After More Than 10 Years Of Rowing, We’ve Found The Best Rowing Machines In 2022

By Amanda Capritto

Rowing machines don’t seem to get the same hype as ellipticals and exercise bikes. But, certified personal trainers and other fitness experts are quick to recommend rowing as a form of low-impact cardio exercise for both endurance and speed training. If you’ve been thinking about adding a rower to your home gym arsenal, read on for an expert’s take on the best rowing machines.

The Concept2 RowErg, also known as the Concept2 Model D Rower, is not only the best air rowing machine, but the best rowing machine overall. After more than a decade of rowing on various ergs, our team of product testers unanimously agrees time and time again that the Concept2 is an unbeatable value—we could let the customers using a Concept2 rower from the 1990s speak for us.

Equipped with a large fan flywheel, a damper with 10 settings, a nickel-plated chain pull cord, and a Bluetooth-enabled performance monitor, the Concept2 RowErg will last you more years than you might even want it to. While it doesn’t fold, it does disassemble easily into two parts or store vertically to save space when not in use.

There are three main reasons someone might want a WaterRower: It actually mimics the feeling of rowing on real water in a real boat; there’s no need for a dedicated gym since the wooden frame looks so nice among furniture; and it’s just a dang good rowing machine. Solidly built of handcrafted hardwood, the WaterRower boasts a whopping 700-pound weight capacity and a low-maintenance water tank that just needs to be emptied and cleaned periodically.

We must note, however, that wood can dent or chip more easily than metal frames. As long as you don’t have any gnawing pups or accident-prone youngins around, though, it should remain in good shape forever. Also, the monitor is in a slightly awkward location, making it tough to view during workouts. Aside from that, there’s nothing not to love about the WaterRower.

With a swiveling, 22-inch high-contrast display; nearly 30 levels of magnetic resistance; intra-workout auto-adjustments from iFIT trainers; and a library of on-demand workouts and live fitness classes, the NordicTrack RW900 rower has everything you could possibly want in a smart rowing machine.

This is one of our favorite magnetic rowing machines thanks to its pivoting display, which allows you to do off-the-rower workouts with the same screen you use for rowing workouts (and as any good personal trainer will tell you, cross-training is key to long-term injury prevention and exercise adherence). Although we’re not impressed with the 250-pound weight capacity, the RW900 does seem solidly built and does not shake or tremble at all during use.

Hydrow was one of the first smart rowing machines on the market, and it remains one of the best. Between its beautiful modern design and boastful (in a good way) HD display, the Hydrow rower is as smart and sleek as they come. Its workout platform is known for scenic virtual rows that are actually shot on-location all around the world.

More than a machine, Hydrow is also a community. On the leaderboard during each workout, you’ll see other Hydrow fans rowing in real-time; and in the app, you can like, comment, and share workout stats and successes. Many people will find Hydrow to be out-of-budget at its around-$2,500 price point. But, people who value durability, longevity, and community will find the price tag worthwhile (and there are financing options available).

Do you often find yourself bored during cardio workouts, counting down the minutes until you’re done? If so, take a look at the Aviron Impact Series rowing machine, which utilizes Aviron’s proprietary gamified workout platform. It’s seriously like playing video games while you work out! But games aren’t all that’s offered on Aviron: You may also choose from instructor-guided workouts, virtual on-the-water rows, competition mode, free mode, and more.

Something else special about Aviron? Its extremely in-depth performance monitor. While you row, you’ll see tons of stats to analyze your performance during each workout (and to look back on to see your progress). And, while we love Aviron for its sturdy build and unique platform, we must say the $2,000+ price tag is hard to swallow.

Typically, smart rowing machines are pricey, beginning at prices in the low $2,000s. Not everyone can afford that, so our team of product testers was thrilled to try the ProForm 750R rowing machine, which sports the same features as more expensive machines for a fraction of the price. The only thing this rower lacks compared to others is the big HD touchscreen—and that’s exactly why it’s so inexpensive for a smart rower. You’ll just need to use your own phone or tablet to stream workouts on the 750R.

The ProForm 750R is also foldable, so while its slide rail allows you to reach full hip extension during use, it neatly folds into a rectangle to save space when you’re not crushing a row sesh. This rower is compatible with iFIT, a workout streaming app, which features trainer-led workouts and auto-adjustable resistance (meaning you don’t need to worry about adjusting anything during your workout).

This rower is the bee's knees for people working with a small home gym space. It has a full-length slide rail (and an overall 90-inch length when in use), but it folds up to be just 34 inches long. When you’re not using this rower, you can use the front casters to move it and store it anywhere you have a few square feet of floor space and at least 5-and-a-half-foot ceilings.

One thing we don’t love about the LifeSpan RW1000 is that it only offers five resistance levels. This isn’t the best option for people who are advanced at rowing, but it’s more than suitable for beginners and even some intermediate rowers. The LCD console shows metrics like distance, time, calories, stroke count, and strokes per minute so you can track your progress over time.

For cost-conscious home gym outfitters, the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5801 magnetic rowing machine is a solid choice. Featuring pivoting footplates (a bonus for people with limited ankle dorsiflexion), 16 levels of resistance, a device holder, wide padded seat, and transport wheels, this small-but-mighty rower won’t put you out more than $300, unless you elect to purchase the optional expert assembly.

Unfortunately, although this model is available on Amazon, it’s not eligible for Prime free shipping. The shipping is still free—it’ll just take more than 48 hours to arrive. A happy wallet is usually worth the wait! Plus, you can use the SunnyFit app for free at-home workouts in the meantime.

Benefits of Rowing Machines

Rowing is arguably one of the best types of cardio exercise anyone can do. Here’s why:

• • Cardiovascular health: Like other forms of cardio exercise, rowing is proven to improve several markers of cardiovascular health.
• • Musculoskeletal health: You may be focused on the burn in your lungs, but during a rowing workout, your lower and upper body muscles are also working hard to continuously propel the flywheel.
• • Low-impact exercise: Rowing is a phenomenal form of exercise for people whose joints struggle to endure high-impact activities. Your whole body still gets a workout while avoiding excessive stress on the joints.
• • Mental health: Cardiovascular exercise has been shown to improve mental and emotional health.
• • Endurance: Rowing is an awesome choice for people who want to improve their cardio and muscular endurance either for rowing itself or in other activities.

How We Chose the Best Rowing Machines

Our roster of product testers includes Certified Personal Trainers, CrossFit-L1 coaches, functional training specialists, and all-around fitness enthusiasts. We’re gearheads and home gym owners ourselves. We’ve put hours of research, hands-on testing, and analysis into our guide to the best rowing machines, not to mention our years of experience rowing for our own fitness.

What to Look for in a Rowing Machine

The following factors will help you find the best rowing machine for your home gym and fitness style.

Construction, Materials, Durability

People who plan to row vigorously and frequently would be wise to choose a rowing machine with a great build quality, meaning more steel and aluminum and less plastic. Those who only plan to row at lower intensities or just a few days per week will enjoy many years of use out of even the most budget-friendly machines.

Resistance Type

When shopping for a rowing machine, you should know the basic differences between the four main types of this category of gym equipment.

• • Air resistance: Air rowing machines have a large flywheel that intakes and spins against air when the exerciser pulls on the cord, creating resistance. They often have dampers, which affect how much air is pulled into the flywheel.
• • Water resistance: Like air rowers, the name says it all here. Water rowers utilize water tanks and flywheel blades to create resistance.
• • Magnetic resistance: Most of the large, fancy, tech-enabled rowing machines on the market use magnetic resistance. These types of rowers are often compatible with heart rate monitors and fitness apps.
• • Hydraulic resistance: Maybe you’ve noticed we didn’t recommend any hydraulic rowers on this guide to the best rowing machine. While hydraulic rowing machines tend to be budget-friendly, they typically lack durability, customizations, adjustability, and tech features.

Monitor, Workout Programming, Tech Specs

Some people love instructor-led workouts while others prefer to row freely. If you’re the latter, you can save some money by purchasing a lower-cost machine without built-in workouts. If you’re the former, you can expect to spend more on a machine with a glossy HD touchscreen (like Aviron) versus one that requires your own smart device and simply offers a mount for it (like the ProForm 750R).

Dimensions and Portability

We beg you: Carefully measure your intended home gym space before handing your credit card info over to an online retailer. All of your excitement is sure to fizzle when you realize your shiny new rower doesn’t fit in your gym.

Some rowers, generally the more expensive ones, take up a lot of space, even when folded. There are plenty of smaller rowing machines available, though. Look for features like front-mounted transport wheels, folding monorails, and simple disassembly if you need to store your rower elsewhere when not in use.