Mat and reformer are the two formats most studios build their schedules around. Both are Pilates — not a beginner version and an advanced version of the same thing, but two different ways of working through the method on different equipment. Most studios that teach the full system offer both.
This guide describes what each format is, what a class looks like, and the typical first step into each. It is not a comparison.
Mat Pilates
A mat class is Pilates done on the floor, using bodyweight and sometimes a few small props — a Magic Circle, a small ball, light hand weights. The exercises trace back to the original mat sequence Joseph Pilates wrote in his 1945 book Return to Life Through Contrology.
In a group mat class, the instructor leads from the front and the class works through a sequence together. Group sizes vary by studio.
Because mat Pilates needs almost no equipment, it is the most portable form of Pilates. It shows up at dedicated Pilates studios, but also at gyms, community centers, and on home video.
Reformer Pilates
A reformer class is Pilates done on the reformer — an apparatus with a sliding carriage on a frame, springs that provide adjustable resistance, a footbar, straps, and shoulder rests. Joseph Pilates designed it as part of the same method as the mat work.
In a group reformer class, every student has their own machine. The instructor leads the room through a sequence, calling out spring changes and adjustments. Class size is capped by the number of reformers in the room, usually six to fourteen. Reformer classes are almost always studio-based and tend to cost more per session than mat classes at the same studio, because the equipment is expensive to buy and maintain.
“Reformer Pilates” describes equipment, not a method
“Reformer Pilates” appears on a lot of studio websites. It tells you the class uses a reformer. It does not tell you whether the studio teaches in a classical or contemporary style, or whether it is traditional Pilates work or a fitness-oriented hybrid. The phrase is used loosely; the studio’s own description is the place to look.
Both formats, both lineages
Mat and reformer both exist in the classical and contemporary traditions. A classical studio typically teaches both, in a set order Joseph Pilates laid out. Contemporary programs train teachers in mat, reformer, or the full method, and most contemporary studios also offer both formats.
Format and method are independent dimensions: a classical studio and a contemporary studio can both run a reformer class on the schedule next Tuesday at 6pm.
Starting with mat
Mat is the more open door for a brand-new student. Many studios let beginners drop into a beginner-level mat class without any prior session. There is no apparatus to learn first, so the only orientation is the exercises themselves — and a beginner-level class assumes you are seeing them for the first time.
One thing worth knowing: “beginner” is used two ways at Pilates studios. Sometimes it means the class is suitable for someone new to Pilates. In some classical contexts, it refers to a tier of exercises — the foundational order of the work, which experienced students also return to. The studio’s class description usually makes clear which one is meant.
Starting on the reformer
Reformer takes one extra step before a regular group class. The apparatus has springs, straps, and several adjustable settings, and most studios want a new client to be oriented before working on it in a room with other people moving at the same time.
What that orientation looks like depends on the studio. Some run a dedicated intro reformer class. Some sell a beginner package — a few classes at a discounted rate, sometimes preceded by a short orientation. Others ask new clients to start with one or more private sessions, which is one student with one instructor. After the intro, most beginners move into regular group reformer classes. The studio’s “new clients” page is the place to find the actual pathway.
Other formats people sometimes confuse with these
A few formats look like reformer Pilates but are distinct. The most common is Lagree Fitness, taught on a piece of equipment called the Megaformer. The Megaformer looks similar to a reformer at a glance, but it is a different machine, and Lagree is a related-but-separate method with its own lineage. Some studios market Lagree-style classes as “reformer Pilates,” which can mislead a new student. To learn more, the method’s own site is the place: lagreefitness.com.
The simplest way to tell what a class actually is: read the studio’s description and look for the equipment name (reformer or Megaformer) and the method name (Pilates, Lagree, or something else).