Reformer Pilates vs Mat Pilates: What Changes

Mat Pilates and reformer Pilates share a method and most of their vocabulary. What differs is the thing the body works against. On a mat that is gravity and the floor. On a reformer it is a set of springs attached to a carriage that moves.

What is the main difference between reformer and mat Pilates?

The main difference is external resistance. Mat Pilates uses bodyweight and gravity alone, while a reformer adds springs that can increase or reduce the load. The reformer also introduces a moving surface, straps and a footbar, so the same principle can be practiced lying, kneeling, sitting or standing with support.

What the reformer adds

• Springs that add or reduce load: a spring can make an exercise harder. It can also assist a movement that would be difficult on the floor.
• A moving carriage: the surface under you glides on rails, so staying steady takes a kind of control a still floor never demands.
• Straps: hands or feet in loops allow supported positions, such as lying on the back with the legs held up by the ropes.
• A footbar: a fixed point to push from, set at different positions for each exercise.

Adjustment is the practical result. The same exercise can be set lighter or heavier by changing springs, which lets one session suit very different clients.

What does mat Pilates do well?

Mat Pilates needs almost no equipment and can be done in most rooms with a decent mat. Without springs to lean on, it asks the practitioner to control every movement from the inside, which is why many teachers regard mat work as the foundation of the method. It also fits a crowded schedule easily.

A mat still deserves some thought. A good Pilates floor mat is around 70.9 in by 23.6 in and 0.39 in thick, made from rubber foam with minimal stretch so it stays put under the hands. Peak's Flat Platform Mat is longer and wider than a standard mat and adds an attached foot strap.

Can a reformer double as a mat?

Yes, several reformers convert to a flat mat surface. BASI includes a twin mat conversion with its Reformer with Tower and Reformer Combo, lifting onto the carriage to make a flat mat surface. Peak's Artistry Twin Mats fit the Artistry flip carriage, turning it into a continuous surface for mat or tower work.

The BASI conversion measures 27.5 in by 28.9 in, weighs 16.3 lb and stores upright against a wall. Elina's tower reformers, including the Lignum, Club and Master Instructor with tower, come with a mat that covers the reformer surface. Peak's MVe Reformer and Tower converts between reformer, tower and mat on one frame.

Choosing between them

Neither format replaces the other. Mat work is portable and asks for nothing but space. Reformer work adds adjustable load and support in exchange for floor area and budget. Plenty of people keep both, using the mat on busy days and the reformer when time allows. A qualified instructor can help you decide how to split your practice between the two.

Browse our Pilates reformers to compare mat conversions model by model. For smaller rooms, Pilates for the home gathers compact options in one place.