Best Rowing Machines 2026: Air, Water and Magnetic Picks

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It’s February, the river is iced over, and the whole crew is lined up on ergs in the boathouse, sweat dripping onto the monitors while the coach counts down the last 500 meters of a 2k test. Two towns over, a masters rower squeezes in thirty minutes before work on a machine tucked behind the couch. Both are chasing the same thing: a hard, low-impact, full-body workout. The best rowing machines are the ones that suit how you train, how much floor you have and how much noise your home can take. Below are seven real machines sold in 2026, from the Concept2 that rowing programs test on to quiet budget rowers for apartments, plus how air, water and magnetic resistance really differ.

Prices change often. The prices below are what we saw at the maker or a major retailer in October 2026; check the current price before you buy.

Our top picks

Rowing machines compared

Rower	Resistance	Size in use	Max user (maker)	About (Oct 2026)
Concept2 RowErg	Air	8 × 2 ft (9 × 4 ft clearance)	500 lb	$990
WaterRower Original Oak S4	Water	82.25 × 22.25 in	700 lb	$1,324
Hydrow Wave	Electromagnetic	80 × 19 in	375 lb	$2,295 + membership
Merach Q1S	Electromagnetic	5.7 × 1.6 ft	350 lb	$240
Merach R280	Water	71 × 16 in	350 lb (see note)	$280
Sunny Health Smart Magnetic	Magnetic	64 × 19.3 in	300 lb	$166
Stamina ATS Air Rower	Air	77 × 18 in	250 lb	$269

The best rowing machines for 2026

1. Concept2 RowErg: best overall

Walk into almost any boathouse, college weight room or CrossFit box and you’ll see a row of these. Concept2 calls the RowErg the standard for training, testing and racing, and its PM5 monitor gives consistent, comparable numbers, which is why erg tests, Concept2’s online rankings and the World Rowing Indoor Championships run on it. If you’ll ever send a 2k score to a coach, this is the machine that score means something on. It’s an air rower: a flywheel spins against air, and a damper lever sets how much air gets in. Concept2 suggests starting at a damper of 3 to 5, not 10. It costs $990 with standard legs (14-inch seat) or $1,155 with tall legs (20-inch seat). Concept2 lists a 500 lb maximum user weight (300 lb under the European EN 20957-7 test), fits inseams up to 38 inches, needs 9 × 4 feet of space in use and splits into two pieces for storage without tools.

• Good: scores compare with every rower in the world; Bluetooth and ANT+ for apps and heart rate straps; built to last.
• Watch out: the fan makes a steady whoosh; long footprint; no screen classes built in.
• Best for: rowers on the water, college hopefuls, CrossFit and HYROX athletes, anyone who wants numbers that count.

Check the Concept2 RowErg price on Amazon

2. WaterRower Original Oak S4: best water rower

The WaterRower looks like furniture: a solid oak, dual-rail frame with a tank of water at the front where paddles turn as you pull. The swish of water is part of the appeal, and resistance builds with how hard you drive. WaterRower lists the Original Oak with the S4 Bluetooth monitor at 82.25 × 22.25 inches in use, and it stands on end to store in a 20 × 22.25-inch spot, like a tall chair. The maker gives a 700 lb maximum user weight and a dry weight of 63.5 lb. We saw it at about $1,324 on Amazon.

• Good: quiet, calming water sound; small upright storage footprint; very high user weight limit.
• Watch out: scores aren’t comparable with Concept2 tests; the tank needs filling and care per the maker’s instructions.
• Best for: home rowers who want a good-looking machine in the living room.

Check the WaterRower Original Oak price on Amazon

3. Hydrow Wave: best for guided classes

Some people need a coach on the screen to show up every morning. The Hydrow Wave has a 16-inch HD touchscreen, front speakers and a library of live and on-demand workouts, many filmed on real water. Its electromagnetic drag adjusts to your effort and is quiet. The listing calls it 30% smaller and gives 80 × 19 × 43 inches, 102 lb and a 375 lb user limit. The listing is clear about cost: the touchscreen workouts and stats need a membership, $50 a month after a 30-day trial, though you can still row without one. We saw it at about $2,295.

• Good: motivating classes; quiet; slim for a full-size rower.
• Watch out: highest price here plus a monthly fee; the upright storage kit is sold separately.
• Best for: fitness rowers who want an instructor and a routine.

Check the Hydrow Wave price on Amazon

4. Merach Q1S: best quiet rower under $250

If you live upstairs from someone, magnetic resistance is your friend. The Q1S uses an electromagnetic flywheel with 16 levels you change with a twist, or automatically through the Merach app (it also works with Kinomap). A dual slide rail keeps the seat steady, and Merach lists a 350 lb maximum. It needs about 1.6 × 5.7 feet to use and stands up against a wall in 1.6 × 2.1 feet. Merach says most people assemble it in about 30 minutes. About $240.

• Good: very quiet; app control; stores small.
• Watch out: shorter than a full-size erg, so tall rowers should check the stroke length before buying.
• Best for: apartments, early mornings and cardio on a budget.

Check the Merach Q1S price on Amazon

5. Merach R280 Water Rower: best budget water rower

Want the water feel without the four-figure price? The R280 has a 15-liter tank with 12 blades, a frame of FSC-certified red oak and a raised rail that Merach says suits taller users, up to 6 feet 7 inches. You change resistance by changing the water level. It folds or stands upright, and a backlit LCD with Bluetooth shows time, distance, calories and strokes. One note: the title says 400 lb capacity, but the bullets and details say 350 lb, so plan on 350. About $280.

• Good: real water swish for a low price; fits tall rowers; folds.
• Watch out: resistance changes mean adding or draining water; conflicting weight limits on the listing.
• Best for: home rowers who love the water sound but not the WaterRower price.

Check the Merach R280 price on Amazon

6. Sunny Health & Fitness Smart Magnetic Rower: best for small spaces

This is the cheapest full-motion rower on our list and one of the most compact: about 64 × 19.3 inches, and it stores vertically. Sunny gives it 16 quiet magnetic levels, a dual track, a 45.7-inch slide rail with a 40.9-inch maximum inseam and a 300 lb capacity. The monitor shows time, distance, calories, strokes, strokes per minute and 500 m split, the same pace number rowers live by, and it pairs with the free SunnyFit app. About $166.

• Good: low price; shows 500 m split; small and quiet.
• Watch out: lighter build than the premium machines; 300 lb limit.
• Best for: beginners, small rooms and families sharing one machine.

Check the Sunny Health Smart Magnetic Rower price on Amazon

7. Stamina ATS Air Rower: best budget air rower

Air resistance gets harder the harder you pull, which many athletes like for intervals. The Stamina ATS brings that feel for about $269. It has a steel frame, a padded sliding seat, a monitor for speed, distance, time and calories, and free access to the müüv audio coaching app. It folds for storage and measures about 77 × 18 inches. Stamina’s limit is 250 lb, the lowest here, so heavier athletes should look at the Concept2 instead.

• Good: air feel at a budget price; folds.
• Watch out: 250 lb limit; louder than magnetic; numbers don’t compare with a Concept2.
• Best for: conditioning and HIIT at home on a tight budget.

Check the Stamina ATS Air Rower price on Amazon

How to choose a rowing machine for home

• Air, water or magnetic. Air (Concept2, Stamina) feels lively and gets harder as you pull harder, but it’s the loudest. Water (WaterRower, Merach R280) feels smooth and sounds like a boat. Magnetic (Hydrow, Merach Q1S, Sunny) is the quietest and uses set levels.
• Need an erg score? Get a Concept2. High school and college programs, Concept2’s rankings and World Rowing indoor races use the RowErg, and scores from other machines don’t compare.
• Measure the floor. Full-size rowers run about 6.5 to 8 feet long. Leave room behind for the handle and to the sides, and check the upright storage size if the room has to do double duty.
• Check the user weight and height limits. Use the maker’s number, and if a listing gives two, go with the lower one. Tall rowers should check the rail length or maximum inseam; some budget rowers are sized for users under 6 feet.
• Count the full cost. Some smart rowers need a monthly membership for their screen workouts.
• Ease in. Learn the stroke (legs, then body, then arms) before long or hard sessions. If you have back pain, a heart condition or are coming back from an injury, check with a sports medicine doctor, physical therapist or athletic trainer first.

For everything else in the bag, see our rowing gear guide and the rowing hub. Parents of new rowers can start with youth rowing, and sore backs and blistered hands are covered on the rowing injuries page. After big erg weeks, our best recovery tools for athletes and best massage guns guides help, and there are more rowing articles here.

Rowing machine questions

Which rowing machine do rowing teams use for erg tests?

The Concept2 RowErg. Concept2 calls it the standard for training, testing and racing, its rankings hold over a million results, and the World Rowing Indoor Championships are rowed on it. A 2k on another brand isn’t comparable.

Is a water or magnetic rower quieter?

Magnetic rowers are the quietest; you mostly hear the seat rolling. Water rowers make a soft swish that many people enjoy. Air rowers are the loudest because of the fan.

How much space does a rowing machine need?

Concept2 recommends 9 × 4 feet for its RowErg in use. Compact magnetic rowers like the Sunny Health need a little over 5 feet of length. Many models stand upright or split for storage.

What damper setting should I use on a Concept2?

Concept2 suggests 3 to 5 for most workouts, around 3 for longer pieces and 5 for shorter ones. A higher setting doesn’t mean a better workout; it can tire your muscles before your heart and lungs get the work.

What weight limit do I need?

Pick a rower whose maker limit is comfortably above your weight. Limits on our list run from 250 lb (Stamina ATS) to 500 lb (Concept2) and 700 lb (WaterRower, per the maker).