Which Reformer Fits Your Space and Budget?
This is the short, practical version of a decision I have watched hundreds of people make. Not the philosophy of choosing a reformer, which I have written about elsewhere, but the actual lookup. You have a room and you have a number. Which machine.
Two measurements and one honest conversation with yourself about money, and the answer is usually obvious by the end.
In this article
Measure these 3 things first
Almost everyone measures the room. Almost nobody measures the other 2 things, and they are the ones that cause trouble.
The floor space with clearance. The machine itself is 244cm long on most of our range. Add roughly 60cm at each end so you can stand behind the foot bar and sit up at the shoulder rests without meeting a wall, and keep at least one long side open to get on and off. In practice that is a space of about 3.6m by 1.8m for a comfortable setup. It can be tighter, but not much.
The narrowest doorway on the way in. Every machine arrives fully assembled. It does not come in a flat pack, which is wonderful on the day and means it has to physically fit through every door, hallway and corner between the front door and the room. Measure the tightest one.
Any stairs, and the turn at the top of them. A straight staircase is fine. A staircase with a landing and a turn is where a 244cm object stops being fun. If there is a turn, measure the diagonal you would have to swing through.
Which reformer fits which space
The published dimensions, so you can check them against your tape measure rather than my opinion.
Our foldable machines, the Ivory Reformer, Onyx Fold Reformer and White Edition Reformer, are 244cm long, 68cm wide and 28cm high in use. Folded upright on their wheels they stand 130cm tall, 68cm wide and 37cm deep, which is roughly a narrow bookcase. They weigh 65kg and you wheel them rather than lift them.
The Maple Crest Reformer is the timber foldable and the narrowest frame we make. It is 234cm long and 63cm wide, though it measures 255cm across including the wheels, so use that figure for the room. Folded it is 129cm by 66cm by 45cm and it weighs 75kg.
The Studio Reformer and the Space Black Reformer are the fixed frame studio machines at 244cm by 83cm by 27cm. They do not fold. That extra 15cm of width is genuinely noticeable in a hallway and in how planted the machine feels.
The Onyx Reformer, Sienna Reformer and Perlino Reformer are fixed frame home machines that do not fold. If you are between one of these and a foldable, the question is simply whether the room can give the machine a permanent home.
The full measurements, including what happens in a garage or an apartment, are in my guide to how much space you need for a reformer.
What each price actually buys
Here is the part I want to be plain about. Every reformer we sell runs the same German made springs, the same wheels, the same carriage travel, the same 150kg user rating and the same 5 year warranty. You are not buying a better machine as you go up the range. You are buying a different format and a different finish.
$2,199, the Maple Crest Reformer. Timber, foldable, 5 springs, and the cheapest machine we make, which surprises people who assume wood means premium. If it fits your room this is the one I would tell most people to buy and stop thinking.
$2,499, the Ivory, Onyx Fold and White Edition. The aluminium foldables with 6 springs on a two tiered bar. Same machine in 3 finishes. The Ivory has been our best seller for over 4 years.
$2,799 to $2,999, the Sienna, Onyx and The Studio Reformer. Fixed frames that never fold. The Onyx is the one in my own house. The Studio is the wider, planted one built for back to back use.
$3,199 to $3,499, the Space Black and Perlino. Finish and materials. The Space Black is the studio machine in a striking dark finish. The Perlino is a full maple frame with its own spring system and it is the most beautiful object in the range, which is exactly what you are paying for.
Prices move occasionally, so treat these as a guide and check the product pages before you decide.
The short answer, by room and budget
- Shared room, tightest budget. Maple Crest Reformer, $2,199. Folds, timber, and it reads as furniture, so you may find you never fold it at all.
- Shared room, mid budget. Ivory Reformer or Onyx Fold Reformer, $2,499. Full size, 6 springs, stands upright on its wheels when the room has to become something else.
- Spare room or garage, any budget. A fixed frame. The Onyx Reformer at $2,999 if you like black, the Sienna Reformer at $2,799 if you want something warmer. A machine that stays set up gets used far more than one that has to be unfolded first, so if the room is yours, skip folding entirely.
- Dedicated room, training hard or teaching. The Studio Reformer at $2,999 or the Space Black Reformer at $3,199. Wider, more planted, built for daily use.
- The machine lives in your living room and you want it to look like it belongs there. Maple Crest Reformer at the low end, Perlino Reformer at the top. Both timber, both the kind of thing nobody asks you to hide.
The costs people forget, and the ones they imagine
People budget for things they do not need to and forget the one thing they do.
You do not need to budget for delivery, because it is free anywhere in Australia. You do not need to budget for assembly, because the machine arrives built and you fit the poles and ropes in about 20 minutes. You do not need to budget for a jumpboard or a box, because both come with the machine along with a yoga starter kit. And you do not need to budget for a class programme, since Fit by FitBoutique is on the App Store, Google Play and Apple TV with guided sessions you can press play on.
What you might want is a large mat under the machine if you are on a hard floor you care about, a pair of grip socks, and eventually a set of resistance bands. That is the whole list, and it is under $150 combined.
The cost people actually forget is time. A reformer you have to set up costs you 5 minutes at the start of every session, and over a year that is the difference between a machine that gets used and one that does not. It is the strongest argument for a fixed frame if you have the room, and it does not show up on any price list.
A Note From Ayrah
The measurement that catches people out is never the room. It is the turn at the top of the stairs.
I have delivered enough of these to know the pattern. The customer has measured the spare room to the centimetre, the machine fits beautifully, and then we get to a staircase with a landing halfway up and a 90 degree turn, and a 244cm object that does not bend has to swing through a space that was designed for people.
Most of the time it works, with some care and 2 people. Occasionally it works only after the balustrade comes off. And once or twice it has meant the machine went into a downstairs room the customer had not planned on, which turned out fine, but was not the plan.
So before you order, walk the route from your front door to where the machine will live, and look for the tightest corner rather than the narrowest door. If you are not sure, take a photo of the stairs and send it to us. It takes a minute and it is the single most useful thing you can do before a delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which reformer is best for a small space?
The Maple Crest Reformer, which is the narrowest frame we make at 63cm and folds to 129cm by 66cm by 45cm, or one of the aluminium foldables, which stand upright on their wheels at 130cm tall and 37cm deep. Both need roughly 3.6m by 1.8m of floor when in use, so measure the floor as well as the storage spot.
What is the cheapest FitBoutique reformer?
The Maple Crest Reformer at $2,199. It runs the same German made springs, wheels and 5 year warranty as every other machine in the range, so it is the cheapest format rather than a lesser machine. Prices change occasionally, so check the product page.
Is a more expensive reformer better?
Not in performance. Springs, wheels, carriage travel, user weight rating and warranty are identical across the range. The extra money buys a fixed frame instead of a folding one, timber instead of aluminium, or a particular finish. Those are worth paying for if they matter to you, but they will not change your results.
Should I choose a foldable or a fixed frame?
Fixed if the machine can have a permanent home, even the end of a bedroom, because a reformer that stays set up gets used considerably more. Foldable only when the room genuinely has to serve another purpose. A folding machine you use beats a fixed one that annoys you.
How much room do I need around a reformer?
About 60cm clear at each end and one long side open. For a 244cm machine that works out to roughly 3.6m by 1.8m. You can go tighter if you have to, but sitting up at the shoulder rests with your head against a wall gets old quickly.
Will it fit through my door?
The machine arrives assembled, so check the narrowest door and, more importantly, any turn in a hallway or staircase on the route in. A straight path through a standard doorway is fine. A staircase with a landing and a turn is the thing to measure carefully, and if you are unsure, send us a photo before ordering.
What is included in the price?
Free delivery anywhere in Australia, a jumpboard and box, a yoga starter kit and a 5 year warranty. The machine arrives fully assembled with only the poles and ropes to fit. There is nothing else you have to buy to start.
Are there any ongoing costs?
Very few. Springs and ropes are wearing parts that eventually need replacing, and spare parts are held in Melbourne rather than imported on demand. Beyond that, a set of grip socks and a mat if you are protecting a hard floor. There is no subscription attached to the machine itself.
Find The One That Fits
Same springs, same wheels, same 5 year warranty across the range. Compare formats and finishes, with free delivery Australia wide.
Compare Every ReformerWritten by Kish ocampo
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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