This Is The Best Pilates Equipment To Buy For Home Workouts, According To Instructors

Mats are standard for grounding most workouts, but “a good Pilates mat is thicker and denser than a traditional yoga mat,” Jenny says. Bonney agrees; she recommends a mat that's at least half-an-inch thick in order to cushion and support your spine throughout various exercises. 

Certified Pilates instructor and Obé teacher Marcia Meade loves Alo Yoga's Warrior Mat. "It offers enough cushioning and support for Pilates and is still versatile enough for so many different styles of working out, so you get the bang for your buck.” 

Looser-fitting tops and roomy sweatshirts during low-impact Pilates, but all three instructors agree: Fitted is best. 

“It’s so important to monitor form and alignment during class,” Meade says. A fitted shirt helps you do just that. “When you wear loose-fitting shirts, it’s hard to see if your shoulders are square, your spine is properly aligned, or if your core is effectively engaged,” explains Jenny. 

One of Bonney's favorites: the sweat-wicking Lululemon Swiftly tank or tee, which she says is soft, breathes well, and comes in cute colors.

Just as wearing a fitted top can be helpful for monitoring form throughout your workout, so is wearing a fitted bottom, like leggings. Jenny likes a full-length pair when working on a reformer because they help her avoid slippery situations. She also finds they help her knees have more traction on the mat.

“Bulky sweats can get bunched up or in your way while going through the movements," Bonney adds. 

Reviewer Dawn D describes this pair from Venus Williams' activewear line as "so great." She "loves the higher waist and flattering backside" and promises to buy another pair. Good deal! 

This padded fitness can add some fun challenge and variety to your mat workouts, Bonney explains. You can hold the magic circle between your hands, between the legs for inner-thigh work, and more.  

“When you actively and effectively press into the ring, your muscles can’t help but shake!” Jenny says. "No matter the exercise, the Magic Circle magic is truly endless,” agrees Meade. "It encourages you to connect to your muscles in a very real way.”  

Over 1,100 Amazon reviewers shout out this one as a great option. “I’ve been using this for about a week now, and it’s pretty great," says reviewer Sylvia. "Compact and flexible yet gives a strong workout. I had no idea my arms were so weak, so hopefully, this will help turn that around. It comes with a nice bag, too.”

If you’re sans reformer, bands can go a long way in taking your Pilates workout to the next level. “Placing the band around your thighs for a bridge sequence or squat series will make your muscles work harder as you resist against it,” Jenny says. Most bands come in a package with varying intensity levels, so you can pick the right resistance for you depending on the move. 

Jenny loves this Fit Simplify set because it's budget-friendly and offers five different resistance options. 

Bonney also recommends small wrist or ankle weights for adding some resistance to the upper or lower body during mat Pilates. “I like to use the Bala bangle weights, and they come in fun colors,” she tells WH.

Meade also loves these small-but-intense accessories. “Once strapped on, the extra weight increases the challenge of every movement. From leg lifts to bicep curls to other arm workouts, they are sure to fire things up.”