The Reformer is arguably the most popular Pilates machine, beloved by both traditional Pilates enthusiasts and fans of high-octane group classes. Since studio workouts are on hold in most of the U.S. right now, particularly as the weather gets colder and outdoor Reformer workouts are less appealing, a Reformer of one&#;s own has become an object of desire for many Pilates aficionados. With so many makes, models, and styles to choose from you may need some help deciding which one is right for your home set-up. To help you decide, we&#;ve compiled a handy guide to choosing and purchasing a Reformer for home use.
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If you&#;re thinking about buying your own Reformer, congratulations. You must be very committed to practicing Pilates. But how do you know which one to buy, and how can you ensure that it doesn&#;t become an expensive, bulky spot to stash your laundry (we&#;re looking at you, stationary bike!)? The Pilates community is famously tribal, with adherents of traditional Pilates and more contemporary Pilates styles. As might be expected, these predilections apply to a favored make of Reformer. The big names are Gratz ($), known for their fidelity to Joe&#;s original designs and loved by more traditional practitioners, and Balanced Body ($-$), preferred by the contemporary crowd and famous for their innovations and snazzy extras. There are a couple of other manufacturers from whom the consumer can buy directly such as Peak Pilates, Pilates Designs, Merrithew, also known as STOTT, and AeroPilates, but even discount stores like Costco or websites like Overstock now sell Reformers for home use.
One of the first questions you&#;ll need to think about is whether you have space for a Pilates Reformer machine. Depending upon the manufacturer, Reformers are between 80&#; and 100&#; long, and they can weigh more than 100 pounds. The box used for short and long box exercises will add another 12-18 inches to the footprint, as it is typically stored at the back of the Reformer when not in use. Foldable and portable models are a space-saving option, but ask yourself how often you will actually set it up and use it if it&#;s not out in the open. Sometimes, out of sight means out of mind.
Also, think about how you plan to use your home Pilates Reformer. Will you have an instructor teach you one-on-one (either virtually or in-person) in your home studio? Will you be following along with streaming workouts? Or will you be doing a self-directed workout? Depending upon your answer, and your proficiency with spring and equipment changes, you may choose one style of Reformer over another. Gratz Reformers, for example, have four springs, all of which have the same tension, while most Balanced Body Reformers have five springs ranging from heavy to light, each denoted by a distinctive colored tag. More spring options mean more versatility, but also more complexity.
Preference is often a matter of familiarity. For some reason, people tend to prefer the Reformer brand on which they first experienced Pilates. The different springs and dimensions of various brands create a distinctive feel that just seems &#;right." If you are thinking about buying a Pilates machine, most likely it&#;s because you like the equipment you&#;ve been using at your local Pilates studio or health club. In this case, a good place to start is to ask your Pilates instructor what brand or model of Reformer is used in the studio and start your search there.
Once you&#;ve decided on a manufacturer or narrowed down your choice of model, additional options to consider include a choice of several frame materials (wood or aluminum), various colors and types of upholstery, and a slew of upgrades and accessories such as fuzzy foot loops and cushioned footbars. Expect to pay north of $ for a top-of-the-line, studio-quality Reformer, while stripped-down, strictly budget models designed for personal use can be found from $ and up.
Your local studio owner may be selling used equipment. The benefits to this arrangement are that you are already familiar with their Reformers and you will save money on a gently used Reformer. Some Pilates equipment companies offer an affiliate program to local Pilates studios, meaning that if you order your equipment through your local studio, you receive a discount.
Finding a used or second-hand Reformer online is a more affordable option. Sites such as Craigslist are good places to start. Not only will a previously owned Reformer be cheaper than buying new from a manufacturer, but you will also save on shipping if you arrange to pick it up from the seller yourself. If you go this route, make sure that you see the Reformer for yourself and try it out to see how it feels. If you have an instructor you trust, he or she may be able to evaluate it for you before you buy it. Shipping a pre-owned Reformer long distance is not recommended as it may get damaged en route. And just as you would for any big-ticket purchase from an individual you don&#;t know personally, be careful when it comes to transferring funds to the seller.
If you decide that due to space or budget limits a home Pilates Reformer is out of reach, remember that Pilates Mat work is tremendously varied, rigorous, and effective. You can achieve great results using only your own body weight as resistance. If you are worried about getting bored, adding small props such as the Magic Circle, a playground ball and a set of elastic bands can boost the intensity of your Mat work for a much smaller investment and in a much smaller footprint.
Sooner or later, every avid Pilates student considers this option so they can stay consistent with their workouts and enjoy the ability to do Pilates day or night in the luxury of their own home. The challenge then becomes, finding the best Pilates equipment for the space available, and evaluating to determine (a) If you&#;ll really use it at home, or it will become a drop zone for clothes and miscellaneous stuff. (b) You feel confident with your Pilates program to work without supervision.
Here&#;s the question I received about this, and my recommendations:
&#;Aliesa, if you would be so kind as to help me I would really appreciate it. I am thinking about getting a reformer for my home. I can&#;t get one too big but also want one that would do the basics for me to keep up Pilates at home. There is a used one on Craig&#;s list under sporting equipment for $125. Would you tell me if this would work for me or you have a better suggestion. It&#;s not working to make it into a studio for regular lessons, this will hopefully keep me in Pilates. I&#;d love to know what you recommend. Thanks!&#; &#;Judy
Your question is a fantastic one! Thrilled to get it! You&#;re not the only one out there who is trying to find good, economically priced Pilates Reformers and equipment to use at home.
My first comment for you to consider&#; You get what you pay for!
After years of working out on professional grade, high quality Pilates equipment in a studio, I think that you will be very disappointed with a home model that is selling for $125. Unless it was originally priced at $+ and they&#;re basically giving it away.
You really will be better served to invest in something that will last you a lifetime at home with little or no maintenance, then get something on the very low end of the market, that is designed more to sell than to use.
I know that it will cost a bit more, but think about how many years you&#;ve been doing Pilates and what you&#;ve spent to participate in private lessons and group classes 2- 3 days a week. Then multiply that number out by the 25, 30, 40, or 50 years you&#;ve got left to use it!
For Example:
Or spend $3,000-$4,000 on a good piece of equipment that you can use for the rest of your life at home and be on it 2, 3, 4 or more days a week!
Spending the money to invest in something that is well-made will be worth the money. Otherwise, you may find yourself like some of the other folks trying to get rid of stuff that they really can&#;t use (or won&#;t use) because it just isn&#;t sturdy, or safe enough, doesn&#;t feel right, or have adequate resistance like they are used to using in a Pilates studio.
A lot of the lower end machines don&#;t have springs, but are on giant rubber bands. Some of the ones I&#;ve been on are tippy, and the foot bar is not solid, but wiggles when you use it. They might be ok for the beginning basic exercises, but once you progress, you&#;re going to progress into needing a more sturdy Reformer. Honestly, all of the people that I&#;ve talked to that have purchased lower-end equipment have been disappointed and aren&#;t using it like they thought they would.
The major players that manufacture equipment all have home-models and some even sell fold-able reformers. These cost much more than the $125 bargain you&#;ve found on Craig&#;s list, but the difference in price for one of these from my perspective, still may not be worth the difference in quality of the feel of use when doing a workout on a regular studio reformer.
You might spend $1,000 &#; $2,000 for a high-end home Reformer, but the extra $1,000 -$ I would spend on a professional-grade piece of equipment, in the long run, just makes more sense to me. Especially if I know I&#;m going to enjoy using it 3-4 days a week in my living room or basement for the next 20+ years. But again, these comments are from my perspective. Buying a good Pilates Reformer is like buying a good Treadmill. If it doesn&#;t perform like the one at the health club, you might not be inclined to really use it.
I would love to hear what users who have actually purchased designed-for-home-use Reformers and foldable models have to say.
Here are a few links to go shopping for Pilates equipment:
Peak Pilates
Contact us to discuss your requirements of pilates reformer back exercises. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
Stott Pilates
Balanced Body Pilates
Gratz Pilates
Basil Blecher
Other manufacturers:
Teague Pilates
Home Equipment Manufacturer:
Stamina
There are probably quite a few other companies selling home equipment, but I really can&#;t with a clear conscious recommend them for purchase. (Not sure I&#;d recommend everyone on the list above, but wanted to you have a variety of options to compare.)
Since I haven&#;t been on every model out there, it&#;s a tough call. I am partial to springs vs. bungee cords, and leather straps vs. ropes and risers. I also prefer a foot bar that has several height adjustments. Some manufacturers sell everything you need for your Reformer as a package, and other companies sell the reformer separately from the long/short box, handles, stick, and other accessories you might need to use. So when comparing prices, you need to also compare the accessories that are included, or what you might have to spend extra money on.
I do know that while I was in Italy, I had the chance to get on a home model reformer that is being manufactured in Argentina. It has promise for being a good lower-cost option, but the model we were on was a prototype and it was great for basic things, as soon as we progressed through a workout there were issues in keeping the carriage gliding evenly. And we were only on it for 5-10 minutes. Can&#;t imagine how it would hold up under normal use. So I&#;m waiting and hoping that they will be able to get the bugs out, before I can recommend it, because it had great potential.
I also have a past client and teacher who ordered from Teague, because their prices are soooo much lower than everybody else. But unfortunately, she was not thrilled with what she got. But perhaps this would be a more economical option for you as they usually run some great specials on their equipment.
I would love to hear some comments from folks who are using Teague equipment to let the rest of us know how it compares to the big 3 manufacturers (Peak, Stott, and Balanced Body.)
Finding good used equipment is a challenge &#; if somebody posts good stuff, it usually sells very quickly. There are a few discussion boards and Pilates sites that do advertise used equipment for sale.
The Pilates Guy
Pilates Connections Discussion Board (head to forums &#; Pilates Classifieds)
Yes, possibly on craigslist and eBay. But the good stuff goes fast, and generally it holds its value &#; so a good slightly-used reformer won&#;t be much cheaper than buying a new one. You might expect to pay ½ price (plus or minus) for a well-used commercial grade reformer, even if it&#;s 20 years old! (Plus shipping)
I Know that a $125 Pilates Reformer on Craig&#;s list sounds like a great bargain&#;but I&#;m just not sure you&#;re going to be happy with what you get. I do agree that it would be really good for you to have equipment that you can use at home to be consistent with your Pilates program. You have demonstrated your commitment to yourself and your health by sticking with your Pilates workouts for so many years. Shop around and spend your money wisely. I&#;m confident that, if, and when, you purchase something you will get your money&#;s worth and be using it regularly!
It&#;s always a big decision. You&#;re not out much to spend $125 and try it! But I will be curious to hear feedback from you if you do.
Hope this helps. Let me know if I can assist you with anything else, and give me some feedback on the equipment you get when you make a decision and purchase a home Reformer. Best of Luck finding the right equipment for your home Pilates workouts!
And to those of you that have already taken the plunge and purchased a reformer to use at home&#;
I&#;d love to hear your comments about the brand and model you&#;ve purchased:
Please share your thoughts so the folks that are still shopping can use your experience to make a great buying decision!
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