Stamina ATS Rower – Loud but a Decent Air Rowing Machine for Money
Is it time to finally commit to a piece of home fitness equipment to get back into shape? Why not try an indoor rowing machine which uses up to 86% of the muscles in your body during low-impact, calorie-burning workouts?
Indoor air rowers, also called turbine rowers, give you full control over the resistance level you work out with, and can often have a more escalating challenge level, the longer your workout is.
The Stamina ATS Indoor Air Rower is an excellent choice for your home gym, and perhaps most importantly, comes with a very affordable price tag.
The sleek black solid steel frame is sturdy and the padded seat can accommodate a maximum user capacity of 250 lbs. In terms of the indoor rower market, 250 lbs is on the lower end of the spectrum, so if you would like something that can support a little more weight, I suggest taking a look at the Marcy Turbine rowing machine.
A major benefit for the Stamina Indoor Rower? The frame is completely foldable, so it makes storing the machine a breeze! If you need to transport the machine from room to room, built-in wheels make this ideal for users who live in smaller living spaces.
When we talk about purchasing a home indoor rowing machine, there is just no getting away from the considerable space that these machines require. Even though the frame is foldable, the Stamina 1403 Air Rower has dimensions of 77” L x 18.75” W x 22” H, which means you will need to set aside a good seven feet to operate the machine safely.
Air rowers can often have a larger footprint as the frame needs to accommodate the turbine, but one thing to note is that the Stamina 1403 Air Rower is eight inches shorter than the aforementioned Marcy Pro Turbine rower.
When folded, the Stamina Air Rower is only 48” L x 18.75” W x 28” H, so it is easy to stow the machine away when you need to tidy up. The Stamina 1403 Air Rowing Machine weighs in at a very light 54 lbs out of the box, which makes it one of the lighter rowing machines on the market. That is one benefit of air rowers as they do not require the full tank of water that water resistance machines have.
The air turbine resistance system that comes equipped on the Stamina 1403 air rower gives users full control over the dynamic air resistance flywheel. When Stamina says its users have full control, it means the harder they row, the more resistance they will feel.
This is still considered a variable resistance system, which means that like water resistance machines, the user cannot manually adjust the resistance levels mid-workout. If you would like to have full control over your workout, I would suggest looking into getting a magnetic resistance rower, like the Women’s Health/Men’s Health Bluetooth magnetic rower or the NordicTrack RW series of magnetic rowers.
There is also one more thing we should mention about air turbine rowers: they are loud. The turbine flywheel continuously makes noise the more you row, and similar to the water sloshing in the tank, the air turbine can be distracting to users who are not used to the noise. So not only do magnetic rowers allow manual resistance adjustments, but they are by far the quietest rowing machines as well.
As for technology, the price tag of the Stamina 1403 Air Rower is going to be a dead giveaway that this is an entry-level, bare bones machine. There is no Bluetooth or WiFi connectivity, or smartphone fitness app integration. There isn’t even a dedicated monitor as the Stamina 1403 Air Rower only comes with a small digital display that is built right into the frame of the machine itself.
The monitor still provides users the ability to track stats like speed, distance, time, and total calories burned. I’ll be honest, if you want connected technology, you are going to have to be prepared to pay up for it. Only the high-end, premium models come with the technology these days, so if you are looking at the Stamina Air Rower, I will assume you are in the market for a no frills machine that just provides you with a solid, at-home workout.
Assembly is something that Stamina suggests is simple and straightforward, and most online reviews will tell you that it should take about an hour to fully assemble. Stamina provides all of the instructions and parts, so just make sure you decide where you want the machine to be used before starting to build it.
If you do lose the instructions or manual, Stamina has all of them available for download from its dedicated website. I know Stamina has its own website, but I have found that for most of these brands, Amazon is the easiest and fastest way to get the machine delivered, hassle-free.
Now for the most important part of shopping for indoor rowing machines: the price! The Stamina 1403 Air Rower is priced very reasonably at only $299 on Amazon. You won’t find many pieces of fitness equipment at a low price like this, so if you are looking for an easy way to burn calories without all of the bells and whistles, the Stamina 1403 Air Rower may be the machine for you.
Again, delivery is always easiest through Amazon, so if you have an Amazon Prime membership you should be able to get fast and free delivery. For an entry-level machine, Stamina actually provides a nice 3-year warranty for the frame and 1-year warranty for parts, which is definitely more than you can get from other discount brands.
Stamina Air Rower 1403 Pros
- Cheap price tag makes it affordable for most users
- High quality steel frame
- Padded seat for extra comfort
- Foldable frame makes storing it easy
- Convenient transport wheels
- Easy assembly
- Decent warranty an entry-level model
- Large pivoting foot plates with straps
Stamina Air Rower 1403 Cons
- Low maximum user weight capacity of only 250 lbs
- No technology features make this a bare-bones model
- No Bluetooth or WiFi connectivity
- A very limited and small monitor
- Its air turbine can be loud
- No manual resistance adjustment
Stamina Air Rower ATS Final Verdict
You really can’t go wrong with this price if all you are looking for is a no-frills, solid workout in the comfort of your own home. The Stamina 1403 Air Rower provides all of this with a well-constructed frame that is foldable with an innovative and space-saving design.
However, if you are like me and you love technology, you are going to be disappointed by the Stamina 1403 Air Rower, but that’s okay. If you want the technology you are going to have to pay up.
For example, models like the Mr. Captain Bluetooth water rower, or the Concept 2 Model D Rower are more than double the price of the Stamina 1403. As long as you know what you are getting with the Stamina Air Rower, this machine makes an excellent and very affordable addition to your home gym.
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.
