The world has gone wild for Aldi’s £150 reformer Pilates machine. Since launching just three days ago, the supermarket chain has been forced to introduce a ticketing system after customers physically fought to get their hands on one, with Tiktokkers revealing three-hour waits, 5.30am wake-ups and queues down the street, and some successful buyers now listing the machine on eBay for more than double the price.
In fairness, the hysteria makes perfect sense: the leading at-home reformer machine, FOLD, costs £1899.99, while a single in-studio reformer class will cost you around £25. Despite costing 92% less than a FOLD machine, Aldi’s buy looks almost identical – it folds away for storage, comes on wheels to move around the house, and offers adaptable resistance levels and height settings, all for unlimited workouts.
Aldi’s £150 reformer Pilates machine
But over on TikTok, a stream of successful shoppers aren’t happy. Some commented on ‘creaky frames’ and ‘rubber bits flying off the wheels’, while another wrote: ‘After three pushes it started squeaking terribly, looked underneath to find the rubber had popped off the wheels. I used correctly as instructed and I’m nowhere near the weight limit. I’m very disappointed.’
Another added that it’s ‘hard to say how long the bands will last’ while the machine is also ‘shorter than studio reformers, which may not be suitable for users over 5’9”’ since it means you won’t be able to fully extend your legs as you push the carriage out, and the ‘headrest is also smaller than average, potentially affecting comfort during exercises.’ Elsewhere, one user commented: ‘It’s an accident waiting to happen.’ And trainers are concerned.
We reached out to Gareth Moran, a reformer Pilates instructor at Sculpt Pilates, and Korin Nolan, founder of studio Power Pilates UK, and at-home app, Dynamic Pilates TV, for their take. ‘While the cost of Aldi’s reformer makes the exercise form more accessible, the infrastructure of the bed isn’t the same as studio reformers,’ Gareth says. ‘For one, it uses rubber bands instead of springs, which can only take you so far before snapping and losing elasticity over time.’ Korin concurs. ‘I would love for reformer Pilates to be accessible to everyone if we can make equipment more affordable like this, but I doubt the rubber bands are strong enough to withhold the pulling and pushing of anyone’s body weight, and if they pop off, they could easily cause injuries,’ she says.
And for both Gareth and Korin, a lack of education around how to use the machine could be just as dangerous as substandard infrastructure. ‘Without being under the watchful eye of a trained professional, you won’t know the correct spring tension to use for each exercise,’ Gareth explains, adding that using the correct technique on a reformer machine is ‘of the utmost importance to prevent injury – even professionals like me go to class as we can’t critique ourselves effectively’.
And Instagram classes don’t count. If you’re thinking of following workouts you’ve seen on social media, Gareth and Korin are adamant that you – especially if you’re new to reformer – steer clear. ‘What you see online is usually for engagement from followers and certainly not beginner-friendly,’ Gareth says. ‘Sure, there’s a lot of content out there, but this rarely comes with advice around spring tensions according to different fitness levels, and if you’re a beginner or you’ve only been practicing Pilates for a short time, it’s impossible for you to do the moves safely, with the correct technique.’
In fact, Korin goes as far as to say, ‘Alongside putting your health and safety at risk, you’re probably going to be very disappointed by the lack of results, as these only come once you’ve completely nailed the correct form and technique.’
To her point, it’s unlikely Aldi’s machine will help you build as much strength as you would in studio, if that’s your goal, since replacing traditionally weighted reformer springs with resistance bands means that you’re only working with your body weight. Though one TikTok user makes a fair point when she says that she ‘never uses every spring at once in studio any way’, so you could add multiple bands for similar resistance.
The supermarket’s claim that it can ‘transform your body’ feels bold.
There’s clearly room for improvement when it comes to the composition of the machine, but if you’re one of the people who have already purchased a reformer and feel it’s ‘too heavy and hard to dismantle’ to return, all is not necessarily lost.
Korin and Gareth advise ‘investing in in-studio classes to help build yourself a foundation of proper form and technique’. ‘You must learn how your own body works when it comes to performing each exercise,’ Gareth says. ‘I’d also recommend checking that the machine is actually suitable for your body – if you feel like you can’t fully extend the carriage out without pressure on your shoulders or ankles, it’s not for you.’ In this case, Korin recommends trying mat Pilates classes – like her app Dynamic Pilates TV – or paying for a studio-standard reformer machine on finance. Safety first, always.
As Women’s Health UK’s fitness director (and a qualified yoga teacher), Bridie Wilkins has been passionately reporting on exercise, health and nutrition since the start of her decade-long career in journalism. She secured her first role at Look Magazine, where her obsession with fitness began and she launched the magazine’s health and fitness column, Look Fit, before going on to become Health and Fitness writer at HELLO!. Since, she has written for Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, The Metro, Runner’s World and Red.
Now, she oversees all fitness content across womenshealthmag.com.uk and the print magazine, spearheading leading cross-platform franchises, such as ‘Fit At Any Age’, where we showcase the women proving that age is no barrier to exercise. She has also represented the brand on BBC Radio London, plus various podcasts and Substacks – all with the aim to encourage more women to exercise and show them how.
Outside of work, find her trying the latest Pilates studio, testing her VO2 max for fun (TY, Oura), or posting workouts on Instagram.
