Investing in one of the best rowing machines is a great way to kickstart your January health kick. Rowing is a great way to increase your endurance, boost your heart health and burn A LOT of calories. Rowers engage all major muscle groups in your body, including your core and shoulders, Sarah Fuhrmann, the owner of ucanrow2 and a certified rowing instructor, told Live Science. But this raises the question: Which rowing machine is best for you?
There are plenty of options out there, from basic foldable machines like the Echelon Smart to premium rowers brimming with high-tech features — the Aviron Strong Series, for example. Each model comes with pros and cons, with price being just one factor out of many. Ultimately, choosing the right rower will largely depend on your needs, fitness abilities and preferences. Unsure where to start? Scroll down to the Rowing machines FAQs for heaps of useful info on rowing, or to the How to choose section for detailed buying advice.
Our expert fitness reviewers tried and tested some of the best rowing machines on the market to help you guide your decision. We put each model in this guide through a series of fitness and durability tests to give you the best possible assessment of their performance and how they compare to others. You can read more about our testing protocol in the How we test section down below. These are the best rowing machines to invest in this year, according to our fitness experts.
Alternatively, if running is more your style, we have also picked out the best treadmills.
The quick list
See the quick list below for a brief overview of our favorite rowers, or scroll further down for more in-depth reviews of each machine.
Best overall
This iconic rowing machine easily takes the top spot with its top-notch durability, smooth rowing performance and reasonable price tag. We liked how quiet it was, too.
Best water rowing machine
This exceptionally stylish water rower delivers a superb rowing experience for beginners and athletes alike. Plus, it comes with fun workout gamification features.
Best value
This rower may lack a touchscreen display and other frills typical of more premium rowers, but it is durable, performs well, and offers a great workout for less than $600.
Best for beginners
It is light, compact and boasts a real rowing feel, and with its accessible rowing workouts, the Hydrow Wave is one of the best options for beginners.
Best for fun workouts
This beastly machine is packed with features that will keep you coming back for more, from addictive games to fun-filled races against other people.
Best for small spaces
Quiet and easy to fold away, this rower is a great option for those short on floor space. Plus, we really liked the fitness classes on the Echelon app.
The best rowing machines we recommend in 2025: Fully tested by our experts with hands-on, real-world experience
Why you can trust Live Science Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best ones for you. Find out more about how we test.
The best rowing machine overall
✅ You want value for money: It is an industry standard, but it costs less than most other models in this guide.
✅ You need something long-lasting: This rower is sturdy and durable, and you can easily get hold of the replacement parts.
✅ You train for performance: This rower delivers a realistic rowing experience and displays all key stats.
❌ You want a sleek design: It is not as good-looking as the Hydrow Wave or Ergatta Rower, for example.
❌ You enjoy fitness classes on demand: No colorful touchscreen or workout apps.
🔎 Concept 2 Model D: This well-made rowing machine offers unbeatable performance and excellent workout tracking — but comes with no frills typical of more premium rowers. ★★★★½
The Concept2 RowErg needs no introduction — this iconic rowing machine takes the top spot thanks to its unbeatable performance, sturdy design, and data-tracking prowess.
This top-end model is beloved by rowers, too, and it is regularly used in prestigious indoor rowing competitions and installed in gyms across the country. When we tested it out during our Concept2 RowErg review, we found it delivered a smooth, comfortable workout and we were happily surprised at how quiet it was, too.
The flywheel is common to all air-resistance machines and produces a white noise that is certainly louder than a magnetic rowing machine, and less appealing than the swoosh of the water rower, but the Concept2 RowErg's noise levels aren't excessive. We found it produced around 70-100 dB while in use, which is similar to a regular washing machine.
Keeping track of how much you have rowed (and being rewarded when you reach landmarks) is simple with the Concept2 logbook. All that data is synced, which means you can also enter competitions and pit yourself against other users over set distances.
The rowing machine's monitor is compatible with the free ErgData app, which allows you to monitor all your performance statistics; it stores and displays your workout results; and it uploads everything to the Concept2 online logbook. The app also works with Android and iOS devices. The monitor also connects to a suite of other apps so you can take advantage of online classes, coaching and training programs. You can even sync up to virtual racing. This data-tracking proficiency makes it a particularly good option for athletes and performance rowers.
On the other hand, beginners and people who tend to struggle with their exercise routine may not find the Concept2 RowErg too appealing. It has no interactive display, and unlike the Aviron Strong Series or Egatta Rower, for example, it does not offer any rowing tutorials or fun fitness activities. The Concept2 RowErg is not particularly good-looking, either. If you want something more stylish, you may prefer the Hydrow Wave.
However, the advantage of the machine's simple design and tech is that there is very little to go wrong, and people tend to keep their Concept2 RowErg for many years, replacing parts as they wear out and taking advantage of the extremely helpful customer support. Plus, it costs around $1,300, making it cheaper than most models in this guide.
- Read our full Concept2 RowErg review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Flywheel with 10 airflow resistance settings |
| Max user weight | 500 lbs (227 kg) |
| Additional costs | None - the ErgData app is free |
Best water-based rowing machine
✅ You want a real looker: It is perhaps the most stylish model in this guide.
✅ You like open water rowing: The strokes have a realistic rowing feel.
✅ You enjoy games and challenges: Ergatta offers plenty of fun workouts and a supportive community.
❌ You have wide feet or mobility issues: It features a narrow foot plate and low seat.
❌ You are on a budget: This rower is on the expensive side, and the app membership is costly, too.
🔎 Ergatta Rower: Compact, quiet and beautifully designed, this water rower offers a fun-filled rowing experience at a premium price. ★★★★
The Ergatta Rower is the best water-based rowing machine we have ever tested, period. It is stylish, durable, and offers a great rowing experience. During our Ergatta Rower review, it particularly impressed us with its extensive workout gamification features.
The Ergatta Rower gamifies regular exercise sessions with workout modes such as “Meteor” and “Pulse” requiring you to increase and decrease your effort in order to hit targets. There is a fantastically fun, adrenaline-pumping race mode too, which sees you go head-to-head with several other members of the thousands-strong Ergatta community or friends you have connected with via the platform. As sporty sorts, we found this extra competitive element was a major motivator.
We also liked how the entire Ergatta platform experience was personalized to us. An initial 1,000 meter calibration test was used to determine our ability level, and workouts were adjusted accordingly.
Designed with apartment living in mind, the Ergatta's handcrafted cherry wood frame also looks fantastic. It can be folded flat and stored upright too, so it takes up a patch of floor little over 20 square inches when not in use.
The monthly membership costs means it’s on the expensive side, but if you are looking to replace your gym membership with this motivational machine then we think it is worth it.
There is one major caveat, though. The Ergatta rower features a narrow foot plate and low seat, making it less accessible to people with injuries and limited mobility. If you have knee pain or problematic hips, you may be better off with something more adjustable like the Aviron Strong Series Rower.
- Read our Ergatta Rower review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Detachable water tank |
| Max user weight | 500 lbs (227 kg) |
| Additional costs | Ergatta app membership - $29/month |
Best value rowing machine
✅ You are on a budget: This rower strikes a good balance between quality and affordability.
✅ You do not have much space: It is compact and can be folded away.
✅ You want a quiet rowing machine: It makes little noise even during challenging workouts.
❌ You enjoy immersive rides and fun fitness classes: No touchscreen display.
❌ You want a sleek-looking rower: This rower is not particularly eye-pleasing.
🔎 Proform 750R: With its sturdy build, foldable design and a vast library of workouts, this rowing machine offers excellent value for money — but it has no frills typical of more premium machines. ★★★★
The Proform 750R is solid, quiet and comfortable. It is not flashy — there is no touchscreen display here and it is not built from aesthetically pleasing wood. But during our ProForm 750R review, we found it performs well, offering consistent, magnetic-based resistance and a whisper-quiet workout. If you are looking for a well-priced, well-built machine that does not come with unnecessary extras, then this is a perfect option at less than $600.
Like other Proform and NordicTrack models, this rower comes with a free trial to the iFit app, which contains plenty of workouts for you to follow — some led by famous Olympians. During classes, the resistance on your machine will be adjusted by your instructor’s prompts, which is a neat little extra.
However, to access this feature – and to be able to clearly see the workout – you will need to secure a tablet to the front of your machine. There is a basic digital display included with the rower, which will show you metrics such as calories, distance, speed, time and strokes per minute, but you will not be able to see the iFit classes on this.
Despite the lack of screen, we think you would be hard-pressed to find a better option at this mid-range price. The machine comes with 24 different resistance levels – we found the top end of this to be suitably challenging. It is also incredibly easy to fold away, making it a good option for those with limited floor space.
Be warned that the set-up process is quite tricky for this rower. The machine is incredibly heavy to move around – make sure you have a friend to help you with the installation process – and the screws come vacuum packed, which make them difficult to access. Once installed, the machine is solid and sturdy, but be prepared to sink some time into the set-up. It wheels into position too, though we only tried it on a hard floor. It might be harder to move on a carpet.
If you would rather have something lighter and more compact, consider splashing more on models like the foldable Echelon Smart Rower.
- Read our full ProForm 750R review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Flywheel with 24 magnetic resistance settings |
| Max user weight | 250 lbs (113.4 kg) |
| Additional costs | App membership: iFit Train - $15/month / iFit Pro - $39/month |
Best rowing machine for beginners
✅ You want coaching and fun games: The Hydrow Wave makes it easy to take up (and fall in love with) rowing.
✅ You want good value: It is well-built and feature-packed, but it does not cost the earth.
❌ You are looking for a space-saving design: This rower is compact, but it does not fold.
❌ You do not want to pay for subscriptions: The Hydrow platform requires membership fees.
🔎 Hydrow Wave: This compact rowing machine delivers fun workouts and a realistic rowing feel, and it is highly accessible to beginners, too. ★★★★½
Rowing is not as intuitive as running or cycling, which is why many beginners feel apprehensive about trying this calorie-busting activity. But with the Hydrow Wave rower, even a complete novice will quickly get a good grasp of rowing basics.
Having tested (and fallen in love with) the original Hydrow, our expert was understandably sceptical about any attempt to improve this impressive machine. Yet, credit where credit’s due, it has managed to do incredibly well during our Hydrow Wave review.
The inaugural machine scored top marks for its accessible and engaging rowing workouts, likable instructors and realistic electromagnetic resistance system, but lost points for its hard to accommodate dimensions and high asking price. The Hydrow Wave maintains the original’s winning formula of fun workouts and a real rowing feel, but packs all of this into a smaller, lighter machine. And the best thing? At $1,495, it’s $1,000 cheaper than its predecessor (and most models in this guide, by that matter).
Despite its significantly lower price tag, the Hydrow Wave still benefits from full access to the thousands of workouts available on the Hydrow platform (if you pay a monthly membership fee). Rather than taking you into an artificially lit studio — à la Peloton and the like — each of these sessions brings you aboard the rowboat of a former Olympian, professional athlete or elite coach for a follow-along class on some of the world’s most beautiful waterways.
It is for the reasons listed above that the Hydrow Wave equals the industry-standard Concept 2 RowErg as our top-scoring rowing machine. In fact, we think it is more beginner-friendly than the iconic Concept2. So if you are looking for a new way to get in shape at home, we can’t recommend it highly enough.
- Read our full Hydrow Wave review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Software-adjustable electromagnetic resistance levels |
| Max user weight | 370 lbs (170 kg) |
| Additional costs | Hydrow app membership - $44/month |
Best rowing machine for fun workouts
✅ You struggle with regular exercise: This machine will get you hooked on rowing through fun games, races and challenges.
✅ You have limited mobility: It features a high seat and widely adjustable footplates.
✅ You want something long-lasting: It is sturdy and durable, and comes with a 10-year warranty on the frame.
❌ You want something small and portable: It is heavy and takes up a lot of space, even when stored upright.
❌ You are on a budget: This rower is pricey and its fun features are subscription-only.
🔎 Aviron Strong Series Rower: This sturdy and resilient rowing machine delivers a smooth, comfortable ride and mind-boggling array of fun features, making it a great choice for most people — that is, as long as you overlook how big and pricey this rower is. ★★★★½
If you want to make your rowing sessions fun, you can't go wrong with the Aviron Strong Series Rower. This rowing machine offers a mind-boggling array of features designed to keep you coming back for more, from addictive games and rowing challenges to Power Play races against other Aviron users. With the Strong Series Rower, you can do your workouts while watching your favorite streaming services or row to the footage of beautiful sceneries from all across the globe. Plus, if you do a great job with your workouts, you can even land on the leader boards and unlock new features. The Aviron Strong Series Rower is designed to get you hooked on exercise — and does it exceptionally well.
The first thing we noticed about this rowing machine is that it was well sturdy. Heavy and resilient, it holds up to 507 lbs (230 kg), making it accessible to heavier users and stable during intense workouts. During our Aviron Strong Series Rower review, we were also impressed by its smooth, quiet strokes and inclusive design — this rowing machine has an unusually high seat and widely adjustable footplates, making it accessible to larger individuals and those with limited mobility.
However, there are two major downsides to the Aviron Strong Series Rower: size and cost. This rowing machine is priced at around $2,499 (plus it requires subscription fees to access the fun features) and it takes up a lot of space, even when stored upright. If you are looking for something smaller and easier to store, but you do not want to compromise on fun features, the Ergatta Rower and the Hydrow Wave may be better options for you.
- Read our full Aviron Strong Series Rower review