Echelon Smart Rower Review, Pros, Cons & Alternatives
If you’re anything like me, you love to play with the latest gadgets and technology and that’s exactly what Echelon’s Row-S Smart Rower is. A state of the art fully connected fitness rower that allows you to combine a daily workout routine with the power of streaming internet. If you have heard of or seen machines made by the brand Peloton, then you already know what the Echelon Row S Smart Rower is all about. With a sleek, jet black alloy steel frame that sports Echelon’s patented Competition Seat that comes with a 6” lever style adjustment. The frame is so sturdy and so well made, that the Echelon Row S can accommodate a maximum user weight capacity of 350 lbs. This is an incredible 100 lbs more than its close rival, the NordicTrack RW900. The frame of the Echelon Row S even folds in half, which is a feature I always look for as it is essential for people who live in apartments where space is at a premium.
Echelon Smart Rower Alternatives
The foldable frame is definitely handy considering when the Echelon Row S is in use, it has a fairly substantial footprint. The dimensions of the rower are 85” L x 24” W x a seat height of 18” H, which definitely puts it on the larger side of indoor rowing machines. At 123 lbs out of the box, the Echelon Row S Rower isn’t exactly compact, although when again comparing it to the NordicTrack RW900 the Row S is shorter and lighter.
Let’s be honest, the first thing you will notice with the Echelon Row S Smart Rower is the giant 21.5” full HD monitor that is attached to the front of the machine. It’s a common sight for the new wave of connected fitness machines, and similar to Peloton and NordicTrack’s products, to maximize the technology of the Row S, Echelon offers a subscription based service. The first thing to know is that you absolutely do not need to subscribe to the Echelon Connected service to use the Row S rowing machine. But if you don’t get the subscription service, the HD monitor is kind of a waste, then you may as well just settle for the Echelon Rower, which comes with a tablet mount.
The technology is great and if you do subscribe to the Echelon Connected app, you get to track your progress, as well as follow along with live training videos and even virtually row with a trainer on a river. The Echelon Connected app will run you an additional $40 per month, or you can sign up for an annual rate of $399.99 or a two-year rate of $599.99. Considering the price of the Echelon Row S Smart Rower, that’s a pretty hefty commitment to getting back into shape! Predictably, the Echelon Row S comes with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, although those are used mostly for connecting to the Echelon Connected app. The training videos are nice for people who need motivation to workout, and even feature celebrities like Mario Lopez, as well as popular music that ranges from EDM to R&B to Korean Pop music as well! Depending on which package you subscribe to, Echelon also offers the Extra Mile, which includes additional workouts like yoga, strength, pilates, and boxing, amongst others.
The Echelon Row S Smart Rower is built upon a smooth and silent magnetic resistance system that provides up to 32 resistance levels. One thing that does stand out is if you do not subscribe to the app, you cannot see which resistance level you are currently using. While it’s a minor inconvenience, if you can’t see the resistance levels on the monitor you have to basically just gauge the difficulty of your workout by the feel of the flywheel. As with most magnetic rowing machines, the Echelon Row S is quiet enough to have in any room of your house, and requires little maintenance aside from keeping the slide rail dirt and dust free.
You would think assembling such a high-tech machine would be difficult, but Echelon has actually made the setup process quite simple. I was impressed with how well everything was packaged and you can really get the feel that Echelon is a premium product by the look and feel of the parts. Echelon Rowers are sold on various sites including the Echelon site itself, Costco, and Amazon as well. Having had fitness machines shipped from various sites, I can say that Amazon is the fastest shipping that is usually free and easy to track.
Price is going to be a roadblock for some people, especially those who may have no use for the connected technology. Amazon has the Echelon Row S priced at $1,151.48 which is certainly on the higher end for indoor rowing machines. Add in the monthly subscription for the app, and the Row S will definitely be priced outside of a lot of budgets. The warranty isn’t too encouraging either, with only a 12-month limited warranty on parts and labor, and a 30-day money back guarantee if you aren’t satisfied with your Echelon experience.
Echelon Row S Smart Rower Pros
- Cutting edge technology and connected fitness app
- High quality construction with a sturdy, steel alloy frame
- Competitive, ergonomic seat
- 32 levels of silent magnetic resistance
- 21.5” full HD monitor that can swivel 180 degrees
- Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity as well as Bluetooth Audio
- The app is great if you love to be motivated while working out
- Choose your style of music as you workout
- Foldable frame makes it easy to store
- 350 lbs maximum user weight capacity
- Easy assembly and clear instructions
Echelon Row S Smart Rower Cons
- The machine and app subscription can be too expensive for some
- The monitor is mostly useless without the subscription
- The Echelon Row S has a large footprint so plenty of space is needed
- You also need to have the machine plugged into an electrical outlet
- The warranty could be better
Sayed Hamed Hosseiny
Hi, my name is Sayed Hamed Hosseiny. I am a professional health and fitness trainer with nearly 20 years of experience using ellipticals, rowing machines, and spin bikes. I also have my own EU-based Rock Fitness Pro fitness brand where I design, import and sell exercise equipment such as rowing machines and spin bikes. I and writers on my team also often receive fitness equipment to review and evaluate their functionalities and performance from tens of different exercise machines manufacturers. Fitness equipment tips, guides, reviews, and comparisons on this website are my opinion (and opinions of my fitness expert colleagues) based on tens of criteria. I never accept payment to write reviews of products or say positive things about fitness equipment products. If brands are interested to have me review their rowers, ellipticals, or spin bikes, they can get in touch with me via email provided on the contact page and send a sample of their product.
