Malibu Pilates Chair with 3 Workout DVDs

by Guthy-Renker

Product Description

The Revolutionary Pilates Chair Tone up Pilates-style! Bringing you the latest in Pilates fitness, Carroll Krieff has moved into the next generation with her affordable, portable, in-home total body Malibu Pilates Chair. Now you can get fit and toned without having to leave your home!

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 160 x 75 x 115 inches ; 49 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 49 pounds
• ASIN: B001F3J1O2
• Item model number: MALPIL-0309
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,140 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors)
  • #2 in Sports & Outdoors > Exercise & Fitness > Pilates > Chairs

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

320 of 321 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There is no other way to get a Pilates chair for this price., September 29, 2008

By 

Lisa M. Mims (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Malibu Pilates Chair with 3 Workout DVDs (Misc.)

I taught Pilates professionally for seven years. In that time, one of two studio quality versions of this sat perched in a corner of my studio. Comparatively, this isn't perfect, but it's very, very good.

What's fantastic about it:

1.) Real springs. It makes a difference. Springs require control and slower speed--you will get a better workout because you have to do the exercises with more effort to control springs than the comparative effort required by weights.

2.) It folds up!

This folds up into the space that a folding chair would take up; when Joseph Pilates invented the original Wunda Chair, he was trying to create a piece of Pilates equipment that would fit into a tiny New York apartment, or a corner of your average suburban living room; his solution was to create a box that could be used as a chair when its exercise-equipment-side was turned down towards the floor.

This is a better idea. Pilates would have loved it. Instead of a box, it's like a folding chair with no back and an attached platform on the floor. Someone should submit it for a design award. It folds up!

3.) This is a safer chair than some studio quality chairs. In fact, it's much more stable than the first Pilates chair I bought for my studio, which came from a manufacturer in California that I shall not name to avoid their annoying, rude, and distinctly non-refundable legal department.

4.) Mari Winsor DVD's designed specifically for this piece of equipment are included.

Loathe as I am to admit it, Mari Winsor is a genius. About the time that I started thinking about how much you could improve the calorie-burning effect of Pilates by alternating the difficulty levels and tempos, so that it was Pilates-interval training, I discovered that someone had already done that and very successfully marketed it: Mari Winsor, darn her.

The DVDs included in this follow the same 'dynamic sequencing' pattern used in Mari's other Pilates DVD's. On the chair, a very difficult exercise known as Mountain Climber is alternated with less difficult exercises, to make this a very challenging interval-Pilates workout.

What's not so fabulous about it:

1.) The range of motion on the pedal is an inch or two less than a 'real' chair. It may not functionally make a difference, but it feels a little odd compared to studio quality equipment.

2.) The springs aren't interchangeable with other manufacturer's springs: if you are male or a stronger female, it's helpful to be able to put heavier springs and/or bungee cords on equipment like a non-studio quality trap table, the Pilates Extreme, and a Stamina Reformer, to increase the difficulty of workouts. I would also suspect the springs are not replaceable--this is sold as a unit without the option of replacement parts.

Any complaints aside, I love this. It's a real, useable, spring-loaded Pilates chair; it was dirt cheap for what it is; it folds up into a very small space, for the cost of about five private sessions in a studio. Impressive.

P.S. Just read the instructions first. I pulled on the wrong thing when opening up the chair right out of the box, and heard an alarming crack. But you'll be smarter than me.

200 of 220 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Buy the real deal instead, May 12, 2009

By 

J. Hathaway (U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Please be aware that any new Malibu pilates chair sold on Amazon is a knock off and not of the same quality as the ones sold by Gunthy Renker. They are known for the springs breaking and tipping over. Gunthy Renker has only selles their chairs via their website or through HSN. I mistakenly bought a knock off on Amazon and I was sorry. I now have an authentic one and the difference is night and day. Authentic ones can be found on Amazon, however they would be used and not new. The aunthentic Malibu pilates chairs come in 2 boxed when shipped not one and they also come with a warrenty from Gunthy Renker. The ones here come with no warrenty. Be an educated buyer and ask questions before you buy! These chairs are made in China and are of poor quality!

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great exercies, great concept, quality fairly good, October 25, 2008

By 

Seahag "Seahag" (Puget Sound) - See all my reviews

I am most impressed with the pilates exercises. It's the first that I've been able to do that doesn't aggravate severe spinal and cervical injuries received in an auto accident. I have hope again to regain some physically fit condition without risking further damage to my injuries.
The chair itself is a great tool to use for these maneuvers although for the price, the quality of the chair leaves a bit to be desired. For several hundred dollars I do think they could use a better quality vinyl on the seat and foot piece. One of the brackets was bent when mine arrived and my husband bent it back into shape. One handle doesn't insert snuggly no matter which direction or side you insert it into. The toggle on the foot pedals leaves a bit to be desired. This is quality I would expect on a piece of equipment under $100, not for a few hundred dollars. This is a quality workout program and for $359.00 (nearing $400 with shipping), there should be better quality on the chair.