The Best Rowing Machines for 2025

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Rowing is one of the most efficient and effective forms of exercise, offering a total-body workout that can help you improve your cardiovascular fitness and build strength while putting minimal stress on your joints. The best rowing machines for your can teach and reinforce good technique while keeping you entertained so you're more likely to hop on day after day. We've been testing rowing machines in our actual homes since gyms closed in the early days of the pandemic. With a built-in color touch screen and a large library of scenic rowing workouts led by world-class athletes, the NordicTrack RW900 is our top recommendation. If you're searching for a more compact machine or prefer different interactive features like races, games, or real-time form feedback, our list has options for you as well. Keep reading for our top picks, followed by more information and tips to help you narrow your options.

How Much Should You Spend on a Rowing Machine?

All of the options on this list top $1,000 and are meant to be paired with a subscription for access to classes and other interactive features. Membership fees typically cost around $30 to $45 a month, though you can generally secure a lower rate by prepaying for a year or longer.

The most expensive model we have tested is the Peloton Row, which costs more than $3,000, plus $44 a month in membership fees.

With any smart workout machine, membership fees help fund regular updates with new content and features to improve the experience and keep you entertained. Without a membership, you can typically only access basic metrics on your machine's display.

When assessing your options, pay close attention to what's included in the membership. Many smart fitness machines offer mat-based workouts like yoga and strength training to supplement your cardio, adding value to their membership fee.

Also, consider how many people will want to use the machine. Some companies let you create an unlimited number of profiles under one membership, so everyone in your household can maintain a separate account to track their workout history and stats. Others limit you to a certain number of profiles under one account; Peloton, for instance, limits you to 20 user profiles per All Access account.

For more affordable alternatives, companies such as Concept2, Echelon, ProForm, and others make sub-$1,000 models that work with your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth to offer similar interactive features via companion or third-party mobile apps. These options are good if you're on a budget, but they don't offer as immersive an audiovisual experience as models with built-in screens and speaker systems.

How Much Space Do You Need for a Rowing Machine?

Rowing machines typically require a space about 6 to 8 feet long. If your high-tech rowing machine offers mat-based exercise classes, like many of the models on this list, you'll also want at least enough free space to place a yoga mat beside the rower.

Some rowing machines fold up and/or can be stored vertically to save space. If you plan to store your rowing machine vertically, be sure to note its dimensions in the upright position (a spec we include in our individual reviews) to ensure your ceiling is high enough. The Peloton Row, for instance, requires an 8-foot ceiling for vertical stowing.

Also be sure to heed any safety warnings for vertical storage. Most companies recommend using a wall anchor when storing your machine in an upright position. Peloton includes a wall anchor with the Row, while some other companies require you to purchase one separately.

Air vs. Magnetic vs. Water Resistance: Which Is Best?

There are several different types of rowing machines, including magnetic, air, and water. There's no one best type, and each offers unique advantages.

Magnetic rowing machines have the benefit of being virtually silent, which makes them well-suited for home use. Some of our favorite at-home rowing machines use magnetic resistance, including the Peloton Row, the Hydrow, and the NordicTrack RW900.

Air (or wind) rowers are loud but typically less expensive than magnetic options and often do not require a power outlet to operate. The air-powered Concept2 RowErg, a staple at CrossFit gyms, has a cult-like following with many devoted fans, but it doesn't offer much in the way of built-in entertainment features, so boredom can be an issue. Some machines, like those from Aviron, combine both air and magnetic resistance.

Water resistance machines like the Ergatta Lite and the WaterRower A1 CityRow Connect Rowing Machine most closely mimic the feel of rowing an actual boat and make a pleasant swooshing sound, but you need to remember to add a purification tablet to the tank every six months to prevent algae growth.

Magnetic rowers allow for more control over a resistance setting called "drag factor" than air or water rowers, but you shouldn't have to adjust this often. For a traditional aerobic rowing workout, you generally want to keep the drag factor somewhere in the middle of the supported range, while a high drag-factor setting will give you more of a strength training workout. Regardless of resistance type, the drag factor should not be thought of as a general difficulty setting.

As a rule of thumb, newbies should stick with the recommended default drag factor for their rowing machine. Advanced rowers might want to tweak this setting, but many people, even including Olympians, never do.

Magnetic rowing machines let you adjust your drag factor via the touch screen, physical buttons, and/or a knob. Some air rowers feature a damper lever on the side of the flywheel that lets you change the drag factor, while others are not adjustable. To change the drag factor on a water resistance machine, you must add water to the tank or siphon it out.

How to Row: Proper Technique Is Key

Rowing might look like it mostly involves your arms, but if you're doing it correctly, most of your power comes from your legs. If you do it incorrectly, you can hurt your back or shoulders, which would obviously be a major setback for any fitness goals.

The rowing stroke is a complex movement consisting of four parts: the catch, drive, finish, and recovery. You start out leaning slightly forward with your knees bent and your arms extended, holding the handle (the catch). Then, push your feet into the footboards to extend your legs before you hinge at the hips to slightly lean your torso back (the drive). Finally, bend at the elbows as you pull the handlebar back to your sternum (the finish).

You move in this order: legs, body, arms. On the recovery, you reverse that sequence to make your way back to the catch position, first extending your arms, then hinging at the torso so your hands pass beyond your knees, and finally bending your legs.

When done right, rowing is a full-body workout that engages more than 80% of your muscles. It's commonly said that rowing is about 60% legs, 20% core, and 20% arms, so if you're muscling it with arm strength alone, you're doing it wrong and putting yourself at risk of injury.

Common Rowing Metrics: Understanding Split and Stroke Rate

Sorry, Americans: In rowing, distance is measured in the metric unit of meters. While rowing, you'll mostly want to pay attention to your pace and stroke rate.

Pace, also called split time, typically indicates how long it would take you to row 500 meters. In other words, a 2:00/500m split time means it would take you two minutes to row 500 meters at your current pace. Just like when you're running a mile for time, the lower your rowing split, the better. This will vary from person to person, but beginners may want to shoot for a sub-3:00 split and work towards decreasing it over time. The fastest 500m split times on record are around 1:10 for a man and 1:24 for a woman. To lower your split, you must increase your intensity (push harder with your legs), but increasing your stroke rate can also help.

Stroke rate, also called strokes per minute (SPM), indicates your average number of strokes per minute. The higher the number, the quicker you must perform each stroke. For most workouts, stroke rate varies from around 18 to 30.

Output, another common rowing metric, is a measure of your power in watts. The higher the number, the better. Like pace, output can help you gauge your intensity throughout your workout. The best way to increase your output is to push harder with your legs, but again, increasing your stroke rate can assist here.

Which Rowing Machine Is Best for Beginners?

All of the models on this list offer beginner-friendly instructional content as part of their membership, but the Peloton Row is the best model for newbies, thanks to its unique Form Assist features. Using sensors in the handlebars and seat, the Row can track your movements to deliver real-time and post-workout form feedback.

Following an initial calibration, a Form Assist visualization on the Peloton Row class screen will sync with your movements and highlight areas for improvement in real time. If you do something wrong or out of order—like bend your knees too early, lean back too far, or slump forward—the corresponding body part will light up in red, so you can adjust your technique accordingly.

At the end of each workout, you receive a Form Rating score out of 100% based on your performance. Peloton also gives you a score out of 100% for each phase of the rowing stroke, so you can see which parts you need to improve on. In your workout history, Peloton offers a detailed form report for each rowing class you have taken, with a breakdown of your errors and tips to improve.

Regardless of which rowing machine model you choose, it's important to start slow and easy, spend time learning the fundamentals of the stroke, and be patient with yourself. When I first started rowing in 2020, I could only do it for about 5 or 10 minutes at a time. Since then, I've spent countless hours training on these high-tech rowing machines while testing them for reviews. With proper technique, I can now comfortably row for upward of 45 minutes at a time, and I'm able to generate a lot more power with each stroke.

For more connected fitness options, check out our roundups of the best home exercise bikes, the best strength training equipment, and all the best smart home gym equipment. And for more ways to use technology to improve your body and mind, check out our ultimate guide to health and fitness tech.