Top 4 compared
The best rowing machines
A full-body workout at home, in the spare room or the garage, that’s easy on the joints.
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The top 4 at a glance
A rowing machine has a sliding seat, footplates and a handle: push with the legs, lean back and pull the handle in, then slide forward and go again. An air rower is as hard as you pull, with a damper that changes the feel much like gears on a bike; magnetic rowers run quietly and are set with a dial, and a rower with elastic cords can double as a small gym for the upper body.
A rower takes more floor than it looks: these are all over a metre and a half long in use, and Concept2 asks for 274 by 122cm of floor for its RowErg in use. Between sessions they fold, stand upright or come apart.
What matters
- The maximum user weight, as the maker states it.
- A monitor that shows time, strokes and distance.
- Adjustable footplates with straps that hold the feet.
- Wheels on the frame, for moving it out of the way.
#1MERACH Q1S Magnetic Rowing Machine
£150–£200
Quiet magnetic resistance with 16 levels on a dial, two slide rails under the seat, and it stands on end to store in about 49 by 64cm. MERACH’s free app and Kinomap add classes and scenic rows.
What owners say: Owners like how quietly it runs, how smoothly the resistance steps up, and that it stands up out of the way after a session.
Heads up: MERACH recommends it for users from 1.50m to 1.80m tall, worth knowing for taller rowers.
A closer look: It arrives almost fully assembled, and MERACH puts the rest at about half an hour. The monitor shows time, distance and calories on its own, while the app adds heart rate and cadence through a phone on the built-in holder, and wheels on the base make it easy to tip up and roll into a corner.
- Dual slide rails
- Arrives almost fully assembled
- Built-in phone holder
- Wheels on the base
- Works with Zwift
Best for: Quiet rowing with an app
- Resistance
- Magnetic
- Levels
- 16 levels
- Max user weight (maker’s figure)
- 158kg
- Footprint in use
- 165 x 43cm
- Storage
- Stands upright
- Bluetooth app
- MERACH, Kinomap
#2Concept2 RowErg with PM5 Monitor (standard legs)
Over £300
Air resistance with a damper from 1 to 10, room for users up to 227kg and the PM5 monitor, which logs every session and links to apps over Bluetooth. It’s the gym-standard machine for serious training, but it costs far more than the MERACH and is more than most home rowers need, which is why that one leads. Concept2 built its first rower in 1981, largely from bicycle parts, on a Vermont farm.
What owners say: Owners describe a smooth, solidly built machine that goes together quickly and pairs over Bluetooth with phones and rowing apps.
Heads up: Concept2 notes that users with an inside leg of 96.5cm or more may need its extra-long monorail, so it’s worth checking before ordering.
A closer look: The monorail and flywheel separate without tools and roll away on caster wheels, so it can stand in two pieces against a wall between sessions. Most rowers settle on a damper setting of three to five, a bit like choosing a middle gear on a bike, rather than rowing with it on full.
- PM5 monitor logs every session
- Rolls away on caster wheels
- 5-year frame warranty
Best for: Serious training for years
- Resistance
- Air
- Levels
- Damper 1–10
- Max user weight (maker’s figure)
- 227kg
- Footprint in use
- 244 x 61cm
- Storage
- Splits in two
- Bluetooth app
- ErgData
#3Body Sculpture BR3010 Rower and Gym
£150–£200
A rower and a small gym in one: three elastic cords set the resistance low, medium or high, and the same cords turn it into a station for arm, chest, shoulder and back exercises between rows.
What owners say: Owners like having rowing and arm exercises in one machine and found it simple to put together.
A closer look: The monitor keeps it simple, with time, stroke count and calories, and runs on two AA batteries. Its maximum user weight is 100kg, lower than the other rowers here, so heavier rowers are better off with one of the magnetic or air rowers above.
- Pivoting footplates with straps
- Counts strokes and calories
- Runs on two AA batteries
- Instructional DVD included
Best for: Rowing plus arm work
- Resistance
- Elastic cords
- Levels
- 3 cords
- Max user weight (maker’s figure)
- 100kg
- Footprint in use
- 185 x 44cm
- Storage
- Folds in half
- Bluetooth app
- No
#4YPOO Foldable Magnetic Rowing Machine (RM912F)
£150–£200
Folds up on end to take about 1.29 square feet of floor and rolls away on its wheels like a suitcase, with 16 magnetic levels on two slide rails for when it’s out.
What owners say: Owners find it sturdy once built and are struck by how small it folds.
A closer look: Most of it arrives assembled, and YPOO puts setup at about ten minutes. The LCD shows strokes per minute, time and calories, and the holder keeps a phone in view for the app; folded after each session, it tucks beside a wardrobe or behind a door.
- Rolls like a suitcase
- Dual slide rails
- Mostly arrives assembled
- Shows strokes per minute
- Phone holder for the app
Best for: Small flats and spare rooms
- Resistance
- Magnetic
- Levels
- 16 levels
- Max user weight (maker’s figure)
- 158kg
- Footprint in use
- 162 x 42cm
- Storage
- Folds upright
- Bluetooth app
- YPOO FIT, Kinomap
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 4.
| Feature | #1MERACH Q1S | #2Concept2 RowErg | #3Body Sculpture BR3010 | #4YPOO RM912F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | Best rower and gym | Best for small spaces | |
| Picked Rating | 8.8 | 9.6 | 8.3 | 8.3 |
| Price | £150–£200 | Over £300 | £150–£200 | £150–£200 |
| Resistance | Magnetic | Air | Elastic cords | Magnetic |
| Levels | 16 levels | Damper 1–10 | 3 cords | 16 levels |
| Max user weight (maker’s figure) | 158kg | 227kg | 100kg | 158kg |
| Footprint in use | 165 x 43cm | 244 x 61cm | 185 x 44cm | 162 x 42cm |
| Storage | Stands upright | Splits in two | Folds in half | Folds upright |
| Bluetooth app | MERACH, Kinomap | ErgData | No | YPOO FIT, Kinomap |
| Best for | Quiet rowing with an app | Serious training for years | Rowing plus arm work | Small flats and spare rooms |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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