20 Best Wooden Rowing Machine (2022 Updated)

The WaterRower is a great cardio workout machine with a smooth, realistic feel.

Love this machine. Great workout, love the feel of the paddles in the water, which is uberrealistic and like real paddling and I love the finish and quality. Also, it’s made in USA.

I did a lot of research before buying this rower and I was nervous that it would not be worth the price. I absolutely love it, and I have no regrets.

Great service via John Lewis as ever and the Water Rower company seem to match this high standard. Really easy to put the rower together – took about 15 mins to assemble and maybe another 5 to fill the water tank (siphon pump gizmo could be better/more efficient, but you only use it occasionally so not a problem).

It’s an absolute pleasure to use – I’m addicted to the swooshing sound already and it’s a good workout and so easy to flex levels of intensity (just pull harder and faster for more resistance just like proper rowing).

You can vary water level between marked points and this varies the general work needed – think of it as replicating the weight of the boat and rowers. The instruction manual and DVD are great with some really useful and well presented info on how to exercise best for your desired goals.

The WaterRower tips up on to its end really easily and is simple to wheel around – the weight of the water makes it nice and stable when upright (though if you have young kids you may want to secure further?).

The wood is great quality and aesthetically pleasing, meaning that this has beautifully addressed my issue of “won’t use gym equipment unless it’s easily accessible, but don’t want ugly kit out on view”.

It’s more like a nice piece of wooden furniture when stowed upright and takes seconds to re-position for use. The ‘free accessories’ kit of heart monitor, dual density seat pad and ergonomic handles was a little less impressive (and – like others we had to trawl google to find instructions to fit the heart monitor receiver).

So far I’m not vastly impressed by the heart monitor – it doesn’t seem to like me and drops signal. The seat pad is ok; the ergo handles are ugly but really functional, no blisters so far. But overall I’m totally in love with the product and highly recommend it.

After all House of Card fans what could be better than pretending to be Frank Underwood whilst getting a good cardio workout ;-).

I recently received my Oak Waterrower, I had been waiting for it for a little over 10 weeks, and although JL says it’s an 8 week delivery, with the Covid Crisis its was completely understandable, as it is made in the USA.

It took about an hour to put it together and fill the tank ready to be used the next day. The service I received from John Lewis was very good, keeping me updated on the expected delivery and taking time to check my delivery did take place when expected.

The rower is beautiful, easy use, even makes a relaxing watery sound when in use, close your eyes and you could be on the water and it looks like a lovely piece of furniture in the room when stowed away.

I happily recommend this rowing machine and John Lewis as suppliers.

Very comfy, easy to set up, and looks great. The sound is also quite soothing, and the added tech arm is a great feature as it’s easy to watch something when on long sessions. The only problem I have with it is the computer isn’t as reactive as a Concept2.

It takes a while to calculate an accurate split time when increasing/decreasing your stroke rate. If you’re just using it for general use/exercise, it’s perfect. Not so good if you need to record split times/2k times.

I just picked one of these up. I had been using a stamina air rower at home and a concept 2 or water rower brand at the gym. I’ve kept a pretty close eye on my split times between the different machines.

My new Sunny obsidian surge is wildly different that either of the other 3 that I’ve used. While I’ve been a consistent 2:25/500 meters this machine clocks me at almost double that time. I think it has to do with the way the meter counts the distance during the recovery.

I have my tank filled to level 4 (just like the water rower at the gym. ) It seems to require almost twice the strokes to travel the same distance. I should note that 500 meters kicks my but almost as much as 1k on the other machines so I like it but it’s just not accurate in it’s monitoring.

If you’re looking to track your progress against a group or larger community then this rower won’t give you the correct data- BUT you are certainly able to track your personal progress and get an enjoyable full body workout.

Oh and my feet keep slipping out of the footrests but I think I can find a fix for that.

Did quite a bit of research before purchasing the Obsidian Surge. Well constructed, sturdy and easy to move around. Others have expressed concerns with the pivoting foot rests, but it’s a non issue for me.

The performance monitor is basic, but allows you to track strokes per minute, total strokes, 500 m pace and elapsed time. Nice to be able to adjust resistance level by adding water. Overall, very satisfied!.

I live with my parents who are immunocompromised so I try to minimize as much physical contact with the outside world as much as well. This rower was my 3rd piece to my home gym and I gotta say. The home gym is probably the best investment I’ve made.

Being to work out whenever you want is a blessing that I never knew I needed. Home gyms 4 life!!!.

I just bought this rowing machine from here and it seems exceptionally durable with a great design. This machine has pretty small foot print and stores relatively easily and i am totally satisfied with my purchase.

I would highly recommend buying from here. Thank You so much!.

I am loving my Viking 2 AR rower. I ordered a different rower but with the pandemic it was being delayed due to multiple logistical problems. The First Degree brothers were so helpful and got me a different rower than the one I ordered and were able to send it right away.

They communicated with me often which was very helpful. I love the rower. It glides smooth and it is very quiet. I am so happy with my purchase and would recommend ordering from First Degree Fitness!.

This was one of my best purchases I ever made. I must say that it’s a great machine for a great price. It takes very minimal effort of yours and gives maximum output by engaging more number of muscle groups.

Thanks to the seller for giving me what I exactly wanted.

I bought this a little while ago, and have been using this tower 3-4 times a week. Overall the construction is very sturdy and while I have some minor gripes overall the machine is perfect for what I needed it for.

Construction took only a few minutes, probably easier with a helper, loaded it up with some water and started working out. Rowers are a new machine for me, but a few friends I have had over tend to like it more than the fan machines they have at their gyms.

Sure, changing the resistance is not as easy, but once you find your sweet spot you don’t have much to change. Now you know what you’re going to be getting with an entry rower like this. But what if something breaks? Their customer service has had me covered each time I have reached out.

Upon shipment my machine had a broken screen, and that was replaced immediately by the team. My minor gripes revolve around the feet straps, the ring in the strap loves to twist its way around and tear through the fabric.

I have had to call in twice for new straps, and each time has been super easy and a very quick phone call. Most recently “Shelly L” was able to help out and send out the new straps right away and had everything ready before the phone call was over.

Overall, I am very happy with the machine and it was worth the investment. I think they should revise the feet straps and maybe beef up the fabric on them a little better, but again it’s a budget machine but the customer service really does make up for that.

So to begin: I rowed in college (30 years ago) and have kept up the exercise ever since. I have rowed on Air Resistance machines and Piston Resistance machines- this is the first water resistance machine I have ever used.

The machine arrived well before the QVC projected date, in tact and ready to assemble. Assembly took 30 mins+/- and came with all the tools and parts you need, as well as easy to follow instructions.

This machine is beautifully designed and built. I am an architect, furniture designer/builder, and an industrial designer who makes ALL his own prototypes. I know my welding and craftsmanship, and this machine is without demerit.

The welds are sturdy and exactly what they need to be. The materials are well selected and deployed. I spent a fair amount of time reading reviews and researching machines, and this one consistently got the best reviews.

The only flaws people identified were they felt the foot / heal cups were a bit flimsy (they are not) and the seat rollers were a bit noisy (they are not). I am guessing that Xterra read these complaints and rectified the issues.

The seat glides effortlessly on friction rollers, and while you can hear them, the noise is pretty much drowned out by the whoosh of the blades spinning through the water in the tank. In any event, I love the sound of this machine.

I haven’t done a full work out on this machine yet, but let me sketch out my initial thoughts. So even w/ the tank filled up to the max resistance line, the resistance feels less than the air resistance, Concept 2 type machines I have used, and significantly less than the air piston machines I have used.

Having said that, my understanding is that as you progress through your workout, the resistance increases due to the physics of the blades spinning through the water. My initial test suggests this is in fact the case.

This is a completely different type of workout from the piston machines I have used- its wayyyy more fluid. It is closer to the air resistance type rower, but much more pleasant IMO. The piston type machines I have used are more of an upper body work out, where the air resistance and water machines are more of a lower impact, full body workout (which is really what I am looking for).

Finally- this machine is worth every penny.

After receiving this rower as a Christmas present, I was excited to try it out. However, that excitement was short lived. On the first workout, the digital screen performed well accurately tracking my workout.

On my second row, the screen began cutting in and out during the workout turning itself off and resetting. Following the advice of previous reviewers, I removed the batteries after each workout to increase battery life.

After inserting the batteries for my third workout, the battery compartment immediately started smoking and will no longer turn on. Generally, I like the smooth rowing motion this machine provides. However, if you are looking for a machine that provides feedback on your workout look elsewhere.

I received the rower quickly and without any damage. My nephew helped me put it together, and it was actually fairly simple. I thought filling it with water was going to be messy, but it was not at all.

I really like that it’s made primarily of wood, and it matches the furniture in my cabin. I like to support companies that make their products in the USA. The sound of the water when you “row” is very soothing.

I’m in my mid 40s, and I have bad knees from running all the time when I was younger. This machine is a very good low impact workout.

I bought the Rower through JL. As usual good service with JL. On assembly, the sensor failed to align. I contacted water rower and they immediately understood the fault – A spacer issue, which if it’s a known problem, why dont they just remedy it? Since then, I have replaced the housing to the monitor, it’s very flimsy.

Then bought a new sensor loom. And now on to buying a replacement tank because the seals became too brittle with age and failed. The massive spares list on the water rower website says it all, Yes, ALL those items can and do break.

Compare that to the market leader, which only needs to supply and handful of spares. I bought the water rower for its looks, and it does great, but if want a long term serious fitness machine, then go for the other brand.

The rower comes in 2 boxes, and the assembly requires 2 people. There is online video showing how to assemble the rower, and I would advise to loosely attach the nuts and bolts to allow all components lined up before tightening.

The resistance is controlled by how much water you fill into the tank. The operation is reasonably quiet. After 6 month use, there is very little wear and tear, probably due to very few moving parts in a minimalist design.

The S4 monitor can be used to record training sessions and linked to computer to join a race online. However, I hardly ever use this function, as I use rower just to keep healthy rather than competition.

There is a SmartRow meter you can purchase separately to link the rower to your smart phone, if you are serious athletes. For storage, the rower can be easily stood up and put in the corner of the room.

There are wheels in the front of the rower to allow easy moving. My rower is in storage position by default, and I lay it down when I use it. The whole setting up before using and storage after exercise only take 10s.

There are a couple of water cleaning tablets included and more can be ordered. The only maintenance required is to put tablets into the water tank every 6 months. Overall, I like the design of WaterRower, simple and effective.

It’s a beautiful machine. We set it up ourselves and despite being handy, we had some trouble. The holes in the wooden sides were off by 1/8″ so they did not line up with the holes in the black sides, leaving us to have to use a drill to widen the holes.

Once we did that the set up went smoothly. Another problem is slipping heel rests. We watched several troubleshooting YouTube videos straight from WaterRower and walked through the recommendations very carefully.

It didn’t fix the problem. I reached out to WaterRower for a follow up call and haven’t heard back. I ended up screwing the heel rests directly into the wooden footboard as a solution. This would not be an option if there were others using the rower.

I love my rower! It’s a bit older but. I love how it’s designed the walnut wood is very warm and it’s honestly the only gym equipment I own that isn’t hideous. I love that it can stand against the wall when not in use.

The seat is comfortable enough and it’s easy to swap between different sized users. I’m new to rowing but I find this comfortable to use and soothing, I love the sound of the water. Oh, and the resources from the company online are easy to navigate and use.

This is not your average piece of home exercise equipment; it’s a top quality machine. The Waterrower is used in cross-training at Orange Theory and other gyms. Rowing works every muscle group in your body and wow – I’m seeing results everywhere, but abs in particular! I alternate overhand/underhand grips every 10 minutes to hit both biceps-triceps for a 40 minute workout.

The wood is lovely, beautifully crafted and it looks wonderful in my office. I’m 67 and not willing to risk the gym or yoga studio during Covid. This is been a great solution for me in addition to my regular walks.

Oh Wow! What a machine! I have had my WaterRower now for two weeks and am truly in love. I find that 30-45 minutes gives me an excellent work out without aggravating my lower back. I was slightly worried about that as rowing does tend to worsen back pain if not done properly.

I have had some training and am working on core strength, all of which are helping. This machine is excellent for people who want a great workout at home without disturbing the neighbors. ( I live in an apartment complex).

Customer service is priceless and this company delivers. There are also multiple replacement parts available on their website so IF I need to I can order. Overall I am super pleased with my purchase.

Thanks QVC.

Missing parts, the screws were not in the box. I ended up just going to the hardware store. I was unable to get through to QVC customer service. For an item that costs $1700 they could at least send all of the parts.

VERY FRUSTRATING. I would recommend the rower just don’t buy it from QVC.

Fantastic rowing machine – great timber finish. Assembly instructions are provided and easy to follow – takes about 20 minutes to unbox and put together, and then another 5-10 minutes to fill with water.

The weight of the machine is surprisingly light for a machine it’s size which helps with storing it upright. The sound of the water is not as loud as you would expect and is actually quite calming! For beginners, I would recommend starting out with it as-is and see how you go before you start adding the accessories (like Bluetooth module etc) to it.

A disaster. The water tank came defective (water was spilling out and not just drops but big splash): not properly sealed. The resistance of the machine was almost non-existent. Not fit for purpose. In the process of returning the item now (it has been requested).

Of all the equipment used in the gym, my favourite is the rower for its low impact, whole body workout. After reviewing the various types we chose the Waterrower for three reasons; it had to live in the house and not look like a bit of gym equipment laying around; it was endorsed by British Rowing which gave confidence it was a quality item; it was said to be quiet to use.

Waterrower has delivered on all counts. Powerhouse Fitness delivered the machine on time. It was easy to assemble and the quality of build is evident from its use. There’s a real pleasure to using Waterrower with the sound of water rushing around adding to the experience.

The machine stores upright and is unobtrusive when put away, looking not unlike a beech bookshelf unit at eye height. Overall, very impressed and well worth spending the extra over alternatives.

Well built rower. Shipped carefully, took about half an hour to build. All the tools are included, the instructions are clear. Very smooth to use, very adjustable for degree of resistance. Love the quietness of the water.

Beautiful wood, very easy to lift up and store upright. I didn’t get the elevation risers, don’t think I need them. Did get the phone holder, makes it convenient (a bit pricey but in the long run no big deal).

_x005F_x000D_ I can’t speak to the longevity of the rower, haven’t had it long enough. Do believe the warranty was better than any other rowers I looked at. It feels well constructed of quality materials.

_x005F_x000D_ _x005F_x000D_ I enjoy using the machine, it’s an investment I didn’t take lightly, I think I chose wisely. _x005F_x000D_ Recovery For Athletes couldn’t have been more helpful with my purchase.

**Note: I am sensitive to sounds, so a few notes here will be very helpful for others who have the same sensitivity. Overall, this is a great product! My whole family has been turned on to exercise with the introduction of this beautiful machine.

Beyond how streamlined the design is and how smooth the rowing feel is, I love the fact that I can store it upright against a wall when people come over (Of course, everyone who comes over has been so interested in it that they end up trying it before they leave).

The sound of the water is also wonderful! Anyone not using a rower with actual water is missing out. I have been using YouTube rowing machine workouts to help me get the most out of my purchase, and I find myself turning the TV nearly all the way down because the water of my machine sounds so much better than the zipping and whirring of theirs.

I also love how easy it is to change the resistance. Then, of course, there’s the fact that I can get a total body workout while sitting down. :)That being said, if I could make changes, there are definitely some issues I’d address.

1. You have to purchase a heart rate monitor separately; I’d always thought it was pretty much a standard feature in all exercise equipment, but it isn’t. 2. There is a brush in front of the wheels that emits a high-pitched noise as the seat moves back and forth.

the noise grates on me to the point where I might ask if taking scissors to the brush and cutting it down would void a warranty or affect the functionality. I hope this noise goes away as we continue to use the product because it gets in the way of the wonderful swishing of the water.

Truly, I considered returning the entire piece because of this noise but feared that this might be standard on all water rowers. 3. The handle has a texture that caused me to need to buy gloves. I imagine it must be difficult to design a handle for a product that makes people sweat, though.

4. I’d prefer a cord to a strap because the strap is twisting with use kind of how a seat belt or leash can twist as you pull it from its housing. I haven’t noticed that it gets in the way of the flow, though.

5. The logo is bigger than I’d expected. Even though I saw photos and videos of it, it’s striking. First Degree Fitness needs people to be able to see their name from across a room. If this were in the gym, people could read it from the front desk.

6. I bought the seat back option, but when I sit all the way back, my upper thigh sits on the edge of the seat at such an angle that the back of my legs begins to ache, so I can’t actually use the seat back.

I have to sit at the front of the seat instead. It’s better for my core but not necessarily for my posture.

Decided that I need to shed some weight/improve my fitness level and my online research led me to rowing machines. Well, that and House of Cards. What Frank Underwood called “medieval” I thought looked like the most luxurious form of exercise ever! I ordered it having never used one before, fingers firmly crossed, and chose to spend extra for the attractive wood and the water resistance because it had to be quiet (apartment) and look nice in my living room.

It also had to be something I’d genuinely want to use and. I totally bought the right thing! Getting the primary box upstairs to my living room provided me with a workout before even putting the thing together, but assembly itself took about an hour and a half (I find allen wrenches very fiddly) and the instructions are detailed, in perfect English and large enough print to easily read.

The wood on this is attractive, nicely finished and warm. The seat rolls back and forth silently and effortlessly and I find it comfortable. The belt that winds/unwinds during use is also as good as silent, so all you hear is the magical sloshing of water — Which you can also watch while you’re rowing.

Because I used to cycle when I was younger I’ve had a spin bike that I pretty much never ride, for years. The main reasons are that I get bored with just running my legs while my upper body pretty much sits there — Cycling requires scenery and curves and hills and actually going somewhere for me to enjoy it, apparently.

It’s also a tad noisy, what with the bearing rumble from that heavy flywheel transmitting to the floor. The rowing machine, my comparison, is the absolute opposite. You literally put your back into it and are rewarded by the soothing (or sometimes aggressively frothing — egging you on) sloshing of the water.

It just feels so much more engaging, provides physical and audible feedback, and I love spending time on the thing! It’s an excellent pre-breakfast cardio workout or post-office pressure release. Another difference between the two is that the rower stores upright when desired and is actually pretty easy to wheel around, even on carpet.

The spin bike has wheels too but is much more unwieldy, possibly due to that heavy flywheel and all-steel construction, and of course takes up more space when not in use. The only downside to this rowing machine is the electronics’ connectivity.

If you just want to use it as it is then the display is easy to read and gives you what you need for the most part, but forget about connecting it to a laptop if you’re running Windows 10 — There’s no driver for anything past Windows 7 or 8 that I could find.

It doesn’t have Bluetooth, so no apps to play with either. Also, I found their website’s support area kind of primitive and laggy. I think the only thing I’ll be adding to mine is a heartrate monitor, as there’s a spot on the LCD display for that and it’s kind of a pain to check my Fitbit while rowing.

In summary, if you’re only going to get one workout machine I can’t imagine anything topping this for a great full body cardio workout OR for seamlessly integrating with most décor. I love the workout and it goes great with my leather furniture.

Of course, it’s not cheap! But it seems built for commercial fitness centers so it should last a really long time. Side note: When using these, you’ll soon find that the breathing is opposite of most workouts — You inhale while expending force to drive yourself backwards and exhale while on the way back towards the front — Especially if you’re sporting a bit of a gut like I am.

Be sure to watch a YouTube video or two before using it for the first time if you’ve never used one before. Also, the seat’s pretty low, so if you have trouble with getting down and then back up again this could be an issue for you.

My $2G fancy wooden rowing machine showed up with scratches on the wood, one on the main curved piece by the handle and a bunch of scratches on the rails and on the plastic seat track. They told me they would send me new rails in April (we’ll see)and I guess they have no problem with me coloring in the scratch in front of my face and trying not to see it.

The downside of online shopping, the machine is excellent but customer service not so important once the check clears. And be careful of all the American Ash they advertise because the machine is made in Taiwan.

I tried to attach pictures but couldn’t.

I bought this machine at the beginning of lockdown, because I’m usually active at work, and my daughter who walks 2km to work and back, lost her job. We wanted something to keep our exercise up. I’ve always liked the rower, when I’ve been on rare occasions to the gym.

This was very easy for my husband to put together, has a small footprint, easy to stand and stow in a corner, no electricity needed. Very easy to use, and gives a good workout. It only took 4 days from order to my door.

I ordered online, and also took advantage of the 12 month interest free feature.

We’re very happy with this purchase. The rower is very sturdy, no wobbling/instability whilst rowing. The water feature makes it quite a tough workout in the best way. It’s also a beautiful piece of furniture so no need to hide away after each use.

Easy to assemble.

This machine is far better in quality than the one I have been using from a year. Its incredibly quiet and its rowing does not make any noise at all. It is also perfect for home gym. I would definitely purchase again.

Thank You!.

When I bought it I was really hesitant using it for myself but I started using it I became much comfortable using it. I had no issues with it and I am getting serious workout hours from it like really serious.

It is definitely a great addition to my home gym.