![\"Premium](\"https:\/\/www.leanbulreformer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/k38-premium-pilates-reformer-advanced-studio-performance.png\")
<\/p>\nA pilates reformer costs \u20ac3,000-\u20ac7,000 per machine, and a new studio needs eight to twelve of them before the first class. Paying cash for the full fleet is the most expensive way to start a business \u2014 not because the machines are overpriced, but because that money is gone the day you spend it, and studios fail on cash flow, not on equipment quality. Leasing and financing exist to keep your cash working while you grow.<\/p>\n
This guide covers how equipment leasing and financing actually work in Europe, what it costs, and when it’s the right call \u2014 and when it isn’t.<\/p>\n
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The equipment is the same whether you lease or buy. What changes is the timing of the money:<\/p>\n
For a new studio, the arithmetic is brutal and simple: a reformer that earns \u20ac30-\u20ac60 per class hour, running 8-10 hours a day, pays for its own monthly lease payment in a week. The question isn’t whether the machine earns its keep \u2014 it’s whether you have the cash to bridge the first six months.<\/p>\n
Leasing is also how established studios expand. Opening a second location or adding reformers for a reformer-focused class format (the format we covered in our boutique studio guide<\/a>) is easier when you’re spreading \u20ac40,000 of equipment across monthly payments instead of one bank transfer.<\/p>\n Two structures dominate, and the difference matters for your books:<\/p>\n Operating lease (rental).<\/strong> You rent the equipment for a fixed term \u2014 typically 36-60 months \u2014 and return it at the end (or buy it at fair market value). Payments are pure operating expenses, the equipment stays off your balance sheet, and you can upgrade when the term ends. This suits studios that want flexibility and predictable costs, or that expect to grow and swap equipment.<\/p>\n Finance lease \/ hire purchase.<\/strong> You pay the equipment cost plus interest over the term, and own the machine at the end (often for a nominal residual payment). The equipment goes on your balance sheet and you can claim depreciation. This is the cheaper option over the full term and suits studios that plan to keep the machines for a decade \u2014 which, with proper care, reformers do. We covered machine lifespan and resale value in our used vs new guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n There’s also the simplest option: supplier installment plans.<\/strong> Many manufacturers offer direct payment plans \u2014 Merrithew, for example, advertises its V2 Max Plus at roughly US$5,700 payable at about US$203\/month over 36 months. The advantage of a supplier plan is speed: no bank, no credit committee, approved with the order. The catch is that the “interest” is often built into the price, so compare the total cost against a bank quote.<\/p>\n Let’s price a realistic scenario: a studio financing \u20ac4,500 worth of reformers (one commercial machine, mid-range spec) over 36 months.<\/p>\nHow Equipment Leasing Works in Europe<\/h3>\n
What It Actually Costs: A Worked Example<\/h3>\n