Reformer Pilates Is Everywhere in 2026. Is a Home Reformer Worth It Yet?

Reformer Pilates, done on a sliding carriage with spring resistance, used to live mostly in boutique studios. In 2026 it turned up nearly everywhere else: in budget gym chains, in commercial equipment catalogs and in the plans of connected-fitness companies. The shopping question that follows is whether it makes sense to put one at home.

The demand data is strong. The studio economics are softer than the headlines suggest. Here is what both say for someone weighing a home reformer against a class membership.

Trend Signal

80/100 Strong momentum

1. Emerging
2. Rising
3. Mainstream
4. Peaking
5. Cooling

Reformers spreading from studios to gyms and homes

Garmin users logged 46% more Pilates activities in 2025 than in 2024, and between June and September 2026 Crunch, EoS, Echelon, Technogym and Peloton all announced, launched or bought into reformer Pilates.

Our editorial reading of the cited data, not a forecast. How it is scored

By the numbers

• +46%Growth in Pilates activities logged by Garmin users, 2025 vs 2024Garmin
• +48%Rise in engagement with Peloton’s Pilates classes, fiscal Q3 2026, per PelotonPeloton via Athletech News
• 1,414Operational Club Pilates studios worldwide as of December 31, 2025Xponential Fitness 10-K (SEC)
• 6.8%Xponential North America same-store sales, April to June 2026, across its brandsXponential Fitness (SEC)

The demand data behind the reformer boom

Garmin’s 2025 Connect data report found Pilates activities up 46% from 2024, behind only racket sports and alongside HIIT at 45%, while total activities recorded by Garmin users rose 8%. That is activity logged on a wrist, not survey intent, which makes it one of the harder signals in the category.

Professional surveys point the same way. The American College of Sports Medicine’s 2026 trends report, based on responses from 2,000 clinicians, researchers and exercise professionals, ranked balance, flow and core strength fifth, and its expert commentary tied the category to the growing popularity of Pilates and barre. Peloton, citing a 2025 Sports & Fitness Industry Association report, called Pilates the fastest-growing form of fitness in the US, according to a Bloomberg report carried by Athletech News.

Studios built the base. Xponential Fitness says Club Pilates, the largest Pilates brand by number of studios, had 1,414 operational studios and 1,996 licenses sold worldwide at the end of 2025, with classes built on Joseph Pilates’ reformer-based method.

Pilates growth shows up in wearable logs, not just in surveys, which is why equipment makers are moving.

Gyms and equipment makers move in

The biggest change in 2026 is who sells reformer classes. Crunch Fitness said in June 2026 that its new Crunch Reform Pilates studios would open inside 20 clubs across eight states in July, and Athletech News reported ClassPass data showing Pilates leading reservations in every region. EoS Fitness said the same month that it would add reformer classes that summer at pilot gyms in Las Vegas, Tempe and Houston for members on tiers priced from $24.99 to $29.99 a month, joining Vasa Fitness and Crunch among lower-priced chains moving into reformers.

Equipment makers followed. Echelon launched its Meridian Reformer Commercial Series in June 2026 for gyms, studios, hospitality and multifamily buildings, with an optional 24-inch connected display and a foldable frame on transport wheels. Technogym brought its Reform reformer to the US in September 2026, selling it for homes, hotels, residential developments and clubs, and Athletech News named Balanced Body, Merrithew, iFIT/NordicTrack and Your Reformer as competitors.

Connected fitness wants in too. Peloton completed the acquisition of Skōp, which it calls an early innovator in connected Pilates, and Peloton said in June 2026 that engagement with its Pilates classes had risen 48% year over year, according to the Bloomberg report carried by Athletech News. CEO Peter Stern called Pilates a category ripe for the same kind of experiential reinvention Peloton brought to cardio.

What a home reformer replaces, and what it does not

A home reformer replaces the equipment, not the teaching. Club Pilates runs a 500-hour teacher training program covering mat, reformer, jumpboard, springboard, chair and other apparatus, according to Xponential’s annual report. Classes lean on that instruction for spring settings, setup and form, which is harder to get from a video.

The cost comparison depends on where you would otherwise go. A gym tier that includes reformer classes at $24.99 to $29.99 a month, as EoS announced for its pilot gyms, adds up to about $300 to $360 a year by our arithmetic. A home machine has to beat that over several years to pay off, before counting the floor space it takes.

A home machine makes more sense for people who already know the method, for households with more than one user, and for anyone far from a studio or gym that offers classes. Before buying, check these on the listing:

• Folded size and the floor length needed with the carriage fully extended
• Number of springs and whether resistance levels are marked
• User weight limit and the height range the footbar and straps suit
• Whether a jumpboard, box or app content is included or sold separately

Counter-signal: studio economics are softening

Demand for the workout is not the same as demand for boutique memberships. Xponential, which owns Club Pilates along with StretchLab, YogaSix, Pure Barre and BFT, reported that North America same-store sales fell 6.8% in the April to June 2026 quarter, after 2.4% growth a year earlier, and quarterly run-rate average unit volume slipped to $659,000 from $686,000. Those figures cover all of its brands, not Club Pilates alone.

Xponential also said equipment revenue fell 26% because of fewer global equipment installations, driven by fewer studio openings and lower franchise license sales. In our read, the class format is spreading into cheaper gym memberships and into homes while the premium studio model slows.

Who should buy a home reformer now

Buy now if you take reformer classes regularly, know your spring settings and have a dedicated room or a wall where a folded machine can live. The wave of launches from Technogym, Echelon and Peloton points to more choice ahead, but none of the announcements covered here included a home price.

Wait if you are new to Pilates. A few months of gym or studio classes will show whether you use a reformer enough to justify one, and mat-based work needs only a mat, a ring and a bar kit. Also watch for Peloton’s first Pilates hardware after the Skōp deal; the company said when it announced the acquisition that it had no product news to share.

What to watch next

• Whether Peloton launches Pilates hardware built on the Skōp acquisition, and at what price
• Xponential’s next quarterly same-store sales, a read on whether boutique Pilates demand is slowing
• How many more big-box gym chains add reformer classes to standard membership tiers

Where to start

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More: Fitness and Training trends and how the Trend Signal is scored.

Questions readers ask

Is a home Pilates reformer worth it?

It can be if you already take reformer classes and have the space. A gym tier with reformer classes at $24.99 to $29.99 a month, as EoS announced for pilot gyms, costs about $300 to $360 a year by our arithmetic, so a home machine pays off only over several years of regular use.

Why is reformer Pilates so popular in 2026?

Garmin users logged 46% more Pilates activities in 2025 than in 2024, ACSM ranks balance, flow and core formats fifth for 2026, and gym chains such as Crunch and EoS announced reformer classes in 2026.

Is Peloton making a Pilates reformer?

Peloton acquired connected-Pilates startup Skōp, announced in June 2026, but said at the time it had no future product news to share. Peloton said engagement with its Pilates classes rose 48% year over year in its fiscal third quarter.

Is boutique Pilates slowing down?

Some studio numbers are. Xponential, owner of Club Pilates, reported North America same-store sales down 6.8% in the April to June 2026 quarter across its brands, even though Club Pilates had 1,414 studios open at the end of 2025.