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Indoor rowing doesn’t have quite the same charm of being in a skiff on a river (sigh, if only), but the best rowing machine will still give you a great workout right at home. Between smart rowers with streaming capabilities and budget-friendly workhorses, there are plenty of high-quality options on the market. We spoke with fitness experts to learn more about the best ones to consider, and how to find the right type of rowing machine for you.
Our top picks
- Best Overall: Concept2 Model D Indoor Rower, $1,500
- Best Splurge: Peloton Row, $3,295
- Best Budget Pick: Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Rowing Machine, $230
- Best for Small Spaces: Hydrow Wave Rower, $1,695
- Best for Beginners: NordicTrack RW900 Rower, $2,299
- Best Water Resistance: WaterRower Original Rowing Machine, $1,199
- Best Aesthetics: Ergatta Rower, $2,499
Shop the best rowing machines
We talked to coaches and certified trainers, then looked at SELF Certified reviews and past Home Fitness Awards to find excellent home rowers that mimic the feeling of being on the water. “At the end of the day, the best rowing machine for you is the one that keeps you coming back for more,” Dani Hansen, a Paralympian and Hydrow coach, tells SELF. Read on to find options that’ll do just that.
Best Overall: Concept2 Indoor Rower Model D
Concept2
Indoor Rower Model D
If there’s one rower to rule them all, it’s the Home Fitness Award–winning Concept2 RowErg. Its design is size-inclusive, durable, and easy to put together upon arrival. Whether you’re a pro or a newcomer, you’ll more than likely love using this machine. Case in point: Retired Olympic rower and World Rowing champion Eric Murray used a Concept2 to train while competing, and now, as an Asensei online rowing coach, he trains other people on it.
“Concept2 is the standard bearer for all serious rowers around the world; it’s totally old school,” Alison Townley, a two-time Olympian in rowing and board member for the National Rowing Foundation, tells SELF. Like many pro rowers, she appreciates how streamlined this machine is, with a performance monitor that measures time, pace, stroke rate, distance, and watts.
Another bonus? Its impressive longevity. “Many machines are still going 20, 30, and more years later, and Concept2’s customer service is unparalleled in the rare case you do have an issue,” Sarah Fuhrmann, author of 101 Best Rowing Workouts and owner of UCanRow2, tells SELF.
Weight: 57 pounds | Dimensions: 24 x 96 x 14 inches | Screen display: LCD monitor | Max weight capacity: 500 pounds | Membership and app options: This rower pairs with ErgData, Concept2’s free app that allows you to track progress and create interval workouts. You can also pair it with over 40 third-party apps, including Asensei, FIIT, and Hydrow.
Best Splurge: Peloton Row
The SELF Certified and Home Fitness Award–winning Peloton Row is an excellent rower for building your skills and confidence in rowing, thanks in no small part to its Form Assist and Form Rating functionalities. These features provide real-time visual feedback so you know how—and what—to adjust, as well as a post-class breakdown of your rowing form and tips on how to improve.
One of our testers was relatively new to rowing and found the Row’s form-checking process helpful and easy to follow. The Row is also quiet (thanks to electronically adjustable resistance), easy to store upright, and features a leaderboard just like the brand’s exercise bikes and treadmill do. It’s undeniably a pricey option, but if you’re interested in improving your technique (as well as getting in a top-notch full-body workout), then we think it’s worth it.
Weight: 156.50 pounds | Dimensions: 24 x 94 inches | Screen display: 23.80-inch HD touchscreen | Max weight capacity: 300 pounds | Membership and app options: The Row, like all Peloton fitness equipment, is compatible with the Peloton app. A monthly subscription to an All-Access Peloton Membership is $44 a month, and it includes on-demand classes, training programs, immersive scenic rows, and more.
Best Budget Pick: Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Rowing Machine
Sunny Health & Fitness
Magnetic Rowing Machine Rower
A solid option from Sunny Health & Fitness, this magnetic rowing machine won a SELF Home Fitness Award in 2022 for its no-frills, lightweight design. You get eight levels of magnetic resistance, a streamlined LCD display, a comfy ergonomic seat, and a folding mechanism that allows for easy storage. Don’t discount that space-saving design—some machines are clunky and tough to store, potentially turning them into temporary clothing racks.
Weight: 60.90 pounds | Dimensions: 18.90 x 81.80 x 23.60 inches | Screen display: Digital LCD screen | Max weight capacity: 250 pounds | Membership and app options: This magnetic rower is compatible with the free SunnyFit Home Fitness app, which can be used with or without the machine. You’ll get training videos, workouts, and “World Tour” workouts that offer scenic views of locations around the world.
Best for Small Spaces: Hydrow Wave Rower
The Home Fitness Award–winning Wave is 30% smaller and lighter than Hydrow’s standard rower, making it a great option for anyone who has some room to spare, but not enough for an elaborate home gym setup. Our tester noted that its drag mechanism has a super smooth glide, going so far as to call the ride downright “relaxing.” Despite its smaller size, it still has a large HD display and many of the same high-tech features that come with the Hydrow Rower, like Bluetooth and heart rate monitor compatibility.
Weight: 102 pounds | Dimensions: 19 x 80 x 43 inches | Screen display: 16-inch HD screen | Max weight capacity: 375 pounds | Membership and app options: You can access the all-inclusive Hydrow membership for $44 a month, which includes live and on-demand classes for rowing, strength training, yoga, Pilates, and more.
Best for Beginners: NordicTrack RW900 Rower
“If you are a beginner trying to get a hang of rowing or you like the class aspect, the NordicTrack route is the way to go,” Future trainer Laura Carl tells SELF. “I love the data-driven points it provides, and it adjusts to your level of fitness—which not all ergs do,” she adds, referring to its SmartAdjust machine learning capabilities.
With a swivel HD touchscreen, the RW900 makes it easy to watch digital content during your workout, even if you hop off the rower for some stretching, a HIIT session, or strength training. Want options to progress? This highly adjustable rower has 26 resistance levels—which your trainer can control during workout classes for you via iFit.
Weight: 158 pounds | Dimensions: 21.80 x 80.10 x 52.70 inches | Screen display: 24-inch touchscreen | Max weight capacity: 300 pounds | Membership and app options: All NordicTrack equipment is compatible with the iFit app, which costs $39 per month. With iFit, you have access to live training sessions for rowing and other modalities, scenic workouts, and more.
Best Water Resistance: WaterRower Original Rowing Machine
WaterRower
Club Rowing Machine with S4 Monitor
For some people who have joint issues, indoor rowing may feel uncomfortable if the motion is too jerky, physical therapist Alyssa Kuhn, DPT, tells SELF. This is why she loves water rowing machines like the WaterRower. “I recommend this one for people who may be dealing with joint pains or injury history, as it isn’t as intense on the body compared to the Concept2, [which uses air resistance],” she says.
Weight: 63.50 pounds when empty; 100.50 pounds when filled with water | Dimensions: 22.25 x 82.25 x 20 inches | Screen display: LCD screen | Max weight capacity: 700 pounds | Membership and app options: There is no membership required. But it’s compatible with the WaterRower Connect+ app, which allows you to track your performance and metrics on your personal device, as well as CityRow and the SmartRow app and hardware.
Best Aesthetics: Ergatta Rower
If you have the space or simply lack the desire to fold up a rowing machine after each session, you may want to opt for the surprisingly elegant SELF Certified Ergatta. Its sleek design makes it look more like upscale furniture than a piece of exercise equipment, but it also presents a serious challenge, ACE-certified personal trainer Tami Smith tells SELF. The optional Ergatta household membership program uses “gaming-inspired programming that mixes the thrill of a video game with an amazing workout,” she explains.
Plus, our reviewer was especially impressed by the machine’s sturdiness: “Whether I am sprinting like my life depends on it or rowing slowly, the machine has never shifted during workouts,” she wrote.
Weight: 105 when filled with water | Dimensions: 23 x 86 x 40 inches | Screen display: 17.30-inch HD touchscreen | Max weight capacity: 500 pounds | Membership and app options: An Ergatta membership is $39 a month and offers live and on-demand classes, races, game-based workouts, scenic rows, and more.
How to choose the best indoor rowing machine
Rowers can be pricey, so it’s important to make sure you’re choosing one that’ll meet your experience level, fitness goals, and needs, Hansen says: “Are you a beginner looking for guidance? Will rowing be your primary fitness activity or a part of your overall training plan? Where in your home will your rower be placed? What types of workouts are you looking for?” These questions can help narrow down your options. Then, there are some key design elements to pay attention to.
There are a few different mechanisms that can provide resistance in a rowing machine’s flywheel, Ben Walker, CPT, owner of Anywhere Fitness in Dublin, tells SELF. Those include air, water, magnetic, and hydraulic resistance. There’s no right or wrong resistance mechanism; it all depends on what kind of experience you’re looking for, SELF previously reported.
If noise is an issue, you may want to stay away from air rowers with fans, as they tend to be louder. If price or maintenance is a concern, consider opting for an air-based or magnetic rower—they tend to be less costly and easier to maintain than water rowers, which require regular cleanings and refills. Just know that each has a slightly different sensation, so the choice may come down to which feel you prefer. If you can test some rowers out at your local gym before making your purchase, you can get a better idea of what you like.
Do you have room to spare, or are you looking for the most space-efficient machine possible? Most rowers are between six and seven feet long, and roughly two feet wide, so make sure your workout area can fit that size. If having a big piece of equipment out at all times is unrealistic for your space, then a foldable rower is the best option. These usually fold vertically into a V-shape, which drastically reduces their footprint (but still requires some room to set aside).
High-tech add-ons like activity tracking, workout programs, and live classes can be a major upgrade for your home rowing routine. If you’re interested in that kind of experience, look for a machine that comes with clear, large display screens, Bluetooth connectivity for your wearables and devices, or class membership options.
On the other hand, if you think too many bells and whistles will be distracting (or you’re just using an indoor rower as a placeholder until you can get back out on the water), you may prefer a more stripped-down version that puts the focus on your workout. “Only you will know what it will take to become more competitive with yourself and what fuels your motivation,” ACSM-certified personal trainer, rowing coach, and former elite rower Maria Brezler tells SELF.
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