The Best Rowing Machines on Amazon of 2025

The NordicTrack RW 900 was my favorite rower of all the ones I tested, and the one that I think is the best option for most people. Its electromagnetic flywheel provides 26 levels of resistance (plus 10 levels of air resistance controlled by tilting a plastic filter on top of the flywheel) and its 22-inch touchscreen broadcasts trainer-led, live classes in studios or on open water all over the world.

The RW 900’s handle has a fantastic grip held by a woven strap that felt secure in every workout I tried, even ones when I got extra sweaty. I found it easy to change the resistance, which you can do manually by swiping the screen or using the “follow the trainer” feature, which makes the machine auto-adjust to whatever resistance the instructor is using.

As for the classes, I loved the rowing experience on every single one. NordicTrack’s workout app, iFIT, offers seemingly limitless streaming options, from in-studio bootcamp sessions in which you get on and off the rower to long rows out on open water in far-flung locations like Lake Bled in Slovenia and the Kafue River in Zambia. There are also a lot of instructors, so you can poke around the offerings and choose whether you want to take classes with high-demand trainers or ones who keep the commentary to a minimum.

If you want to row to music in addition to trainer guidance, you can select from stations divided by genre, from rock to pop to old-school hip-hop (though, annoyingly, you can’t skip a song if you don’t like it, you can only change the station). Finally, if you decide you don’t want to take a guided class (or don’t want to pay for the iFIT membership), you can use the manual row setting. In either case, the same basic stats are displayed: Distance in meters, strokes per minute, split time per 500 meters, total time or time remaining in the workout, and a calorie burn estimate.

You can choose to assemble the rower yourself or spring for “white-glove” assembly for an extra fee. I had it assembled—which was easy to schedule and done quickly—but reviewers say it’s not too difficult to do on your own. Once put together, the RW 900 measures 86.5 inches long (just over 7 feet), 22 inches wide, and 50.4 inches tall—it’s taller but about as long as the rest of the rowers. It also folds up vertically when not in use, which puts the length measurements at about 42 inches and height measurement at about 41 inches—about the size of a medium bookshelf. It feels sturdy and well-constructed, so I was shocked when I checked its user weight limit—just 250 pounds, one of the lowest we tested. NordicTrack does not list a height limit to use the rower.

A subscription to iFIT is included for the first year, and costs an additional monthly or yearly fee thereafter. No-interest financing is also available. NordicTrack also offers the best warranty of all the rowers we tried: 10 years on the frame, two years on parts, and one year labor. You can also add an extra three years to the warranty or a three-year service plan, in which a NordicTrack technician comes to your house once a year to tune up your equipment, for an extra fee.

Anyone who rowed a crew at some point in their lives is likely to have a visceral reaction to the words “Concept2 RowErg.” But there’s a reason this air-resistance, smart rower, is so often used among participants of the sport: It provides excellent rowing training with very few frills. (This is also the rower popular with CrossFit gyms.) During my workouts, the RowErg felt sturdy, durable, and like it would last for a long time. The handles felt secure in my grip and the seat and frame, which has a weight limit of 500 pounds, never wobbled or felt unsteady. Because it uses air-powered resistance, you can’t change the intensity of each stroke or the resistance settings overall, but I did feel a reasonable high intensity when I pulled harder.

For metrics, the RowErg has a simple LCD display at the front that shows your time on the machine, distance in meters, pace per 500 meters, strokes per minute, and an estimated calorie burn. You can also select basic workouts that guide you by telling you when to increase or decrease your stroke rate and split. If you’d rather follow along with a video, the RowErg includes a device holder that’s expandable to fit smartphones or tablets. This makes it a great option if you want to use the rower with a fitness app that includes rowing workouts, such as Apple Fitness+ or Asensei.

On the not-so-great end: My pulls felt less smooth than other rowers I tested—possibly because the handle is held by a chain, not a fabric belt—and sometimes distracted me during my workouts. It’s also not the prettiest piece of equipment, but that’s not the point. With a Concept2 in your workout space, people will know you mean business.

Concept2 does not offer assembly, but the RowErg is so easy to set up, I would have felt silly if I’d paid for help. It has fewer parts than other rowers I had to assemble, and I just had to follow the included instructions and get it in rowing form. It took me less than 10 minutes to finish—you can watch this video for a visual on how it’s done. The RowErg’s footprint is 96 inches long (that’s 8 feet and the longest rower we tested), 24 inches wide, and about 28 inches tall. It also has two leg sizes, standard and tall. The standard legs (and price) provide a 14-inch seat height and the elevated legs provide a 20-inch seat height for an additional cost. Both seat heights can be used by rowers with inseams up to 38 inches, but the taller seat is a good option for anyone who doesn’t like being too close to the ground. It does not fold in half, but you can split it apart for easy storage, or tilt it up against a wall if you have the ceiling height.

The high-tech ProForm R10 is a connected magnetic rowing machine with 24 levels of resistance and a touchscreen that plays iFIT workouts, like our Best Overall NordicTrack. (ProForm and NordicTrack are owned by the same parent company, Icon, that produces iFIT.) All in all, it’s a decent option for anyone who likes a wide range of classes that take place all over the globe and doesn’t mind looking at them on a (much) smaller screen, measuring 10 inches to the NordicTrack’s 22 inches.

It’s easy to change the ProForm’s resistance, either by using its auto follow feature or pressing buttons beneath the screen. And it has iFIT’s workout catalog, which ranges between classes on the water and in the studio, as well as off-rower yoga, strengthening, and cardio classes.

The rower itself isn’t too loud, but its speakers aren’t great—sometimes, it was hard to hear the person trainers who are teaching, and the display seemed a little grainy and lackluster compared to the NordicTrack rower. The tablet also kept trying and failing to do an update, so I’m not sure what, if anything, I was missing out on. (I suspect it had something to do with the single music station I had access to, whereas the NordicTrack gave me a whole bunch.) That said, I don’t know how much this would have bothered me if I didn’t have access to the other, nicer rower just across the room—such are the woes of a professional product tester.

Curbside delivery is included when you buy this rowing machine, but assembly is not—if you want professional assembly, add on an extra fee. I had it assembled, but most commenters say the rower is easy enough for two people to put together. Once assembled, the R10 measures 86.5 inches long (just over seven feet), 22 inches wide, and 45.5 inches tall—about the same size as our best overall. It has a vertical folding feature, which puts its measurements at about 35 inches long and 45 inches tall, or about the size of a tall nightstand. The ProForm felt sturdy, well-made, and like it could withstand years of use—however, its weight capacity is rated at just 250 pounds (on par with the NordicTrack).

The R10 is “free” with a three-year commitment to iFIT that you can pay this all at once or in installments. ProForm’s warranty provides five years’ protection on the frame, one year on the parts, and one year of labor. You can also add three years to the warranty or a five-year premium service plan for an additional fee.

Echelon’s Row-S is a connected rower with a 22-inch touchscreen. It excels as a rower, but I had serious issues with its touchscreen.

As soon as I sat down on the rower, I loved it. It has a Goldilocks-style seat consistency that’s soft but not too soft, and the whole frame feels sturdy, supportive, and well-made. Its handles have buttons that allow you to shift the resistance, which makes it easy to change things up without missing a beat mid-workout. The seat felt like it was gliding over the beam and each pull of the rower felt smooth, even, and reflective of the resistance I set.

I also liked the classes I took on Echelon’s Fit Pass app, which costs an extra fee. These range between live and on-demand rowing-only classes and bootcamp-style classes in which you get on and off the rower to change up your exercises. Fit Pass provides access to all of Echelon’s general workout classes, which include Zumba, yoga, Pilates, and strength training. During classes, the screen shows distance rowed (curiously measured in kilometers, not meters), current resistance, average resistance, a calorie burn estimate, and how you compare to other people who have taken the classes via a leaderboard.

What I disliked about the rower: the touchscreen. It’s responsive and clear enough, but it’s also too heavy for its stand. This meant it always slanted down, making me have to crane my neck or strain my eyes to see what the instructors were doing. What’s more, the first touchscreen I’d been sent was defective. I was then sent another screen, which also didn’t work right away because it thought it was connected to a bike, not a rower, so I had to make another call to get that sorted out, too. On the plus side, Echelon’s customer service reps were friendly and helpful in getting it sorted out.

Anyone in search of a decent budget-minded rower should look to the Stamina ATS. This air rower doesn’t have much in the way of rower features and frills, but it’s a solid option for an all-muscle-group, low-or-high-demand workout at a moderate price.

As for the rowing itself, the ATS performed well. It was noisier than other air-powered rowers, but its handles were comfortable to hold and it provided ample resistance that went up or down, depending on how hard I pulled. However, the machine sometimes felt flimsy and the seat got a tad wobbly, even though I’m not in the vicinity of its height or weight limit (which, to be fair, could have been due to my own assembly skills or lack thereof). It also does not have a tablet holder, so if you want to row with a guided program, you’ll have to add one yourself.

The ATS does not come assembled, but you may be able to add on expert assembly for an extra fee depending on where you buy it (likewise, the cost of shipping can vary depending on the retailer you choose). However, I don’t think most people would need assembly—it doesn’t have many parts, and its included instructions are clear and easy to follow, so it took me about 30 minutes to complete it without any help.

Once it’s set up, the rower measures 77 inches long (just over six feet, and shorter than most), 18 inches wide, and 28 inches high, with a seat height of 10 inches high and has a recommended user height of four feet nine inches to six feet four inches. It also has a weight limit of 250 pounds. It can fold, too, which takes its length from 77 inches to 48 inches. It has an LCD screen that displays pace, distance, and calories burned. Even when it wasn’t folded, I found it unobtrusive in size, portability, and looks—it certainly isn’t a design statement, but it’s no eyesore, either.

Stamina offers a three-year warranty on its frame and 90 days warranty on its parts. No extended warranty is available, and financing may or may not be available depending on where you buy it.