The 8 Best Water Rowing Machines of 2023
Delivering a low-impact, full-body workout and a real-rowing experience, these water rowing machines are worthy of any home gym. We put together a list of the top water rowing machines and, to make it even easier for you, in the end, you will find a handy FAQ section useful for both starters and experienced indoor rowing exercisers.
We hear you, choosing a good quality water rowing machine amongst so many options is hard. Even for those with years of experience in writing best rowing machine reviews and buying guides, sometimes it gets difficult to pick the best water rower for friends and readers.
Our main goal when writing indoor water rower reviews is to bring you the best of the best home rowers that are available in the U.S. market. And to answer all your questions regarding water rower exercise machines.
Aside from helping you find the best home water rowing machine, with this guide, we also help you find out the water rowing machine benefits. Finally, we will discuss what makes water rowers so different from air and magnetic rowing machines.
Quick Overview of Best Water Rowers For Home
- Best Overall: WaterRower Gronk M1 Water Rower – Hi-Rise at Gronkfitnessproducts.com and/or Amazon.com |
Check Out My Review - Best Smart Rower with Screen: City Row Max Water Resistance Rowing Machine – Low-Rise at Cityrow.com and/or Amazon.com |
Check Out My Review - Best Investment: WaterRower Club Rowing Machine w/ S4 Monitor & Hi-Rise Attachment at Waterrower.com and/or Amazon.com |
Check Out My Review - Best for Small Spaces: Snode Folding Water Rowing Machine with Bluetooth Monitor at Snodesports.com and/or Amazon.com |
Check Out My Review - Best Overall Runner-Up: Mr. Capitan Wood Water Rowing Machine with Monitor at Amazon.com and/or Mr-captain.com |
Check Out My Review - Best for Outdoor Rowing Experience: Marcy Pro Water Fluid Rowing Machine w/ Tablet Holder at Marcypro.com and/or Amazon.com |
Check Out My Review - Best for Beginners: Sunny Health & Fitness Obsidian SF-RW5713 Water Rowing Machine at Sunnyhealthfitness.com and/or Amazon.com |
Check Out My Review - Best Budget: Circuit Fitness AMZ-167RW Water Resistance Indoor Rowing Exercise Machine at ebay.com and/or Amazon.com |
Check Out My Review
Best Water Rowing Machines Compared
| NAME | FOLDABLE | COMPUTER | CAPACITY | NSEAM | MATERIALS | RESISTANCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WaterRower Gronk M1 Water Rower - Hi Rise - Limited Edition | No | distance, calories, strokes, splits, watts, and heart rate | 1000-Lb Max | 38" Max | Aluminum Dry: 79-lb Wet: 116-lb | Self-Adjusting | Water Resistance |
| CityRow Max Indoor Rower with Variable Fluid Resistance | No | distance, calories, strokes, splits, watts, and heart rate | 375-Lb Max | 38" Max | Ash Wood Dry: 100-lb Wet: 120-lb | Self-Adjusting | Water Resistance |
| WaterRower Club Rowing Machine w/ S4 Monitor & Hi Rise Attachment | No | distance, calories, strokes, splits, watts, and heart rate | 1000-LB Max | 38" Max | Ash Wood Dry: 79-lb Wet: 114-lb | Self-Adjusting | Water Resistance |
| Snode RW3 Plus Folding Rowing Machine | Yes | App compatible, HR, time, distance, calories, and SPM | 330-LB Max | 38" Max | Solid Wood Dry: 60-lb Wet: 95-lb | Self-Adjusting | Water Resistance |
| Mr Capitan Wood Water Rowing Machine with Monitor | No | time, HR, distance, calories, and SPM, | 330-LB Max | 37" Max | Solid Wood Dry: 58-lb Wet: 97-lb | Self-Adjusting | Water Resistance |
| Marcy Pro Water Fluid Rowing Machine w/ Backlit LCD | No | App compatible, HR, time, distance, calories, and SPM | 300-LB Max | 37" Max | Steel/Aluminum Dry: 75-lb Wet: 100-lb | Self-Adjusting | Water Resistance |
| Sunny Health and Fitness Water Rowing Machine - Obsidian SF-RW5713 | No | distance, calories, strokes, splits, watts, and heart rate | 250-LB Max | 37" Max | Steel Dry: 92-lb Wet: 120-lb | Self-Adjusting | Water Resistance |
| Circuit Fitness AMZ-167RW Water Rower Exercise Machine | No | distance, calories, strokes, splits, and heart rate | 300-LB Max | 38" Max | Steel Dry: 68-lb Wet: 105-lb | Manual + Self-Adjusting |
Best Overall Three Water Rowing Machines:
Our team at BEMH has already picked the best wooden rowing machines in 2023 and reviewed them down below. Editor’s choice is where I search the market every month and pick the 3 best water rower machines in different price categories and features for home.
My very first pick is the CityRow Go Max water rowing machine with HD screen. It’s probably one of the most durable water resistance rower I have ever seen and its 1000 pounds weight capacity proves just that. It is really solid and the rowing feel is really enjoyable and smooth. But even more importantly, this water rowing machine comes with a 19.5″ HD touchscreen monitor to keep motivated while rowing at home.
My second choice is the WaterRower Gronk M1 water rowing machine. No matter how many water rowers I tried, this one has always been my favorite. It comes from the same brand (WaterRower) that CityRow comes and it is handcrafted in the US with a super durable aluminum frame. On top of all the features I mentioned, this home water rower is equipped with high-rise attachments so you can easily get on and off the rower without bending your knees too far down. There is also transport wheel so you can quickly lift this wooden water rowing machine on its end and store it out of the way against your wall or closet when not in use. Thanks to its high-quality drive mechanism, this water wheel rowing machine doesn’t leak water and has very little noise compared to many other fluid rowers I have tried and reviewed.
My third choice for the best water rower for home use in 2023 is the wood rowing machine by Mr. Captain. This water rowing machine is affordable, made of solid/compressed oak wood and dual rails, making it perfect for everyday training. In addition to its beautiful look, this water-based rowing machine boasts an excellent backlit monitor that displays time, distance, 500M split time, strokes per minute, calories per hour, and watts to keep you motivated to reach your fitness goals. To provide a comfortable workout and allow you make the most out of your water-powered rowing machine exercise, the Rudolf water-filled rowing machine comes with an ergonomic seat, active recoil system, and height-adjustable footplates with straps.
Our 8 Best Water Rowing Machine Picks:
1. WaterRower Gronk M1 Water Rower – Hi-Rise – Limited Edition
Our Ratings
Stability: 5/5
Performance: 4.9/5
Adjustability: 4.7/5
Comfort: 4.9/5
Monitor: 4.3/5
WaterRower is one of the best manufacturers in rowing machines, and the WaterRower Gronk M1 indoor rowing machine lives up to its name. This water indoor rowing machine earned top ratings and awards from several major sources.
Completely handcrafted in the US, this professional rowing machine is made with a durable aluminum frame that can support up to 1000 pounds of user weight. A wide variety of rowers from 26″ inseam to 38″ inseam, both novices and experts, love this water rowing machine’s solid aluminum construction and natural self-regulating water resistance.
Essential for providing a natural dynamic of rowing, powerful and smooth strokes, the WaterRower M1 indoor rowing machine has a unique patented water flywheel. On top of being soothing and relaxing with minimal intrusion, the unique self-regulating resistance is infinitely variable, suiting any user without adjustment. The harder and faster you row, the more resistance the flywheel generates and the more drag you’ll feel.
The easy-to-read Series 4 (S4) performance monitor tracks the heart rate (with Polar straps) watts, distance in meters, miles, and km, time, calories burnt, splits, and stroke rate and the number of strokes taken. This WaterRower machine also allows you to set a workout program using distance or time to keep you motivated during the workouts.
The S4 monitor is capable of showing your intensity in six ways: mile per second, Mph, 500 meter split time, 2-kilometer split time, calory per hour and watts. Using the Unit button on the monitor you can choose which one of these intensity types to be displayed during the workout.
The flaws of this water rowing machine are the lack of ability to save the daily progress and Bluetooth/ANT+ connectivity. Other than that, it is a hell of a water rower. This great water resistance rowing machine comes with a powder-coated carbon black finish. But if you prefer a lighter color, you can check out the silver Gronk M1 WaterRower.
2. CityRow Go Max Rower with Variable Fluid Resistance
Our Ratings
Stability: 4.9/5
Performance: 4.8/5
Adjustability: 4.7/5
Comfort: 4.5/5
Monitor: 5/5
For a commercial indoor rowing machine, the CityRow Max rowing machine comes very similarly to recreating the sensation of real outdoor rowing as its flywheel pushes through the water in a durable heavy-duty tank.
Aside from the soft and soothing swooshing sounds of water while rowing, this good water rowing machine features a uniquely sealed resistance tank that ensures zero leakage. Although it doesn’t allow the user to manually adjust the resistance like First Degree Apollo, you do have the option to decide the resistance by the amount of water you add to the tank.
In addition to allowing you to control your resistance manually based on the level of water you add to the tank, it also responds to your efforts. So the harder and faster you row, the greater the drag the flywheel encounters. I suggest you add water to the minimum line on the tank and if you still want more resistance to create a heavier drag against the flywheel, you can increase the tank water level to maximum.
This quiet water rowing machine comes with a siphon pump and drops chlorine tablets that will help keep the water clean for 6 months. Although this water rowing machine doesn’t fold up, it has a transport wheel and it is easy to store upright thanks to the weight of the water that stabilizes the rower in an upright position.
By by WaterRower in the United States, this CityRower water rowing machine is engineered with a wooden-head frame with hand-lacquered sustainable American ash wood side rails for high durability to withstand years of hardcore workout sessions. It’s very attractive, too, so you can put the water rower on display anywhere in your home.
Thanks to the ergonomically designed comfortable and stable seat that rolls smoothly along rails, you’ll experience a pleasant workout while keeping track of time, distance, 500 meters split time, strokes per minute, calories burned per hour, watts, and heart rate. But you do need to buy a Bluetooth heart rate monitor or use your Apple Watch to get your heart rate on the rower’s console.
The 19.5″ HD touchscreen monitor on the rower is what makes this a smart water rowing machine for those who don’t mind subscribing to City Rower Go app which costs $29.99 per month. Unfortunately it doesn’t sync with other rowing applications but if you tech-savvy, you can jailbreak/hack the screen and connect to other apps.
As for the assembly, it is straight forward. You can assemble the frame with the provided tools and the instructions. Note that you may need to tighten the bolts sometimes because wood expands and contracts due to atmospheric conditions.
With this sturdy best buy smart water rowing machine, you also get free shipping and a generous warranty: 10 years limited warranty on frame, 3 years on tank and seals, 2 years on mechanical components, and 1 year on other components.
3. WaterRower Club Rowing Machine w/ S4 Monitor & Hi-Rise Attachment
Our Ratings
Stability: 5/5
Performance: 4.5/5
Adjustability: 4.2/5
Comfort: 4.8/5
Monitor: 4.3/5
The WaterRower Club rower is one of the best water rowing machines to buy on the market for several good reasons. You’ll experience a smooth ride with minimal and pleasant water noise, plus a comfortable seat, adjustable footrests and an ergonomic handle for maximum comfort.
This commercial quality indoor water rower mimics the dynamic motion of rowing through water and WaterRower’s patented water-flywheel system. Customize resistance by filling the water tank with more or less water or simply row harder and faster to feel more resistance. Handcrafted in the USA and eco-friendly, the Club exerciser rower is made with solid ash stained rosewood and black walnut construction that helps absorb sound and vibration while providing an authentically aged look.
Built for light commercial use and practically maintenance-free, this water rower targets all major muscle groups (84%) for a complete low-impact workout at home. Generally, with water resistance rowing machines, you’d expect a bit of noise but not so much with the patented WaterRower flywheel technology. Although it’s not silent, it’s quiet enough for rowers to listen to music or watch television at a normal volume during rowing workouts.
Another feature that contributes to making the Club rower one of the best water rowing machines for the money is its easy-to-read Series 4 (S4) monitor. It tracks the watts, distance in meters, miles, and km, time, burned calories, splits, stroke rate and the number of strokes taken.
The S4 monitor is capable of showing your intensity in six ways: mile per second, Mph, 500 meter split time, 2-kilometer split time, calories per hour and watts. Using the unit button on the monitor you can choose which one of these intensity types to be displayed during the workout. Water Rower Club rowing machine doesn’t have the Bluetooth connection and it’s not an interactive rowing machine. But it receives your heart rate from the Polar chest straps.
On top of everything else, this Club water rowing machine comes with optional hi-rise attachments. So, for whatever reason, if you can’t squat too far down to reach the seat, you can install the hi-rise attachments to elevate the height of the rower. With this rowing machine for home use, the brand provides chlorine tablets free of charge and a one-year manufacturer’s warranty (upgradeable to 3-year for parts while the 5-year frame is free of charge with registration).
4. Snode Water Resistance Rower with Bluetooth Monitor
Our Ratings
Stability: 4.1/5
Performance: 4.3/5
Adjustability: 5/5
Comfort: 4.4/5
Monitor: 4.7/5
Although the WaterRower Club rowing machine is our best-rated pick, some prefer this newly released Snode Fitness water rower because of its affordable price and foldable frame. While it is very similar to the Club and Mr Captain water rowers, it is much less expensive.
The main reason that despite its awesome look and foldability it is cheaper than a few other water rowing machine I reviewed is its material. It’s made of compressed wood in China while water rowing machines by WaterRower are made in the US with real Ash wood material.
Also, it doesn’t come with the Hi-Rise attachments and the brand is not as famous. So, of you have any knee issues that prevents you from leaning/squating all the way down, or if you’re a senior person, I suggest you buy the Club water rower or purchase another elevated water resistance rower with hi-rise attachments.
What set the Sonde sports water indoor rower apart from other water rowing machine I tried is its foldable frame, making it the best water rowing machine choice for small homes and apartments. After each use without needing tools, you can easily left the back of the rower and fold it away and store it out of the way.
When you fold the water rower, it becomes 42″ tall, 20″ wide, 25″ long. Because of it folds 180-degree, you don’t need to worry about the rower falling which is serious safety issue for households with kids who have to store their water rowing machines standing.
Another selling factor of this water resistance rowing machine is its dual-resistance system which is water for a natural feel and electronic magnetic which you can use in case water is not sufficient. By turning the knob/console you can increase and decrease the magnetic resistance if the water is not challenging for you.
The Bluetooth knob/monitor is within easy reach and offers accurate data tracking for each and every pull. Creating a water flywheel that helps mimic the feel of rowing in actual water, this Snode ERW+ rowing machine will bring you a smooth, yet challenging workout for all fitness levels from novice to elite rowers.
It’s smart Bluetooth monitor tracks workout’s stroke rate, heart rate, time, calories, and more. The monitor is capable of showing your intensity in different ways: distance, 500 meter split time, and calories per hour. You can also connect the machine to Snode, Kinomap, Zwift, and many other rowing applications to track your daily workouts or compete online. But if you want to access live and on-demand rowing classes on Peloton and other exercise apps, you will need subscription.
You can also pair a Bluetooth heart rate monitor to Snode app or directly this exercise rowing machine’s console. If indoor rowing is one of the best exercises you can do for your body as far as natural motion with low to no-impact is involved, then this Snode is one of the best home water rowing machines to do it.
Overall this piece of nicely tuned, affordable water-resistance workout equipment sits at the high end of the water rowing machine spectrum featuring dynamic resistance system, 330 pounds of user weight capacity and a beautiful look.
5. Mr Capitan Wood Water Rowing Machine with Monitor
Our Ratings
Stability: 4.7/5
Performance: 4.6/5
Adjustability: 4.5/5
Comfort: 4.6/5
Monitor: 4.3/5
This top rowing machine with water resistance is by Mr. Capitan Fitness. This brand is credited for offering high-quality affordable home gym rowing machines. As for the Mr. Capitan Bluetooth wood water rower, it is definitely one of the best value models on the market featuring a durable wooden (MDF core with an oak veneer) frame with a natural look.
This water rower rowing machine is one of its kind for various reasons. First of all, it has an appealing compact, and natural look which makes it a beautiful addition to your home decor and more elegant than steel rowing machines. Additionally, it is affordable and has the highest consumer ratings amongst its competitors in the same price class.
As expected, the Mr. Capitan water tank rowing machine has a self-regulating resistance system that adjusts based on your performance. It is quiet, smooth and capable of providing a high-intensity rowing exercise for all fitness levels.
You can enjoy a quieter and smoother workout because of the material and the flywheel design. The Capitan in home rowing machine delivers a dynamic resistance and lets the user workout with a natural resistance based on their performance. Also, this model promises safety, stability, and smooth operations during training sessions.
The only downside of this water-powered rowing machine is its compressed MDF (advertised wrongly as natural Oak) materials. If that’s an issue, I suggest you scroll up and consider a US built “WaterRower” model. Otherwise, stick with this affordable water rower and enjoy it’s Bleutooth monitor that tracks the time, distance, calories, HR, and SPM (no watt or splits).
The overall building quality is good with a pretty nice and simple design that can support up to 330 pounds of user weight. But if you are on the heavier side, you may want to consider one of the WaterRower rowing machines mentioned above as they have more durable constructions.
6. Marcy Pro Water Fluid Rowing Machine with Backlit LCD
Our Ratings
Stability: 4.4/5
Performance: 4.6/5
Adjustability: 4.7/5
Comfort: 4.7/5
Monitor: 4.2/5
Like all the other best water rower rowing machines on this list so far, the Marcy Pro rowing machine uses water flywheel to power the rowing activity with a high-quality leak-resistance tank to ensure a nice long life. While it is not as beautiful to look at as a wooden WaterRower fluid rowing machine, it is capable of creating a realistic and quiet home rowing workout.
The Marcy Pro water rower is durable, affordable, and comfortable. It features a padded seat and high-rise frame which makes it easier to get on and off the seat. The resistance can be noticeably challenging depending on the amount of the water you put in the tank. It has multiple levels of resistance and a specially designed ball-bearing rolling system that allows for smoother rowing improving the fluidity of the movement.
With a maximum weight capacity of 300 pounds, this machine is suitable for most riders and it is obvious that the frame is not as durable as the WaterRowers. But it is lighter in weight because it is made of high-quality aluminum which makes it easier for you to move the rower at home. But still, this is a solid, capable rowing machine at a reasonable price. Especially when you consider it has ergonomic rowing machine handle/seat and high ratings.
Additionally, this affordable water rower is equipped with a tablet holder and a wide-screen. On top of that, this budget rower allows you to adjust the angle of the LCD monitor so the users of different height can have a clear view of their workout progress.
The only two downsides of this budget water rowing machine are the storage design (it can’t be stored folding, it stores standing with water in the tank) and no watt/power reading. While it has a large backlit LCD monitor that accurately displays your rowing intensity in duration, strokes, calories, distance, and heart rate, it can’t track an essential metric (watt). Other than that it is a good value water rowing machine for home use.
7. Sunny Health & Fitness Water Rowing Machine – Obsidian SF-RW5713
Our Ratings
Stability: 4.1/5
Performance: 4.3/5
Adjustability: 4/5
Comfort: 4.4/5
Monitor: 4/5
Seen on many home water rowing machine reviews, the Sunny Health & Fitness Obsidian SF-RW57s water resistance rowing machine has been designed with adjustable base levelers for maximum stability and a high-profile seat that allows the user to get on and off without bending and straining their back. Last but not least, it comes at an affordable price.
The water resistance changes based on your performance and allows you to increase and decrease the tension by adding more/less water. It has 16 hydro blades that mimic the dynamic movements of competitive rowing. Additionally, this cardio rowing machine is equipped with a smooth and silent belt drive transmission which requires low maintenance.
Sunny SF-RW57 home rowing machine is made with steel and has a maximum user weight of 250 pounds. The extra height off the floor makes it easier to get on and off the machine which is a major benefit if your knees give you pain. The fully adjustable pedal straps mean your feet will remain secure during the ride. On top of all this, the seat is padded and designed for maximum comfort.
The R2 Fitness Meter is designed to accurately track all essential workout metrics such as total time, 500 m time, SPM, total strokes, calories, HR, ambient temperature, and even the power/watts. While RW57 rowing machine monitor is not backlit, it has a large screen. Plus, the ability to track the watts is very unique for this price tag.
Overall, this budget water rowing machine provides you with everything from an excellent workout experience to helping you achieve great results. It has a commercial-grade frame and allows you to set a variety of programs that you can utilize in meeting any of your training goals.
8. Circuit Fitness AMZ-167RW Water Rower Exercise Machine
Our Ratings
Stability: 4/5
Performance: 4.2/5
Adjustability: 4.1/5
Comfort: 4.3/5
Monitor: 4.4/5
The Circuit Fitness water rowing machine stands out as an excellent option for those seeking a satisfying workout experience. Designed with user comfort and performance in mind, this rowing machine excels in various categories, thanks to its dynamically adjustable levels of fluid resistance.
One notable advantage of the Circuit Fitness rowing machine is its attractive price point, offering great value for the price. With a solid steel frame and ample weight capacity, it ensures durability and stability even during intense workouts.
Despite its many benefits, there are also some drawbacks to consider. The pros of this rowing machine include easy assembly, an angle-adjustable console for better viewing, and an impressive 2-year warranty. However, it lacks racing programs, Bluetooth connectivity, entertainment options, a tablet or phone holder, and a foldable frame, which requires additional storage space.
Aside from the mentioned drawback, the Circuit Fitness water rowing machine has undergone improvements from previous models by incorporating a water tank for resistance instead of magnets. While this change adds some noise, it enhances ergonomics and provides a more natural and efficient rowing experience.
Key factors that make the Circuit Fitness rowing machine a wise choice over other low cost rowing machine include its dynamic fluid resistance performance, seat comfort, and durability. It excels in these areas, ensuring a satisfying workout.
The thoughtful design choices made by Circuit Fitness, such as the grooved padded foam seat and adjustable foot pedals, enhance user comfort and stability, significantly contributing to user satisfaction.
The user-friendly performance monitor accurately tracks important metrics such as distance, calories, strokes, splits, watts, and heart rate, allowing users to optimize their workouts effectively. Additionally, it features a recovery mode that keeps track of your heart rate (5.3 KHz chest strap heart rate monitor not included) and provides a 60-second countdown to safely end your workout.
The Circuit Fitness Water Rower has some impressive specifications that make it a great choice for a rowing machine. With dimensions of 81 inches in length, 23 inches in width, and 41 inches in height, it provides ample space for comfortable workouts. It can accommodate users weighing up to 300 pounds, ensuring it can handle different body types.
Its alloy steel frame guarantees durability and strength, giving you confidence that it will withstand even the toughest exercise sessions. Despite its solid construction, the rower weighs 81.5 pounds, striking a good balance between stability and portability.
One standout feature is the inclusion of transport wheels, which allow you to easily move and store the rower vertically. This is particularly beneficial if you have limited space, as it helps you save room and avoid clutter. Additionally, the rower’s foam handle ensures a comfortable and secure grip especially if you wear rowing gloves to prevent slips during intense rowing sessions.
For those seeking an overall budget-friendly water rowing machine, the Circuit Fitness Water Rowing Machine comes highly recommended. It offers excellent value for the price, with its sturdy construction, ergonomic design, and impressive warranty.
Benefits of Water Rowing Machines
Effective full-body workout
Full body workout is only one of the water rowing machine benefits. When rowing, you use more than 80% of your body’s muscles. During every rowing stroke, 55% of the power comes from your legs while the rest comes from your core and arms. Almost every muscle contributes to the exercise, from your hands gripping the handle, to your feet pushing against the footboard. You can gain a whole body workout with any of the water rowers we listed in this best water resistance rowing machine review.
Pleasant rowing workouts
Water rower workout isn’t just good for your body, it also helps with the mental and emotional well-being. Aside from the fact that exercising has been shown to release mood-enhancing hormones called endorphins, which can fight the effects of stress, the water rowing machine is soothing because you hear the sound of the water. Wooden water rowing exercise arguably offers the most benefits in terms of busting stress due to its natural sound and wooden materials.
Low-impact and easy to use
If you are a senior person with less flexibility, overweight or have existing joint problems, high-impact workouts such as running, hiking, or spinning may involve more risks than benefits. A water rowing machine is a great alternative for those who are unable to perform weight-bearing exercises. Indoor rowing is smoother on your joints compared to several other forms of cardio workouts. And the good thing is that the intensity is not compromised, meaning you can burn just as many calories, without putting your joints under the excess strain. Water power rowing machines are easy to mount/dismount and use. Even if you are new to indoor rowing, you don’t need a class subscription or instructor. A 20-second video is sufficient to teach you how to safely use a water rower indoor.
Rowing machine abs
In addition to your quads, hamstrings, and glutes, rowing machines also provide a nice workout for your biceps, pecs, and more importantly, your abs, which helps you develop a stronger core. Throughout the sequence of rowing movements, your core is also continually engaged to keep your back in a neutral, straight position. In addition to a traditional water rowing machine workout which is Catch, Drive, Finish, and Recovery, you can incorporate a lot of different exercises with a rowing machine. For example, the “Ab Rollout with Rower”, “Mountain Climbers with Pushup and Obliques”, “Pikes, and Variations”.
Self-adjusting resistance
Another benefit of water rowing machine is the self-adjusting resistance. Unlike magnetic rowers with 8-20 resistance levels (limited), the water resistance rowers offer unlimited resistance to meet all users’ needs and mimic the natural outdoor rowing. Water rowing machine resistance responds to your effort, which means the harder you pull, the more resistance you get. The “catch” and “drive” movements are way more pleasant compared to what you get on hydraulic or magnetic rowers.
Massive calorie burning
Indoor water rowing is a highly effective workout that can help you burn up to 1100 calories per hour. Unlike a recumbent bike or upright bike, a water rower uses upper and lower body which leads to fast results. Thanks to the type of workout (full body) it offers, you can quickly improve your body composition, which is one of the primary motivations to work out. The effect is unbelievable when rowing exercise is combined with strength workouts and a good diet.
Things to Keep in Mind When Buying a Water Rower
Features
Rower Resistance
The best exercise water rowing machines for home feature dynamically adjustable resistance. Basically, what it means is that the resistance changes automatically based on your performance. This way they can mimic the resistance felt while rowing on water, the harder you row, the more difficult it gets.
There are also some water rowing machines that allow changing the resistance manually with a turn of a knob or by adding and reducing the amount of water in the tank. For example, the Sunny water rower, if you keep the water level at max, you can feel more resistance and vice versa.
The ability to manually adjust the resistance of a water rowing machine is not a huge factor, what matters the most, is to make sure the water rower can self-adjust the resistance to your efforts. Some of the rowers we included in this water rowing machine reviews feature both dynamic (self-adjusting) and manually adjustable water resistance system.
Rowing Machine Computer
When looking to buy the best indoor water rowing machine, the computer is one of the most important factors. The top water rowing machines feature easy-to-see backlit and track of these vital workout statistics: strokes per minute, watts, distance, calories burnt, time and heart rate.
As far as the wireless connectivity goes (Bluetooth and ANT/+), more than 95% of workout water rowing machines don’t have this feature. But that’s not a deal-breaker. Especially when buying a wooden water rower because you can easily replace the pully with a “SmartRow Pulley” which allows tracking progress on SmartRow app.
Note: these wooden rowers are not compatible with Zwift apps, even with the “SmartRow” replacement pulley. If you prefer rowing exercise on Zwift app, I suggest you consider an air rowing machine like Concept 2 D/E.
Optional Hi-Rise Attachment
In case you are new to indoor water rowing machines, the Hi-Rise Attachments are basically four legs. They attach to the four corners of the frame to make the rowing machine 20 to 40 centimeters taller.
The high rise makes it easier to get on and off the rower because you don’t need to bend too far down to reach the seat. If you have knee injuries, the high rise is essential for low-impact and comfort mounting and dismounting especially after a long training session.
It is a good addition that only some of the best home water rowers have. A few of the compact water rowing machines that I listed in this review, come with the optional hi-rise attachment.
Water Rower Materials
The water-filled rowing machines are mainly made of three different materials, steel, aluminum, and wood. Fully aluminum ergonomic rowing machines are more expensive than the rest because of their light-weight and high-durability.
However, the best-sellers are the wooden water rowing machines because of their natural materials and elegant looks that match with most home decorations. When buying a wooden rowing machine, look for ash, oak, cherry, and walnut wood, preferably harvested from the replenishable forests.
Note: Most budget water rowing machines under $500 usually comes with a steel frame. They are heavy, not strong against corrosion and definitely not as beautiful and compact as wooden portable rowing machines.
Foldability and Space
Before choosing a piece of equipment from our water rowing machine reviews, you have to make sure there is enough space available for a comfortable exercise.
Generally speaking, water rowers are not foldable, especially wooden rowers. So, instead of foldability, I suggest you look for water wheel rowing machines that allow you to store them standing after each use.
If you have very little space, you might want to consider a magnetic collapsible rowing machine. Those fold-away rowing machines are easier to store and take less space while not in use.
Seat and Inseam
When purchasing for the best-rated fluid rowing machine, the user inseam capacity and the height of the seat are important factors. If you don’t have a good balance, you may want to stay closer to the ground in case you fall. So, buy a water rowing machine with short height to the ground.
But if have knee and back issues that don’t allow you to squat low to reach the seat, you need to prioritize the seat height. In this case, I recommend you to consider the best water rowing machine with hi-rise attachment. This way you have the option to change the height of the rower.
You would be surprised to know how often people forget to check the inseam capacity while reading water rower reviews. It is one of the most important features to check before buying a water-based rowing machine. Some of the indoor water rowers can accommodate up to 40″ user inseams.
Water Rowing Machine Brands
If you are looking around, whether online or in the store, you will see that there is a huge difference in the price range, models and brands that manufacture water rowing machines.
The one company that we love the most amongst all is the “WaterRower”. With no doubt, they make the best value water resistance rowing machines on the market. All their rowers are eco-friendly and completely handcrafted in the USA.
How much WaterRowers cost is down mostly to features, and then down to computerized features. The water rowers range from home use to professional and many in between.
Water Rower Warranty
A warranty is just as important as the other features when you want to buy an ergometer rowing machine. It is a testament to the trust that the company and manufacturer have in the quality of their equipment. The warranties can really vary from quality and brand, and as the frame is normally under 1-5 year warranty, parts and labor will vary a great deal. This usually varies with the water rowing machine price.
The lower-priced water flywheel rowing machine may have a warranty for parts and labor for only 90 days, while an expensive, more top-of-the-line stationary rowing machine may be covered for three years. These may also be separate warranties, parts for a certain period and labor for less.
Aside from the rowing machine cost and warranty, also consider the return and refund policy, if you have to pay for shipping or if the company covers that. Buying an extended warranty is up to you, but as a rule, it’s rarely worth it.
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.
