Mr. Captain Rowing Machine Review
Mr. Captain Rower Overview
Are you a rowing purist that needs the calm and soothing sound of the water sloshing whenever you sit on a rowing machine? Nothing quite beats the feel of the water-resistance against your rowing, so why not consider a home rowing machine like the Mr. Captain Vintage Oak Home Water Rower? The first thing you will notice about the Mr. Captain Rower is its unique and esthetically pleasing appearance. That is because, unlike most home rowing machines, the Mr. Captain is constructed out of solid oak, which gives it the look and feel of a real boat. Obviously, there are other materials included, but the Mr. Captain home rower is primarily made of oak which provides a nice stable base and frame that can accommodate users up to a maximum suggested weight capacity of 320 lbs. One thing to note is that if you do live in a smaller living space, the Mr. Captain home water rower is not foldable, so you will end up having to stand it up on end. Luckily, it does come with convenient transport wheels that make moving the Mr. Captain home rower much easier.
The Mr. Captain home water rower will take up a large amount of space which is normal for most indoor rowing machines. The dimensions measure out to 82” L x 22” W x 20” H, which means you a space of about seven feet in length will be required to safely use the Mr. Captain home rower. The net weight of the Mr. Captain home rower without any water in the tank is a very reasonable 58.5 lbs, but of course that will increase quite a bit with a full tank of water. One of the coolest things about the Mr. Captain home rower? They include a motorized water pump that makes filling the tank to capacity as easy as flicking a switch!
The water tank itself is a thickened water tank made from a strong polycarbonate material which only adds to the Mr. Captain home rower’s durability. Inside the tank, Mr. Captain has created a multi-blade impeller system that gives users an incredible feel for the resistance levels of the water. Unfortunately, there is no manual resistance adjustment aside from adding or removing water from the tank. While the water pump does make this an easier task, it does limit the variance and challenge of the Mr. Captain home water rower workout. The noise that comes from the impeller system is quite minimal for a water resistance rower, but rowing enthusiasts will love the sloshing of the water in the tank that is reminiscent of being out on the lake.
You may read the full name and description of the Mr. Captain home water rower and think that for the price, you are getting a machine with fully integrated Bluetooth connectivity. Well, that is not exactly true. The monitor is advertised as Bluetooth compatible, and it is, but not in the way that you can utilize it for entertainment. The Mr. Captain home rower monitor uses Bluetooth strictly to send your workout data to a connected fitness app on your smartphone, so don’t expect cutting edge technology. The suggested fitness app to connect with is called FitShow app and is available both on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The monitor itself is decent albeit unspectacular, and provided the normal readings like time, distance, calories burned, rowing strokes, and strokes per minute.
The assembly for the Mr. Captain home water rower is minimal and can be completed by the average person in 30-60 minutes. All of the tools and instructions are included, and most of the work revolves around attaching and installing the water tank to the frame. Like with most water resistance rowing machines, the Mr. Captain home rower is shipped in two different boxes to accommodate the frame pieces and the water tank, so ensure you have both before starting your assembly. Mr. Captain also includes a nice rowing machine cover to keep dust and dirt off, as well as providing anti-UV ray protection and out of reach of cats or dogs who are trying to sharpen their claws on the wood. As far as maintenance goes, the Mr. Captain home water rower only requires a cleaning tablet for the water tank every so often, to stop grime from developing inside the tank. Since Mr. Captain does not actually have a branded website, the easiest way to find these machines is on a third party distributor site like Amazon.
The price tag is just one more reasonable feature of the Mr. Captain home water rower, which is listed on Amazon at a price of $719. This is considered quite cheap across the home rowing machine industry, and many people love the unique look and feel, combined with the smooth rowing experience. Check with Amazon or whichever website you purchase the Mr. Captain home rower from for availability and shipping times and cost. The warranty is minimal and frankly a little disappointing with only a 1-year warranty on the frame and 180 days on any other parts and labor.
Mr. Captain Water Rower Pros
- Sturdy frame made with beautiful vintage oak
- It is lightweight and easy to transport with the convenient wheels
- Motorized pump is a great accessory to include
- Minimal assembly required
- A maximum weight capacity of 320 lbs means its made for users of all shapes and sizes
- Quiet operation aside from the sound of the water in the tank
- 3D ergonomic seat makes rowing comfortable and supported
- Adjustable footplates make it easy for multiple users to use the machine
- Bluetooth monitor helps you keep track of your workouts
- Rowing machine cover included helps you keep the machine safe
- Reasonable price tag
Mr. Captain Water Rower Cons:
- Large, un-foldable frame makes storing it cumbersome
- No manual adjustment for resistance levels
- Limited monitor and Bluetooth integration
- Minimal warranty, they could do better
- No website makes contacting customer support difficult
Mr. Captain Rower Final Verdict
At the end of the day, money talks, and the price tag of the Mr. Captain home water rower may be the most appealing thing for bargain hunters. That is not to say that the machine is a bad value as it certainly does the trick as a home water rower in the low to medium price range. The one thing that may be the dealbreaker for most people is how the Mr. Captain home water rower looks. With its solid oak frame and simple design, it is quite obviously meant to resemble a ship. Whether or not people enjoy that is another question. At its price level, users should not expect much in the way of technology or extra features, so the added Bluetooth integration is a nice touch. For $719, it is hard to make a case against the Mr. Captain home rower, as most other good water rowing machines start in the $1000 range.
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.
