An Alternative to Bird Feather Pillows.

The Kapok Pillow is made from the seedpod fibres of the oldest and tallest tree in the rainforest called the Kapok or Ceiba tree. It is an alternative to pillows made with down and feathers. "Our kapok is a pure natural product," says Corie Laraya-Coutts, director of Desalon International Inc., Orton, Ont. "It is used in its natural form and not mixed with other fill materials such as feathers. Because of the Avian Influenza bird flu) scare, retailers and consumers have expressed concern so I have to stress that although we have the luxury of down feel, we don't use down."

Kapok is a soft lustrous cotton-like substance found in the pods of the tree, and using kapok this way helps to maintain the vanishing ecosystem in the rainforest. The pods are harvested by hand; then the fluffy fibre is separated from the seeds and cleaned and dried. Pillows made with kapok are hypoallergenic - because they are all natural and breathe. Also, kapok doesn't circulate water well (because of its fibre design), and that makes the pillow more resistant to mould and bacteria. For most people, the kapok fibre minimizes the potential of allergic reactions. (But it is a natural material and may cause an allergic reaction in some people.)