Best Wearables for Rowing: Monitors, Straps, Watches and Trackers

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In a racing eight, the coxswain watches a small yellow box on the footboard as much as the water: stroke rate, split, distance. On the erg, every rower has the same kind of screen in front of them. And a single sculler out alone at dawn has only a little monitor on the footboard and a heart-rate strap to tell her whether she’s working too hard. Rowing has always been a sport of numbers. The best wearables for rowing are a mix of boat monitors, heart-rate straps, watches and recovery trackers; this page explains which does what, for juniors and their coxswains, college crews, masters scullers and indoor rowers.

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. Back to the rowing hub.

Our top picks

Rowing wearables compared

Device	Type	What it tracks	Battery	About (Oct 2026)
NK SpeedCoach GPS 2	Boat monitor	Split, stroke rate, distance, distance per stroke; heart rate with Training Pack	Up to 8 h, rechargeable	$469 (+$100)
NK StrokeCoach with Surge Rate	Stroke-rate monitor	Stroke rate, stroke count, time	175 h (2 coin cells)	$209
Concept2 RowErg	Erg with PM5 monitor	Split, watts, stroke rate, distance; heart rate from a strap	2 D cells, helped by the flywheel	$990
Polar H10	Chest strap	Heart rate (ECG)	Up to 400 h	$105
Garmin HRM 600	Chest strap	Heart rate; records without a watch	Rechargeable, up to 2 months	$170
Garmin Forerunner 570	GPS watch	Row and Row Indoor activities, heart rate, readiness	Up to 11 days (smartwatch)	$550
Oura Ring 5	Smart ring	Sleep, HRV, readiness	6–9 days	$399 + $5.99/mo
WHOOP 5.0	Band, no screen	Recovery, strain, sleep	14+ days	$239/yr (Peak)

Boat monitors and stroke-rate devices

1. NK SpeedCoach GPS 2: best boat monitor

NK’s SpeedCoach is the monitor you’ll see in most racing shells. The GPS 2 shows boat speed as a split per 500 m, stroke rate, distance and time, plus distance per stroke and stroke count, using GPS (an impeller, sold separately, measures speed through the water when there’s current). It’s waterproof to IP67 and runs up to 8 hours per charge, NK says. The optional Training Pack ($100) adds programmable workouts, data transfer to NK’s LiNK Logbook app, and pairing with Bluetooth heart-rate straps; it also makes the unit work with NK’s EmPower Oarlock ($499), which measures force and power at the oar.

• Good: the rowing standard; split and rate together; heart rate and workouts with the upgrade.
• Watch out: heart rate needs the extra Training Pack; GPS speed is over ground, so current changes the split.
• Best for: scullers, coxswains and crews who train on the water by split and rate.

See the SpeedCoach GPS 2 at NK Sports

2. NK StrokeCoach with Surge Rate: best budget stroke rate

NK calls it its most basic monitor: stroke rate, stroke count and elapsed time from a built-in accelerometer, with no wiring or seat magnet. It straps to the foot stretcher, rigger or a coxswain’s leg, is waterproof to IP67, and runs about 175 hours on two coin-cell batteries. No speed, but stroke rate is the number coaches call most often, and it works in any seat of any boat.

• Good: cheap, simple, long battery life.
• Watch out: no split, distance or heart rate.
• Best for: junior programs, learn-to-row and masters crews that just want rate.

See the StrokeCoach at NK Sports

3. Concept2 RowErg with PM5: best for indoor rowing

For indoor rowing, the monitor comes with the machine. The Concept2 RowErg‘s PM5 shows split, watts, stroke rate and distance in numbers that are comparable from one RowErg to the next, which is why programs use it for testing. It connects over Bluetooth and ANT+ to heart-rate straps and to apps (the listing says over 40), and Concept2 says an Apple Watch can pair through its ErgData app. It’s about $990 on Amazon, separates into two pieces for storage and lists a 500 lb user capacity.

• Good: the standard for erg scores; works with straps, watches and apps.
• Watch out: needs about 9 × 4 feet of floor space; it’s a machine, not a wearable.
• Best for: winter training at home, masters rowers, indoor racing.

Check the Concept2 RowErg price on Amazon

Heart-rate straps

Rowing training zones are set by heart rate (see rowing training), and Concept2 calls a chest strap the most accurate way to track it. Research agrees: a 2017 Cleveland Clinic study found chest straps matched an ECG almost exactly, while wrist devices were less accurate as intensity rose, and a systematic review found the same for chest ECG straps like the Polar H10. Rowing adds its own problem for wrist sensors: a tight grip and a wrist that moves on every stroke.

4. Polar H10: best heart-rate strap

The Polar H10 is an ECG chest strap that research has found accurate across intensities. It sends heart rate over both Bluetooth and ANT+, so it pairs with the PM5, a SpeedCoach (with the Training Pack) and most watches, and runs up to 400 hours on a coin battery. At about $105 it’s the one most rowers should start with.

• Good: accurate, long battery, pairs with the PM5, SpeedCoach (with Training Pack) and watches.
• Watch out: rinse the strap after every session; sweat wears it out.
• Best for: every rower training by zones.

Check the Polar H10 price on Amazon

The Garmin HRM 600 (about $170) is the alternative when you don’t want a watch on at all: it records heart rate on its own and syncs later, and recharges instead of using a coin cell.

Watches and recovery trackers

5. Garmin Forerunner 570: best watch for rowers

Garmin’s manual lists both a Row profile (water sports) and a Row Indoor profile (gym) on the Forerunner 570, so on-water pieces, ergs, lifting and cross-training all land in one log with one heart-rate history. Training Readiness and HRV Status help decide whether today should be hard or easy, there’s no subscription, and Garmin rates it up to 11 days as a smartwatch. Pair it with a chest strap for accurate rowing heart rate.

• Good: rowing profiles on and off the water; readiness tools; no monthly fee.
• Watch out: wrist heart rate is weaker during hard rowing; it doesn’t replace a footboard monitor for rate and split in the boat.
• Best for: rowers who also run, cycle and lift.

Check the Garmin Forerunner 570 price on Amazon

6. Oura Ring 5 or WHOOP: best for sleep and recovery

With 5 a.m. practices, the number that matters most may be hours of sleep. The Oura Ring 5 (from about $399 plus $5.99 a month) tracks sleep, overnight HRV and a Readiness score and runs 6–9 days per charge; some rowers take a ring off for practice so it doesn’t press into the grip. WHOOP (about $239 a year for the Peak membership, sensor included) is a screenless band with Recovery, Strain and Sleep scores and a 14+ day battery. Neither measures rowing; both help you see when the training load is outrunning your sleep.

Check the Oura Ring 5 price on Amazon

How to choose

• Start with a chest strap. It’s the cheapest way to train by zones on the erg and the water.
• Boat monitor for the water: SpeedCoach for split and rate, StrokeCoach for rate only. Coxed crews usually have one through the coxswain.
• Watch if you cross-train: one log for rowing, running, cycling and lifting.
• Tracker if sleep is the problem: ring or band, worn overnight.
• Waterproof matters: splashes, rain and the odd capsize are part of rowing; check the rating, and leash anything you can’t lose.

More in our guides to the best heart rate monitors, WHOOP vs Oura vs Garmin and HRV for athletes, our wearables category, and rowing recovery. Compare with cycling wearables.

Rowing wearables: FAQs

What monitor do rowers use in the boat?

Most racing crews use an NK SpeedCoach (split, stroke rate, distance) or a simpler StrokeCoach (stroke rate and time), mounted on the foot stretcher or in front of the coxswain.

Can I connect a heart-rate strap to a Concept2 rower?

Yes. The PM5 monitor pairs with Bluetooth and ANT+ heart-rate straps, such as the Polar H10, and shows heart rate next to your split. Concept2 says an Apple Watch can pair through its ErgData app.

Does a Garmin watch track rowing?

Many do. The Forerunner 570, for example, has a Row profile for on-water rowing and a Row Indoor profile for the erg. Wrist heart rate is less reliable during hard rowing, so pair a chest strap.

Is a chest strap better than a watch for rowing?

For heart rate, yes. Studies find chest straps closely match an ECG, while wrist sensors lose accuracy as intensity rises, and rowing’s grip and wrist movement make it harder still.

Do I need a SpeedCoach as a beginner?

No. Most clubs have monitors on their boats, and a heart-rate strap is a better first purchase. A StrokeCoach is the cheaper step up if you scull on your own.