The Only Pilates Equipment I Use
My first year of Pilates I collected gadgets like they were going to do the workouts for me. Rings, balls, sliders, a wedge I used exactly once. These days my entire setup fits in one corner and I train more than I ever have. If you are building a home practice on a normal budget, here is the only Pilates equipment I actually use, and the drawer of things I quietly retired.
In this article
The reformer, obviously
Ninety percent of my training is the reformer, full stop. It is the one piece of Pilates equipment that genuinely replaces a studio, because the springs give you resistance, support and progression in a single machine. Everything else in my home setup is an accessory to it. If your budget only stretches to one thing, make it a quality reformer and skip the rest entirely, you will not miss it.
The pieces that come with it
Here is the part I wish someone had told me before I went shopping, the accessories that matter most come in the box. Every FitBoutique reformer arrives with a jumpboard for cardio sessions, a box for seated and kneeling work, and a yoga starter kit for floor exercises and stretching. Those three cover almost every class I follow. The jumpboard alone turned my reformer into my cardio machine, low impact and quietly brutal.
My resistance bands
The one extra I genuinely reach for is a set of resistance bands. They add variety to arm and glute work on the reformer, they are my warm up on cold mornings, and they come travelling when I am away from my machine. They cost next to nothing, take up no space and earn their keep weekly, which is more than I can say for anything else I have bought. Ours are made for exactly this and pair beautifully with the reformer, you can find them in the resistance bands collection.
What I stopped using
The honest list of what I retired, the magic circle, the small ball, the sliders and the foam wedge. None of them are bad, they are just redundant once you own a reformer, because the springs and the box do their jobs better. If you love a gadget, keep it. But do not let a basket of small equipment convince you it adds up to a machine, it does not, and I learned that with my own money.
Building it on a budget
So my whole recommended setup is one reformer, the included jumpboard, box and yoga kit, and a set of bands. That is it. Buy once, buy quality, and put the rest of the budget towards consistency, guided classes through Fit by FitBoutique when it launches, or simply keeping your weekends free to actually train. A short equipment list, used often, beats a long one gathering dust.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Pilates equipment do I need at home?
A quality reformer covers almost everything. Ours include a jumpboard, box and yoga starter kit in the box, and a set of resistance bands is the one extra worth adding.
Do I need a magic circle or small ball?
Not once you own a reformer. The springs, straps and box cover the same work more effectively. They are nice extras, not essentials.
What does a jumpboard do?
It attaches to the end of the reformer and turns it into a low impact cardio machine, you jump lying down against spring resistance. One comes included with every FitBoutique reformer.
Are resistance bands worth it for Pilates?
Yes. They add variety to reformer work, double as a warm up and travel with you. They are inexpensive and genuinely get used.
One Machine, Everything Included
Reformer, jumpboard, box and yoga starter kit in one delivery, with free Australia wide shipping and a five year warranty.
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Written by Ayrah Yuso
I'm part of the FitBoutique team and have a solid passion (and love) for all things exercise related, including Reformer Pilates
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