Best at-home pilates equipment for 2026, reviewed by Glamour editors

Salma El-Ansary, a Pilates, yoga and barre instructor and wellness coach says that all you need to get started with Pilates at home is a great exercise mat and some comfortable clothes (preferably form-fitting so you can see your alignment). “Some other ‘nice-to-have’ equipment is a resistance band, a small Pilates ball and light hand weights,” she explains. “Those can all add resistance and intensity to a Pilates workout, which can help with progression and results.”

"If you want to take your practice up a gear, or if you are using Pilates to help you get
stronger, you will find that some basic small equipment will help to enhance your exercises or support you whilst you build control," adds Lucy Pattullo, a Pilates specialist and founder of Rebalance Me UK.

“Joseph Pilates himself used small props, but it was never about ‘all the gear, no idea'. These pieces are used to help you get feedback to feel alignment, encourage precise muscle activation and movement and achieve balance by creating or correcting asymmetries.”

“I would say yes, Pilates equipment at home is worth it,” says El-Ansary. “You don’t need to go out there and spend lots of money on equipment. A small Pilates ball, some light weights (05 to 1.5 kgs) and a resistance band are enough to intensify a workout and help with strength training.”

She adds that other items like a Pilates ring and loop bands are also helpful: “It is important to note that equipment can also assist beginners with Pilates as they can help support individual bodies," she says.

Pattullo adds that Pilates equipment can also increase your overall benefits. She explains that small equipment can be used to:

• Activate and engage key muscle groups (eg squeezing the magic circle to engage
  glutes or core, a resistance band around the back for good shoulder activation).
• Provide progressive resistance or load (arm exercises with a long resistance band or
  adding weights to legs during abdominal table top series).
• Support you in challenging moves (resistance band to help pull up in a roll up or
  support legs or magic circle under chest to assist a Pilates press up).
• Introduce instability to make exercises more challenging (feet on a soft ball during a
  bridge, or balancing on the pelvis on a foam roller).
• Simulate moves from in studio Pilates on equipment such as the Reformer or Cadillac (gliders help mimic the slide, resistance bands replicate the feeling of working with springs).

“Pilates equipment is designed for controlled, slow and precise movement, whereas regular fitness equipment is designed for strength, power, endurance and cardio,” explains El-Ansary. “Typical Pilates equipment includes resistance bands and lights weights to target deep stabilising muscles (like core, hips and spine), and support joint-friendly, low-impact training. Regular fitness gear focuses on reps, load and intensity and resistance from this type of equipment is usually increased by adding weight.”

"This is where small equipment comes into its own, to mimic moves from the reformer
repertoire," says Pattullo. "You won’t get the exact spring carriage feel, but you can definitely reproduce movement patterns, resistance and muscle engagement with small props for reformer inspired moves at home.

“Sliders are fantastic for replicating the moving carriage for standing footwork such as scooters and lunges, or adding challenge to glute bridge extensions. They can also be used for planks, pikes and quadruped moves."

Foam rollers work in a similar way to provide instability or elevation, like that on a reformer, while resistance bands mimic springs; “In essence you are recreating the principles of controlled resistance, glide, alignment and precision.”

Likewise, El-Ansary argues that a mat Pilates workout is often stronger and more intense than a reformer Pilates workout: “It is important to note that Joseph Pilates, the founder of Pilates as we know it today, originally designed mat work to stand on its own. A reformer adds resistance and variety and helps with progression, but is not essential at all.”

“There has been an explosion in at home Pilates equipment at all price points," says Patullo. “Like most things, you tend to get what you pay for and those at the top end of the range tend to offer more durability, comfort and appealing aesthetics.”

“Typically, you can save on buying a soft ball paying around £5 to £7, and resistance bands and loop bands can be bought fairly cheaply. But more expensive
ones might have more stretch or grip and be nicer to hold.

She continues: "£7 to £10 should get you a quality long band (2m is a better length for versatility in Pilates) and loop bands range from £5 a set for cheaper latex ones to £15 to 25 for a fabric set."

Patullo also details that while Pilates rings can cost a bit more, they really are worth investing in: “The cheaper ones around the £10 price point do tend to provide less resistance and soon show cracks or even squeak.”