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Therabody CryoTherm Palm Caddy
Designed for ergonomics, brand recognition, and meeting the moment
Therabody
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ClientTherabody
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IndustrySports and fitness
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ServicesIndustrial Design
The Opportunity
Keeping it cool at the World Cup
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approached, Therabody identified an opportunity to bring its CryoTherm Palm cooling technology directly onto the pitch during scheduled hydration breaks. The goal was to support athlete recovery in extreme summer conditions while creating a highly visible brand presence on one of the world’s biggest sporting stages.
Unlike a traditional consumer product launch, success would not be measured in units sold. The objective was to create a memorable and ownable experience that connected Therabody with elite athletic performance in front of players, broadcasters, and fans around the world.
With a fixed event deadline and a production run of twenty units, the project demanded an accelerated approach to design, engineering, and manufacturing.
Our process
Accelerated development
Working as an integrated industrial design and engineering team, we rapidly aligned around the core requirements: the system must securely organize six cooling devices, support quick deployments during heat breaks, remain lightweight for ease of carrying, and withstand repeated use. All while maintaining the Therabody brand identity.
Through rapid concept generation, prototyping, and engineering studies, the team evaluated a wide range of solutions against both operational and brand objectives. This iterative process allowed us to quickly identify promising directions and focus development effort where it would have the greatest impact.
Designed for the camera
We often describe products as being designed for the hand. In this case, the product also needed to be designed for the camera. Since it would be carried directly onto the pitch during globally broadcast matches, visibility became a key design requirement. The product needed to be recognizable from over 100 feet away even without branding, creating a distinctive silhouette.
A key breakthrough came from rethinking how the cooling devices were supported within the structure. Through prototyping and testing, we found that by supporting each device at the neck there is secure retention while maintaining immediate access during use. This also allows for the caddy to keep a minimal profile and emphasize the CryoTherm Palms themselves.
The approach reduced the amount of supporting structure required and allowed the products to appear suspended within the system, creating a lighter, more architectural expression and a visual signature that felt uniquely Therabody.
Engineering for low-volume production
The engineering challenge was to deliver maximum performance with minimal complexity.
With only twenty units required, traditional high-volume manufacturing approaches were impractical. Instead, the design and engineering teams worked closely together to develop a construction strategy tailored specifically to low-volume production, ensuring a premium level of finish without unnecessary tooling or complexity.
Throughout development, industrial design and engineering evolved in parallel, allowing form, structure, and manufacturing requirements to inform one another from the outset.
The impact
On the pitch
The final product transforms a functional piece of equipment into a visible extension of the Therabody brand. By combining performance, ergonomics, and visual identity within an accelerated development timeline, the project demonstrates how design and engineering can create meaningful impact far beyond manufacturing scale.
Although only twenty units were produced, the product was designed for one of the world’s largest audiences, proving that even small-batch products can play a significant role in shaping brand perception when deployed in the right context.