- Merach has been designated a core drafting unit of China’s new mandatory national standard GB47368-2026 for indoor fitness equipment, covering structural, electrical, and material safety across all categories.
- The standard, published April 20, 2026 and effective October 1, 2027, forms China’s most comprehensive home fitness safety regulatory framework — in key areas surpassing existing international benchmarks such as EN ISO 20957.
- Merach’s qualification stems from independently certified technical performance: SGS-verified impact absorption 49x conventional running boards, 66% rebound rate, and 25% plantar pressure reduction.
- The appointment signals a broader structural shift: Chinese fitness brands are moving from manufacturing for global labels to co-authoring the regulations that govern market access — a pattern already seen in EVs and consumer electronics.
- With overseas revenue exceeding RMB 1 billion and presence in 50+ countries, Merach exemplifies a new generation of Chinese consumer brands competing globally on technology, R&D, and now regulatory influence.
Merach (Zhejiang Merach Technology Co., Ltd.), China’s leading home fitness equipment brand by market share, has been designated a core drafting unit of the newly released mandatory national standard Safety Requirements for Stationary Indoor Fitness Equipment (GB 47368—2026), published by China’s State Administration for Market Regulation on April 20, 2026. The standard — accompanied by nine supplementary recommended standards including a treadmill-specific code (GB/T 17498.6—2026) — forms the most comprehensive home fitness safety regulatory framework in China’s history. It will take effect on October 1, 2027.
A New Safety Benchmark for the World’s Largest Home Fitness Market
The GB47368 series establishes a “one mandatory standard plus nine recommended standards” architecture covering all indoor stationary fitness equipment categories for users aged 14 and above. Key provisions include 11 structural and mechanical safety requirements — mandating overall stability, the elimination of sharp edges, and prevention of crushing and shearing hazards — alongside strict electrical safety thresholds governing input power, leakage current, and power cord durability.
For the first time, the standard also imposes limits on hazardous substances including lead, cadmium, phthalates, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface-contact materials. Equipment must demonstrate endurance under maximum-load, real-world-simulated long-duration testing, while warning labels and usage instructions must explicitly cover risks such as unsupervised child access and heart-rate monitoring system failures. The framework positions China alongside the European Union’s EN ISO 20957 series in establishing rigorous, legally enforceable fitness equipment safety regulation — and in several areas, including hazardous substance limits, surpasses existing international benchmarks.
Merach: From Market Leader to Standard-Setter
Merach’s role as a core drafting unit marks a significant milestone for a company that has rapidly evolved from an e-commerce-native startup into China’s premier home fitness brand. Founded in 2018 in Hangzhou by entrepreneur Luo Weibo, Merach has invested over RMB 250 million (approximately USD 34.5 million) in R&D, building a team that has produced more than 220 patents. The brand holds the No.1 online market share across multiple home fitness categories in China for three consecutive years, and was recognized on the Forbes China “Globalization 30&30” list in November 2025 — affirming its status as one of the country’s most successful consumer-brand exporters.
“Being named a drafting unit is not just an honor — it’s a responsibility to elevate safety standards across the entire industry, not just our own product line,” said Luo Weibo, Founder and Chairman of Merach. “When we set out to build this company, we believed that home fitness should be both accessible and uncompromising on safety. This standard codifies that belief into law.”
Technology as the Foundation: From SGS Certification to National Standards
Merach’s qualification to help draft the national standard is underpinned by measurable technical achievements. The company’s proprietary Tai Chi Supercritical Cushioning technology — a multi-layer impact-absorption system deployed across its flagship treadmill models — has been independently certified by SGS, the Swiss-based global testing and inspection leader. According to SGS test data, the technology delivers impact absorption 49 times greater than conventional running boards, a 66% rebound rate exceeding ordinary treadmills by a factor of six, and a 25% reduction in plantar pressure.
Noise levels are contained at 45dB, making the equipment suitable for apartment and condo use. These metrics, verified by an internationally recognized third party, provided the technical credibility underpinning Merach’s contributions to key clauses covering impact absorption, structural durability, and noise thresholds within GB47368-2026. The company’s five-year partnership with China’s National Sports Training Bureau — under which its treadmills, exercise bikes, rowing machines, and ellipticals serve as official training preparation equipment for national team athletes — further solidified its standing as a brand capable of bridging professional-grade performance with consumer safety.
From Manufacturing Hub to Standard-Setter: A Broader Industry Shift
Merach’s inclusion among the drafting committee reflects a structural transformation underway in the global fitness equipment industry. For decades, China served primarily as the world’s factory for fitness equipment — producing millions of units for Western brands under OEM and ODM arrangements. The GB47368 standard, however, signals a new phase: Chinese companies are now co-authoring the rules that will govern their own and international competitors’ access to the world’s second-largest home fitness market. For global brands — from Peloton and Nautilus to European manufacturers — selling into China will increasingly require compliance with a standard shaped in part by local competitors.
This regulatory evolution mirrors China’s broader trajectory in sectors from electric vehicles to consumer electronics, where domestic technical standards have become de facto market-access requirements. Merach, which already ships to over 50 countries with overseas annual revenue exceeding RMB 1 billion (approximately USD 138 million) and was a featured exhibitor at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, is uniquely positioned at the intersection of this shift — a Chinese brand writing Chinese rules while competing globally.
“The companies that define safety standards ultimately define market expectations,” said an industry analyst covering the global fitness equipment sector. “Merach’s seat at the drafting table sends a clear signal: Chinese fitness brands are no longer just competing on price, manufacturing scale, or even product features. They are competing on regulatory influence — and that changes the competitive dynamics for every international player eyeing the China market.”
Global Operational Scale
Merach’s international footprint now spans North America, Europe, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia, supported by localized warehousing and service infrastructure. On global e-commerce platforms including Amazon, the brand consistently ranks among top sellers in the home fitness category, while its TikTok Shop presence has generated single-day live-stream GMV exceeding USD 300,000. By 2024, overseas revenue surpassed domestic sales for the first time, and the company’s annual revenue exceeded RMB 2.5 billion (approximately USD 345 million), reflecting a 180% year-on-year overseas growth rate.
A 2027 Compliance Horizon
With the GB47368 standard taking effect on October 1, 2027, the transitional window provides manufacturers — both domestic and international — approximately 17 months to bring products into full compliance. Merach has stated that all its current treadmill models already meet the new standard’s requirements at the design stage, giving the brand a first-mover advantage as Chinese distributors, fitness chains, and hotel operators begin prioritizing GB47368-compliant equipment in procurement decisions. Industry observers expect the standard to accelerate consolidation in China’s fragmented home fitness market, favoring technically capable brands with established R&D infrastructure over price-driven generic manufacturers.
“This isn’t just a Chinese story — it’s a global fitness industry story happening in China,” Luo Weibo added. “The standard we helped write will protect consumers not only in our home market, but also set a benchmark that other markets may look to as they update their own regulations.”
About Merach
Merach (Zhejiang Merach Technology Co., Ltd.) is China’s leading home fitness equipment brand, headquartered in Hangzhou’s Binjiang High-Tech Zone. Founded in 2018, the company designs, manufactures, and sells a full portfolio of smart fitness products — including treadmills, exercise bikes, rowing machines, and ellipticals — integrated with an AI-powered digital coaching ecosystem. Merach holds over 220 patents, partners with China’s National Sports Training Bureau, and has been recognized on the Forbes China “Globalization 30&30” list. Products are sold in more than 50 countries, and the company was featured at CES 2026. For more information, visit www.merach.com.
