WaterRower Blanc Review – What You Should Know
These days, who has the time to head to a gym before or after work to get in a solid, full-body workout? Why not add a quality fitness machine to your home gym and get a total workout with just a few minutes of rowing per day. The WaterRower rowing machines can provide just that as it targets 84% of your muscle groups while burning up to 1,000 calories per hour. This particular model is handcrafted and made with real American white ash, which provides a stunning, modern design that is as visually appealing as it is sturdy. How sturdy is the frame? The WaterRower Blanc water rowing machine can withstand a maximum user capacity of 700 lbs, which easily puts it at the head of its class right next to the WaterRower Club Model. This is double the weight capacity of the HouseFit wooden water rower which is constructed of beech, and more than double steel-framed water rowers like the Marcy Pro NS-6023RW. The white ash frame is not foldable, which means that users will need to store the WaterRower wooden rower in a vertical position. This is something that is fairly common with water resistance rowing machines, so if you need the space that a foldable frame can afford you, I suggest checking out the HouseFit foldable wooden water rower.
The one major issue with choosing a home water rower as your fitness machine of choice is that the footprint for these usually exceeds seven feet, so you will need to set aside a large enough space. The WaterRower Blanc is no exception as it measures 82.25” L x 22.25” W x 20” H when in use. While it isn’t the longest machine on the market, that extra space can make all the difference in your home. If you need something a little bit more company, I recommend taking a look at the MaxKare home water rower which is nearly half a foot shorter. One good thing about the ash wood frame is that when the water tank is empty, the machine only weighs 66.5 lbs out of the box. Once the tank is filled though, expect the WaterRower Blanc water rowing machine to weigh up to 103.5 lbs. Unfortunately, this is unavoidable with water rowing machines as the water tank accounts for so much additional weight when it is properly filled. If you find you are moving your rowing machine around, consider a magnetic rower like the HouseFit indoor magnetic rower, which tips the scales at only 61 lbs and does not require a water tank to be filled.
The patented WaterFlywheel provides ample resistance for even the most avid rowers, as the blades push against the water inside of the tank. The feel and sound of the WaterFlywheel can make you feel like you are rowing an actual boat on the open waters, and the solid wood frame doesn’t hurt the experience either! The resistance levels will follow along with how hard you are rowing, so as long as you can continue to row and build momentum, the resistance will maintain itself inside of the water. This type of flywheel is called a variable resistance system, which means that the resistance is all made by the user and not the machine. There is no way of manually adjusting the resistance levels for a water rower and although the water rowing experience is the most realistic, I enjoy being able to increase or decrease resistance as I workout. The sound is minimal aside from the sound of the water splashing inside the tank, and the seat sliding along the rails. As with most water rowers, the maintenance is also minimal, aside from keeping the machine clean and adding a water cleaning tablet to the tank every so often.
The WaterRower Blanc rowing machine does not come with any connected technology or WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity. What it does come with is the S4 performance monitor which allows you to easily track statistics like calories burned per hour, meters per second, miles per hour, logs lifetime rowing distance and time, and heart rate. You can even connect a wireless heart rate belt which needs to be purchased separately from the machine. If you are like me and you love technology, there are alternatives on the market that may suit your desire for a connected fitness machine. The Mr. Captain Bluetooth indoor water rower provides users with a solid wood frame as well as connected technology, or if you do not need a water rower specifically, then the Women’s Health/Men’s Health Bluetooth magnetic rowing machine provides another nice alternative.
Reading some reviews online, the WaterRower Blanc seems like people have mixed experiences when assembling the machine. If you are not a handy person, you may need to anticipate spending a few more minutes putting the machine together, but it shouldn’t take you anymore than an hour or so. It is always recommended to have a second person there to help move the machine, even though the WaterRower Blanc comes equipped with handy transport wheels. WaterRower has its own site, but you can also purchase it off Amazon which makes tracking and shipping much easier. The website quotes about 6-8 weeks for delivery, so you will most likely get the WaterRower Blanc much faster if you use Amazon.
One thing that I don’t love about the WaterRower Blanc is the price. When you pay nearly $1100 for a rowing machine, I feel you should get some technology integration. I get that it’s handcrafted and made from sustainable materials, but in an age where technology is getting cheaper to incorporate into products, I think WaterRower could have done a better job at adding more features to this model. WaterRower does offer a nice warranty, which includes 30-day returns, as well as a 3-year parts warranty and 5-years for the frame, as well as free water cleaning tablets when you register the machine online.
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.
