Air, water and magnetic rowing machines and ski ergs for full-body low-impact cardio. 8 reviews
| # | Product | Price | Key spec | Score ↓ | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 |  | $990 | Resistance Air flywheel with adjustable damper | 9.1 | |
| 02 |  | $1,999 (list $2,549) | Resistance Dual air and magnetic, 1 to 100 lb | 8.0 | |
| 03 |  | From $1,699 (Lite), $2,199 (Luxe) | Lite price $1,699 | 7.8 | |
| 04 |  | $1,199 | Resistance Water flywheel, 17 L tank | 7.6 | |
| 05 |  | $2,195 (plus $50/mo membership) | Membership $50/mo or $600/yr | 7.3 | |
| 06 |  | $1,799.99 | Resistance Silent magnetic, 26 levels, AutoAdjust | 6.9 | |
| 07 |  | $249.99 | Resistance 16-level electromagnetic, knob adjusted | 6.9 | |
| 08 |  | $3,495 (plus All-Access membership) | Screen 23.8 in Full HD touchscreen, swivel | 6.6 |
The RowErg is the rowing machine we would buy with our own money. It is durable, repairable, accurate and free of subscriptions, and its PM5 monitor gives numbers that mean the same thing on every erg in the world. The costs are noise, a 96 inch footprint and no built-in screen or coaching. If you need silence or guided classes, look elsewhere. Everyone else should start here.
The Origin is the nicest rowing machine to live with: quiet enough for a flat with thin walls, smooth on the rail and backed by genuinely good classes filmed on real rivers. It is also more than twice the price of a Concept2 RowErg, needs a $50 monthly membership for anything beyond Just Row, and weighs 145 lb. Buy it only if noise and motivation are your problems. If they are not, the Concept2 does the exercise for less.
The WaterRower Original Oak is the rower to buy if the machine lives in a room people sit in. The water tank is quiet and smooth, the oak frame is good furniture, and it stands upright to store. The monitor is basic and the warranty is thin, so for pure performance per dollar the Concept2 still wins. Pick this one for looks, calm and a stroke that feels like a boat.
Aviron is the rower for people who get bored rowing. The air and magnetic hybrid gives a smooth stroke, up to 100 lb of resistance, and a 507 lb user limit, while the games and scenic rows are better than any class library we have tried on a rower. It also costs $1,999 on sale, needs a $29 monthly membership for its best content, and a Concept2 does the plain job for about half. Buy it if motivation is your problem, not budget.
A quiet, comfortable rower with a big screen and resistance that follows the instructor. The catch is that it is tied to iFIT, which testers say it will not work without, and its 250 lb limit and 82 in length are weak points. It suits iFIT fans, not rowing purists, who should buy the Concept2 RowErg.
Ergatta's pace-line games are a smart answer to the boredom that kills most rowing habits, and the oak Lite delivers the same games as the $500 dearer Luxe. It is quiet, looks good and stores upright. The catch is a roughly $39 monthly membership, and a water rower is less precise than a Concept2. Buy the Lite if games motivate you.
