Rent A Reformer

Renting a reformer sounds like the sensible way in. Small weekly payments, nothing big upfront, and you can hand it back if it doesn't work out. But do the maths over a year and something uncomfortable shows up. 12 months of rent costs about the same as buying a reformer outright, and at the end of it you own nothing.

I went through the rental options available in Australia in October 2026 and lined them up against what it costs to own. Here is the full maths, when renting does make sense, and why I recommend buying for almost everyone who plans to train for more than a year.

How renting a reformer works

Home reformer rentals in Australia follow a similar pattern. You pay a weekly fee, commit to a minimum term, put down a refundable bond, and pay for delivery. When you are finished, you give notice and the machine is collected.

Here is what the listings I checked in October 2026 looked like:

Weekly price. From $39 a week at the low end, and $43 to $49 a week elsewhere depending on how long you commit.

Minimum term. 12 weeks or 3 months, then week to week with notice.

Bond. A refundable $300 to $400, returned when the machine goes back in good condition.

Delivery. Charged on top, from $99 on a promotional rate to $149, and in some cases quoted separately.

None of that is unreasonable for a few months. The problem is that most people do not rent for a few months. They rent because they are not sure yet, and then they keep going.

The maths: a year of rent vs buying

This is the part most people never sit down and do, so here it is in full.

Renting at $39 a week. 52 weeks is $2,028. Add delivery at $99 to $149 and your first year costs $2,127 to $2,177, with a $300 bond held for the whole time.

Renting at $49 a week. 52 weeks is $2,548, plus delivery, with a $400 bond held.

Buying a Maple Crest Reformer. $2,199, delivered free Australia wide, with a jumpboard, box and yoga starter kit included.

Buying an Ivory Reformer. $2,499, delivered free, with the same inclusions and a 5 year warranty.

Line them up and a year of renting lands within a few hundred dollars of owning, in either direction. At the $49 rate, a year of rent costs more than the Ivory Reformer.

Then look at year 2. The owner pays nothing more. The renter pays another $2,028 to $2,548. 2 years of renting at $39 a week is $4,056 plus delivery, which is more than our flagship Perlino Reformer at $3,399.

When renting stops making sense

The simplest way to decide is to work out the break even point, the week where you would have been better off buying.

1. Maple Crest at $2,199 vs renting at $39 a week. About 57 weeks, so roughly 13 months.
2. Ivory Reformer at $2,499 vs renting at $39 a week. About 64 weeks, so roughly 15 months.
3. Ivory Reformer at $2,499 vs renting at $49 a week. About 51 weeks, so just under a year.

Those numbers leave out the rental delivery fee, which pulls the break even point earlier still. If you expect to be training at home a year from now, buying is the cheaper path.

And there is 1 more thing the rental maths cannot show. A reformer you own still has value when you are done with it. You can keep it for years, move it with you or sell it. A rental leaves you with nothing to show for the money.

What about rent to own?

Rent to own sounds like the best of both, and it is worth checking the total. 1 rent to own option I found was $59 a week over 12 months. That is $3,068 for the year, before delivery and with a $400 bond on top.

Compare that with the Ivory Reformer at $2,499 or the Onyx Fold at the same price. Rent to own costs around $569 more to end up in the same place, owning a reformer.

If spreading the cost is the real goal, interest free payment plans do that without the premium. We offer Afterpay and Zip at checkout, so you can split the price of a reformer into payments and own it from day 1.

When renting is the right call

I want to be fair here, because renting does suit some people.

You need it for a set, short period. A few months of rehab after an injury, under the guidance of a physio, is a good example.

You are in temporary housing. If you are moving in a few months and do not know what space you will have, renting avoids a decision you cannot make yet.

You have never done reformer Pilates at all. If you have not tried a single class, a few months of renting is a lower risk way to find out whether you enjoy it. Though a handful of studio classes will tell you the same thing for less.

If none of those describe you, and you already know you like reformer Pilates, renting is usually just a slower and more expensive way of buying.

Why we recommend buying

When people ask whether they should rent or buy, my answer is buy, as long as you plan to keep training for more than a year. Here is why.

The money goes towards something you keep. After a year you own a reformer, not a receipt.

You choose the machine. The rental listings I checked offered 1 or 2 models. Buying means you can match the reformer to your room. The foldable Ivory Reformer, Onyx Fold and White Edition are $2,499, the Maple Crest is $2,199, and the fixed frame Onyx and Sienna are $2,799.

Everything is included. Every reformer comes with a jumpboard and box, a yoga starter kit and 3 months of our Fit by FitBoutique app, with free delivery Australia wide.

It is covered for the long term. A 5 year warranty on every machine, with spare parts held in Melbourne.

No bond, no notice period, no collection to arrange. It is simply yours.

Not sure which model fits your space? Our guide to which reformer fits your space and budget walks through it, and if you are weighing a home reformer against studio classes, reformer vs studio membership runs those numbers too.

Getting classes without a rental bundle

Part of the appeal of some rentals is that classes come bundled in. You do not need a rental to get that.

Our app, Fit by FitBoutique, has reformer, mat and yoga classes taught by real instructors who cue every spring change. It works with any reformer, runs on your phone, tablet or TV, and 3 months are included with every reformer we sell. After that it is $19 a month or $199 a year, and it is completely optional.

Even if you add a full year of the app at $199, owning an Ivory Reformer and the app comes to $2,698. That is still close to a single year of renting, and you keep the reformer.

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