The Best Pilates Reformer 2021

The most important things to look for in a pilates reformer is a smooth gliding motion, easy resistance adjustments, and enough padding for the workout to be comfortable.

Really, that’s what it all can be summed up as: comfort. You’re looking for a Pilates reformer that’s comfortable to do your workouts with.

That’s what makes you stick with the program for the long term.

Anything else like extra accessories comes second to that… but… you still have to consider that less accessories means less options.

I mean, some pilates reformers out there don’t even have a foot bar.

So, basically, you’re going to really want something that can truly replace those expensive pilates classes you’re going to perhaps two or three times a week.

Then you can really say that getting your own pilates reformer for home workouts has paid for itself.

As for which ones are worth getting, take a look at our recommendations in this handy guide and pick the one which personally suits you the best.

The Top Pilates Reformers Reviewed

Editor’s Award	Winner
Top Pick	Merrithew at Home SPX Reformer Bundle
Best for Beginners	Stamina AeroPilates Reformer 287 with 3 Resistance Cords
Best Value for Money at a Medium Price Point	Stamina AeroPilates Reformer Plus 379
Best for Studio-Level Quality	Balanced Body Studio Reformer
Best Pilates Cadillac Reformer	Pilates Cadillac Reformer (by Pilates Equipment Fitness)

Best Pilates Reformer: Merrithew at Home SPX Reformer Bundle

With this official set from the company that founded Stott Pilates, you get the attachments you need to be able to do everything at home that you’d ever do in a Pilates class. It even comes with two workout DVDs featuring over 250 exercises.

What this all means is that there’s no compromises or “settling for less” here. That’s why it’s made our pick as the best overall option.

You can’t really go wrong if you have everything you need at a price that’s lower than the most professional studio quality reformers.

With those ones you’re paying extra for the premium quality, but to be honest you don’t particularly get any extra useful features out of them.

Here you’ve got a the best reformer that checks all the boxes, without it being in that extra premium kind of price range. That’s what most of you are looking for.

Included Accessories:

Reformer Box with Footstrap

The extra height this gives you really helps with getting those optimal sitting positions.

It also means a greater range of motion for your torso, arms and legs, and is even useful for many exercises on the reformer, for seated and lying positions alike.

Padded Platform Extender

Adds so many more exercises to the reformer, so it’s really worth having.

You see, it’s not just a platform extender. It can also be placed between the carriage and pulley posts on the reformer so you can do even more extra exercises.

Metal Roll-Up Pole

The roll-up pole really helps keep your shoulders and arms in the right position. It’s an accessory that’s really focused on scapular stabilization.

You’re essentially getting a whole new take on existing exercises by having this roll-up pole as an option.

What We Like:

• Offers Far More Exercises than Your Usual Reformer – Thanks to the included reformer box, padded platform extender and metal roll-up pole.
• Easy to Adjust, State of the Art Spring System – Merrithew know how to build a reformer. I mean, they’re the company behind Stott Pilates after all.
• Smooth Gliding Motion – Really important in a reformer. A reformer that rolls smoothly means you get a smooth range of motion for your muscles, joints and so on.
• Comfortable to Use – The padding’s just the right thickness to get sweet spot between it being a soft surface and a stable surface.

More Useful Info:

• Fits Through a Standard Doorway – It’s something that you always wonder with a product like this, but yes, it does fit through a standard doorway. However, this brings us onto the second point:
• It’s Heavy – The weight comes from it being well-built, and it certainly makes it stable, but it also means you’ll probably need help moving it in. The shipping weight is 167 lbs.
• Lower Down to the Floor than Others – Bear in mind that this reformer is closer to the floor than it is to seating height.
  
  If you have difficulty getting down to floor level, then at least the included reformer box will help raise the height for you.
  
  If you think that isn’t enough for you, then you might be better off looking for a reformer that has some more height to it to begin with.

Check the latest price on Amazon.

Best for Beginners: Stamina AeroPilates Reformer 287 with 3 Resistance Cords

Other than the padded foot bar, it has high density foam shoulder pads, a padded 3-position adjustable head rest, and foam hand & foot straps.

Like we said at the start, comfort is really important in a reformer, so it’s really good that despite this one being a budget pick, you’re not missing out on comfort here.

There’s also six non-skid supports on this one, two on each end and two in the middle. They keep it nice and stable along with the sturdy steel frame, as you might imagine.

Lastly, the built-in wheels are pretty handy for moving it in.

What We Like:

• Lots of Padding – One of the things that people always worry about in a cheap reformer is whether the padding is thick enough. This one definitely has that covered.
• Really Great Value for the Price – All the basics you need to make the transition to doing Pilates at home, at a really reasonable price.
• Comes with Two DVDs and a Wall Chart – Also really good for getting you started at home.

Check the latest price on Amazon.

Best Value for Money at a Medium Price Point: Stamina AeroPilates Reformer Plus 379

The much improved padding on the platform and the cardio rebounder attachment are what make this one really shine.

A study by NASA found that rebounding is actually more effective than running. It’s surprising, but it is what it is.

So, with this one, you gain access to rebounding exercises, which is honestly a really great improvement over their entry level model.

There’s also the red cord for higher resistance exercises, and the yellow cord for lighter-weight more cardio-based exercises.

What We Like:

• The Cardio Rebounder – It’s a really great addition to your Pilates routine considering how effective rebounding is as an exercise.
• Red and Yellow Cords – Instead of just being limited to varying resistance on the black cords of the 287 model we reviewed above, you get the red (higher resistance) and yellow (lower resistance, more cardio-based) cords for adjusting the resistance.
  
  You can really feel the difference. It’s just a better experience with these dedicated cords of different resistances.

Check the latest price on Amazon.

Best Studio-Level Quality Pilates Reformer: Balanced Body Studio Reformer

Best for Studio-Level Quality

Honestly, there could only be one pick for a studio quality reformer, and it’s Balanced Body’s Studio Reformer.

Its key features are a 41-inch carriage ride, a classic foot bar with 2 supports and 3 adjustable heights, cotton foot strap, neoprene handles and an upholstered sitting box to top it all off.

But those are just the basics. There’s a whole lot more to this reformer that makes it truly exceptional.

First of all, the spring system consists of 5 Balanced Body Signature Springs with spring collars and a no-roll, two-position spring bar.

What this means in practice is that the feeling of this reformer while you’re doing a Pilates workout is second to none.

Everything is just so fluid and smooth. You can immediately see why this reformer is so coveted.

The cords and pulleys are also clearly very high quality as you can see in the image below.

It also comes with Balanced Body TwistLock shoulder rests, which you can adjust or remove quickly with no need for tethered pins. They fit on easily and securely too.

What We Like:

• The Highest Quality Reformer We’ve Seen – There are reformers out there that cost more for a standard reformer setup, but none that are worth it over this one.
  
  The step up in quality of this reformer over other ones we’ve seen is truly exceptional.

Check the latest price on Amazon.

Best Pilates Cadillac Reformer: Pilates Cadillac Reformer (by Pilates Equipment Fitness)

Best Pilates Cadillac Reformer

This is the most complete Pilates equipment set on this list.

It really has everything you need to do every single Pilates exercise.

But it’s made it spot on this list because it’s excellent quality and actually… a surprisingly good price for what you get, considering it’s an absolute all-in-one exercise station.

The springs on this one come in a three variants: yellow, for lighter, more cardio-based workouts; green, for a standard amount of resistance for classic Pilates workouts; and red, for high-resistance, intense workouts.

All of the springs, like on the trapeze, the springbar and so on, are like this. You really can get the level of intensity you want out of any exercise you want with this convertible Cadillac reformer.

What We Like:

• Everything You Need in One Place – Instead of having multiple pieces of equipment separately, which would end up costing a whole lot more, you’ve got a high quality single piece of equipment that can do everything. This brings us onto the next point.
• Great for Limited Space – That’s because you only need one space for this Pilates Cadillac reformer, and because it’s actually easily convertible for when you need more space for Pilates exercises or simply don’t want it to take up much room when you’re not using it.

Check the latest price on Amazon.