Pilates Reformer Springs Explained: Colours, Tension and Settings

Springs are the engine of a Pilates reformer. They set the resistance, and the way you combine them decides whether an exercise builds strength or tests control. The Core Collab has manufactured Pilates reformers for 25 years, and every Core Collab reformer sold in Australia runs on plated commercial-grade springs — six on the Core Collab Foldable Eco, Studio Eco and Queen range, and eight on the Core Collab Sculptformer. This guide explains how reformer springs work, what the colours mean (and why they don't mean the same thing on every brand), which setting suits which exercise, and when a spring needs replacing.

How do Pilates reformer springs work?

Springs connect the moving carriage to the fixed end of the frame. Every spring you hook on adds load, so the carriage gets harder to push out and pulls back more strongly as it returns. You change the resistance by adding or removing springs, not by changing a single dial.

That return pull is what makes reformer work different from a weight machine. On the way out you work against the spring; on the way home you have to control it. A lighter setting often makes an exercise harder, because the carriage is less stable and your deep core has to do the steadying. It is one of the first things the Core Collab reformer certification covers alongside spring loading and carriage safety: heavier is not the same as harder.

How many springs does a reformer have?

Most reformers carry between 4 and 6 springs, and a few Lagree-style machines carry 7 or 8. More springs means smaller steps between settings, which matters most for rehab, beginners and very controlled work. Here is how the machines Australians most often compare actually stack up, using each brand's published specification.

Machine	Springs	Published split	Listed price (AU)
The Core Collab Foldable Eco	6 plated springs	2 heavy, 2 medium, 2 light	$2,799
The Core Collab Studio Eco	6 plated springs	Heavy, medium and light — confirm the split for your order	$3,799
The Core Collab Queen Folding Reformer	6 plated springs	Heavy, medium and light — confirm the split for your order	$3,799
The Queen Studio by The Core Collab	6 plated springs	Heavy, medium and light	$3,999
The Core Collab Sculptformer	8 springs in 4 pairs	See the Sculptformer table below	$8,499
Balanced Body Studio Reformer	5 springs	3 red, 1 blue, 1 green	Not published
Kmart reformer	No springs	Resistance bands	$229–$289

The Core Collab Foldable Eco is unusual for a folding machine: many home and folding reformers run 4 or 5 springs, while the Core Collab Foldable Eco keeps a full six, in an even 2 heavy / 2 medium / 2 light split. That evenness gives you more fine steps at the light end, which is where home users spend most of their time. The Core Collab Foldable Eco fits that full spring bank into a frame of 230cm x 62cm in use (250cm x 79cm overall), while the Queen Studio by The Core Collab carries its six springs on a 2,420 x 600 x 350mm aluminium frame weighing 67kg.

What do the spring colours mean?

Spring colours are a visual shortcut so you can read the load at a glance, but there is no industry-wide colour standard. Each manufacturer sets its own code. This is the single biggest source of confusion when someone moves from a studio to a home machine, or from one studio chain to another.

Balanced Body, the brand most Australian studio instructors trained on, publishes its own code for its Signature springs:

Balanced Body colour	Resistance (Balanced Body's label)
Yellow	Very light
Blue	Light
Red	Medium
Green	Heavy

Notice that red is only medium on Balanced Body, and its standard Studio Reformer ships with 3 red, 1 blue and 1 green (source: Balanced Body's spring specifications). So "two reds" in a class cue means something specific on that machine and something different on another brand.

The Core Collab specifies its springs by tension — heavy, medium and light — so check the chart for your own machine rather than assuming another brand's colours. The practical rule: when a class, app or YouTube video cues "one red, one blue", translate it into heavy, medium or light first, then pick the matching springs on your own machine. Never copy the colour; copy the load.

Which spring setting should I use?

Match the setting to the job of the exercise, not to how strong you feel. As a guide from 20+ years of teaching on reformers:

Exercise type	Typical load	Why
Footwork, leg press, jumping (with jumpboard)	Heavy to medium-heavy	Big leg muscles, stable carriage
Rowing and arm work (seated or kneeling)	Light to medium	Smaller muscles; heavy springs pull you off balance
Abdominal work (hundred, coordination)	Light to medium	Control matters more than load
Stretches, long box, side splits	Light	A lighter carriage asks more of stability
Knee stretches, elephant	Medium	Enough return to keep the carriage honest
Rehab and first sessions	Medium, then adjust	A predictable, supported carriage

On the Core Collab Foldable Eco, a common starting footwork setting is both heavy springs plus one medium; most arm work sits on a single light or medium. Treat these as starting points and adjust in one-spring steps.

What weights do the Core Collab Sculptformer springs carry?

Lagree-style training uses heavier loads and faster changes than classical reformer work, so the Core Collab Sculptformer uses eight springs paired across four weights. Pairs let you load both sides evenly and stack from very light to very heavy without stopping.

Core Collab Sculptformer spring pair	Rated load (each)	Approx. in kg	Typical use
Core Collab Sculptformer — 2 × light	5 lbs	~2.3 kg	Control, core, stability
Core Collab Sculptformer — 2 × medium-light	11 lbs	~5 kg	Flow, upper body
Core Collab Sculptformer — 2 × medium-heavy	26 lbs	~11.8 kg	Lunges, pushing, pulling
Core Collab Sculptformer — 2 × heavy	88 lbs	~39.9 kg	Power and advanced strength

If you're weighing up a Lagree-style machine, the spring system is only part of the story — see the Core Collab Sculptformer page for the frame, footprint and what the price includes.

Springs or resistance bands — does it matter?

Yes. Budget reformers such as the Kmart model use elastic resistance bands instead of steel springs. Bands are cheaper and lighter, but their load climbs sharply as they stretch and changes as the rubber ages, so the same setting doesn't feel the same from month to month. Steel springs give a consistent, repeatable load, which is why every studio reformer uses them. We wrote an honest breakdown in is the Kmart Pilates reformer worth it? — bands are a fine way to find out if you like reformer work, and a ceiling once you do.

How long do reformer springs last?

Springs are wear parts. Every time the carriage moves, the coils stretch and recover, and over time they lose tension or fatigue at the end hooks. The industry norm is to replace a full set every two years. Merrithew (STOTT PILATES) states that springs on its spring equipment should be replaced every two years, and that failing to do so may void its warranty (Merrithew spring FAQ). Balanced Body warrants its Signature springs for 2 years or 3,000 hours with 4 reformers or fewer, dropping to 1 year in studios running 5 or more reformers.

Replace a spring sooner — whatever its age — if you see any of these:

• Gaps between the coils when the spring is relaxed
• A section that looks stretched, kinked or uneven under tension
• Rust, or cracks near the end hooks
• One spring of a pair feeling noticeably lighter than its twin

Studios should also rotate springs of the same weight between positions so they wear evenly. The Core Collab covers moving parts for 2 years and the frame for 10 years on its reformers. For the full care routine, read our guide to maintaining and extending the life of your reformer.

A storage tip that saves springs: never leave a reformer stored with the carriage pulled out under load. Leave the carriage home and the lightest springs hooked on, so nothing sits stretched for days.

What to check about springs before you buy a reformer

1. A stated spring count. "Premium springs" with no number is a red flag. Look for 5 to 6 on a classical reformer, 7 to 8 on a Lagree-style machine.
2. A stated split. How many heavy, medium and light? The Core Collab Foldable Eco publishes 2 / 2 / 2; ask any brand that won't tell you.
3. Steel springs, not bands, if you plan to keep training for more than a few months.
4. The carriage, too. Springs only feel smooth on a good carriage — every Core Collab reformer runs an 8-wheel carriage on ABEC-7 bearings, and the Core Collab Foldable Eco carriage is 1,060mm x 605mm, rated for users 150cm–192cm tall and up to 150kg.
5. Spring warranty in writing, and whether it shortens for studio use.

The bottom line

Six well-split springs cover almost every classical reformer exercise, at home or in a studio; eight paired springs open up Lagree-style loading. Learn the load, not the colour, and replace the set every two years. To compare spring systems across the range, see all Core Collab Pilates reformers or the Core Collab Foldable Eco. If you'd like a hand choosing settings for a specific goal or injury, talk to our team.

Written by Jennifer Grehan, co-founder of The Core Collab, Pilates instructor and certifier with 25 years manufacturing Pilates reformers and running Australian studios. About the author.

Prices and specifications are as listed on each brand's Australian or official website in October 2026 and change with sales and stock. Confirm current details on the seller's own page before you buy.