Marcy Pro NS-6023RW Water Rower Review
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Reviewed and Compared By BEMH Indoor Rowing Team • Updated: April 20, 2021
There are countless ways to burn calories and get back into shape, but how many are as fun and enjoyable as using an indoor water rowing machine? Not many! Marcy Pro’s NS-6023RW model introduces users to a high-quality workout from a trusted brand name that combines a nice low-impact routine at an affordable price, without ever having to leave the house. The sleek and sturdy steel alloy frame can support a maximum user capacity of up to 300 lbs, which is right about average for the industry standard and comparable to other water rowing machines on the market like the Sunny Health and Fitness SF-RW5713 and the Harison home water rower. The high-density foam seat is ergonomically designed to provide you with a comfortable position during even the most intense rowing workouts. For those who live in a smaller living space, be warned that the Marcy Pro home water rower is not foldable, so you will need to find a place to store the machine vertically.
As is standard for most indoor rowing machines, the Marcy Pro water resistance rower will take up quite a bit of space in your home so be prepared to make room for it when in use. The dimensions measure out to 77″ L x 19″ W x 36″ H, which is manageable compared to other indoor water rowers on the market. As a quick comparison, the Battife home water rower has a length of 82.7” and the Harison home water rower has a length of 80.11”. As for the weight, the Marcy Pro tips the scales at 75 lbs, but remember, this weight is always considering an empty water tank. Once the tank is full, you can reasonably expect to add an extra 10-20 lbs to the weight of the frame. Luckily for the user, Marcy Pro has installed some convenient transport wheels which makes lugging the indoor rowing machine around the house a much easier task.
The water resistance flywheel for the Marcy Pro home water rower is quite standard, but can also be seen as unspectacular. That is because the Marcy Pro rower does not come equipped with a manual resistance adjustment, so if a user would like to change the resistance level of the machine, they have to add or remove water accordingly. Personally, I think having a manual resistance adjustment is a wonderful option, and allows users to change up their workouts on the fly. Unfortunately, because of the nature of water resistance rowers, more often than not manual adjustment is reserved for magnetic resistance rowers like the HouseFit indoor magnetic rower. The Marcy Pro indoor water rower is fairly quiet, and the only real noise that accompanies the machine is from the water moving around the tank after every stroke. This makes it an ideal exercise machine to have if you live in a smaller space like an apartment or a basement suite. As with most water rowing machines, the maintenance for the Marcy Pro rower is quite minimal, and only requires a water cleaning tablet from time to time, as well as regularly changing the water in the tank.
Technology is definitely one area where the Marcy Pro indoor rowing machine does not have an edge over its competition. With a limited LCD screen that only provides users with the typical readouts like time, stroke count, distance, and total calories burned. That means no Bluetooth or WiFi connectivity for the Marcy Pro water rower, something that younger generations are finding increasingly necessary during their workouts. In this day and age, I think a connected fitness machine has so much more utility, and is becoming essential to tracking and remaining interested in your routine. If the resistance type is not an issue, I would recommend taking a look at the Women’s Health/Men’s Health Bluetooth rower, or if you are set on a water rower, the Mr. Captain indoor water rower provides Bluetooth connectivity and integration, at a slightly lower price.
Thankfully, Marcy Pro made assembly of the home water rower a breeze with simple to follow instructions and tools included in the box. Most users say it took them between 40 mins to an hour to assemble, but it was easy enough that one person could do the job. Marcy Pro has its own stand alone website, but that doesn’t make it any easier to get the water rower, unless you live within the 48 contiguous states, excluding Hawaii and Alaska. If you live internationally, or even if you live within those states, buying and shipping the rower from Amazon may be your best bet for a hassle free order.
For being a home fitness rowing machine with very few features and no connected technology, the Marcy Pro home water rower will cost you more than other water resistance machines. The price on the website is $749.99, which puts it above the Battife water rower, the Mr. Right water rower, and the Harison water rowing machine, all of which come with more features than the Marcy Pro. If the order is placed through the Marcy Pro site, users can expect to wait 3-7 days before the order is even processed. In fact, the Marcy Pro website warns users it could take up to 14 business days before they receive their machine. That’s why I prefer to still shop on Amazon as it is the fastest shipping, and the packages are easy to track. Marcy Pro provides a soft warranty that only covers the frame, so uses may be on their own if any parts break soon after opening.
Marcy Pro NS-6023RW Water Rower Pros
- Alloy steel frame can support a users of up to 300 lbs
- Easy assembly for users
- I love the convenient transport wheels on this machine
- LCD Monitor keeps track of your vitals and statistics
- Ergonomically designed high density seat
- Can be vertically stored on its end
- Non-slip fully adjustable pedals
Marcy Pro NS-6023RW Water Rower Cons
- I think it’s a steep price compared to other machines on the market
- Lack of manual resistance adjustment
- No technology or integration means no app integration for users
- I don’t like the warranty for users as it only costs the frame, which is probably the most unlikely part of a rowing machine to break
- I prefer folding frames to make for easier storage, wherever you live
My Final Verdict
I understand that for a well-known brand, you are going to have to pay up to get the product you want, but I think in the case of the Marcy Pro home water rower, things have gone too far. With zero technology or connectivity, the Marcy Pro is going to feel the crunch of competing with high-end, connected fitness machines. Personally, I love and prefer water resistance rowing machines because of the calming sound of the water in the tank, and the most realistic feeling resistance strokes. But for this price, I would recommend grabbing a machine with Bluetooth integration like the Mr. Captain indoor water rower or if you feel you don’t need the technology, then a water resistance machine like the Sunny Health and Fitness SF-RW5713 can be had for nearly half the price of the Marcy Pro.
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.
