About Us

The Backpod® was developed to counteract the back pain and headaches that result from poor posture in our modern lives. Working and spending leisure time on computers and smartphones exacerbate these postural problems.

It all started with a random discussion in 2010 between Steve August, a manual physiotherapist from Dunedin, and Nick Laird, head of the Otago University Design School. Steve August noticed that he was increasingly treating young people who were already struggling with back and neck pain due to their lifestyle. Nick Laird then talked to Andrew Wallace, an industrial design lecturer with over 25 years of professional experience and winner of several international design awards.

The three of them decided to develop something to counteract the pain problem. Thus the Backpod® was developed by Andrew Wallace, according to the therapeutic requirements of Steve August. The Backpod® was to be an effective, profound stretching and self-mobilization tool.

The rest is history - and a lot of hard work!

The Backpod® is manufactured in Christchurch, New Zealand. The first Backpod® in its current form was produced in 2012 and is now distributed in many countries around the world.

Since its introduction, the Backpod® has won numerous international business, innovation and design awards, including the German Red Dot award in 2013. In 2015, it was honored with the German Design Award.

We are very proud to have been able to help so many people around the world.