Offering a challenging, low-impact yet effective total-body workout, rowing machines now stand alongside treadmills and spin bikes as some of the most popular additions to home gyms. And though the learning curve for beginner rowers can be higher than other, more straightforward, machines, more people are beginning to take the plunge now that so many machines are connected, with instant access to online classes and encouraging instructors.
Ready to get rowing? To help you choose the best possible workout experience for any lifestyle, we tested several of the most popular home rowers, each for two to three weeks, to get a feel for which ones are worth that coveted spot in your home.
Countless workouts and many sweaty minutes later, we landed on two standout rowers:
Best rowing machine overall
The Hydrow Rower is a sleek, premium rowing machine that pairs with a $44-per-month All-Access membership. Yes, it offers a kicking cardio and full-body workout, but we loved how it takes rowing back to its roots with live classes filmed at real-world locales. It may be pricey, but if you want to feel like you’re rowing on the water, this home gym rowing machine is for you.
Best budget rowing machine
The Echelon Row-S is a thoughtfully designed rowing machine that offers a variety of challenging and fun workouts.
The Hydrow Rower came out on top in category after category in all of our testing criteria. The machine is sleek, attractive and comfortable, the classes are engaging and challenging, and the Live Outdoor Reality gives you an active taste of what it feels like to row on the water.
Starting things off on a helpful foot, every Hydrow Rower comes with an extremely convenient white glove delivery — meaning it is delivered, unboxed and assembled in your appointed location by a team of professionals. The machine itself has a striking, silver, streamlined appearance, while the rowing feels smooth and responsive. It uses electromagnetic drag and you don’t ever need to adjust the resistance (to go along with the fact that the instructors are rowing on the water, so they aren’t changing theirs either). And, when it comes to comfort, the cushioned seat and handle are well positioned while the footplates are perfectly spaced. The screen rotates to help you take advantage of the other class formats and for those who live in smaller spaces, you can store the rower upright (with an additional storage kit).
Once you create an account and log in, the interface is incredibly intuitive and thoughtfully designed. Thanks to a Learn to Row program and exceptional instruction from the world class rowers-turned-instructors, this is a great machine for a beginner rower. The instructors are constantly providing reminders on proper form throughout the classes. Plus, since the instructors are rowing in boats, you won’t find them calling for super high stroke rates that require you to fly up and down the slide. This makes all the workouts infinitely more approachable.
Speaking of the instructors (aka Hydrow Athletes), I found them to be charismatic and engaging, and the workouts are both challenging and fun. Hydrow sends their Athletes around the world to film classes in exotic locales like Seward, Alaska and Prague, Czech Republic — and these breathtaking views provide a welcome distraction from your rising heart rate. In addition to the on-the-water rowing workouts, the Hydrow also offers circuit, strength, Pilates, yoga and mobility classes, many of which I tried and enjoyed — making the $44 per month subscription fee a heck of a lot easier to swallow.
At a slightly more approachable price point, the Echelon Row-S Smart Rowing Machine offers a comfortable, varied and engaging rowing workout experience. The monthly subscription price is also lower than the Hydrow, at $35 per month, or $33 or $29 per month if you pay for one or two years at a time, respectively.
The black and red design of the Echelon is attractive, though not as stylish as some of the other rowers. However, the rowing itself is smooth, the cushioned seat, handle, and footplates are comfortable, the large screen swivels a full 90° to each side, and the rower can be stored upright without an additional storage kit.
Beginner rowers will easily find a short class series to introduce them to rowing, while the different rowing class formats and instructors are fun and engaging. Almost every class starts with a review of proper form and often some drills that break down the different parts of the stroke, which is helpful for both beginners and seasoned rowers. Plus, you can tell that the instructors are focusing on their form as they row, so you can watch and follow in addition to listening to their instructions.
One of the things that makes the Echelon Row-S unique is that it has buttons on the handle that allow you to change the resistance during a workout — many times based on the instructor’s suggestions. While this does break up the flow of your rowing a little bit, I like this feature a lot as it makes for a more interactive rowing experience. As a former competitive rower who wants to experience the physical benefits of rowing without being reminded (too much) of my competitive days, the adjustable resistance offers the best of both worlds. In addition to the rowing workouts, you’ll find a variety of class formats, including boot camp, strength training, yoga, HIIT, barre, mobility and more, all of which are consistently challenging and enjoyable. Like the Hydrow Rower, the Echelon Row-S has the capacity to be the only machine in your home gym and provide a well-rounded fitness regimen at a reasonable cost.
Each rowing machine was delivered and tested for at least two to three weeks. While I tested each one, I treated it as if it were the only machine in my home gym, using it any time I wanted to exercise. First, I followed the machine’s set-up recommendations, creating a profile or answering introductory questions. Then I tried a few of the pure rowing workouts, rowing each time with a different instructor (when applicable) and/or a different class format. After that, if other class formats were available, such as strength training or boot camp, I tried a few of those, again with different instructors. If anything remained unclear after the testing period, such as the number of and frequency with which new classes are added to the platform, I asked the company for that information. With every stroke taken and drop of sweat shed, I evaluated with the following criteria in mind.
Quality and comfort of the machine
- Physical comfort: I assessed the comfort of the seat, handle and footplates, taking into consideration whether the seat was cushioned and wide enough, if the handle was a comfortable size, shape and material, and if the footplates were adequately spaced and at the right height.
- Machine size and storage capabilities: I noted the length, width and height of the machine, thinking about how it would fit into a designated home gym or a living room or bedroom. I also considered whether it could be stored upright, and if so, if an additional storage kit was required.
- Screen presence/size: I considered whether the rower had an attached screen, and if it did, how large or small it was and whether or not it swiveled from side to side.
- Rowing feel: For this important category, I considered the comfort of actually rowing on the machine, thinking about whether the resistance felt smooth and natural, how responsive the rower was to my movement and effort, and whether I was sore in the right or wrong places at the end of a workout.
- Inclusion: First, I determined whether or not classes were included with the machine or if I needed to also download a separate app for compatible workouts.
- Class format variety: I studied the class library to determine whether the machine only offered rowing workouts, or if there were also other formats such as strength training, boot camp, stretching, or yoga, plus how many different lengths of classes were offered. Likewise, I looked at if it was easy to select individual classes to take as well as if there were programs that you could follow.
- Instructors: When applicable, I evaluated the instructors on whether they were engaging, inspiring, aspirational and easy-to-follow, as well as if different instructors maintained a consistent teaching style across different class formats.
- Workout quality: In a make-or-break category, I noted whether the workouts were consistently challenging, engaging and fun, or if anything led me to get bored or frustrated halfway through a class.
- Number of new, live and existing classes: I considered the breadth of the class library, how frequently new classes and/or programs were added to the library, and the existence and frequency of live classes.
- Machine cost: I looked at whether the machine was reasonably priced in comparison to the others on the market.
- Monthly subscription cost: I considered the cost of the monthly subscription and how it compared to the other machines.
- Cost proportionality: I thought about whether the cost of the machine and the subscription felt proportional to the quality of the machine itself and the breadth and quality of workouts included.
- Set up: Whether the machine came assembled, was assembled upon delivery, or if I had to put it together. If I did have to put it together, how easy or difficult that was.
- Interface: I thought about whether the interface (if there was an attached screen) was intuitive and easy to navigate and if the search functions worked well and were easy to use.
- Beginner rower support: I assessed whether there was an obvious starting place for beginner rowers and if there were classes teaching rowing technique.
- Personalizations: I determined if the machine provided workout and/or program recommendations based on your past choices or workout performance, as well as if I had the ability to favorite workouts to return to later.
Read our review: The Ergatta Rower is a gorgeous addition to your home gym
The Ergatta Rower came in a close second to the Hydrow. As a WaterRower, the Ergatta offered the most comfortable rowing experience, most closely replicating what it feels like to row on the water. It’s also a beautiful machine. Made from cherrywood, it looks more like a classy piece of furniture than exercise equipment. The workouts themselves are video game-style, so there are no instructors, but the personalized intensity zones hold you accountable and make these workouts the most challenging of all the machines I tested, in my opinion.
The Ergatta fell behind the Hydrow in two key areas. First, while the rowing itself feels great, the footplates are very close together and the handle and seat are on the narrow side, making things slightly less comfortable than the Hydrow and the Echelon. And for a $29 monthly subscription, the Ergatta only offers rowing workouts, no other formats, meaning it would likely need to be just one part of your home gym.
Read our review: The Concept2 RowErg rowing machine is a quality, no-frills pick for the seasoned rower
The decidedly not flashy pick, the Concept2 RowErg is the rowing machine you’ll find in boathouses, training facilities and gyms around the world. While the simple, functional design and basic metrics do encourage you to row hard and with proper form, the lack of connectivity makes this a difficult entry point for beginners. That said, the compact design and battery-powered monitor mean you can put this rower almost anywhere, while the device holder beneath the small monitor allows you to secure a smartphone or tablet on the front of the screen and work out using apps where the instructors are rowing on the Concept2 as well.
Read our review: The LIT Strength Machine is a rower, strength trainer and Pilates reformer all-in-one
Working out on the LIT Strength Machine was a surprisingly delightful experience. Touting itself as a rower, strength trainer and Pilates reformer all in one, it’s a compact water rower that transforms with the addition of resistance bands that clip onto the rower. The rowing classes are fun and challenging, but there are frequent pauses for movements like bicep curls with the handle, so you won’t get much in the way of traditional rowing. By using the resistance bands and the rower’s seat, the Pilates classes effectively replicate the total body challenge a Pilates reformer provides, while the strength classes are dynamic and engaging, if a little frenetic. This machine is missing an attached screen, too; while it makes sense for the exercise formats, it does mean you have to view the workouts through the LIT app on a smaller screen.
Read our review: Get a complete workout with the updated NordicTrack RW900 Rower
NordicTrack’s home workout platform, iFit, advertises itself as interactive personal training at home, and the NordicTrack RW900 Rower is just one of the many machines through which you can utilize it. Accessible through the large attached screen, the platform offers series of classes, rather than individual classes, which is helpful for guiding beginners as well as allowing you to see and feel your fitness progressing. Plus, for $39 per month, or $33, $29, or $25 per month if you pay for one, two or three years, respectively, you get a wide variety of class formats, including strength, yoga and meditation, plus classes designed for the treadmill, bike and elliptical. All that said, this wasn’t my favorite physical rowing machine. The rower is super tall, so it felt unstable. Likewise, the seat was too far away from the footplates and the footplates were too wide.
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