A studio note · 2026
A studio that makes fewer, slower, better recovery instruments.
A short history
The body keeps a ledger. So we keep a workshop.
Est. 2018
Nice Body Work began in late 2018, when our co-founder — a sports physiotherapist of fourteen years — became frustrated with the gap between the percussion devices she could prescribe to her clinic clients (heavy, expensive, only sold to professionals) and what was available at the local mall (loud, underpowered, marketed as gifts).
The studio's first release, Aether/01, was a deliberate attempt to close that gap: clinical specifications, domestic price, and a build quality designed to be repaired rather than replaced. Three years later, that single instrument has been joined by thirteen more — each developed alongside practising clinicians, each tested in our own studio for a minimum of six months before release.
We do not move quickly, and we do not aspire to. Our catalogue is small on purpose. Our suppliers are few on purpose. The instruments we make are designed to outlast their owners' interest in them.
Index — Operating principles
Five things
we believe.
Specifications, not adjectives.
Every instrument lists stall force, amplitude, frequency, and decibel level. We don't say "powerful". We say 27 kg.
Designed with clinicians.
Every release passes through a six-month trial with practising physiotherapists before it ships.
Repair before replacement.
Every device can be opened with a standard hex key. Spare parts are kept for the device's full service life.
No annual upgrade cycle.
We release two new instruments a year. Existing models are revised quietly, never replaced loudly.
Quiet, in every sense.
Sound profile under 45 dB. Visual design that disappears into a home. Marketing that doesn't shout.
Read the full studio charter.
A 12-page document on how we choose suppliers, set prices, and decide what to make next.
Index — A short history
Eight years,
fourteen instruments.
- 2018
The studio is founded.
Three people, one loft in Bushwick, Brooklyn, eighteen months of prototyping before any product ships.
- 2019
Aether/01 ships.
The first percussion instrument. Sells out twice in the first quarter; the studio doubles its production lead time deliberately.
- 2021
The catalogue reaches eight.
Cervix/02, Sole/03, Vacua/06 join. The studio opens a small repair workshop in Los Angeles.
- 2022
West Coast fulfilment.
National orders move to a partner facility in Austin, TX; studio retains all design and service.
- 2024
The clinical board.
Five practising physiotherapists join as paid advisors. Every release passes their trial.
- 2026
Aether/01 second revision.
Quieter motor, longer battery, same form factor. Owners of v1 receive a 60% trade-in credit.
Index — Studio
Six people,
one workshop.
Sarah Patel
Co-founder, Clinical lead
Sports physiotherapist of fourteen years. Leads all clinical trials and instrument protocols.
Marcus Halliday
Co-founder, Industrial design
Mechanical engineering background. Responsible for every instrument's form, weight, and materials.
Marcus Chen
Mechanical engineering
Runs the Los Angeles workshop. Oversees manufacturing tolerances and repair quality.
Jordan Okafor
Service & operations
Manages fulfilment, warranty cases, and the customer-facing service team across two time zones.