Just for anyone looking for their machine to call home, I have these details. The Align F3 is a really lovely machine. Very quiet and smooth motion; you’d truly not know there’s a fold. Which brings me to its advantage for small homes, being able to move it in or around your house as needed. It has a solid standing position when folded and would fit in a closet under a standard clothing rod.
I am only 5’2” with shorter legs and average waist length. The foot bar has 4 positions. The highest of those brings my hips to the proper 90 angle even in heels position. This is good since the gear bar doesn’t adjust. Still though, I don’t bottom out unexpectedly. Even then, when jumping an instructor will cue you to reach for the landing so you don’t bottom out. Then, this could happen on any machine sometimes if you don’t exercise control. So I feel like this foldable home model performs as it should even for someone with a small frame.
This model doesn’t take a platform extender. But there’s a c shape to the end of the carriage where a foot can go while one is on the standing platform. In that standing position with one foot on the platform and one on the main carriage body, my feet are still only hip width apart, so those side motions have good range. I could also fold a towel on the platform for my forearms while my hands rest on the lowered foot bar for an additional plank position. This would get me 90 degree angle start positions at shoulder and hip.
I was able to really engage my arms and shoulders using a single red or blue today while in sort of a kneeling warrior position. It was awesome! There is no zero stretch area with these springs when nearing back to start with exercise.
The jump board is incredibly comfortable and stable. Because of the way it’s padded I didn’t even miss that it wasn’t a tramp. The jumping workout was just like butter and the floating sensation on a single spring, totally achievable.
I did a snake on it today and felt safe. My snake sure isn’t perfect but that was human error, not the machine.
I am really happy with the decision to make this my Reformer home.