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7 Best Rowing Machines for Brutal Total-Body Workouts
Say ta-ra to tedious treadmills
Few bits of fitness kit can boast the health-boosting benefits of the best rowing machines. (We doubt there are too many treadmills or exercise bikes available in Appalachian oak, either.)
A session spent in the sliding hotseat recruits both your upper and lower body for a complete workout, taxing your legs, biceps, back, core and more. It also provides a cardio hit, challenging your heart and lungs to supply working muscles with enough oxygen to maintain a sustained effort. Over time, your organs will adapt to this stress, working more efficiently. So, whether you’re faced with a 5K or an active holiday, you can breathe easy.
They’re compact and versatile too, making them an ideal accessory to a sweaty home workout.
If that hard sell has you ready to press pay, we don’t blame you. But, first things first, you need to know which machine to buy. Our Esquire Approved team of fitness experts has tested some of the best rowing machines on the market to bring you their seven top recommendations.
Types of rowing machine
All rowing machines have a handle attached to a flywheel via a chain or belt. When the handle is pulled, the flywheel spins, but there are different ways in which the rowers can generate resistance.
These are the three main methods:
Air rowing machines: Paddle-like structures on the flywheel (which is contained within a “cage”) are met with air resistance as they spin, providing a realistic rowing feel. The harder you pull, the more resistance you will be met with. Many air rowers also have damper settings, which change how much air is drawn into the cage during each stroke. Higher settings will require more force to accelerate the flywheel, making for a more difficult row.
Magnetic rowing machines: Strong magnets work against a metal flywheel, providing smooth resistance. The magnets can be moved closer and further away to alter the resistance, altering the difficulty of your row. Many feel these aren’t as true to an on-the-water rowing experience, but they will still provide a comprehensive workout.
Water rowing machines: This time, the paddle-like flywheel is made to spin inside a water tank, with the liquid inside providing the resistance for each stroke. As you’d expect, this makes for a true rowing experience. And, unlike some air rowers which can have a “flat spot”, they provide constant resistance.
How we test rowing machines
Ten top rowing machines faced a trial by fire from our fitness experts. While racking up the miles through a mixture of intense workouts and steady state sessions, they judged each model on its design, ease of use, functionality and stability.
Results were compiled and analysed to decide a final seven impressive products, which you can find out more about below.
Concept2 RowErg With Standard Legs
Concept2 RowErg With Standard Legs
Whether at the gym or otherwise, it’s likely you’ve already come across the Concept2. There’s a good reason for this — people like to buy the best, and when they splash on a C2 rower, that’s exactly what they get.
No, there’s no fancy touchscreen or space-age aesthetic, because it doesn’t need them. The black and white monitor has all the workouts and performance stats you need, and each stroke moves magnificently smoothly. Even when we went hell for leather during 500-metre time trials, the machine remained unshakeable, and the slender frame can fold in two for easy storage.
Key specs
Type: Air rowing machine
Foldable: Yes
Dimensions (cm): 106.5(H) x 61(W) x 244(L)
Built-in workouts: Yes
Hydrow Connected Rower
Hydrow Connected Rower
If you want more from your rowing workouts, look no further. The Hydrow’s crisp 22” touchscreen is packed with immersive workouts, scenic virtual river routes and comprehensive video tutorials, giving you the tools you need to take your home workouts to new heights.
Relative newcomers to rowing will benefit from knowledgeable coaches providing form cues and technique tips, while the extensive workout library has plenty to offer more experienced oarsmen too. It’s on the larger side and doesn’t fold away, but we think the sleek design would make it a worthy centrepiece in any home gym.
Key specs
Type: Magnetic rowing machine
Foldable: No
Dimensions (cm): 120(H) x 64(W) x 219(L)
Built-in workouts: Yes
WaterRower Performance Ergometer
WaterRower Performance Ergometer
This aforementioned Appalachian oak rower is something to behold, falling somewhere on the spectrum between at-home cardo kit and modern art installation. But this isn’t a case of style over substance.
The rowing action was seamless, and the liquid resistance made minimal noise. There is no screen, but you can download the well-organised WaterRower Connect App for customisable workouts, performance data and real-time races against other users — just pop your phone in the rower’s handy holder and off you go.
You can’t change the resistance, but our expert said this rower’s smooth strokes were great for active recovery sessions, if you’re looking to add a bit of after-hours cardio into your usual weekly gym routine.
Key specs
Type: Water rowing machine
Foldable: No
Dimensions (cm): 51(H) x 57(W) x 209(L)
Built-in workouts: Via app
ProForm Carbon R10
ProForm Carbon R10
With elite athletes and even Olympic champions among the coaches available (via the immense iFit app) on its 10” touchscreen, you can expect a challenging row when you sidle into the ProForm’s saddle. We were particularly impressed to find out the iFit trainers can change the resistance on your rower automatically during coached workouts, leaving you to focus on your stroke technique (and catching your breath).
The machine itself is compact, sturdy and near silent in use, with easily adjustable foot plates to ensure you’re sitting comfortably before you begin. It can also be folded in two, if you’re looking to stash it out of sight between sessions.
Key specs
Type: Magnetic rowing machine
Foldable: Yes
Dimensions (cm): 64(H) x 56(W) x 221(L)
Built-in workouts: Yes
Technogym Skillrow
Technogym Skillrow
The Skillrow’s standout feature is its Multidrive Technology, which provides two resistance modes — cardio and power. The pair do exactly what they say on the tin, with the former intended to build your aerobic system and the latter promoting strength gains. You can switch between them, and alter the degree of resistance within each mode, using a practically placed dial above the footplates.
The Skillrow app has plenty to keep you busy, with paced races, virtual trainers, explosive strength-focused “TNT” workouts and performance metrics, though we found the screen could be too quick to switch off automatically — at times, it would go blank as we considered which workout to pick.
Courtesy of its cardio and power modes, our experts felt the Technogym rower required constant and consistent effort to keep the flywheel spinning. So, if you’re looking for a lung-busting, muscle-burning workout, you can call off the search.
Key specs
Type: Air rowing machine
Foldable: Yes
Dimensions (cm): 128(H) x 62.9(W) x 243.5(L)
Built-in workouts: Yes
The Echelon Row
If you like the idea of Peloton-esque classes, but cycling isn’t your thing, let us introduce you to The Echelon Row. If you subscribe to the Echelon Fit app and click your phone or tablet into the holder provided, you’ll have a world of workout resources at your fingertips. This includes studio rowing sessions, virtual on-the-water routes and off-the-rower workouts like HIIT and strength sessions.
The omission of a screen means the only buttons on the rower (to switch between the ample offering of 15 resistances) are on the handle, giving it a neat, sleek finish. It can fold away too, if you don’t fancy having a rower as a permanent feature in your home.
Key specs
Type: Magnetic rowing machine
Foldable: Yes
Dimensions (cm): 106(H) x 52(W) x 212(L)
Built-in workouts: Via app
DKN Water Rower H20ar Rowing
DKN Water Rower H20ar Rowing
This rowing machine isn’t one for casual cardio-dabblers; by flipping the water tank on to its side, DKN claims its rower generates up to 18% more resistance than traditional horizontal models. It also has an “ergonomic race seat” with added height, so we could pull PBs in (relative) comfort.
You can customise workouts on the simplistic screen (setting target distances, times and more) to ramp up the intensity of your session, and the liquid resistance provides a realistic rowing experience.
Key specs
Type: Water rowing machine
Foldable: Yes
Dimensions (cm): 93(H) x 51.5(W) x 212.5(L)
Built-in workouts: Yes
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