Slide 2
THE AGR SEAL OF APPROVAL -
A GUIDE YOU CAN RELY ON!

If you are interested in a back-friendly lifestyle, Aktion Gesunder Rücken e. V. is the right organisation for you. Our seal of approval serves as a compass for certified back-friendly products - competently and independently.

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The AGR seal of approval- A guide you can rely on

More than just a label:
Decision-making support when shopping for back-friendly products.
Make sure your investment is good for your back.

What characteristics does a product have

  • to fulfil to provide the spinal column and the locomotor system with optimum support,
  • providing relief and not acting as a burden for the user?

As this is not immediately apparent in most products and as industry and the retail sector also talk lots of rubbish in his respect, the Aktion Gesunder Rücken (AGR) e.V. has developed a decision-making aid for consumers: the AGR seal of approval.

It is awarded only to products whose back-friendly design has been verified by an independent testing committee made up of experts from various medical disciplines. The special and at present probably unique feature of the seal is the medical, multidisciplinary approach to deciding which products receive the AGR seal of approval, without being influenced by industry which is frequently led by its own pure sales interests.

 This approach also convinced the magazine ÖKO-TEST, which awarded it a "very good" rating, as well as the portal "Label-online" of the federal association "Die Verbraucherinitiative e. V.", which rated the seal of quality as "particularly recommendable".

Commodities with a back-friendly design are essential and important aids in both preventing backache and in treating diseases of the locomotor system. But it is not always easy to decide which product is the right one. The seal of approval developed by the AGR together with Germany's two largest back school associations therefore provides valuable assistance for consumers when purchasing ergonomic everyday commodities such as office furniture, car seats, beds, bikes, upholstered furniture, shoes, satchels, furniture for children and youngsters, home workstations etc.

The strict testing criteria and the composition of the committee with designated medical experts means that the AGR seal of approval is well accepted in the medical world. This has been verified also by the results of a major survey on backache conducted among around 1,000 orthopaedic specialists in Germany. 90% of those interviewed said that patient willingness to use back-friendly everyday commodities constitutes a crucial success factor, also with regard to therapy. 71% even said that they preferred to recommend their patients aids that bear the AGR seal of approval. For consumers too, the seal has become established as a clear decision-making aid, signalising: "this is a back-friendly product!"

You will find a comprehensive list of all product segments and complete, helpful information about what to watch for in our back products ABC.

Comments on the seal of approval

Facts about awarding the AGR seal of approval

Prerequisites

If a manufacturer wants to use the quality seal for a product, he must prove the back-friendly benefit in a test.

This test is not carried out by Aktion Gesunder Rücken, but by two medical associations (Forum Gesunder Rücken besser leben e.V. and Bundesverband deutscher Rückenschulen e. V.), which form an independent committee of doctors and therapists.

Only if this committee recognizes that a product can really help to avoid back pain, the seal of approval may be used. The manufacturer must present the mode of action of the product and submit evidence (e.g. in the form of studies).

Application

In order to pass the quality seal test, a manufacturer must first apply to Aktion Gesunder Rücken.

It is needed an informal letter and a completed questionnaire. The Healthy Back Campaign then discusses all further steps with the manufacturer and leads the product to testing.

Contract

In order to be able to use the quality seal, a user contract between the manufacturer and Aktion Gesunder Rücken is necessary.

The most important points are:

  • The manufacturer's obligation to notify the Healthy Back Campaign and the assessment body of any changes to the product that might affect ergonomics. The panel will then decide whether the modified product requires a review.
  • Linking the quality label to scientific findings. If previous medical findings that led to the award of the seal change, the manufacturer must improve the product accordingly or may no longer use the seal.