The 7 Best Rowing Machines for Your Gym, Tested by Fitness Experts

What to Consider

Resistance

When considering an indoor rowing machine, you'll encounter a variety of resistance systems.

• Magnetic: These rowers utilize magnets and a flywheel for consistent resistance, ideal for steady workouts and small spaces.
• Air: These rowers feature a fan-driven flywheel, and when you pull the handles the fan spins as air is drawn in. This offers dynamic resistance that increases with intensity.
• Water: These rowers feature a water tank with paddles inside, when you pull the handles you are spinning the liquid. This offers the closest sensation to rowing in open water, with the movement smooth and fluid.
• Hydraulic: These rowers use hydraulic pistons for resistance regulation, delivering a budget-friendly option with potential motion limitations.

Durability and Quality

If you’re dropping $1,000 or more on a complicated piece of gym equipment, you want to know that it can go the distance. That’s why it pays (literally) to buy from a company that you trust and that offers a solid, reputable product with a decent warranty. Don’t settle for a bargain-priced Amazon model from a brand you’ve never heard of just because it seems like a steal. In the world of fitness equipment, you almost always get what you pay for. If you’re planning to row on a regular basis and to keep your rowing machine for the foreseeable future, consider investing good money into a model that will last.

Storage

By their nature, rowing machines are big, bulky, and often heavy. If you have the real estate in your home, non-folding models are typically sturdier and more convenient when it comes time to work out. They’re always set up and ready to go—er, row. If you’re a city dweller or are just short on space, however, a folding rowing machine might be the best way to go. Some rowers fold neatly in half or offer vertical storage to minimize wasted floor space. Look for models with transport wheels so you can easily move yours around by yourself.

Warranty

With the best rowing machines priced north of $1,000, buying one is a serious investment. So, it’s important to purchase from a manufacturer that offers a clear, comprehensive warranty. They vary widely across the industry, with the most budget-forward brands offering just 90 days on some parts, and others boasting generous 10-year warranties on everything. Again, the more you spend upfront, the better the warranty is likely to be. And, if there’s anything that isn’t clear to you about the stated warranty, be sure to ask. It’s your money, after all.

Other Features

The most basic rowing machine design has changed little in decades, and you can still find a “classic”-style model for a reasonable price. But, if you’re looking for a more connected experience, look at smart rowers like the Hydrow Wave or the Peloton Row. These offer touchscreens with built-in apps that connect you to professional trainers who can motivate and work with you to better achieve your personal goals. The rowing machines with these features are, of course, more expensive upfront. But, know that many also require ongoing monthly subscriptions to take full advantage of those “smart” connected features.

FAQs

How to Use an Indoor Rowing Machine

Our fitness experts love indoor machines for a ton of reasons. But the biggest one is how easy and accessible they are for enthusiasts of any fitness level. Seriously, there’s not much more to using one than simply sitting down and pulling—rinse and repeat. But like any workout machine, there is a right way and a wrong way. The best way to not only maximize your performance and rowing gains but also to avoid injury is to practice the proper rowing technique.

Start by sitting squarely on the seat with your tailbone pointing directly into the middle. Follow your rowing stroke through each of these four phases, paying careful attention to your posture and form:

The Catch

To start, your shins should be perpendicular to the floor (i.e., vertical). Extend your arms fully—with a focus on your triceps—and grab the rower’s handle. Be mindful of your core, and slightly lean your torso forward.

The Drive

While keeping your arms straight, power through the Drive phase with your leg muscles, pushing your body (and the seat) smoothly away from the footplates. Finish by pulling the handle into your abdomen and leaning back.

The Finish

Despite the name, you’re not quite "finished." In this phase, your elbows should be bent and the handle tucked into the lower part of your chest. Use your core to stabilize your torso, keeping a slight angle toward the rowing machine.

The Recovery

Be mindful of your form while returning to the starting position in this phase. Straighten your arms by using your triceps. Slightly lean your torso forward. Bend your legs and smoothly slide your butt and the seat down the rail of the rowing machine.

Once back in the starting position, repeat the next stroke by beginning with the Drive phase again.

Why Buy an Indoor Rowing Machine?

Rowing is a near-perfect exercise, and a good indoor rowing machine promises a low-impact, full-body workout with the convenience of a single device. “Since rowing promotes improvements to both your muscular strength and cardiovascular strength, you get two for one,” says Tuttle. She outlines four specific reasons why you should buy a rowing machine:

Rowing Is a Great Warmup

“A proper warmup is key to having a successful workout; it should prepare your heart, muscles, joints, and mind for the harder efforts to come.” Because it’s so low-impact, it’s a great slow warm-up, even if rowing isn’t your ultimate program goal on a given day.

Rowing Adds Variety

Because rowing is significantly lower impact than most high-intensity exercises like running, it’s far easier to recover between workouts. Ideally, a rowing machine will help add variety to your workout days.

A Good Row Can Be Pure Zen

Because indoor rowing involves fewer external stimuli than outdoor activities, it can be extremely meditative. Tuttle agrees: “Once warm and a comfortable rhythm has been established, you can close your eyes, connect your breath to your body, and simply enjoy the gift of movement.”

Rowing Is a Great Finisher

Hardcore workout sessions often involve an explosive finish. Hopping on your rowing machine near the end of your routine is a great way to cap things off. “It's hard to pass up a good 5- to 10-minute long EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute) row 100 to 200 meters, depending upon your fitness and skill level,” says Tuttle. “Each effort should be about 90 percent max intensity and your goal is to finish with 20 seconds or more to recover before the top of the next minute.”

Is an Exercise Bike or Rowing Machine Best for Me?

If a low-impact cardio machine is what you're looking for, it's true that indoor bikes and rowers can both be suitable options. The best choice for you? Well, it all comes down to your goals.

The rowing machine provides a full-body workout that engages multiple muscle groups. However, it requires a technique and coordination to avoid injury and that can be less intuitive for some users compared to using an exercise bike. Rowers also take up more space and can be noisy.

On the other hand, stationary bikes can provide a great cardio workout, are more adjustable (seat heat, handlebars, etc.) and are easy to use. But biking primarily focuses on lower body muscles, and may not challenge the upper body or coordination as effectively as a rowing machine.

In general, says Samuel, the rower will be the more advanced cardio option. According to him, the rower delivers a more “well-rounded” workout. It also directly challenges your mid-back muscles, lower back muscles, and glutes.

“These are all key postural muscles,” Samuel told us, “so you’re getting extra benefits out of the rower.”

The downside: Rowing also requires more technique, so there’s a higher learning curve to dominating on the rower.

How to Avoid Getting Injured Using a Rowing Machine

The best way to avoid getting injured on the rower is to master proper technique, according to Samuel. You'll want to tighten your abs before each pull, and aim to let your legs drive the motion. He recommends working hard not to lean back too aggressively as you finish each row stroke; think of your torso shifting between a 10 o'clock angle and 2 o'clock as you row. Anything more than that isn't beneficial.

Additionally, start every row workout with a brief warmup. This doesn't need to take long, but before you start pulling to the max during any workout, spend at least a minute doing slower, controlled pulls through the full range of your rowing motion, driving blood flow and gradually elevating your heart rate. That'll get you primed to row your best.

Finally, make sure there's plenty of room on every side of the rower. Having three feet of space on either side of the rower will allow you to comfortably pull your arms backward even if you elbows flare. You'll want five-to-seven feet behind the rower, giving you room to shift your torso backwards on every stride. And keep a few feet in front of the rower, too. And remember, if you're rowing hard, your heart rate will climb up there. So, don’t forget a decent cool-down.

Can You Lose Weight Using a Rowing Machine?

Targeted fat loss has been proven to be virtually impossible. But rowing machines are great for almost every aspect of fitness, including building strength, lowering overall body fat, increasing stamina, and even weight loss. The reason is simple: by burning a ton of calories (putting yourself in a calorie deficit), you can more easily score a negative daily energy balance. Bottom line: you’re consuming fewer calories than you’re burning. Maintaining a calorie deficit over a long period is the guiding principle behind successfully losing weight and keeping it off.