We’re changing the shape of back support

Founder Martin Rooke was a twenty-something undergraduate of osteopathy who, like most, largely associated back pain with bending and lifting. But it took three days of severe back pain before Martin could straighten up after stepping out of that Mini, and so, he got creative. He ripped off the car seat cover, added padding to fit him perfectly, and never had back pain driving again.

The experience piqued his interest in helping others struggling with driving-induced discomfort, but he struggled to find off-the-shelf lumbar supports that would work for varied and ever-evolving car seats, and the different bodies that needed to fit them. So then, he got curious.

Martin couldn’t refit every patient’s car seat in the way he’d fixed his own — but he envisioned a device that could. What if there was a way to make a device adaptable to the unique curvature of every spine?

Using interlocking foam technology, he created a slim yet strong support that would precisely morph to the shape of an individual’s back. In 2007, he teamed up with industrial designer Jenny Keate, who refined his prototype. The pair put the concept to the test during a 9-month trial; participants from this pilot study indicated that Morfit was more effective in reducing their pain than pain killers. With fewer than 10% of Morfits ever returned, we know it works.

Since then, Morfit has become a professionally-endorsed, registered medical device, recommended by health professionals and loved by thousands of relieved drivers who no longer dread getting behind the wheel.

Whether for work, lifestyle or leisure, most of us are dependent on a vehicle. The better we can support our body with optimal posture, the more ease and enjoyment we can experience in everything we do — and that includes everyday tasks like simply getting from A to B.

With the aim of making life easier, we’re continuing to explore and refine ways to help more people live free from pain, restriction and joint fatigue, with products that actually ‘fit’ uniquely to you.

Since then, Morfit has become a professionally-endorsed, registered medical device, recommended by health professionals and loved by thousands of relieved drivers who no longer dread getting behind the wheel.