Our Story

Our son was just four years old when he was diagnosed with Klippel-Feil Syndrome (KFS) a rare condition where bones in the neck are fused from birth. It affects only a tiny number of people, with approximately 100 known cases in New Zealand.

Suddenly, we were parents trying to understand a condition we had never heard of.

And there was no handbook.

Over the years, our son's journey has included scoliosis, torticollis, restricted neck movement, chronic pain, hearing loss, countless appointments and a lot of learning as we tried to navigate a health system where expertise in his condition was incredibly limited.

Then, in July 2024, everything changed.

He suffered a stress fracture in his neck.

As his mum, it terrified me. It also sent me down an even deeper rabbit hole.

I researched relentlessly, particularly overseas, where there was more information available about KFS, spinal health, positioning, sleep and ways we could better support his body day to day.

One of the things I became increasingly interested in was how he was positioned for the night. Sleep was currently non existent with his neck fracture. He was begging to sleep upright on the couch with approximately 5 hours of painful, interrupted sleep.

We eventually found an orthopaedic pillow design overseas and the ergonomics and science behind it made total sense. Our lives changed after asking the manufacturer to send me one for my son.

He slept.

Really slept.

For our family, that mattered enormously.

I started talking about it. Friends wanted one. Then friends of friends wanted one. People with sore necks, headaches, stiff shoulders and years of pillow frustration started asking where they could get one too.

Somewhere along the way I thought:

Maybe I could turn this into a little business.

My goal?

Three pillows a day.

I genuinely thought if I could sell three pillows a day, I would have made it.

Turns out, New Zealand had other plans.

Neck’s Best Thing grew faster than I could ever have imagined.

Today, more than 10,000 Kiwis have chosen our pillow, and what started around our family has grown into something much bigger.

We've become a corporate partner of the New Zealand Chiropractors' Association, our products are stocked and recommended by health professionals around the country, and we've been incredibly proud to see our pillows supporting professional rugby players and teams.

We've also had opportunities that mean even more to us — including supporting the New Zealand Deaf Rugby team with travel pillows and using this business to give back to organisations and communities close to our hearts, particularly those supporting people living with rare disorders.

None of that was part of the original business plan.

To be fair, there wasn't much of a business plan.

There was a mum, a laptop, a lot of research and three pillows a day.

I'm Aisha, wife to Dave, mum to four boys, and the founder of Neck’s Best Thing.

Before this, I worked as a pharmacy technician. I'm not a doctor, chiropractor or physiotherapist, and I'll never pretend to be.

What I am is a mum who has spent years learning, researching, asking questions and advocating for her child.

That experience shaped the way I wanted to build this business.

We believe in being transparent about what our products can and cannot do. We believe in listening to our customers. We believe good sleep matters. And when something is outside our scope, we'll always encourage you to speak to the right health professional.

Because Neck’s Best Thing isn't about promising miracle cures.

It's about support, positioning, comfort and giving your body the best opportunity to properly rest.

What began as our search to help one little boy has now reached thousands of homes across New Zealand.

We've built partnerships we never dreamed we'd have, supported causes we genuinely care about, grown a network of health professionals and stockists, and created a community of people who care about their sleep and spinal health.

But behind all of that, we're still us.

A Kiwi family with four boys, a very busy household, a mum who probably researches things far too extensively, and a business that started because we wanted to help our son.

Our son will always be the reason Neck’s Best Thing exists.

And every time another person tells us they're sleeping better, waking more comfortably or finally feel like they've found the right pillow, it reminds us just how far that little idea has travelled.

From one child.

To three pillows a day.

To more than 10,000 pillows and counting.

Welcome to Neck’s Best Thing.

Born from our family's story. Built to support yours.

This photo of us is a few years old must be time for an update :)