How to Choose a Rowing Machine

There are two very different machines sold under the word rower, and most of the other choices follow from which one you pick.

Water Rowers — A paddle turns inside a tank of water. The harder you pull, the more the water pushes back, so the machine meets you at your own effort. Nothing needs to be plugged in, nothing needs an internet connection, and there is no subscription. The monitor runs on batteries and shows your numbers. What you buy is the whole machine.

Connected Electromagnetic Rowers — A motor-controlled magnetic brake sets the resistance, and a touchscreen on the front runs guided workouts filmed on the water. The machine must be plugged in for the resistance to work, the workouts and on-screen features need an internet connection, and the full connected experience requires a membership that is sold separately. The rower is a piece of hardware; the membership is what it is built around.

Neither is the better machine. One is a self-contained piece of equipment that will row the same way in twenty years. The other is a training service with a rower attached, and it is worth it if you will use the service.

Rowers are listed with their dimensions, and buyers measure the room against the length. It is the wrong number.

A rower in use needs room for your legs at full extension, your arms at the finish of the stroke, and the handle travelling past your body. The makers who publish it call this the minimum operating area, and it is much bigger than the machine:

A rower 85 inches long needs about 11 feet by 5.6 feet to use. That is the number to measure your room against, then leave room to walk past it. Where a maker does not publish an operating area, sit on a chair, extend your legs and reach forward: the rower needs that length plus the machine's own footprint behind your seat.

The side-tank design is worth noticing: moving the tank beside the rail instead of in front makes the machine shorter, and it saves about 7 inches of operating length too.

Water Levels — Water rowers offer a set number of levels: five on some of the machines we carry, ten on others. More levels means finer steps between light and heavy, not a heavier top end. Ask how the levels are set: on some machines at the tank, on others with a lever you can reach mid-workout.

Electromagnetic Resistance — On a connected rower the resistance is set electronically, from the screen or by the workout you are following. It changes without you stopping. The trade is that it needs mains power to work at all.

The Water Rower's Monitor — Look for time, distance, stroke rate and watts. Watts is the most useful number, because it measures your actual output. Calorie figures are estimates calculated from that output, so treat them as a guide rather than a measurement. Check whether the monitor detects the resistance setting on its own, pairs with a phone, and reads a heart rate strap. The water rowers we carry do all three.

The Connected Rower's Screen — The screen is the product. On the models we carry it is 16 inches on the compact machine and 22 or 24 inches on the full-size ones, and on the full-size models it pivots 25 degrees either way so you can use it for floor workouts beside the rower. Ask what the screen shows about your rowing, not just about the workout: the models we carry report stroke-by-stroke performance feedback.

Seat Height — This matters more than most buyers expect. A traditional rower seat sits low, close to the floor, and getting on and off means lowering yourself down and pushing back up every session. Some machines raise the seat, and some go as high as an ordinary office chair, so getting on is a step rather than a squat. On one wood water rower we carry, a raised seat is an optional kit sold separately. The full-size connected rowers we carry put the seat 16 inches from the floor. If getting to the floor is hard for anyone in the house, this is the first spec to check.

User Weight and Footplates — Check the maximum user weight before anything else. On the water rowers we carry it is 330 pounds; on the connected rowers it is 375 pounds. Then look at the footplates: they should adjust for foot size, with heel cups and straps that hold your feet without slipping, because a foot that shifts mid-stroke changes the whole stroke, and you will feel it in your form long before the monitor shows it.

Frame Material — Steel and aluminum frames suit a garage or gym. A wood frame, such as ash, is made to live in a room you see every day. Connected rowers are designed as a piece of furniture with a screen, and they are not small: the full-size models we carry weigh 145 to 147 pounds assembled.

Upper and Lower Body Trainers — A related machine uses the same fluid resistance for pedalling with your legs, your arms, or both, seated or standing. The one we carry has a seat that swivels 90 degrees so you can sit down from the side. If rowing is hard on your back or knees, ask about this type instead.

Storing Upright — Many water rowers tip up on built-in wheels and stand on end. Stored upright, one we carry takes about 27 by 20 inches of floor. Check the upright height against your ceiling, and whether the machine is stable standing on end.

Connected Rowers Need a Kit — The connected rowers we carry store upright only with a storage kit or anchor that is sold separately, and they stand tall: 82 to 86 inches high when stored. Measure the ceiling where it will stand, and price the kit into the purchase if you need the floor back between sessions.

Machines That Stay Down — Not every design stores upright. The side-tank water rower we carry rolls on wheels but stays flat, and an upper and lower body trainer weighing about 245 pounds is a fixed piece of equipment. Decide whether the machine needs to disappear between sessions.

The Tank — Water in the tank needs to stay clean. Ask the maker what to add and how often, and whether the tank needs topping up over time. A connected rower has no tank, but it has a power cord and a network connection to plan around.

Floor — Water rowers are not heavy by gym standards: 62 to 137 pounds on the machines we carry. The connected rowers run 102 to 147 pounds. A mat protects the floor and stops the machine creeping during hard sessions.

Delivery — Water rowers ship boxed by curbside freight, at about 74 to 158 pounds boxed, with transit times from a few days to two weeks depending on how far you are from the warehouse. The connected rowers ship direct from the maker in one box, 128 to 200 pounds, dropped at your door. On the two full-size models, in-home delivery with assembly is an upgrade you choose when you order. Either way, plan how the box gets from the door to the room, and plan on two people.

Assembly — The connected rowers we carry are built for assembly without a professional, under 30 minutes on one model and under 90 on another, and the maker recommends two people. Ask what tools are needed and whether assembly is included in any delivery option.

Damage — Inspect the carton before you sign. On every rower we carry, hidden damage must be reported within 48 hours of delivery, with photographs.

Returns — Return terms are strict on large equipment. On the machines we carry: returns are new and unused only, with a 25 percent restocking fee and return shipping charged. An assembled and used machine cannot be returned. The connected rower maker's own 30-day home trial applies to buying from them directly, not to buying through a retailer, including us. Be sure of the model and the space first.

The Warranty's Fine Print — Read three things:

1. 01Split by Component — On the water rowers we carry: 5 years on the frame, 2 years on the tank and mechanical parts, 1 year on wearing parts. On the connected rowers: 5 years on the frame, 12 months on components, the screen and other electronics, and 12 months of labor. The screen is the expensive part, and it has the shortest coverage.
2. 02Use Class — The warranty is published against a use rating. The water rowers carry residential or commercial ratings; the connected rowers carry a home-use warranty only. Buy the class that matches how the machine will be used.
3. 03Registration — Register on delivery and keep your receipt.

Rowing machines are one of the few categories where manufacturers commonly publish a commercial use rating, and where you can buy a machine warrantied for a gym at a price that also works at home.

On the water rower line we carry, each machine carries a published use class: most are rated for full commercial use, and the wood-framed model is rated for residential and light commercial use. The warranty is written against that class. For a gym, studio, clinic or apartment building, buy a machine rated for full commercial use, in writing.

The connected rowers we carry come with a home-use warranty, and that warranty does not apply to commercial use. If you want one in a business, contact us before you buy so the warranty position is settled first, and budget for the membership per machine.

After that:

• Wearing Parts — The belt, seat rollers and handle wear fastest under constant use. Ask about replacement parts, and how quickly they ship.
• Access — A seat at office-chair height and a trainer with a swivel seat make a machine usable by far more people. In a clinic or a building gym, that matters.
• Space for a Row of Machines — Plan each station on its operating area plus a walkway, not the frame size. Connected rowers also need an outlet and network.
• Tank Care — Several water tanks mean a care schedule: what goes in, how often, and who checks the level. Assign it, and log it.