My stepmom is obsessed with reformer Pilates — here's our verdict on the at-home FOLD Reformer machine

Tom's Guide

2 days ago

Reformer Pilates has taken the world by storm, and it's one of the most popular low-impact forms of exercise around, capable of strengthening and toning muscles and joints from head to toe while improving core strength and posture.
The universal love for Pilates is only increasing, and so are home workouts. If you thought a reformer class from your own home wasn't possible, think again.
My stepmom loves reformer Pilates and has spent her fair share of hours on the mat and the reformer bed. Recently, she unboxed the Original FOLD Reformer — an at-home foldable reformer Pilates machine — to see how it fared against the studio-quality Pilates experience she's used to.
Having spent the last six weeks with the reformer bed, it's immediately easy to see why it's award-winning, but is it worth the eye-watering price tag?
Here's everything you need to know, and whether or not we think this reformer bed is worth the spend.
Each bed comes with two-person delivery, a Pilates ball and circle, 1kg weights, jump board and foot strap, mat, grip socks and app access.
The FOLD Reformer is a portable and foldable reformer bed that allows you to continue your Pilates routine at home without expensive studio costs or memberships.
The bed retails for £1,899.99 and ships across Europe. Sadly, it isn't available in the U.S. right now. Now, that's a pretty big price tag, but remember, this will save you on studio classes, and you also save time on commuting to and from your local classes.
The machine looks darn good. It's sleek, beautiful and stripped back, like something out of a chic South London Chelsea and Kensington studio, which also happens to be bang on trend.
It's crafted from Canadian maple and vegan-friendly PU leather and measures 50 x 26.8 x 15.7 inches folded, with two color options available at checkout.
You can expect a studio-level design, too, as the Original FORM Reformer comes with padded double-loop straps, adjustable head and shoulder rests, a 4-level footbar and 5 resistance springs.
Each pack comes with a starter bundle, which includes a Pilates mat, circle, ball, set of 1kg dumbbells, plus grip socks and a 1-year FOLD app membership.
After this initial period, membership will cost you £9.99 per month, but you'll gain access to on-demand workouts for reformer, mat and barre, plus sweet extras like meditations.
Your bed also comes with two-person delivery to a room of your choice, including access via three flights of stairs if you need it.
Is it worth it? This is what we think.
Set-up is one of the most important things we look for when choosing a high-value product like this one, and it can make or break your experience when moving from a studio experience to home workouts.
The FOLD Reformer is super easy to set up, and the video instructions are clear. The bed itself is robust and, overall, of great quality.
However, you might need some help unpacking it; the machine can be folded with the bed still in place, but it's pretty heavy and the bed makes the grip awkward.
During testing, we found the process just about manageable, but you might need to remove the bed itself if you struggle with the weight, and this might be a problem if you're setting up alone or have an injury.
You'll also need to remove the straps and vertical poles to fold the machine, which can be a little annoying.
That said, once folded, the bed is easy to move on wheels, but you'll need plenty of space to swivel it around, which might not suit small rooms — I recommend measuring up your home first to ensure you'll be able to perform exercises properly and have room to move.
The video shows you how to remove parts to make the whole experience lighter and more manageable, so I also recommend checking this out and consider having a helper on hand if you're unsure if you'll be able to unpack and re-fold alone.
Our bed arrived on a large wooden pallet, and it is a seriously hefty bit of kit to maneuver alone. We've been assured that this isn't the experience for the everyday customer, who will receive the box with a two-person delivery, so I can't speak for the overall delivery experience of others.
My step mom is a huge fan of Reformer Pilates, so we knew exactly what we were looking for when testing this bed.
The FOLD Reformer is easy to use and solid, on a par with a studio bed. The carriageway is smooth, and the springs are easy to manage. The box is also a good hack, as it doubles as a piece of equipment and handy storage.
Could usability be improved? Yes. We missed an attachment for an iPhone or iPad, as it's hard to see the instructor during app workouts when using the bed. This might not be a problem if you're advanced with your Pilates practice, but more annoying for Pilates beginners.
The jump board is as wide as the FOLD bed, which is smaller than a studio jump board and restricts the leg exercises you can do, including wide-leg take-offs or landings. Adjustments to the jump board size could elevate this reformer bed even more.
For double-leg moves where we might use all the red springs, the carriage shot back too quickly with all the FOLD springs on, and the carriage felt too light for the exercise. We'd have also liked more spring options available.
Finally, you may want to consider who you live with, as things can get a little noisy; there are ways to reduce noise by placing the extender plate under the jump board, but despite this working, it adds to the feeling of instability during use.
The classes are brilliant and diverse, allowing most, if not all, Pilates lovers to find something they can enjoy. Prompts are clear, all levels are catered for and you can choose timings, as well.
If you enjoy a dynamic class, just be sure to have enough space surrounding the bed to allow you a free range of motion without limitations.
It's a big yes from us, and you'll save a huge amount of time and money with the Original FOLD Reformer. Although it's not exactly the same as a studio bed, it provides great quality coupled with solid design and an extensive array of classes to choose from.
Pilates memberships are pretty expensive, and not everyone can put a full-size reformer bed in their homes, so this is a brilliant solution if you're keen to bring your practice home.
Although the weight of the whole bed is a pro for design — a lighter bed might feel flimsy or unstable — it can make set-up a challenge, so consider this when you get yours delivered.
The jump board could do with an upgrade to match the studio experience, and if you want to fold and stow your machine, you'll need to be prepared for a bit of reassembly. We would also have liked an extra red spring (there are only two), so you might be limited by the resistance available, depending on your ability.
We love how versatile the classes are, allowing you to hop on for 15 minutes and still benefit from a great workout if you prefer short stints throughout the day. That's a big tick for the exercise snackers amongst us.
Although we love that the bed is portable — that's the biggest draw, after all — we wouldn't want to fold and unfold before and after each use. If you do have space to keep yours assembled, it might be worth keeping it unfolded and ready to go.
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