A reformer runs to about two and a half metres, which is longer than most couches and a fair bit longer than people expect.
Add room to move around it, and you're after roughly three metres by two metres of clear floor, going by the product page for one model, the Foldable Eco. That's a lot of floor to find.
Where it can go
I'd start with the spare room, because the door shuts and nobody minds what happens to the carpet. Trouble is, spare rooms are often spare in name only. There's a bed in there, or a desk, or the ironing board and half a box of Christmas decorations, and if the room doubles as the office for a home business you'll be tidying up before every session.
I'd talk most people out of the garage. There's plenty of floor, but under a tin roof in a heatwave an hour of slow exercise is hard going, and in July you'd be doing it in a jumper. The lounge works if you're prepared to haul the couch about every time.
A rumpus room has probably survived years of cricket bats and Lego, so the carpet has seen worse. An enclosed verandah or sunroom has lovely light until the sun swings round to the west and you've got a greenhouse. Units are tighter again: often the lounge is the only candidate, and a frame that folds away starts to look like the sensible choice.
Whichever room wins, stand in the middle and look up. A few exercises are done on your feet, and a ceiling fan on high is a nasty surprise at that height.
Floors rarely cause trouble. The Foldable Eco's listing is happy with everything from timber and tile to carpet and rubber gym flooring, and advises against thick, soft rugs or anything uneven. A non-slip mat underneath is optional but, it says, can help with grip and protect the floor.
Measuring up
Numbers on a screen don't prepare you for two and a half metres of frame in the middle of the room. Grab a roll of masking tape from Bunnings and mark it out.
The Foldable Eco's frame is 230 by 62 cm, but with the footbar and transport wheels it's 250 by 79 at the widest point, and that's the figure to tape. The Queen Studio is listed at 242 by 60 by 35 cm and weighs 67 kg.
Lengths and weights differ from model to model, so it pays to open a few from The Core Collab's reformer collection, where an Australian brand has folding and fixed-frame machines together on one page, and put the figures side by side.
Around the machine itself, the Foldable Eco's listing suggests leaving:
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Sides: 50 to 60 cm each, for arms and legs
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Behind: 60 to 80 cm, for exercises that run past the carriage
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In front: 100 to 120 cm if the jumpboard is going on
Doing the sums
Add the biggest allowances to the machine's 250 by 79 cm, and you land at about 4.5 metres lengthways (250 plus 80 plus 120) and 2 metres across (79 plus 60 plus 60). The same listing calls roughly 3 by 2 metres comfortable for most people.
That leaves a gap between the two figures. I'd tape out the smaller rectangle first, treat the larger one as the dream, and see how much of the difference the room can spare.
A few days of stepping around a strip of masking tape is good research, and a room that keeps annoying you has given its answer.
Getting the machine in is a separate puzzle, and the tape on the floor says nothing about it. Walk the route from the front door with the tape measure, because corners and steps are where a 2.5 metre frame gets stuck.
Folding away
A reformer that stays out is quick to start on, but plenty of homes can't spare the floor. Where the room has to go back to being a guest bedroom or an office, folding changes the plan. According to its listing, the Foldable Eco folds to fit under most beds or into a closet.
No folded size appears on the page. Ask what it comes to before assuming it'll clear your bed frame. Don't assume any other reformer folds until you've read its page. The collection has fixed frames too.
Some people like seeing the machine out all day because it nudges them to use it, and others find it nags at them from the corner. Either way, the storage spot needs to stay empty. The moment putting it away means shifting boxes, it stays out.
Getting the set-up to suit you
Healthdirect makes the point that a reformer class involves adjusting the machine to the person on it, and home is no different: footbar height, springs and rope length all change how an exercise feels.
On the Foldable Eco, the footbar is cushioned and easy to adjust mid-workout. The Queen Studio lists a removable pulley riser, a loop rope system, and a three-position headrest. Both are listed for users from 150 to 192 cm and up to 150 kg, but that's two models. Check the line for whichever one you're eyeing.
If you're new, or have an injury or a health condition, Healthdirect recommends starting with a class run by a qualified instructor, and says a one-on-one session may be needed so the instructor can assess you properly.
The little things
A towel and a water bottle within reach of the carriage. A power point near enough for a speaker. A mirror opposite if you like to check your alignment, though in February I'd take a fan over a mirror. A basket for straps and smaller props keeps the floor clear, and the corner starts to look like somewhere you'd want to be.
Both models list a box, a jumpboard and a standing platform, and each needs a home between sessions, so allow for them in the plan.
Before you order
By now there should be two or three models on a list, a photo of the taped-out floor and a note of the room's measurements. Put your questions to the brand in one message (the Foldable Eco's folded size is the obvious one) and keep the reply with those measurements.
And if there's a studio nearby, book a reformer class so you know how the equipment feels before one's in the house.