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Looking for a full-body workout that benefits your ticker, tones your muscles, torches serious calories, and goes easy on joints? Then it’s time to befriend the humble-yet-mighty rowing machine—the low-impact workout we could all afford to do more often. Below, the best rowing machines to add to your home gym.
First thing you need to know on this quest for home rowers is that there are basically two kinds. You got smart rowers and dumb rowers. Basically, Smart Rowers come with a screen that can track your stats and allow you to use workout apps to get training help during your workouts. Dumb rowers do not have that, basically just coming with their rowing selves for you to work with.
There are pros and cons for each one. Smart rowers can help you keep track of everything in an easier way and allows you to get professional help while you row, adding a communal aspect to the workout. But these also tend to be pricier and those apps cost money to use, which adds up. Dumb rowers don’t have the bells and whistles but they tend to come cheaper and you get a solid piece of equipment to work with.
Rowers For Small Spaces
Another element you need to think about is the size of your workout space. If you don’t have the biggest space in the world, you aren’t out of luck. You actually have options, since they are foldable home rowers out there. These allow you to fold them up and store them away with ease when you aren’t using them. They’re lighter and more compact, which means they may not be as sturdy as a full-size model, but you just gotta take that into account.
Best Home Rowers
Life Fitness Row HX TrainerCourtesy Image
1. Life Fitness Row HX Trainer
If you’re looking for something that could (almost) pass as industrial-inspired art in your living room, then here’s your best bet. Crafted with natural wood and a tempered steel frame, the Row HX makes use of a so-called Fluid Technology resistance system for a smooth rowing experience (read: consistent resistance with every stroke you take). This rower is also the featured rower for all Apple Fitness+ rowing classes, making it ideal for Apple Watch users. Relative to rowers with smart screens, it’s obviously low-tech in that regard (though a worthwhile aesthetic win for many), but it does feature a phone holder if you’d like to stream a show or workout while you crank away. Bonus: It’s less than seven-feet tall when stored vertically, and its compact design makes it easy to move on your own.
Return Policy: Within 30 Days of Delivery
Warranty Policy: 1 Year for Labor, 1 Year for the Console, 3 Years for Mechanical Components, 3 years for Tanks and Seals, and 5 years for the Frame
Subscription: None needed
Foldable: Yes, and can be stored vertically
Weight: 108.03 pounds with water, 70.99 pounds without water. Has wheels on the frame so it’s easy to move and store away
Fitness data junkies will go bonkers for this “gaming-inspired” connected rower that’s beloved by newcomers to the sport and seasoned rowers alike. Handmade in Rhode Island with handsome cherry wood, the Ergatta creates rowing workouts based on your personal profile and fitness goals, giving you insights on your current split, intensity level, distance rowed, and more, as you follow along on a 17.3-inch touchscreen. When you’re up for a challenge, try a head-to-head race against others or try the Race of the Week each Sunday. The rowing machine uses near-silent water resistance technology and can be stored upright in seconds. Monthly membership starts at $29 a month.
Return Policy: Within 30 Days of Delivery
Warranty Policy: 1 Year for Tablet, 3 Years for Parts, and 5 years for the Frame
Subscription: $29 a month
Foldable: No
Weight: 103 pounds with water, 76.5 pounds without water. Easy to move with the wheels attached to the frame
Hydrow’s connected rowing experience makes use of a 22-inch HD touchscreen with an embedded camera, a microphone, and HiFi speakers, as top-notch athletes take you on guided rides around the world. (Keep your eyes peeled for dolphins and stingrays—yes, really.) Beyond rowing workouts, Hydrow members can partake in a host of challenges, races, and special events. In addition, you can do yoga, Pilates, strength training, and other disciplines. For those living in tight quarters, we also love that the electromagnetic brake makes the machine practically silent, so you won’t disrupt roommates or family members. When not in use, the Upright Storage Kit allows you to store your Hydrow vertically. Worth noting: There’s a $38 monthly subscription fee for Hydrow’s content.
Your fully immersive fitness experience is just a few taps (on a 19.5-inch sweat-resistant touchscreen) away. Complete with a diverse roster of classes and instructors who always keep your rowing sessions fresh, choose from multiple class formats, lengths, and levels, with real-time metrics displayed as you row. The high-tech rower also lets you track your progress, set weekly goals, and log personal records. Ready to switch things up? Dabble in off-rower classes like yoga, stretching, and strength training. When not in use, store your machine upright to save space. Try the app out with a 14-day free trial; monthly app subscription run from around $24 a month if you buy the yearly subscription, or $29 a month if you prefer to subscribe on a monthly basis.
Return Policy: Within 30 Days of Delivery
Warranty: 1 year for the tablet, 3 years for non-electronic components, and 5 years for the frame
This may be a budget buy, but it’s by no means a cheap rower. Expect a first-rate rowing experience that’s virtually silent while in action thanks to the Silent Magnetic Resistance technology, a folding design for compact storage, and iFit connectivity for a slew of instructor-led workouts filmed around the globe, both on the rower and off, such as yoga, strength training, meditation, and more. P.S. The ergonomic, padded seat is one of the most comfortable.
Return Policy: Within 60 days of purchase
Warranty: 1 year for parts and 10 years for the frame
Subscription Cost: None needed
Foldable: Yes
Weight: 22 pounds
Best for: Smart Rower Without Needing A Subscription
This iFit-connected rower enables automatic adjustments to resistance during your workouts so you don’t have to waste time futzing around with changing it manually. Enjoy the 22-inch HD touchscreen for immersive workouts around the world—like endurance work on Lake Bled in Slovenia, a multi-session English Channel crossing series, or sweating it out along the Charles in Boston. Or, pivot the screen to face a yoga mat or hand weights so you can follow along for off-rower classes. The rower includes a one-year iFit Family membership for up to five user profiles. It’s a $468 value—which is quite the deal considering you’ll have Olympic gold medal-winning rowers among your teacher roster. Fold in half and store upright when you need it out of the way.
Return Policy: Within 30 days of delivery
Warranty: 1 year for labor, 2 years for parts, and 10 years for the frame
An Amazon’s Choice selection, this rower has a basic LCD screen to track your time, strokes, calorie, recovery, and pulse. It has an adjustable console, a comfortable seat, and an ergonomic handle. This rower may not have the bells and whistles of higher-end models, but it more than gets the job done. The easy-fold design makes it a breeze to stow the rail vertically when you’re not working out.
Return Policy: Within 90 days of delivery
Warranty: 1 year for labor, 3 years for mechanical parts, and 10 years for the frame
8. Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Rowing Machine Rower
You may want to get a rower for the house but you’re working on a budget. Lucky for you guys that this model from Sunny Health & Fitness is here for your budgetary and fitness needs. Sized to work well for most rowers with the kind of magnetic resistance you need to get a good workout in and an LCD monitor to track your workout, you won’t have any problem moving this around the house.
When it comes to picking up a new home rower, you really can’t go wrong with one of the best-selling rowers in the world. And that’s what you get here with this bad boy from Concept2. This is an incredibly lightweight model, the second lightest on our list. But that lightweight design doesn’t indicate that it’s made with any less craft than the others. It sells so well because it’s so high quality in its design. A design that is also foldable so you can store this away with ease when the time to workout is done. You get a screen here that’ll track your progress during a workout and that screen has a slot for you to put your phone or tablet so you can stream your workout app of choice while you row. You’ll get quite the full-body workout with this killer machine in your home.
