Mat vs Reformer Pilates: Which Should You Choose?

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I’m certified in Mat, Reformer, Cadillac, Chair and Barrel, and the same six principles run through all of them: centring, concentration, control, precision, flow and breathing. What changes is what you work against.

What is the difference between mat and Reformer Pilates?

Mat Pilates is done on a cushioned mat on the floor. You use your body weight for resistance, sometimes with small props such as a band, a ball or light weights. You need very little space and no machine.

Reformer Pilates is done on a machine with a sliding carriage, springs, a foot bar, and straps and pulleys. The springs provide adjustable resistance. Depending on how they’re set and how the exercise is built, they can make a movement harder or support you through it.

Researchers describing Pilates in a 2012 systematic review note that exercises can be mat-based or use specialized equipment with adjustable spring resistance, and they list the Reformer, Cadillac (trapeze table), Barrel and Chair as the main pieces.

Is mat Pilates as effective as Reformer Pilates?

Both are complete forms of Pilates, and both can build strength, control and mobility. There isn’t much research comparing them head to head.

One randomized trial, published in Physical Therapy in 2014, compared mat Pilates with equipment-based Pilates in 86 people with chronic non-specific low back pain. Both groups did 12 sessions over six weeks. At six months, the equipment group had better scores for disability and for fear of movement, but there was no difference in pain intensity.

That’s one study in one group of people, so it can’t tell you which is better for you. It does suggest that equipment can add something for some people, and the two didn’t differ on pain.

Is mat Pilates harder than the Reformer?

Many people find it is. On the mat nothing helps you, and you lift and control your own body weight the whole way through. On the Reformer the springs can take some of the load in certain exercises, which makes them more accessible.

The Reformer can also be much harder. Heavier springs add resistance, and the moving carriage asks for more stability.

Which is better for beginners?

Either can work with a good instructor. A common route, and the one recommended by a group fitness manager at Mayo Clinic’s Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center, is to start with a mat or chair class, learn the basic movements and principles, and then try the Reformer.

Starting on the mat has practical advantages. You can practise at home between sessions, and you learn to control your body without help from the springs. All you need is a mat and a little floor space.

Starting on the Reformer has an advantage too, because the springs and straps can guide you into positions. I’ve written more about first steps in Pilates for beginners.

What are the downsides of the Reformer?

  • Cost. Reformer sessions usually cost more than mat sessions, and a home Reformer is a significant purchase.
  • Access. You need a studio, a building amenity room or a home with a machine.
  • Space. A Reformer takes up a lot of floor, plus room to get on and off. A mat needs far less, as I explain in how much space you need for Pilates at home.
  • Learning curve. The moving carriage and spring changes take some instruction before they feel natural.

What about the Cadillac, Chair and Barrel?

They’re part of the same system. The Cadillac, also called the trapeze table, is a raised table with a frame, bars and springs. The Chair is a compact box with a spring-loaded pedal, and the Barrel is a curved piece of apparatus you lie, sit or lean over. Each offers a different kind of support or challenge, and an instructor trained on them can pick whichever suits your goal.

How should you choose?

I’d think about four things.

  1. Access. If there’s no Reformer near you, start on the mat. It’s a complete form of Pilates.
  2. Budget. Mat sessions and home practice cost less over time.
  3. Your body. If you’re working around an injury or recovering after pregnancy, the right choice depends on what you need, so ask your instructor and your doctor or physiotherapist.
  4. What you enjoy. Try both if you can, and notice which one you look forward to.

Sources

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    Mat, Reformer or both? Tell me which you practise and why.

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