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How to Build a Home Pilates Setup That Feels Studio-Level

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How to Build a Home Pilates Setup That Feels Studio-Level


When Joseph Pilates developed what he first called Contrology in the early 20th century, there were no dedicated studios or intimidating contraptions. There wasn’t even a reformer yet. (That came later, improvised from leather straps and hospital bed frames.) The idea was simple then, and it still is now: Pilates asks you to work with what you already have. Your body does the work, and a mat just makes it more comfortable.

Pilates is about moving with intention. Total body exercises are rooted in precision and balance, favoring slow, controlled movements over momentum or strength. Full range of motion, emphasizing time under tension, deep core engagement, and uniformity of mind, body, and spirit are emphasized. It sounds peaceful, but it’s not exactly the easiest workout.

The right gear won’t do the workout for you, but it can make it more comfortable, more effective, and frankly, more fun. Below, we’ve gathered the best Pilates equipment worth having for home workouts, whether you’re a beginner or deep in your Pilates princess era. For more wellness recommendations, check out our other guides, including the Best Protein Powders, Best Massage Guns, and Yoga Mats, Props, and Everything Else You Need for Your Practice.

Featured In This Guide

Grippy Socks

Flydo Pilates Grippy Socks

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High-Waisted Leggings

Athleta Salutation Stash High Rise Legging

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Bike Shorts

Lululemon Align No Line High-Rise Short 6″

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Posture-Correcting Bra

Forme Power Bra

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Pilates Clothes

Nothing motivates me to work out quite like a great Pilates outfit. You can technically wear just about anything, but I would stick to more fitted activewear, so your Pilates instructor can check your form. Avoid loose or oversized clothing, and prioritize stretchy fabrics that won’t restrict movement. This lineup of athleisure has been tried and tested in Pilates; they move well, feel comfortable, and hold up every session.

If you buy one thing, make it grippy socks. Whether you’re on a mat or a reformer machine, those rubberized soles help prevent slipping and sliding, giving you better traction and stability during movements. A good pair can also offer light cushioning and arch support. If you’re practicing in a shared studio or using communal equipment, breathable Pilates socks are a hygienic upgrade, too.

Flydo

Pilates Grippy Socks

WIRED

  • Sold in a variety of colorways and combinations

TIRED

  • Silica gel grip starts to degrade with regular machine-washing and wear

Souls

I’m Literally Just a Girl Grip Socks

WIRED

  • Breathable fabric with fun designs

TIRED

  • More expensive than its competitors

We want our bottoms to stay put through roll-ups, leg circles, and long pulses, without digging or losing shape. They also need to be squat-proof. High-waisted leggings (full-length or capri) made from a soft, stretchy fabric are ideal for Pilates and other low-impact workouts. Biker shorts also work, but in a heated class, an extra layer of fabric can help maintain grip on props during leg work.

These are the best leggings for Pilates based on our testing, including a Lululemon biker short we love. For more favorites, check out our Best Leggings guide.

Athleta

Salutation Stash High Rise Legging

WIRED

  • Moisture-wicking and quick drying
  • Rated UPF 40+
  • Designed with side pockets
  • Available in three fits

TIRED

  • Pocket stitching can pucker over time

CRZ Yoga

Butterluxe High-Waisted Leggings 28″

WIRED

  • Four-way stretch
  • Available in 20+ colors
  • Cheaper than its top competitors

TIRED

  • Prone to pilling
  • Limited size range

Beyond Yoga

Spacedye At Your Leisure High Waisted Midi Legging

WIRED

  • Moisture-wicking
  • Four-way stretch
  • UV Protection
  • Designed with no outseam

TIRED

  • Lighter shades can be too sheer
  • Waistband tends to roll down

Lululemon

Align No Line High-Rise Short 6″

WIRED

  • Seamless for an airbrushed look
  • Four-way stretch and sweat-wicking
  • Hidden waistband pocket

TIRED

  • Fabric prone to pilling and loose threads

For Pilates, look for low- to medium-impact styles that are typically supportive without feeling compressive. I gravitate toward wide bands with no underwires that won’t dig in during floor work, but I’m also aware that those features might not be supportive for bigger busts. These are our top favorites, including a posture-correcting bra if alignment or lower back pain is a concern. For more picks, check out our Best Sports Bras guide.

Athleta

Solace Sports Bra

WIRED

  • Breathable, moisture-wicking, and quick-drying
  • Bonded chestband doesn’t dig in
  • Removable pads

TIRED

  • Limited colors
  • Support may feel too light for bigger busts

Vuori

AllTheFeels Bra

WIRED

  • Breathable, moisture-wicking fabric
  • Four-way stretch
  • Comes in a variety of colors

TIRED

  • Limited size range
  • Non-adjustable

Beyond Yoga

Spacedye Lift Your Spirits Bra

WIRED

  • Moisture-wicking
  • Four-way stretch
  • UV protection
  • Removable bra pads

TIRED

  • Cut may not be flattering for all busts

Forme

Power Bra

WIRED

  • Doubles as a sports bra
  • Sold in a variety of colors

TIRED

  • Non-adjustable
  • It can be too tight around the armpits

An all-in-one jumpsuit with a built-in bra takes the guesswork out of getting dressed for Pilates. Our favorites offer supportive, comfortable coverage that moves with you from warm-up to cooldown.

CRZ Yoga

Butterluxe Cami Strap Romper

WIRED

  • Can be worn without a bra
  • Straps are adjustable
  • Comes in a variety of colors

TIRED

  • Limited size range
  • Fabric is prone to pilling over time
  • Amazon customers have reported awkward sizing

Left on Friday

Peak Playsuit

WIRED

  • Moisture-wicking and quick-drying
  • Can be worn without a bra
  • Comes in a variety of colors

TIRED

  • Limited size range
  • Cami straps roll over
  • Front peek-a-boo keyhole design can cause a nip slip when adjusting if not careful

Pilates-Specific Gear

You can absolutely do Pilates with nothing but yourself, but if you want to turn up the intensity or vary your workout routines, here are a few must-haves.

Exercise mats are essential because they deliver much-needed padding to cushion your joints during floor work. The proper ones are designed with a grippy, textured surface for added traction. They keep you steady, supporting better control. And they serve as a protective barrier between your skin and the yucky floor.

I also always need a towel when working out, and if you’re taking a heated class, this is especially necessary to absorb sweat. Pro tip: You can also turn your towel into a resistance band by twisting it and pulling against it. For more picks, check out our Best Yoga Mats guide.

Manduka

Prolite Yoga Mat 4.7mm

WIRED

  • Closed-cell PVC surface keeps sweat, bacteria, and moisture from seeping in
  • No-slip dot pattern on the bottom keeps the mat put
  • Free of phthalates and latex

TIRED

  • Can start to smell if not cleaned and maintained properly
  • The surface can get slippery with sweat

Gaiam

Exercise & Fitness Mat

WIRED

  • Lightweight (under 3 pounds)
  • Ultra-dense cushioning
  • Latex-free

TIRED

  • Not the most durable
  • Picks up lint, dust, and hair

Iuga

Yoga Mat Towel + Hand Towel

WIRED

  • Includes a mat and hand towel
  • Designed with corner pockets to hook onto yoga mat

TIRED

  • Can trap odors and bacteria if not washed right away

Alo Yoga

Performance No Sweat Hand Towel

You don’t need to splurge on a $2,000 reformer to practice Pilates at home. I take heated mat Pilates at my local fitness studio twice a week, and we usually use a combination of props: an exercise ball, Pilates ring (aka. a magic circle), and light weights. I like to use 2- or 3-pound dumbbells, but wrist and ankle weights don’t require grip strength and still add extra intensity to your full-body Pilates workout. Core sliders, which go under your hands or feet, add resistance to your movements and are an affordable alternative to the springs of a reformer.

Gaiam

8-Inch Inflatable Anti-Burst Exercise Ball

WIRED

  • Strengthens core engagement
  • Improves balance and stability

TIRED

  • Can be frustrating to inflate
  • Air retention is not the best

Bala

Bangles Wrist & Ankle Weights

WIRED

  • Comes in three different weights
  • Can be worn on the wrist or ankles
  • Lots of colors

TIRED

  • Does not improve grip strength
  • Can cause tendon and joint injuries if not careful

Azure Life

Exercise Core Sliders

WIRED

  • Improves core engagement and balance
  • Portable and affordable

TIRED

  • Not the best on carpeted floors
  • Flimsy

Gaiam

Pilates Ring

WIRED

  • Decent resistance
  • Strengthens muscle engagement and stability

TIRED

  • Amazon customers have reported poor, long-term durability
  • Flimsy padding

We’ve spotlighted a few of our favorites below, but you can find more tested picks in our Best Reusable Water Bottles guide.

Owala

FreeSip Twist

WIRED

  • Available in a variety of colors
  • Triple-layer insulated
  • FreeSip spout with a built-in straw
  • Carry loop for easy transport

TIRED

  • Hand-wash the cup only
  • Cleaning might be too intricate for some

Hydro Flask

Standard Mouth Water Bottle

WIRED

  • Available in 15+ colors
  • No flavor transfer or metallic aftertaste
  • Keeps cold drinks cold for 24 hours
  • Keeps hot drinks hot for up to 12 hours

TIRED

  • Experience fully dependent on cap choice

Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber content that’s too important to ignore. Subscribe Today.



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The Oceans Just Keep Getting Hotter

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The Oceans Just Keep Getting Hotter


Since 2018, a group of researchers from around the world have crunched the numbers on how much heat the world’s oceans are absorbing each year. In 2025, their measurements broke records once again, making this the eighth year in a row that the world’s oceans have absorbed more heat than the years before.

The study, which was published Friday in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Science, found that the world’s oceans absorbed an additional 23 zettajoules’ worth of heat in 2025, the most in any year since modern measurements began in the 1960s. That’s significantly higher than the 16 additional zettajoules they absorbed in 2024. The research comes from a team of more than 50 scientists across the United States, Europe, and China.

A joule is a common way to measure energy. A single joule is a relatively small unit of measurement—it’s about enough to power a tiny lightbulb for a second, or slightly heat a gram of water. But a zettajoule is one sextillion joules; numerically, the 23 zettajoules the oceans absorbed this year can be written out as 23,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.

John Abraham, a professor of thermal science at the University of St. Thomas and one of the authors on the paper, says that he sometimes has trouble putting this number into contexts laypeople understand. Abraham offers up a couple options. His favorite is comparing the energy stored in the ocean to the energy of atomic bombs: The 2025 warming, he says, is the energetic equivalent to 12 Hiroshima bombs exploding in the ocean. (Some other calculations he’s done include equating this number to the energy it would take to boil 2 billion Olympic swimming pools, or more than 200 times the electrical use of everyone on the planet.)

“Last year was a bonkers, crazy warming year—that’s the technical term,” Abraham joked to me. “The peer-reviewed scientific term is ‘bonkers’.”

The world’s oceans are its largest heat sink, absorbing more than 90 percent of the excess warming that is trapped in the atmosphere. While some of the excess heat warms the ocean’s surface, it also slowly travels further down into deeper parts of the ocean, aided by circulation and currents.

Global temperature calculations—like the ones used to determine the hottest years on record—usually only capture measurements taken at the ocean’s surface. (The study finds that overall sea surface temperatures in 2025 were slightly lower than they were in 2024, which is on record as the hottest year since modern records began. Some meteorological phenomena, like El Niño events, can also raise sea surface temperatures in certain regions, which can cause the overall ocean to absorb slightly less heat in a given year. This helps to explain why there was such a big jump in added ocean heat content between 2025, which developed a weak La Niña at the end of the year, and 2024, which came at the end of a strong El Niño year.) While sea surface temperatures have risen since the industrial revolution, thanks to our use of fossil fuels, these measurements don’t provide a full picture of how climate change is affecting the oceans.

“If the whole world was covered by a shallow ocean that was only a couple feet deep, it would warm up more or less at the same speed as the land,” says Zeke Hausfather, a research scientist at Berkeley Earth and a coauthor of the study. “But because so much of that heat is going down in the deep ocean, we see generally slower warming of sea surface temperatures [than those on land].”



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Skullcandy Headphone Deals: Crusher Evo, ANC 2, PLYR 720 and More

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Skullcandy Headphone Deals: Crusher Evo, ANC 2, PLYR 720 and More


Skullcandy headphones aren’t always the sharpest tools in the proverbial shed, but they do have cool looks and have affordable price tags, and that gets even better with these Skullcandy promo codes on a few of the brand’s top products. If you’re after a pair of in-ear, open-ear, or over-ear headphones, Skullcandy has cut prices on several of its headphones, making now a decent time to buy. Plus, make sure you check out our Skullcandy coupons above for even more savings.

Experience Immersive Sound With 47% Off Skullcandy Crusher Evo Headphones

Right now, you can get nearly half off (47% off) Skullcandy Crusher Evo Headphones. We haven’t tested these sleek over-ear headphones, but they look nice and likely have solid performance. They come in many different colors, which is the main appeal of many Skullcandy headphones; they match your own personal style.

Enjoy Open-Ear Comfort With 33% Off Skullcandy Push 720 Earbuds

Open earbuds are a great way to hear the world around you while also tuning into your favorite music, audiobook, or podcast. We really like using them when working out in nature or working in the yard, where hearing someone honk or yell at you can be helpful. Skullcandy Push 720 Open Earbuds are 35% off right now; so if you’ve been curious about open earbuds, now’s a great time to buy.

Block Out Noise With 36% Off Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 Headphones

The Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 are over-ear headphones that come with a leopard print finish, which should appeal to anyone who is tired of boring black over-ear headphones. They also have active noise canceling, which should help tune out any errant roars. They are on sale for a limited time, at 36% off.

Take Your Gaming to the Next Level With Crusher PLYR 720 Headphones

Folks who want a gaming headset will be happy with the swivel-based mic on the Crusher Plyr 720 (now on discount at 33% off) allowing them to easily chat with friends and foes during tense online gaming sessions.

Shop the Skullcandy Sales to Save on Headphones, Earbuds, and Speakers

Don’t see what you’re looking for here? Be sure to check out the full list of Skullcandy options on sale right now on the company’s website. I’d also recommend looking at our Skullcandy discount codes and coupons, which rotate often to make sure you’re getting the best deals possible.



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ICE Agent Who Reportedly Shot Renee Good Was a Firearms Trainer, Per Testimony

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ICE Agent Who Reportedly Shot Renee Good Was a Firearms Trainer, Per Testimony


Jonathan Ross, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer identified by multiple news outlets as the federal agent who shot 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis on Wednesday, is a veteran deportation officer in ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division, according to sworn testimony from the federal district court in Minnesota obtained by WIRED. A member of a Special Response Team, ICE’s version of a SWAT team, he’s had duties as a firearms trainer and led teams drawn from multiple federal agencies including the FBI, Ross testified.

The testimony stems from a December 2025 trial related to a June incident with parallels to the interaction that led to Good’s killing.

In June according to Ross’s testimony, he led a team seeking to apprehend a man named Roberto Carlos Muñoz-Guatemala, who was on an administrative warrant for being in the United States without authorization. Because the man’s home was across from a school and immigration agents had no authority to enter his home, Ross testified, they instead trailed him in unmarked vehicles.

Muñoz-Guatemala’s attorney did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

According to the December testimony and a New York Times account of an FBI agent’s affidavit associated with the case, Ross approached Muñoz-Guatemala and asked him to roll down his window and open his door. Ross, who testified that he had been driving an unmarked vehicle, was dressed in ranger green and grey, and wore his badge on his belt, broke the driver’s side back window and reached into the vehicle, at which point Muñoz-Guatemala pulled away.

While being dragged at a speed he claimed seemed like “40 miles an hour at least, if not more,” Ross pulled out his Taser and fired it at the driver. Muñoz-Guatemala continued to drive, and succeeded in shaking Ross from the car. At trial, Ross testified that he suffered injuries that required 33 stitches.

According to the affidavit, Muñoz-Guatemala called 911 to report that he’d been assaulted by ICE, which led to his arrest. Last month, he was convicted of assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon.

Reports from the Minnesota Star-Tribune and The Guardian identified Ross as the shooter who killed Good, a mother and recent transplant to Minneapolis, during an immigration enforcement action in the city. Video of the incident appears to show a federal agent firing shots into Good’s vehicle as she attempted to leave the scene. The officer did not appear to have been struck by the vehicle, and Good appeared to be turning the wheel to avoid contact, video analysis by The New York Times and the Washington Post shows.

At Thursday’s White House press briefing, vice president JD Vance answered questions about the incident, and his responses included numerous identifying details about Ross, mainly relating to his interaction with Muñoz-Guatemala. “That very ICE officer nearly had his life ended, dragged by a car, six months ago, 33 stitches in his leg,” said Vance, “so you think maybe he is a little bit sensitive about somebody ramming him with an automobile?”

Department of Homeland Security secretary Kirsti Noem has repeatedly described Good’s actions as an intentional act of “domestic terrorism.” An FBI investigation into Good’s killing is ongoing.

DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told WIRED in a statement that the department is “not going to expose the name of this officer. He acted according to his training.” McLaughlin added that federal immigration agents “are under constant threat from violent agitators” because of “doxxing” and that the Minnesota Star Tribune, which first published Ross’ name, “should delete their story immediately.”According to Ross’ December testimony, he served in the Indiana National Guard and was deployed to Iraq from 2004 to 2005 as a machine gunner on a patrol truck, then joined Border Patrol in 2007 after finishing college, working near El Paso, Texas.



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