in the room for the first few nights. My wife couldn't smell anything. The woolly smell wasn't unpleasant and went away quickly.
My wife says she is never going back to her old pillow, a duck down pillow we got as a wedding present 20 years ago.
Circadian scours the wool gently and leaves the sheep's lanolin oils in the fiber, likely the source of the woolly smell Carl noticed.
The Circadian Organic Cotton Pillow is a $179 Standard pillow filled with long-staple organic cotton from Texas. The tightly packed cotton makes the Organic Cotton Pillow the densest of Circadian's fiber-filled pillows, with the following specifications.
| Feature | Organic Cotton Pillow |
|---|---|
| Fill | Long-staple organic cotton from Texas |
| Fiber length | About 1.25 inches (3.2 cm) |
| Cover | Organic cotton sateen |
| Feel | Firm and plump |
| Weight | About 3.3 lb (1.5 kg), Standard size |
| Zipper | Short end, for adding or removing cotton |
| Certification | GOTS-certified organic, fill and cover |
According to Circadian, long-staple cotton fiber is about a quarter longer than short-staple cotton in most pillows, and longer fibers pack together into a firmer pillow that compresses slowly.
Carl has slept on the cotton pillow every night for over two months and gave us his overall impression.
As a combination side and back sleeper, I was most interested in the cotton pillow, because it's is one of Circadian's more supportive options. I often fall asleep on my back and then roll onto my side, and the cotton pillow supports my head and neck well in both positions.
The cotton pillow arrived generously filled. The loft was perfect for me straight out of the box, so I haven't removed any cotton.
After over two months of nightly use, I've yet to wake up with neck or back pain. The kapok pillow I keep between my knees may play a part in that too.
Our guide to the best organic pillows for neck pain compares firmer, supportive pillows like the cotton pillow.
The Circadian Wild-Harvested Kapok Pillow is a $119 Standard pillow filled with kapok fiber. The light kapok fill makes this pillow the softest of Circadian's six pillows. The Kapok Pillow has the following specifications.
| Feature | Wild-Harvested Kapok Pillow |
|---|---|
| Fill | Wild-harvested kapok from Indonesia |
| Cover | Organic cotton sateen |
| Feel | Soft and fluffy, close to down |
| Weight | About 2.3 lb (1 kg), Standard size |
| Zipper | Short end, for adding or removing kapok |
| Vegan | Yes |
Kapok, the plant fiber in all kapok pillows, grows inside the seed pods of the Ceiba pentandra tree. Circadian's kapok pods ripen and fall naturally, and workers gather them by hand from the forest floor, so the trees are never cut down. Circadian puts the kapok into the pillow in its natural state, unbleached and chemically untreated.
Carl uses the kapok pillow every night and shared his verdict.
The kapok pillow is one of the softest and most luxurious pillows I've ever used. It feels incredibly soft to the touch, with a light, fluffy feel like down. I especially enjoy hugging the kapok pillow while I relax and listen to music before I fall asleep.
Despite the softness, the kapok pillow isn't supportive enough to use as my main head pillow. Instead, it has become an important part of my nightly setup as a knee pillow.
I sometimes get lower back pain, and I've tried, with little success, to find a body pillow I like. With the kapok pillow between my knees, my hips and spine seem to stay more comfortably aligned, and my lower back feels much less stiff when I wake up.
I usually drift off on my back before rolling onto my left side. I now slide the kapok pillow between my knees almost automatically when I turn over. To make it feel firmer between my knees, I added some of the spare latex from the body pillow I tested.
The Circadian Pregnancy Pillow, Adjustable Body Pillow comes in two lengths and four fills. Carl tested the 72-inch (183 cm) Tree-Tapped Latex version for $299. The Circadian Body Pillow has the following specifications.
| Feature | Circadian Body Pillow |
|---|---|
| Fills | Organic cotton, organic wool, wild-harvested kapok or Tree-Tapped Latex |
| Lengths | 20 x 54 inches (51 x 137 cm) or 20 x 72 inches (51 x 183 cm) |
| Cover | Organic cotton sateen |
| Weight | About 14 lb (6.4 kg), 72-inch latex version |
| Zipper | Short end, for adding or removing fill |
Tree-Tapped Latex is shredded Dunlop latex, natural latex poured into a mold from rubber tree sap. Circadian pours the latex slowly into the mold to keep the density even from top to bottom, then shreds it so air can move through the fill.
Carl tested the body pillow between his knees and as a huggable pillow, then summed up his experience.
The body pillow was the one Circadian pillow I was a little disappointed with. I think that was more about my expectations and how I planned to use the body pillow than its quality.
The 72-inch latex body pillow was too big to be practical for me. I found it cumbersome to move around in my sleep, and it takes up a lot of room on the bed during the day. Even after removing about 30 to 40% of the shredded latex, I still found the body pillow awkward to sleep with, although it was comfortable between my knees and nice to hug.
I wasn't testing for pregnancy, but I see why the body pillow appeals to expectant mothers. The length lets you hug the upper section while the lower section sits between your knees to support a growing bump. The adjustable fill may also help, since the support you want may change as your bump grows. The lighter kapok or wool versions may be easier to move around during the night. The wool version may suit you if you get night sweats.
The shorter 54-inch version of the body pillow is likely a better fit for my needs. I'm now very happy with the cotton pillow for my head and the kapok pillow between my knees.
Every Circadian pillow, including the body pillow, adjusts through a zipper on its short end.
To adjust a Circadian pillow, open the zipper and take fill out until your head sits level with your shoulders. Circadian fills every pillow with about 30% more fill than most people keep, and most people remove about a handful.
Circadian gives the following steps for adjusting a pillow.
Circadian recommends the following starting fill levels for each sleeping position.
| Sleeping position | Organic Cotton Pillow | Organic Wool Pillow | Wild-Harvested Kapok Pillow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Side | Full | Full | Full |
| Back | About three-quarters | One layer of wool removed | About three quarters |
| Stomach | About half | A few layers of wool removed | About half |
Each Circadian fill comes out of the pillow differently, as shown in the list below.
A 2021 review of pillow height research found no firm conclusions on the best pillow height for back or side sleeping (Lei et al., 2021). Body measurements did not predict the pillow height people preferred, as one study in the same 2021 review found.
Our testers' results show how much the right amount of fill varies, since Carl kept every bit of cotton in his pillow and his stomach-sleeping wife took about 20% of the wool out.
Loose fills such as cotton, kapok, and shredded latex are among the pillow fill types that let you add or remove filling to change the height and firmness.
The height-setting zipper also lets you top up a Circadian pillow with refill fill as it settles over the years.
Circadian pillows last 2 to 10 years, depending on the fill, according to the brand. Circadian gives the following lifespan and care routine for each fill.
| Fill | Lifespan | Care routine |
|---|---|---|
| Organic cotton | 2 to 4 years | Work the cotton loose by hand once a month and air the pillow in the sun a few times a year |
| Organic wool | 3 to 5 years | Fluff the pillow weekly and air the wool in the sun to bring its height back |
| Kapok | 3 to 5 years | Shake the pillow every morning and push the edges toward the middle |
| Tree-Tapped Latex | Up to 10 years | Keep the latex out of direct sun |
Cotton lasts 2 to 4 years, compared with six to twelve months for a typical synthetic pillow, according to Circadian.
In our testing, the Organic Cotton Pillow flattened slightly within a few days. Hitting the sides of the cotton pillow with both hands each night before settling down fluffs it back up.
Kapok needs more upkeep than denser fills because the light kapok fiber settles toward the pillow's edges and bottom. A quick shake each morning brings back most of the kapok pillow's height, according to Circadian.
The organic cotton cover on every Circadian pillow unzips and can be machine-washed in cold water. The fill stays out of the water because washing mats wool, breaks down latex, and clumps cotton.
Circadian charges the following prices for refill packs of each fill.
| Refill weight | Organic cotton | Organic wool | Kapok |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lb (0.45 kg) | $49 | $59 | $39 |
| 3 lb (1.4 kg) | $89 | $129 | $69 |
| 5 lb (2.3 kg) | $129 | $199 | $89 |
| 10 lb (4.5 kg) | $229 | $359 | $119 |
The cotton and wool that keep a Circadian pillow full for years are also the only fills certified organic in the range.
Yes, Circadian pillows are non-toxic, with natural fills inside an organic cotton cover, although only the cotton and wool pillows are certified organic as whole pillows.
Circadian pillows have the following third-party certifications, listed from strictest to least strict.
Circadian pillows suit people with a feather allergy, but the wool and latex fills are wrong for anyone allergic to wool or latex.
Dust mites take their water from humid air, and active dust mites survive no longer than 6 to 11 days at a relative humidity of 50% or lower (Arlian, 1992). Circadian says the Organic Wool Pillow draws moisture into the wool fiber, which keeps the air at your face too dry for dust mites. According to Circadian, the natural waxy coating on kapok fiber sheds water, so dust mites find no damp air in the kapok fill.
The lanolin and protein in wool can trigger reactions in people with a wool allergy, even in certified organic wool, so Circadian advises people with a wool allergy to avoid the Organic Wool Pillow. The Kapok Pillow has the down-like feel of a feather pillow with a plant fiber inside, which suits sleepers with a feather allergy.
Carl also mentioned that his wife breathes on the wool pillow at night.
My wife has pretty bad asthma, and she wakes up each morning on the wool pillow without any congestion or breathing discomfort.
No, Circadian's wool and kapok pillows sleep cool. The Organic Wool Pillow stays at a comfortable temperature all night for Carl's wife.
Wool absorbs more water vapor than cotton, linen, or silk (Zhou et al., 2007). According to Circadian, the wool in the Organic Wool Pillow can absorb up to 30% of its weight in moisture before it feels damp, and the heat leaves the wool along with the moisture.
Kapok fiber is a hollow tube, with air taking up 80 to 90% of the fiber's volume (Zheng et al., 2014). The air-filled kapok fiber lets little heat from your head soak in, according to Circadian.
Circadian rates the Organic Cotton Pillow at an even temperature, since cotton fiber lets air through.
Cool-sleeping wool costs more than cotton or kapok, and the Organic Wool Pillow is the priciest of the six Circadian pillows in the Standard size.
Circadian pricing depends on each pillow's fill and size.
Circadian pillows cost $79 to $299 for the head pillows we tested and $189 to $469 for the body pillow. The three head pillows we tested cost the following on Circadian's website.
| Size | Organic Cotton Pillow | Organic Wool Pillow | Wild-Harvested Kapok Pillow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel, 12 x 16 inches (30 x 41 cm) | $89 | $99 | $79 |
| Standard, 20 x 26 inches (51 x 66 cm) | $179 | $209 | $119 |
| Queen, 20 x 30 inches (51 x 76 cm) | $199 | $249 | $139 |
| King, 20 x 36 inches (51 x 91 cm) | $239 | $299 | $159 |
The Circadian Body Pillow costs the following for each fill and length.
| Fill | 54 inches (137 cm) | 72 inches (183 cm) |
|---|---|---|
| Wild-harvested kapok | $189 | $249 |
| Tree-Tapped Latex | $239 | $299 |
| Organic cotton | $279 | $369 |
| Organic wool | $319 | $469 |
Circadian takes $25 off every pillow after the first one in an order. Finish the pillow quiz on Circadian's website to get $10 off.
Circadian ships free within the contiguous US, and returns are free during a 60-night sleep trial.
Circadian pillows leave the New Jersey workshop 4 to 7 business days after you order, and body pillows leave in 7 to 12 business days. Delivery takes another 2 to 5 business days, depending on how far you live from New Jersey. Express shipping costs $19 and moves your order to the front of the workshop's queue.
Shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and other US territories costs $25, shipping to Canada costs $39, and shipping to everywhere else costs $69. Circadian says the plastic packaging and everything inside it are recyclable.
To return a pillow within 60 nights, email Circadian for a prepaid return label. Circadian waives restocking fees on returns. Circadian refunds your original payment method within 3 to 5 business days after the pillow arrives at the New Jersey workshop.
You can return refill packs within 60 days, but only if they're unused and in the original packaging. Circadian replaces a damaged or faulty pillow at no cost, without asking for the damaged pillow back.
Yes, Circadian pillows are worth it for sleepers who prefer a natural pillow with adjustable fill and are happy to pay more than a synthetic pillow costs.
Refill packs keep the same Circadian pillow in use for years, and a settled kapok pillow costs from $39 to top up.
The body pillow is the Circadian product to choose carefully, since Carl found the 72-inch latex version too heavy to move around in bed.
If you want a different feel from the pillows we tested, Circadian makes three other pillows, starting at $89.
Other Circadian products include three more pillows, a waterproof pillow protector, and organic cotton bedding. Circadian's three other pillows are the following.
The other three Circadian pillows cost the following by size.
| Size | Buckwheat Pillow | Buckwool Hybrid Pillow | Tree-Tapped Latex Pillow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel | $89 | $99 | $89 |
| Standard | $149 | $199 | $169 |
| Queen | $169 | $219 | $189 |
| King | $199 | $269 | $219 |
The Circadian Waterproof Organic Cotton Pillow Protector keeps sweat and spills out of a pillow's fill and is GREENGUARD Gold certified for low chemical emissions. Our guide to organic pillow protectors compares more waterproof organic cotton covers.
Circadian also sells organic cotton sheets, pillowcases and duvet covers, organic cotton and wool comforters, and a dog bed.
Circadian shows customer star ratings on each product page, including the four pillows we tested.
Customers rate the four Circadian pillows we tested highly, with averages from 4.4 to 4.9 out of 5 stars on the product pages.
| Circadian pillow | Average rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Organic Wool Pillow | 4.9 | 29 |
| Wild-Harvested Kapok Pillow | 4.9 | 40 |
| Organic Cotton Pillow | 4.8 | 56 |
| Body Pillow | 4.4 | 12 |
Circadian customers mostly praise the down-like softness of the kapok fill, the firm support of the cotton fill, and the cool feel of the wool fill. Many customers also like the adjustable zipper, and several mention quick, personal help from Circadian's customer service.
The lowest-rated reviews of the four pillows contain the following complaints.
Our testing matches what Circadian customers report: the body pillow drew complaints from both Carl and some buyers.
Circadian is right for sleepers who want a natural pillow they adjust to their own height, and a poor fit for anyone after a cheap pillow or a pillow that never needs fluffing.
Choose Circadian if:
Choose another pillow if:
After more than two months of testing, Carl still pairs the cotton pillow for his head with the kapok pillow for his knees, and his wife still sleeps on her wool pillow every night.
