production manager moonbird

Behind the scenes: how is moonbird made?

Written by: Stefanie Broes

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Time to read 4 min

Moonbird is the world's first breathing tool that fits in the palm of your hand. Where does the moonbird come from and how is this handsome little bird that helps you calm down, relax, and sleep made?

A 100% Belgian product 

Moonbird is the brainchild of Stefanie and Michael Broes, a brother and sister duo from Belgium. They successfully launched moonbird in 2019 after they noticed more and more people in their immediate environment struggling with stress, anxiety, and sleeping problems. These people were often prescribed breathing exercises by their psychologist or physiotherapist because of the proven positive effect, but it seemed to be difficult to actually practice breathing on a regular basis. This is how the idea for moonbird was born, as a tool to make breathing exercises easy, effective, and more intuitive. Read more about moonbird’s history in this article.


Moonbird has already helped thousands of people to relax, de-stress and sleep. But their mission goes beyond this. Lots of people worldwide are struggling with their mental health which requires more awareness and attention.


And while moonbird spreads its wings all over the world, the product is still 100% Belgian, from idea to production. Did you know that all moonbirds are made on Belgian soil? Piece by piece, bird by bird? Production Manager Gilles Grosemans oversees this precise process day in and day out, doing everything he can to ensure the perfect functioning moonbird. Here he explains what this process looks like.

A smart tool that breathes in your hand, how do you create something like that? 

Gilles: “Moonbird works easily, but is still a fairly complex device to make. It consists of many different parts that are brought together at Assemblics, our production facility in Harelbeke, Belgium, and assembled with great care and attention into the moonbird as you know it.


Before all parts come together, they are carefully tested, every part individually. Is everything working as it should? Moonbird is made step by step, by a team of specialists who each oversee a specific part of the device, such as the sensor, the silicone sleeve, or the motor. We always work together in close collaboration. Where many hardware companies completely outsource their production process, we stay as close to it as possible.”

moonbird production

Why is moonbird so close to the production process? 

“Our philosophy is to always create the best possible moonbird. This is an endless process in which we are constantly on the lookout for feedback from our users. We know we can always do better and we strive - as much as possible - for the ideal moonbird that meets everyone's needs and expectations.


That is why we organize our production process ourselves, in close collaboration with our team in the Assemblies production facility. We have short lines of contact and a high level of flexibility. When we receive feedback from our users, we want to understand where it's coming from and find out if there's a fix for it.


We might be the ones that figure out how moonbird should work optimally, but in the end, it’s our users who breathe with our device on a daily basis. Their feedback is invaluable to us. That is why we ensure a seamless connection between our customer support and production team.”

How did you do this at the start of moonbird, when there was no production team yet? 

“In the beginning, all moonbirds were handmade in the attic of Michael and Stefanie’s (moonbird’s co-founders) childhood home. Here, the very first moonbird was born, with a lot of love, and the accompanying 'blood, sweat and tears’.


Michael worked out all facets of moonbird and its production process down to the smallest detail. We certainly faced some challenges along the way. But we’ve always remained positive and were sure to find working solutions.


Michael still carefully oversees the entire production process. Better than anyone he knows how the tool works and what it takes to create one (or thousands of) moonbird(s), he’s been there from the very beginning. This way, we always aim for the most efficient process and the best working moonbird for everyone.”

moonbird burssels

What has been the greatest challenge until now? 

“The delivery time is something that required a lot of attention from us. Until recently we have always produced in batches, a certain number of moonbirds at once. They were sent to their new owners as soon as they were ready. As a result, moonbird's delivery time was sometimes a bit longer than we would have liked.


Fortunately, this process is under control now. We can in fact deliver directly from stock and, depending on where you live, deliver to your home in only a few days. This is a major milestone for us and we’re very happy with this accomplishment.”

It keeps being a continuous process. When are you fully satisfied? 

“Our mission is to help as many people as we can, worldwide, to relax, calm down and sleep. We do this by developing the best working moonbird, and by giving people the best possible experience with the device. To achieve our mission, it’s a matter of continuously listening, caring and optimizing.


Every day we are looking for ways to produce more efficiently, deliver an even better product, and save time so that the moonbirds can fly your way as soon as possible. Every improvement to the moonbird device itself, as well as to the experience people have with it, makes me happy. Working for moonbird is a joy in itself. Because within the company, we’re all working towards a greater purpose: to help people find more calmth, health and joy in their lives.”



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