iFit and NordicTrack bet on connected pilates with $10k at-home reformer

NordicTrack is vying to be the Peloton of pilates with its newest launch. 

The 51-year-old at-home fitness company, known for treadmills, elliptical and rowing machines, is entering the at-home pilates market with the launch of its first consumer pilates reformer. 

The Ultra 1 Reformer features a 24-inch touchscreen that tilts and pivots to allow users to stream 300 on-demand pilates classes. It also features push-button spring controls, versus manual spring changes required on classic reformers, and a closed well, the area in the center of the machine that opens to display the springs when the carriage moves. 

The reformer entered pre-sale last week, with shipments starting at the end of June. It sells for $5,000 with the option to add props, like a pilates box or jump board, for additional fees. The new reformer connects with the iFit app to track the user’s progress. 

“Access has remained one of the biggest barriers [to entering pilates for consumers],” Yvette McGaffin, director of pilates product marketing for iFIT, parent company to NordicTrack, told Glossy. 

McGaffin is a seasoned Pilates instructor and operator who, with her husband, launched a smart Pilates reformer business called ReformRX in 2015. Their company was acquired by iFit last year, which led to NordicTrack’s first commercial reformer. This month’s launch builds on her technology with new, consumer-friendly features and a lower price point. To wit: NordicTrack’s commercial models start at $10,000, while the new consumer Ultra 1 Reformer starts at $5,000.

“We really wanted to have a light commercial model that seamlessly went into hospitality, multi-unit housing and, obviously, the home,” McGaffin said. The company sees a runway to appeal to those without a local pilates studio, as well as those who want more consistency in their in-person practice. 

“Consistency isn’t achievable if you’re not able to get to class or book in [with the instructor you love],” she said. “[This] was designed to essentially close the gap. We really want to bring the studio experience into the home, not a makeshift, half-as-good version.”

Pilates has been rapidly growing in popularity over the past few years. According to Playlist, parent company to booking apps like Classpass and Mindbody, the most-booked boutique fitness class in New York City during Q1 of this year was pilates, followed by yoga, strength training, cycling and barre. 

What’s more, in 2025, 33% of all reservations made on Classpass outside of a user’s home market were for a pilates class, which shows the opportunity for pilates within hospitality arenas like hotels and resorts. 

The new reformer will launch with around 300 on-demand classes from 10 world-class instructors, McGaffin said. The new offering is also a launchpad for partnerships, which will roll out in the coming months. “We have some exciting partnerships happening [with the machine], as well, which I can’t talk about today, but I’m sure will come very soon,” McGaffin said. 

NordicTrack launched in 1975 in Minnesota with the world’s first cross-country ski machine. It was acquired by iFit in 1998. Based in Utah, iFit also owns fitness companies ProForm, Freemotion and others. 

The new consumer reform launched on May 19 to record-setting sales for iFit, McGaffin told Glossy. “It was one of the most successful launches for iFit,” she said. “We’re very excited about this.” 

According to Playlist, “pilates” was searched on its apps over 27 million times in 2025, and over 15 million pilates reservations were made on ClassPass last year.

Executive moves: 

• Anisha Raghavan is the new chief marketing officer of the 8-year-old supplement brand Seed, maker of popular probiotic DS-01 Daily Synbiotic. Raghavan’s CV includes Heyday Skincare, Unilever and PepsiCo. He is the first to fill the newly created role for Seed.

News to know:

• True Beauty Ventures, backer of brands like Moon Juice, K18 and Caliray, has invested $1 million in the buzzy new sleep brand Sleep or Die. The brand launched in 2025 and sells sleep supplements that dissolve on the tongue, similar to a Listerine strip. Sleep or Die founder Lauren Sudeyko’s CV includes Google and PepsiCo. The brand sells 30 sleep strips for $54 direct to consumers.
  
• Ōura, the Finnish market leader in health-tracking rings, is set to go public. The company filed its initial public offering last week to trade on the New York Stock Exchange. The company is valued at $11 billion thanks to record sales over the past two years on its Ōura ring.
  
• Gyms are experimenting with distraction-blocking tools as consumers crave a break from their smartphones. Fitness First, a gym chain with 25 locations in the U.K., has partnered with Kip, a tool that blocks news, social alerts and more distractions from a user’s phone after tapping their device on a physical display while entering the gym. Kip launched last year. 

• Fresha, the global beauty, wellness and self-care booking app launched in 2015, has taken on an $80 million investment from KKR, private equity backer of brands like 1800Contacts and Wella haircare. The transaction valued Fresha at $1 billion. 

• Wellness raves are growing in popularity as consumers look for novel workouts and sober-friendly activities. For example, Sanctum, a Dutch workout class that mimics a silent dance rave with guided moves and wireless headphones, is popping up in New York City in June at Othership. It joins a bevy of burgeoning dance- and sauna-focused sober raves thrown by Daybreaker in major U.S. cities and Lucky Stride Wellness Rave in Antwerp, Belgium. Likewise, Coffee & Chill hosts cold plunge parties in Los Angeles.

Stat of the week:

Fashion trends are getting sportier, according to a new report published on Tuesday by Pinterest. The report found that Q1 2026 searches for style inspiration from female athletes were up, with searches for Olympians Alysa Liu up 39,228% and Eileen Gu up 5,503%. Pinterest users also hunted for athleisure inspiration in Q1: “baddie tracksuit outfit” searches were up 276% while “Formula 1 aesthetic outfit” jumped 483%. As expected, searches for World Cup jersey styling were up 840%, with a laundry list of breakout categories: “Brazil jersey outfit women” was up 302%, and “oversized soccer jersey outfit” was up 92%. 

In the headlines:

I stood on a vibration plate for 10 minutes every day—here’s what changed [Vogue]. Former Calm CEO: How to retain your humanity and embrace AI [Axios]. Trail running’s cultural expansion [Fitt Insider]. Walmart warns it may have to raise prices due to fuel costs [Modern Retail]. The science behind the quest for a non-peptide oral weight loss drug [McGill]. Natural food colors embraced by MAHA linked to health problems [WSJ]. Why women are trying allergy drugs for period and perimenopause relief [NYT]. 

Listen in: 

Over the past three years, L’Oréal Group has been quietly assembling the perfect team, ingredient, product and marketing rollout for its next big skin-care category: longevity. Helmed by veteran L’Oréal Group executive Vania Lacascade, the first longevity skin-care range dropped on May 1 under the Lancôme brand. In today’s episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast, Lacascade walks host Lexy Lebsack through her vision for L’Oréal Group’s continued expansion into longevity, the Lancôme launch that kicked it off, and how the team is leveraging celebrity ambassadors like Demi Moore and Zoe Saldaña to spread the word. 

Need a Glossy recap?

E.l.f. Beauty is lowering prices in response to unit sales decline, offloading Keys Soulcare brand. From TJ Palma to Cher: How Garnier is reinventing mass beauty marketing. How Makeup by Mario balances paid and organic content. Everlane’s reported Shein sale raises a new question: What is transparency worth now? No. 1 in women’s swimwear for 10 years, Target is refining its approach to the category.