A one-to-one costs more than a group class wherever you go, so the fair question is whether it is worth it. Sometimes it very much is, and sometimes a group class is the better buy. Here is how to tell which you are.
When a one-to-one is the right call
- You have never touched a reformer and would rather learn it properly, once, than spend three classes half a beat behind everyone else.
- You are coming back after a long break from exercise and want somebody watching what your body is actually doing now, not what it used to do.
- You have something specific — a hip that does not rotate, a shoulder that takes over, one leg doing all the work — and you want an hour spent on it.
- You are already experienced and want to progress to harder work with somebody spotting your form.
- You would simply rather not be in a group the first time. Entirely legitimate, and more common than people admit.
When a group class is the better buy
If you are reasonably active, not nervous, and just want to try reformer Pilates to see whether you like it, a Foundations class does that job at a third of the price. Save the private session for when you have a reason for it.
What actually happens in a private session
- A conversation first. What you do all day, what you have done before, what hurts, what you want.
- Watching you move. A few simple things — standing, bending, one leg — before you go anywhere near a spring. This is an instructor getting to know how you move, not a clinical assessment.
- The machine, explained properly. Every part, and why each setting is where it is for your body.
- An hour built around you, with the difficulty adjusted in real time rather than announced to a room.
- Something to take away — your settings, what to work on, and which classes will suit you next.
Duets
Two people, two reformers, one instructor. At reef that is £90, so £45 each — still individual attention, at close to class prices, and considerably more fun with a friend. It is also the easiest way to get a nervous friend through the door for the first time.
What it costs at reef
- Private session: £65 an hour
- Duet: £90, or £45 each
- Members: 15% off one-to-ones on reef Eight and above
A note on injuries and health conditions
A private session is often the sensible place to start if something is going on with your body, but a Pilates instructor is not a clinician. If you have an injury, a health condition, or you are pregnant or recently postnatal, speak to your GP or a qualified clinician first, and tell us before you book. If a session is not appropriate for you right now, we will say so.
We open on Wyle Cop in December 2026. reef Club members book first.
