Choosing Pilates Equipment for Home

With the surge of awareness of Pilates, I’m often asked what the best Pilates equipment for home use is. There are several factors you should consider before investing in any type of fitness equipment, like cost, size, and functionality. Since the reformer is the most popular Pilates apparatus, let’s start there. 

Cost

Most people are shocked by the cost of a reformer when they start to look into things. A good quality, sturdy, well-made reformer will cost around $5000USD. Then there is shipping, taxes, and the exchange rate if you’re in Canada, like me. If you’re knowledgeable about what you want, it’s possible to find a used one for less online. With such an investment, however, you will want to be wary of scams. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. 

Size

A reformer takes up a good amount of space in a room. The apparatus itself is large, and you’ll want to have room around it for safety. Also, some of the exercises have you reaching your arms and/or legs beyond the reformer, so keep that in mind when deciding where you’ll put the reformer. 

If you don’t have room to fit a reformer but you still want to find Pilates equipment for home, I’d recommend getting a smaller apparatus such as the wunda chair or spine corrector. Joseph Pilates designed the wunda chair specifically so people could use it as a piece of furniture in their home that could then be converted into an exercise apparatus. It’s also a lot more affordable than a reformer, coming in at about $1000USD.

The spine corrector is also a smaller and less expensive apparatus. Once you use one, you will fall in love! Add in a magic circle and you can get in some amazing Pilates workouts right at home. You can always use the reformer and other apparatuses when you attend classes instead. 

Functionality

I’ve worked in several Pilates studios over the years, done classes and workshops at others, and bought my fair share of reformers. I can tell you that the one you choose matters! The more I used a variety of reformers, the more I noticed the design aspects that I did and didn’t like. Some downsides I found could be that you couldn’t do certain exercises, there was limited flow from one exercise to another, or they were just plain finicky. What you like for your own practice, however, is likely different from what I like. That’s why I suggest you try out a handful of different reformers before you commit to buying one. 

My Favourite Pilates Equipment for Home

I only recently learned of all the options for reformers that you can get on Amazon. There is a lot to choose from (and some of it looks pretty sketchy!).  My advice is to only buy from a respected Pilates manufacturer. Keeping in mind the above and what your needs are will be a big help in narrowing things down. If I had to choose my favourite brand of Pilates equipment, however, it would be Contrology. 

The Contrology apparatuses are made by Balanced Body and are based on the original equipment designed by Joseph Pilates. It’s hard to explain, but the design of the springs and the apparatus itself have me feeling so much more connected and stronger in my Pilates than ever before. 

That being said, there are other reputable manufacturers out there and equipment that I’ve used extensively. So, if you have questions or are looking for suggestions before you pick your Pilates equipment for home, I’m happy to chat.