Merrithew is one of the two names most instructors and studio owners mention first when talking about professional Pilates equipment, alongside Balanced Body. It is the company behind STOTT PILATES®, the internationally recognized instructor certification method, and its Reformers, Cadillacs, chairs, and barrels are a fixture in studios, rehabilitation clinics, and homes worldwide.
For any studio owner comparing equipment brands, Merrithew is usually one of the first names that comes up, and understanding its history, positioning, and product range helps explain why STOTT-trained instructors so often choose it by default.
History
Merrithew was founded in 1988 in Toronto, Canada, by Moira and Lindsay Merrithew. Moira had trained as a professional dancer before a foot injury ended her career; during her recovery she was introduced to Pilates and later studied in New York under Romana Kryzanowska, one of Joseph Pilates’ original students. Lindsay, who held a business degree and had trained as an actor at Juilliard, partnered with her to open a small Pilates studio out of their apartment that same year.
The business grew after Karen Kain, a principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada, began taking classes and helped attract press attention. With a research grant from Canada’s National Research Council, Lindsay helped develop the company’s first patented aluminum Reformer, which became the foundation of Merrithew’s manufacturing business.
By 1991 the company had opened its first dedicated STOTT PILATES studio in Toronto, and it later added a manufacturing division for equipment and an education division to train and certify instructors. Merrithew has remained headquartered in the Toronto area since its founding, now based in Scarborough, Ontario. In 2022, private equity firm Onex Corporation, through its ONCAP fund, acquired a majority stake in the company.
Market Positioning
Merrithew positions itself less as a pure equipment manufacturer and more as an integrated method-and-machine ecosystem: the same company that designs the Reformers also writes the STOTT PILATES certification curriculum used to teach on them. Merrithew states its programs have trained more than 90,000 instructors worldwide, and the brand describes itself as the Leaders in Mindful Movement.
This dual identity is what most separates Merrithew from its main competitor. Where Balanced Body sells equipment across a broad range of methods and traditions, Merrithew’s machines are engineered specifically around STOTT PILATES biomechanical principles, including neutral pelvic placement, rib cage alignment, and scapular stabilization. That tight link between method and machine is a major reason STOTT-certified instructors tend to prefer Merrithew equipment, while classically trained teachers often lean toward Balanced Body or other brands offering a wider range of apparatus.
Product Range
The Merrithew catalog covers the core categories expected of a full-line Pilates manufacturer:
Reformers — split into Professional Reformers for studio use, Rehab Reformers with a raised carriage for clinical and mobility-limited populations, and At Home Reformers for individual users.
Cadillac, Spring Wall and Wall Units — traditional trapeze-style apparatus, including space-saving wall-mounted versions for smaller studios.
Stability Chairs and Barrels — complementary apparatus used alongside Reformers in full studio setups.
Stability Barres and Halo Trainer Plus — equipment built for Merrithew’s other movement programs, including Total Barre® and Halo® Training.
Mats, springs, and replacement parts, plus a large catalog of fitness accessories and education materials tied to its certification courses.
Beyond STOTT PILATES, Merrithew also owns several adjacent movement brands, including ZEN•GA®, CORE™ Athletic Conditioning, Total Barre®, and Halo® Training, most of which use variations of the same equipment line.
Main Models
Some of the most relevant current Reformer models are:
V2 Max — the brand’s core professional studio Reformer, popular in boutique studios, clubs, and fitness facilities.
SPX Max — a lower-priced professional-tier Reformer, often cited as Merrithew’s best entry point into commercial-grade equipment.
Rehab V2 Max — a raised-carriage Reformer designed for physical therapy and clinical settings, built for senior or mobility-challenged clients.
Rehab V2 Max Plus — combines the raised carriage of the Rehab V2 Max with a vertical Cadillac-style frame for a wider range of movement patterns.
At Home SPX — Merrithew’s home-oriented Reformer line, aimed at enthusiasts rather than commercial studios.
Who It’s For
The Merrithew range is aimed largely at a few overlapping groups:
STOTT PILATES-certified instructors and studios, who benefit from equipment engineered around the same biomechanical principles taught in their certification.
Rehabilitation and physical therapy settings, thanks to the Rehab Reformer line’s raised carriage and clinical focus.
Studios that want ongoing access to Merrithew’s education pipeline, since equipment purchases and instructor training sit inside the same ecosystem.
Home users looking for a smaller-scale version of studio equipment, particularly through the At Home Reformer line.
Advantages and Limitations
Advantages:
Equipment and instructor certification come from the same company, so the biomechanics taught and the machines used are designed to match.
Strong footprint in rehabilitation and clinical settings thanks to the Rehab Reformer line.
Broad ecosystem beyond Pilates, covering Total Barre, ZEN•GA, and CORE training on largely the same equipment base.
Competitively priced entry point into professional-grade equipment through the SPX Max line.
Limitations:
Equipment is closely tied to STOTT PILATES biomechanics, which can feel less flexible to instructors trained in classical or other contemporary methods.
Since 2022 the company has been majority-owned by a private equity fund (Onex/ONCAP), a change some in the industry are still watching for its long-term effect on the brand.
As with any well-known brand, buyers should purchase through authorized dealers to avoid counterfeit or grey-market equipment.
Source: Information compiled from Merrithew’s official website (merrithew.com), Wikipedia, and independent industry comparisons. Last verified: July 2026.