Women’s Health Men’s Health Rower Review
In this modern era of technology and device integration, connected home fitness machines have surged in popularity. There is something so appealing about being able to follow a class or recorded instruction session from the comfort of your own home, and that is exactly what the Women’s Health/Men’s Health Bluetooth Rower allows you to do. As soon as you lay eyes on the sleek black steel frame, you can tell that this magnetic rowing machine is well constructed. The frame is strong enough to hold a maximum user capacity of 250 lbs and a maximum user height of 6’6”, which we can say is not at the top of the range for the indoor magnetic rower industry. For example, even though the Battife indoor rower is a water resistance machine, its maximum user capacity is 350 lbs at a similar price point. The design is simple and yet, the esthetic appeal of the Women’s Health/Men’s Health indoor rower is that of a premium fitness machine. Another bonus, this model comes with a foldable frame, so storing it away is much easier, especially with the handy transport wheels that make it easy to move the machine around.
One of the problems that always seems to come up with indoor rowing machines is that they take up a ton of space in your house when in use. This is obviously not ideal for smaller living spaces, and the Women’s Health/Men’s Health magnetic rower does have a significant footprint with dimensions of 80” L x 23” W x 28. 5” H when not folded and 41. 5 L x ”23 W x 57. 5” H when it is folded. For an indoor rowing machine that feels so sturdy, the Women’s Health/Men’s Health magnetic rower is surprisingly light, weighing only 64.3 lbs out of the box. Since this particular model is a magnetic resistance rower, users do not have to worry about filling a water tank which would add a further 15-20 lbs to the weight of the machine. The entire machine is composed of the frame and rail, as well as the white and orange magnetic flywheel that sits on the front of the machine.
The Women’s Health/Men’s Health magnetic rower operates with a magnetic flywheel that provides users with the patented Zero Lag Time Resistance technology. This ensures a clean and uninterrupted pull for every stroke, and with the 14 different levels of calibrated magnetic resistance, users can have complete control over the intensity of their workouts. Women’s Health/Men’s Health added in the Smart Power Dial as well, which allows users to keep track of their workout, as well as being able to quantify how hard you pull and the total distance of each pull as well. Like most magnetic indoor rowers, the Women’s Health/Men’s Health rower is extremely silent, with only the sliding of the seat on the rail, as well as the spinning of the flywheel after every stroke. We love the smooth and quiet workout you get with magnetic resistance as users have more control over their workout with little maintenance for the flywheel. The manual resistance adjustment is simple to use, and for some users, may be a deciding factor in why they choose a magnetic rower over a water resistance rower.
The technology and monitor is where the Women’s Health/Men’s Health magnetic rower sets itself apart from other machines that are around the same price range. This model comes with a standard, large LCD display which uses four AA batteries that are included in the package. The LCD display provides users with familiar readouts like the distance, time, total count, calories burned, stroke per minute, and total strokes. The convenient smartphone and tablet holders provide users the ability to follow along with professional grade workouts, as well as keeping track of your stats via the downloadable MyCloudFitness App. The Women’s Health/Men’s Health magnetic rower comes with a free six-month subscription to the MyCloudFitness app, which is usually an additional cost of $14.99 per month. Look, we get it, once you pay for your fitness machine, the last thing you want to do is continue to pay monthly subscription fees as well. Thankfully, MyCloudFitness App has included some free forever options including the tracking of your workouts. None of the trainer-led workout sessions or classes will be available if you are not a monthly subscriber.
The step by step instructions for assembly are clear and concise, and the tools required to put the machine together are included in the package. For the average person, it should take about 30-45 minutes to fully assemble the Women’s Health/Men’s Health magnetic rower. The maintenance for magnetic rowing machines is very minimal, and you really only have to keep the rail clear of dirt and dust. There is obviously no water tank to clean or replace the water for, so just keep the rail and flywheel clean and your machine should work smoothly for years. The Women’s Health/Men’s Health home magnetic rower is sold through third party retailers like Amazon, Costco, and WalMart, as the brand does not have a publicly facing website to sell its fitness equipment. While you can shop around for the best price, Amazon usually provides the fastest shipping and easiest customer service to deal with.
Unlike other connected home fitness machines, the price point of the Women’s Health/Men’s Health magnetic rowing machine is one of the most attractive features. Ranging in price from about $649 – $849 depending on where you shop, this model fits nicely into the intermediate connected fitness machine market and really sets it apart from competitors in the same range. It is affordable enough to add on the MyCloudFitness App subscription if you so wish and has all of the functions and options of a premium rowing machine. Shipping depends on which site you order from but generally speaking, Amazon has the fastest delivery times amongst the leading eCommerce retailers. Women’s Health/Men’s Health includes a vague one year warranty, although the websites do not specify what the warranty actually covers.
WHMH Rowing Machine Pros:
- Excellent price point for the technology and quality you get
- We love the solid steel frame that is foldable for easy storage when not using the machine
- We love that the magnetic resistance flywheel is extremely quiet and requires little maintenance
- Straightforward assembly for any user
- Transport wheels for easy mobility
- Pivoting foot rests for comfort and stability
- We love the 14 levels of calibrated magnetic resistance to give users control over their workout
- Phone and tablet holder for connected devices
- Includes 6 months of MyCloudFitness app subscription
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Manual resistance adjustment
- Lightweight frame
WHMH Rowing Machine Cons:
- We don’t like the fairly low maximum weight capacity, especially compared to other indoor rowers at the same price point like the Battife home water rower
- Some may not want to pay for the monthly subscription service moving forward
- We don’t like that the user cannot track their pulse or heart rate
- No built-in screen for following along with classes
- We don’t like that the LCD monitor is small and basic yet it requires four batteries
- We don’t love the vague warranty descriptions
- No website means it may be difficult to contact customer support
My Final Verdict
By now you have probably realized that the Women’s Health/Men’s Health home magnetic rower is one of the best magnetic indoor rowing machines on the market. With full Bluetooth connectivity that allows you to easily track your workout progress and follow along with trainer-led classes in exotic locations, this model provides high-end features for a low-end price tag. The 14 levels of calibrated magnetic resistance with built-in manual resistance adjustment means users can have complete control over the challenge of their workout. The clear key decision-making factors are the price, the technology, and the foldable frame for easy storage. If you want a connected fitness machine at a reasonable price, the Women’s Health/Men’s Health magnetic rower may be the perfect machine for your home workout needs!
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.
