Reformer Pilates vs Mat Pilates: Which Should You Try?

Reformer pilates costs AED 115–175 per class. Mat pilates costs AED 40–80. Most people picking reformer have never thought hard about why.

The assumption is simple: reformer is the advanced version, mat is for beginners. You graduate from one to the other. Spend a bit more, get better results.

That's not how it works. Joseph Pilates designed both formats with distinct purposes. One isn't better than the other — they're different tools for different goals. And depending on what you actually want from your training, you might be paying three times as much for a format that's less effective for you.

Reformer pilates uses a spring-resistance machine to train core strength, flexibility, and muscle definition with variable load. Mat pilates uses only bodyweight, demanding more from your stabilising muscles on every rep. Here's what the difference actually means for your training, who each format suits, and how to make the call without being swayed by what looks good on a studio's Instagram page.

What Is Reformer Pilates, Exactly?

Reformer pilates is practised on a machine called the reformer — a sliding carriage with a flat platform, adjustable springs, a footbar, and pulley straps. You push or pull against spring resistance while lying, sitting, standing, or kneeling on the carriage.

The spring system is the key. By adjusting the number and tension of springs, instructors can make exercises easier (more springs = more assistance) or harder (fewer springs = more load). This makes the reformer highly adaptable — the same machine works for a post-surgery rehab patient and an elite dancer, just with different spring configurations.

Beyond the standard reformer, Pilates studios sometimes incorporate related equipment: the Cadillac (or Trapeze Table), the Wunda Chair, and various barrels. Most "reformer pilates" classes you'll find in Dubai use the reformer only — the others appear in private sessions or specialist studios.

What Is Mat Pilates?

Mat pilates uses your body weight as the only resistance. A mat, sometimes a small prop (resistance band, magic circle, small ball), and gravity. That's it.

The original Pilates system — developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century — was built around 34 mat exercises. The reformer came later as a way to help injured patients perform similar movements with assistance and variable resistance. In other words, the mat was first. The reformer supplemented it.

This context matters when you hear someone say reformer is "more advanced." For many exercises, it's actually easier — because the machine assists you.

The Real Differences Between Reformer and Mat Pilates

The equipment gap creates three meaningful differences: how your muscles are recruited, how much joint stress you experience, and how accessible the format is at different fitness levels.

Muscle Recruitment

On a mat, your stabilising muscles — deep core, glutes, postural muscles along the spine — carry the full load. There's no spring pulling the carriage back, no platform supporting your limbs. Every movement requires those muscles to fire continuously just to keep you from collapsing. The result is high demand on the postural chain throughout every exercise, which is why experienced practitioners often rate advanced mat work as more physically demanding than comparable reformer sequences.

On the reformer, the spring resistance provides some of that stabilisation for you. The machine guides your movement path. This is useful when you're learning correct form or working around an injury, but it also means certain deep stabilisers get less stimulus than they would on the mat. The trade-off is eccentric loading — as the carriage returns on each rep, your muscles lengthen under tension, a training stimulus that bodyweight-only exercises can't easily replicate. This is why reformer pilates has a stronger reputation for producing visible muscle definition faster than mat work: the resistance creates a different mechanical stress on the muscle fibres.

Joint Stress and Safety

The reformer's padded carriage and spring assistance significantly reduce the load on vulnerable joints — hips, knees, wrists, lower back. This makes it the clear choice for anyone in rehabilitation, managing a chronic injury, or returning to exercise after surgery.

Mat pilates, by contrast, puts your full body weight through your joints on exercises like the Plank, the Hundred, or the Swan. Done with poor form, these can aggravate existing issues. Done with good form and a skilled instructor, they build joint resilience over time.

Accessibility and Progression

This is where the "reformer is advanced" myth breaks down. A complete beginner with no core awareness is often better served by the reformer — the machine provides immediate feedback about correct alignment, and instructors can dial the resistance down to near zero for early sessions.

An experienced mat practitioner with strong body awareness can attempt exercises on the mat that would be impossible or unsafe on the reformer, simply because the mat demands total self-sufficiency. Advanced mat work — full roll-over, teaser variations, control balance — is genuinely harder than most reformer repertoire.

What Does Each Format Cost in Dubai?

Pricing in Dubai reflects the equipment cost, studio overhead, and class sizes of each format. Here's a general comparison based on studios currently listed across the UAE:

The price gap is real — roughly 2 to 3x for comparable group classes. Most Dubai studios offer introductory reformer packages (AED 269 for 3 classes is a common entry point) that let you try it before committing to a pack.

If budget is a factor, mat pilates gives you more sessions per dirham — and the results are real, provided the class is taught well.

Who Should Choose Reformer Pilates?

Reformer pilates is the better choice if you're dealing with an injury or coming back from surgery, have joint issues (especially lower back, hips, or knees) that make mat work uncomfortable, want faster visible results in muscle tone and definition, or are completely new to Pilates and want guided, low-risk entry.

It's also the right call if you specifically enjoy the variety the machine offers — the Pilates method includes over 500 exercises adapted for the reformer, and a good instructor will keep sessions feeling different from week to week.

Reformer pilates is also pregnancy-safe when modified appropriately. Many studios in Dubai offer prenatal reformer programmes specifically designed around this.

For something more specific to your area, browse yoga and pilates studios on Gymzone to find reformer classes near you across all 7 Emirates.

Who Should Choose Mat Pilates?

Mat pilates is the better choice if you already have solid body awareness and want to challenge your stabiliser muscles without machine assistance, train on a tight budget or want the flexibility to practise at home, are building a foundation in Pilates before investing in reformer sessions, or prefer a quieter, equipment-free environment.

It's also worth noting: mat pilates is harder to fake. On a reformer, the machine partially compensates for poor alignment. On a mat, if your form is off, you feel it immediately — which makes a skilled mat instructor more valuable, not less.

Many experienced Pilates practitioners in Dubai cross-train both formats deliberately. They use reformer sessions for resistance-based muscle work and mat sessions for foundational control and flexibility. There's no rule that says you have to pick one.

How Do You Actually Decide?

Reformer pilates and mat pilates train the same principles — core strength, spinal alignment, posture correction, flexibility, and breath coordination — but through different means. The reformer adds resistance and reduces joint load. The mat removes all assistance and forces self-sufficiency.

Run through these questions:

• Do you have an injury, or are you in rehab? → Reformer.
• Is budget the main constraint? → Mat, or a studio that offers both.
• Do you want visible muscle definition sooner? → Reformer.
• Do you want the strongest foundational core? → Mat.
• Are you brand new to Pilates? → Either works. Many studios recommend starting on the reformer for immediate instructor feedback, but a good mat beginner class is equally valid.
• Do you already know you love Pilates? → Try both. Most serious practitioners end up doing both.

Don't let price be a proxy for quality. The format that fits your body and goals will produce better results than the more expensive one you're tolerating.

Finding Pilates Studios Across the UAE

Reformer pilates has grown significantly in Dubai over the last five years. You'll now find dedicated reformer studios in JLT, Business Bay, DIFC, Dubai Hills, and across Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Most offer both reformer and mat classes, though class sizes, equipment quality, and instructor experience vary considerably.

The best way to compare studios before committing to a pack is to check amenities, read reviews, and see what each offers side by side. Our guide to the best pilates studios in Dubai covers the top-rated options with details on formats, pricing, and who each studio suits best.

If you already know you want reformer specifically, our guide to the best reformer pilates studios in Dubai covers the top-rated studios with details on equipment quality, class sizes, instructor experience, and pricing.

Ready to find a pilates studio near you? Browse yoga and pilates studios on Gymzone — filter by emirate, check amenities, and read reviews before you book your first class.