Yoga Towel for Reformer Pilates: Does It Work or Do You Need a Specific One?

If you come from yoga, the most natural thing is to pack the same towel you use on your mat and take it to your first Pilates Reformer class. It seems logical: it's non-slip, it absorbs sweat and you already own it. But as soon as the carriage starts moving, many people discover it doesn't behave the same way. In this guide we explain why a yoga towel and a Reformer towel look alike but solve different problems, when a yoga towel can do the job, and what a towel genuinely designed for the machine should have.

Yoga towel vs Reformer towel: same goal, two different surfaces

A yoga towel is designed to work on a mat that stays still on the floor. Its main job is to stop your hands and feet slipping on the mat when you sweat, especially in weight-bearing poses such as downward dog. That's why its grip is usually concentrated on the side that touches the mat, or printed on as silicone dots, with a highly absorbent microfibre top side.

On the Reformer the situation changes completely. The surface isn't a rubber mat but the vinyl upholstery of the carriage, smooth by design so it can be cleaned between classes. And that surface doesn't stay still: it glides along the rails, stops, returns and changes direction dozens of times per session. Your body also rests on much more than hands and feet: your back, pelvis, knees or forearms, depending on the exercise. If you'd like a refresher on every part of the machine, see our guide to the parts of the Pilates Reformer.

What goes wrong when you use a yoga towel on the carriage

It's not that yoga towels are bad; they were designed for a different setting. These are the three problems we see most often in class:

• It shifts on the vinyl. Silicone dots that grip well on a rubber mat lose effectiveness on smooth, sometimes slightly damp upholstery. With the back-and-forth of the carriage, the towel ends up sliding and you have to reposition it between exercises.
• It only grips on one side. Many yoga towels stop either your hands or the towel from slipping, but not both at once. On the Reformer you need the towel to stay put on the carriage and your body to stay put on the towel. We explain this in detail in double-sided vs single-sided grip.
• The size doesn't fit. A yoga towel is made to cover a long, narrow mat. On the carriage it tends to overhang at one end, hang off the side or need folding, and every fold is a point of instability.

The result is always the same: your attention goes to holding the towel in place instead of your technique, and your body compensates with tension where it doesn't need it.

When can a yoga towel do the job?

Let's be honest: there are situations where your yoga towel works fine.

• For drying off between sets or after class, as a hand towel.
• In Mat Pilates, where you work on a fixed mat, just like in yoga.
• In very gentle sessions of stretching or mobility where the carriage barely moves and you hardly sweat.

In dynamic classes, however, with footwork, kneeling on the carriage, planks or any sweaty format, the difference is obvious from day one. If your current towel is microfibre, we also recommend reading microfibre towels for the Reformer: benefits and limits.

What a Pilates Reformer towel should have

If you're going to practise Reformer regularly, this is the checklist we used at Bellman Pilates to design our towel:

1. Grip on both sides. One side that anchors to the carriage upholstery and another that holds your body in place, even when you sweat.
2. Grip built into the material, not printed on top. Grip that's part of the towel doesn't wear off in patches after washing.
3. A size designed for the standard carriage, covering the support area without overhanging or needing to be folded. If in doubt, see how to choose the right Pilates Reformer towel size.
4. A thin, comfortable feel, so you don't lose sensitivity in your contact points or create an unstable “cushion”.
5. Easy to wash and air-dry, so you can bring it clean to every class without it losing grip.

A towel that ticks these five boxes stops being an accessory you have to keep an eye on and becomes part of your technique: you lay it down at the start and forget about it.

What if you practise both yoga and Reformer Pilates?

Lots of people combine the two. In that case, the most practical option is to have a towel for each surface: your yoga towel for the mat and a dedicated towel for the Reformer carriage. A towel with grip on both sides also works very well on a mat, so if you only want to carry one in your bag, it's the most versatile choice. And if you'd like to compare the two disciplines, read our guide Reformer Pilates vs yoga.

The Bellman Pilates towel: designed for the Reformer carriage

The Bellman Pilates Non-Slip Reformer Pilates Towel was created precisely to solve what a yoga towel can't on the machine:

• 85% grip on both sides: it stays fixed on the upholstery and holds your body even when you sweat.
• Dimensions designed for the standard carriage, with no overhang or folds.
• Soft feel and easy care: cold wash, no fabric softener and air-dry.
• Available in blue, pink and grey, so you can spot yours instantly in the studio.

Keep your yoga towel for the mat and bring a towel to the Reformer that works with you. Discover the Bellman Pilates non-slip towel and choose your colour.