GRDSGRD Pilates Reformer Review: Five Springs and a Seat Box for £259

Folding reformers under £300 have split into two camps on Amazon UK. One uses bungee cords, which feel light at the start of a push and heavy at the end. The other puts steel springs on the carriage like a studio machine. GRDSGRD's reformer is in the second camp, with five alloy springs, and at £259 it's within a few pounds of the cheapest spring reformer we've reviewed.

What sets it apart is what comes in the box. A sitting box, a platform and a padded rebounder all come as standard, which is the full set of accessories a studio instructor would use for a mixed class. The weaker points are a 300lb frame and the usual Amazon-brand gaps in the spec sheet.

Who it's for

People already doing reformer classes who want to train between sessions without paying £20 a go, and mat Pilates regulars who want to add carriage work. It's also a sensible pick for small flats, since it folds to about 2 square feet and rolls away on wheels.

It's less suited to heavier users. The frame is rated to 300lb (136kg), which is plenty for most people but leaves less margin than the 400lb rivals, and a moving carriage under load is where a lower rating shows first as flex or noise.

Check price on Amazon£259.00

Springs and set-up

Five springs give you more combinations than four, which matters most at the light end, where beginners and rehab users spend their time. GRDSGRD doesn't publish individual tensions, though, so you'll learn the settings by feel: one or two springs for arm work and abdominal series, three to five for footwork and leg press. GRDSGRD also claims the springs were tested for more than 10,000 uses. That's a factory figure we can't check, but springs are cheap, standard parts if one does go.

The footbar sets at four positions and the pulley risers at three heights, with a rope adjustment system underneath to set strap length. That's the adjustment range you need to run a proper beginner routine, and our reformer Pilates exercises guide walks through seven moves you can do on it.

The accessories are the reason to buy it

The sitting box is the part most budget reformers skip, and it's the part you miss most once you've used one. It sits across the carriage for seated rowing, short box abdominals and pulling straps lying face down, which together cover back and shoulder work the lying exercises can't reach. The padded rebounder turns the machine into a low-impact cardio session: you lie on the carriage and spring off the board with light spring tension.

Padding is the usual question mark at this price. GRDSGRD describes foam under PU leather on the carriage and footbar but gives no thickness. If the headrest feels thin, a folded yoga mat under the head fixes most of it.

What the evidence supports

Reformer Pilates is good exercise rather than a special cure. A meta-analysis of Pilates for chronic low back pain found it beat minimal intervention for short-term pain and disability, but it wasn't better than other types of exercise (Pilates for low back pain meta-analysis). The best reformer is the one you'll actually get on three times a week, which is why fold-away storage matters more than it sounds.

Against the alternatives

The TODO reformer costs £254.99 and adds five cords to its four springs plus a 400lb frame, but it states a 5ft 9in upper height limit for the shoulder pads. The ZERELEK at £399.99 also carries 400lb and includes a jump board. GRDSGRD's edge is the extra spring and the sitting box; if you're under 136kg, we'd take those over the higher rating. If you're tall, note that GRDSGRD doesn't state a height range at all, so ask the seller before ordering. Our best Pilates reformer UK guide ranks the options across price points.

Check price on Amazon£259.00

Recommended reads

1. The best Pilates reformer in the UK
2. TODO Pilates reformer review
3. ZERELEK Pilates reformer review
4. Reformer Pilates exercises for beginners