The Coolest Pieces of Gear We Tested This Week

The Hydrow Indoor Rowing Machine is the latest example of at-home cardio equipment with real-world components (a sizeable display lets you row with instructors in real time) and integrated class features (stream pre-recorded workouts on demand). 

The rower has a footprint of roughly 7×2 ft. (For comparison, a Concept 2 Model D rower is 8×2 ft.). Since there’s no flywheel, it’s got a smooth, quiet ride, that’ll get even quieter in upcoming iterations. The resistance is controlled using the impressive 22-inch high-def touchscreen monitor that’s also equipped with built-in speakers, a microphone, and a 2-megapixel camera. The quality of the picture means the videos really pop, and the overall size of the screen makes the experience feel immersive.  

So how does it work? Flip it on and choose from around 500 filmed outdoor rowing workouts, with new workouts added daily. Hydrow has six elite rowing instructors, some of whom are training for the U.S. National Rowing Team. You can see their stroke from different angles, which is helpful for improving your form. They do a really good job of instructing for beginners, too. Additionally, there’s a leaderboard on the side of the screen so you can see how you’re stacking up with others who’ve completed that particular workout (some are as short as 10 minutes).

If you just want to row, there’s footage you can cue up of a boat going through some beautiful waterways. There’s cross-training, too, such as yoga and abs work. (The screen swivels, making these videos easy to follow.) If you want to track your workout, there’s an interface that integrates wearables data (like heart rate.)

On the whole, it’s a sleek, fun machine and you get in a great workout. The company is invested in continuously making Hydrow better. At the moment, a soundtrack plays behind the instruction, so there’s not a lot of flexibility in genre. For what it’s worth, the white glove set-up took all of 10 minutes, and the Hydrow looked handsome and didn’t eat up too much space—even in my NYC apartment. — Marjorie Korn, Senior Editor

[$2,199 plus $38 monthly membership; hydrow.com]

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