Reformer Pilates Mat: Can You Use One on the Carriage and What Works Better?

If you come from Mat Pilates or yoga, your first instinct is probably to bring your mat to your Pilates Reformer class. After all, it's the accessory you've always used to lie down, support yourself and avoid slipping. But the Reformer is a different surface with different rules: the carriage moves, the upholstery is vinyl and the space between the shoulder blocks, headrest and footbar is very specific. In this guide we explain whether a reformer Pilates mat makes sense, what problems it causes on the carriage and which alternative really works.

Mat vs Reformer: two surfaces with different needs

A mat is designed for the floor. Its job is to cushion contact with a hard, fixed surface and grip that floor so it doesn't shift. That's why it is usually thick (4 to 10 mm), has an underside made for wooden or laminate flooring and is full-body length.

The Reformer carriage is already padded. You don't need extra cushioning: what you need is for whatever you put on top to stay put on the vinyl while the carriage glides, and for your body not to slide on it once you start to sweat. These are two different problems, and a mat only tries to solve the first one on a surface that isn't the carriage. If you want a refresher on what each part of the machine is called, see our guide to the parts of the Pilates Reformer.

4 problems with using a mat on the carriage

1. It's too thick

The thickness that means comfort on the floor means instability on the carriage. A mat several millimetres thick lifts your pelvis and back off the upholstery, changes your height relative to the shoulder blocks and dulls your sense of the real support. In fine-control exercises, that extra soft layer turns into small wobbles.

2. It doesn't fit the carriage

Mats typically measure around 180 cm long and 60 cm wide. The carriage is shorter and bounded by the headrest and shoulder blocks, so the mat overhangs at the ends, folds against the shoulder blocks or hangs off the sides. A folded or overhanging surface is exactly what ends up moving. We explain how to measure your carriage in our guide to Pilates Reformer towel size.

3. Its grip is designed for the floor

The underside of a mat is designed to grip fixed surfaces. On smooth vinyl that also moves with every repetition, that grip doesn't always behave the same way, and when the carriage springs back the mat can drag a few centimetres. And the top side, made for hands and feet on the floor, doesn't always hold your back well once you sweat.

4. It's awkward to carry and to keep clean

Carrying a rolled-up mat to every class is bulky, and washing it thoroughly is not as simple as putting a towel in the washing machine. In a studio, laying out and removing mats between sessions also slows down changeovers.

When does a mat make sense?

A mat is still a great accessory, just in the right place:

• Floor work before or after the Reformer: warm-ups, stretching or Mat sequences.
• Mixed classes that alternate between machine and floor.
• Home Pilates without a machine, where it is the main surface.

If you're interested in the difference between the two methods, it's explained in Reformer Pilates vs Mat Pilates. For the carriage, however, something else works.

What works better on the carriage: a non-slip towel

What the carriage needs is a layer that is thin, sized to the upholstery and grips on both sides. In other words, a non-slip towel designed specifically for the Reformer. These are the requirements it should meet:

• Grip on both sides: the underside holds the vinyl and the top side holds your body, even when you sweat.
• Thin profile: keeps the true feel of your support, with no soft layers throwing you off balance.
• Carriage-friendly size: covers the support area without folding against the shoulder blocks or hanging off.
• Machine washable: easy hygiene after every session, without losing grip if you care for it properly.
• Light and foldable: fits in any bag, no bulky roll to carry.

If you've already tried other fabric options, you may also like our look at the yoga towel for Reformer Pilates and why the surface changes the rules.

Mat, cover or towel: quick summary

• Mat: ideal for the floor. On the carriage, too thick, too long and hard to keep in place.
• Cover: protects the machine when it isn't in use, but doesn't prevent slipping during exercise (see our Reformer Pilates cover guide).
• Non-slip Reformer towel: the option built for a moving carriage: thin, the right size and gripping on both sides.

Your carriage surface: the Bellman Pilates non-slip towel

The Bellman Non-Slip Reformer Pilates Towel is designed for exactly what a mat can't do on the carriage: 85% grip on both sides, a thin profile that respects the feel of your support, dimensions adapted to the standard carriage and easy machine washing. It folds down to almost nothing and goes in your bag to every class, giving you your own hygienic surface.

Available in blue, pink and grey. Keep the mat for the floor and train on the carriage without slipping: discover the Bellman Pilates non-slip towel.