Concept2 Rower Overview (2023)

Concept2 created the unique rowing ergometer in 1981 as a coaching instrument for aggressive athletes. It shortly turned one of many best rowing machines for the athletic inhabitants, and because of CrossFit, it’s an much more fashionable coaching system than ever.

Throughout my years as a private coach, I used the Concept2 rower myself and for dozens of shoppers. Collectively, the Breaking Muscle employees additionally has many years of expertise utilizing this rower of their residence gyms, CrossFit bins, and different business gyms. We’re well-equipped to supply this in-depth Concept2 rower evaluation and communicate to its key options, execs, cons, specs, and the way it compares to different fashionable rowing machines.

Key Takeaways

• The Concept2 rower, now known as the RowErg, is identical machine because the Mannequin D (the rower with a 14-inch seat peak) and Mannequin E (the rower with a 20-inch seat peak). Concept2 modified the machine’s title in Could 2021. The Mannequin E rower has been discontinued. Nonetheless, the RowErg is out there with both a 14-inch seat peak or a 20-inch seat peak.
• With a clear and efficient design, the Concept2 Rower is engineered for easy operation, straightforward upkeep, and long-lasting efficiency. This commercial-grade rowing machine incorporates a nickel-plated metal chain, aluminum entrance legs, and metal rear legs to make sure a sturdy, long-lasting construct. 
• The Concept2 Rower comes with a PM5 efficiency monitor that tracks stats equivalent to tempo, strokes per minute, estimated energy burned, and watts (energy output). The monitor additionally connects by way of Bluetooth to varied apps, together with ErgData.

Concept2 Rower Professionals

• The Concept2 Rower makes use of air resistance, which adjusts to your stroke fee and energy. Air resistance additionally supplies smoother motion in comparison with magnetic and water-based rowers. I can attest to this, as I’ve used each air and magnetic rowers. 
• The Concept2 can maintain customers as much as 500 kilos. Different manufacturers like NordicTrack, Peloton, and Hydrow can solely accommodate customers as much as 250 to 375 kilos. 
• You possibly can shortly break down the rower utilizing the quick-release function and even mount it to the wall. Concept2 doesn’t promote a mounting instrument for the rower, however the Rogue Fitness wall hanger is out there for round $32.50.

Concept2 Rower Cons

• As a result of it’s an air rower, it may be loud. The more durable you row, the louder the machine turns into. It’d deter those that use it of their residence health club and don’t need to disrupt their members of the family or roommates.
• The Concept2 RowErg prices round $990 earlier than taxes and transport. Whereas cheaper than different rowers available on the market with a lot of high-end tech options (like touchscreen screens and on-screen exercise courses, which Concept2 doesn’t supply), it nonetheless won’t be excellent for these searching for an ultra-budget-friendly machine.
• The Concept2 rower could be very lengthy, reaching a complete size of 96 inches (eight ft) when assembled. These with restricted exercise house at residence might have to have a look at extra compact rowing machines.

Concept2 Rower Overview

The Concept2 rower is arguably the preferred rowing machine at the moment accessible that’s appropriate for each residence and business use. In 1981, Concept2 turned the primary model to create an indoor rowing machine. Since then, it has develop into an iconic model within the health trade. As a private coach who has labored in numerous business gyms equivalent to Life Time Health and Anytime Health, I can attest to the ubiquitousness of the Concept2 Rower.

In CrossFit, the Concept2 rower is without doubt one of the preferred cardio machines for each informal and aggressive athletes. CrossFit values the Concept2 rower as a result of it presents an entire full-body exercise, making it an efficient instrument for assessing general health ranges. It accommodates customers as much as 500 kilos, so it may be appropriate for people of various sizes and health ranges. Plus, its sturdy development and minimal upkeep necessities imply it may possibly face up to heavy use in CrossFit bins.

The Concept2 rowing machine incorporates a nickel-plated metal chain, aluminum entrance legs, and metal rear legs. Whereas its value of slightly below $1,000 locations it within the mid-range of rowing machine choices, it presents distinctive worth for its efficiency and sturdiness. It operates on air resistance, so it replicates the texture of open-water rowing and matches your depth as you row.

Who Ought to Purchase a Concept2 Rower

• This indoor rower could possibly be good for many who need a full-body exercise to check each muscular and cardiovascular endurance.
• The performance of the Concept2 rower is nice for many who are particularly into CrossFit-style coaching. Concept2 is the popular model for rowing machines within the CrossFit neighborhood.
• The Concept2 RowErg could possibly be a wonderful low-impact cardio machine for many who endure from joint ache. In contrast to working, rowing doesn’t place an enormous quantity of stress on the knees, hips, and ankles.

Who Ought to Not Purchase a Concept2 Rower

• The Concept2 rower won’t be excellent for many who are frightened about noise. That is an air resistance rower. The more durable you row, the extra air strikes across the flywheel, which makes the machine louder.
• Despite the fact that the Concept2 RowErg presents a 20-inch-high seat, people with extreme mobility restrictions should still discover it too low.
• Utilizing this rower could possibly be powerful for these with restricted house. When totally assembled, the Concept2 rower machine is 96 inches lengthy. Relying in your setup, you won’t have sufficient room to suit the erg comfortably and work out safely.

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Concept2 Rower In-Depth Overview

The evaluation under relies on insights I’ve gathered via my very own use of the Concept2 RowErg and suggestions I’ve obtained from the Breaking Muscle employees, which includes CrossFitters, licensed private trainers, and power and conditioning coaches. We then used a proprietary scoring system to rank the machine on a scale of 1 to 5 in varied classes, equivalent to price, the standard of the supplies, monitoring capabilities, and meeting.

Worth

The Concept2 RowErg with the 14-inch seat peak prices round $990 earlier than taxes and transport. In the event you go for the 20-inch seat peak, it can price round $1,155. Whereas the worth could possibly be a downside for anybody on an excellent strict finances, we nonetheless gave it 4.8 stars. The general worth is excessive because of the machine’s commercial-quality development and sturdiness. Additionally, this rower machine is less expensive than different choices, just like the Peloton or Hydrow rowers, that are double the worth (or extra).

Supplies, Construct, and Building High quality

The Concept2 rower consists of aluminum entrance legs, metal rear legs, a nickel-plated metal chain, an aluminum monorail, and a chrome steel seat monitor.

On account of this heavy-duty development, we rated the construct a 4.9 out of 5. Primarily based on my expertise with the Concept2 rower, it may possibly tackle heavy abuse. Even in business health club settings, it’s so robust it might by no means have to get replaced.

Amanda Dvorak, Breaking Muscle’s Evaluations Editor who began CrossFit in 2015 and now makes use of a Concept2 rower in her storage health club, can attest to its sturdiness. She talked about that even after banging it on her squat rack by chance (on a number of events) whereas transferring it round her storage, she’s by no means seen a distinction in the way it seems or performs. The CrossFit gyms she’s skilled at beforehand additionally by no means had any main points with these rowers, regardless of them getting used six to seven occasions a day for years.

Supply and Meeting

After the erg arrived at our testing facility, our group ranked the supply and meeting course of a 5 out of 5. There was no injury upon supply.

I’ve constructed many items of residence health club tools, together with the Stamina Elite rower I take advantage of at residence. I can truthfully say that one of many largest points with all of my purchases is that it takes perpetually to construct them. The Concept2 rower, nonetheless, solely required a couple of minutes of sunshine effort from our testing employees earlier than they had been capable of hop on and begin rowing.

Amanda Dvorak, an editor on the Breaking Muscle group, agrees with the product testing employees’s evaluation. There was additionally no injury to her machine when she obtained it at residence, and she or he and her husband had been capable of put the erg collectively in round 10 minutes.

Efficiency

The Concept2 rower’s efficiency is strictly what you’d count on from a commercial-grade piece of apparatus. The seat slides over the monorail effortlessly, and the chain doesn’t snag in case you keep it correctly by oiling it after each 50 hours of use.

Subscription Choices

It’s onerous to provide the Concept2 rower a ranking on subscription choices as a result of it doesn’t present any. This is without doubt one of the drawbacks to this system, as different merchandise just like the Peloton or Hydrow rower present subscriptions for entry to stay and on-demand courses. All of the Concept2 presents is a PM5 monitor. As I’ll focus on under, it tracks quite a lot of info, but it surely’s not as fancy as a high-tech monitor that permits you to stream courses.

One benefit of the dearth of subscription choices is that it may possibly prevent cash. The subscriptions you’ll discover on Hydrow, Peloton, or NordicTrack rowers, for instance, can price $30 or extra monthly. It’s an added price it’s a must to contemplate when shopping for a rowing machine.

To make up for the dearth of subscription choices, the Concept2 row erg features a system holder that may maintain your good system. You possibly can then stream exercises from an app of your alternative — however take into account that this can be an additional month-to-month price.

Ergonomics

Our group rated the ergonomics a 4.5 out of 5. The deal with incorporates a 10-degree bend to permit for a pure grip, and it’s coated with molded rubber to assist soak up sweat. Nonetheless, it may possibly trigger pores and skin discomfort, particularly for brand spanking new rowers.

Amanda Dvorak, Breaking Muscle Evaluations Editor, hadn’t used a rower in over a 12 months earlier than she purchased a Concept2 erg for her residence health club. Regardless of already having calluses on her palms from lifting weights, her arms blistered continuously as soon as she began rowing once more.

Nonetheless, now that Amanda has been utilizing the rower no less than as soon as per week, her tailbone discomfort has lessened, and her arms not blister. When you have related experiences once you first begin rowing, we expect it’s protected to say that you just’ll regulate to the rower after a few months of constant use. If not, you’ll be able to put on exercise gloves or purchase a padded seat cushion on-line to make your rowing expertise extra nice.

Foot Pedals

The pedals accommodate a variety of foot sizes. We’ve seen customers with dimension 13 ft have the ability to use the rower comfortably. The pedals don’t pivot like they do on different rowers, such because the NordicTrack RW600. Nonetheless, they’re designed that will help you obtain a vertical shin angle for the catch section of the row (when your knees are bent, your arms are straight, and the seat is nearer to the entrance of the machine). That is particularly helpful for rowers with poor ankle mobility.

Coronary heart Price Monitoring

I might fee the guts fee monitoring capabilities of this rowing machine a 4 out of 5, because it doesn’t supply a direct means of monitoring coronary heart fee. The one means to take action is to have a appropriate system to sync with utilizing ANT+ and Bluetooth, equivalent to an Apple watch or a digital chest strap.

PM5 Monitor, Show, and Stats Monitoring

Whereas the monitor might seem easy, it supplies a ton of knowledge monitoring capabilities. In comparison with the older monitor (the PM4), the PM5 supplies Bluetooth connection capabilities to trace your exercises. General, we rated the monitor itself 4.7 out of 5 stars and the show 4 out of 5.

The PM5 monitor tracks a spread of metrics together with time, tempo, distance, strokes per minute (SPM), watts, energy burned, and coronary heart fee (with a appropriate system).

We love its means to avoid wasting all of our exercise historical past, so we are able to see how we’re progressing and enhancing over time. And, as talked about, it may possibly connect with probably 30 completely different appropriate apps. ErgData is a favourite amongst the Breaking Muscle employees as a result of it permits us to create customized exercises, program the Concept2 Workout of the Day into the machine, and extra. Nonetheless, you may also use different apps like Regatta, RowHero, and Fiit.

Regardless of the spectacular quantity of knowledge the monitor can present, the precise show is fairly primary. The monitor can be fairly small, measuring simply seven inches diagonally. The scale pales compared to the NordicTrack RW900, for instance, which has a 22-inch monitor.

One of many redeeming qualities, although, is the backlit show, which didn’t exist on earlier iterations of the monitor. Breaking Muscle Editor Amanda Dvorak says it’s considered one of her favourite issues concerning the PM5 monitor. She trains early in the morning and hates turning on vivid lights throughout her exercises. The backlit show makes it simpler for her to learn the display screen when she’s figuring out earlier than dawn.

Included Exercises

For the included exercises, we rank this function a 4.8 out of 5. The Concept2 rower comes with a number of preset exercises, equivalent to distance coaching for two,000 meters or interval coaching modes with 500 meters of labor and one minute of relaxation. The preset choices are nice for beginner rowers who might not know how you can get began or superior athletes who need to comply with structured packages.

Bluetooth Connectivity

The Concept2 rower’s PM5 monitor helps Bluetooth connectivity to appropriate heart rate monitors. It’s also possible to sync exercise information to Concept2’s ErgData app or dozens of different apps to trace your exercise historical past.

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Concept2 Rower Specs

When contemplating the Concept2 rower, it’s necessary to grasp the specs and options that make it stand out. From the fundamental dimensions to {the electrical} necessities, we’ll break down the important thing particulars that outline it and set it aside on this planet of rowing machines.

Rower Sort

The Concept2 rower is an air rower. The air resistance works via using the handles and the machine’s fanwheel. Whenever you pull the deal with, the flywheel traps air inside to supply resistance. The resistance then adjusts to your stroke fee and energy output.

Primarily based on our expertise, air rowers emulate the sensation of rowing on open water extra authentically than magnetic rowers. This is without doubt one of the many the explanation why skilled rowers typically full their indoor coaching on a Concept2 erg.

General Dimensions

The Concept2 rower is 96 inches lengthy, 24 inches extensive, and both 14 or 20 inches excessive. The peak depends upon whether or not you purchase the usual mannequin or the one with taller legs.

Observe Size

The monitor size, also referred to as the monorail size, is 54 inches. This size helps to accommodate athletes as much as 6’6.

Seat Peak

The RowErg comes with a 14-inch seat peak. In the event you suppose this will likely be too low for you, you could have the choice of buying an erg with taller legs that elevate the seat to twenty inches. Nonetheless, the taller rower modifications the associated fee from about $990 to about $1,155.

Weight Capability

The burden capability of the Concept2 rower is 500 kilos, which is nicely above different rowing machines like those from NordicTrack and Peloton. All three rower fashions from NordicTrack have a weight capability of 250 kilos, whereas the Peloton rower has a weight restrict of 300 kilos.

Resistance Ranges

The Concept2 rower presents variable resistance. The resistance depends on the forcefulness of every row. That is completely different from magnetic rowers, which offer fastened resistance ranges, and water rowers, whose resistance ranges change based mostly on how a lot water is in a water tank hooked up to the machine.

Concept2 rowers additionally make the most of a damper setting. The damper is an adjustment that means that you can present “extra” or “much less” resistance based mostly on the provision of airflow. The damper ranges from one to 10 — one means the flywheel is totally closed, and 10 means it’s totally open. Whenever you improve the damper setting, you open the damper and permit extra air into the flywheel. The next damper setting leads to a sooner deceleration of the flywheel, making the rowing movement more durable to carry out.

Electrical Necessities

This rower machine takes two D-cell batteries, that are included along with your buy. There’s no must situate the rower close to an outlet, so you’ll be able to transfer it round any room in your home or take it outside (one thing the Breaking Muscle employees members like to do when the climate permits).

Noise Stage

The Concept2 rower will be loud as a result of it’s an air resistance rower. The rower recruits air from the fan flywheel, and the extra air it recruits, the louder the sound turns into. A web-based evaluation signifies that the Concept2 rower has a decibel stage between 67 and 74, barely quieter than a vacuum cleaner.

Amanda Dvorak, considered one of Breaking Muscle’s editors, typically brings her rower indoors when her storage will get too chilly within the winter. Her husband, who’s a light-weight sleeper and often nonetheless in mattress when Amanda works out within the morning, has claimed that the noise doesn’t trouble him in any respect. Nonetheless, Amanda retains the rower on the primary stage of her residence, whereas her husband sleeps of their bed room on the second stage. In the event you stay in a one-story residence or a small condominium, the noise could also be extra bothersome to different individuals.

Portability

The Concept2 RowErg options two curler wheels on the entrance for portability. There is no such thing as a deal with on the again, however because the machine weighs simply 57 to 68 kilos (relying on whether or not you get the usual peak or the tall legs), it’s straightforward to position your hand underneath the monorail to raise it up.

The rower additionally breaks down into two items in case you don’t have sufficient room to depart it totally assembled on a regular basis. The house health club homeowners on the Breaking Muscle employees do that continuously and notice that it takes only a few seconds to disassemble the rail from the flywheel piece and reconnect them once more when wanted.

Guarantee

Each Idea 2 rower features a five-year guarantee for the body and a two-year guarantee for all different elements, which we contemplate fairly customary for the trade. Some rowers we’ve examined, just like the Echelon Row-S, solely have a 12-month guarantee. Nonetheless, different rowing machines, just like the CITYROW GoMax, supply a five-year body guarantee like Concept2 does.

Concept2 Rower vs. NordicTrack Rower

When evaluating the Concept2 rower and the NordicTrack rowers, a number of key variations stand out. Whereas the Concept2 RowErg has a easy show with no video courses, NordicTrack rowers include interactive screens. These screens vary from 10 to 22 inches and supply instructor-led stay and on-demand courses. These packages will be partaking and motivating for customers who take pleasure in structured exercises and following together with an teacher.

To entry this library of exercises, you will want an iFit subscription for about $39 a month. You don’t essentially want the subscription to make use of NordicTrack rowers, however you may be very restricted in utilizing all of the options of your interactive display screen.

Each manufacturers’ rowers additionally use air resistance, which supplies a easy and dynamic rowing expertise. Nonetheless, NordicTrack rowers add an additional layer of versatility with 26 digital resistance ranges. Concept2 doesn’t have conventional resistance ranges; the resistance depends upon how a lot air you enable into the flywheel based mostly in your damper setting and the way onerous you row.

By way of dimension, the Concept2 rower is 94 inches lengthy, whereas NordicTrack rowers vary from 82 to 87 inches lengthy. The Concept2 rower excels in power, because it helps customers of as much as 500 kilos. That is twice the load capability of the NordicTrack rowers.

The Concept2 rower additionally comes at a extra reasonably priced value than the NordicTrack RW700 and RW900, which price round $1,499 and $1,999, respectively. Nonetheless, as of this writing, the NordicTrack RW600 is on sale for round $900, about $90 cheaper than the Concept2 rower.

NordicTrack RW600

Dimensions: 87.02″ L x 22.0″ W x 47.24″ H

Storage: Folds in half for vertical storage

Resistance: Air and magnetic

Weight capability: 250 kilos

Show: 10-inch good HD touchscreen

Accessible programming: Stay and on-demand exercises, scenic rows

Check Price

Concept2 Rower vs. Peloton

One of many first noticeable variations between the Concept2 rower and the Peloton is the interactive monitor display screen. Peloton’s rowers function a large 23.8-inch swivel interactive monitor, which lets you have interaction in video-led periods. Nonetheless, accessing these courses requires a month-to-month subscription charge of round $44.

That is very completely different from the PM5 monitor supplied by Concept2, which doesn’t have video-led periods or subscription necessities. If interactive exercises and entry to an unlimited library of coaching content material are your priorities, the Peloton rowers is perhaps extra interesting.

Each rowers share related dimensions, guaranteeing a constant rowing expertise when it comes to house necessities and general setup. Nonetheless, the Concept2 rower has a outstanding weight capability of as much as 500 kilos. The Peloton rower, in distinction, has a decrease weight capability of 300 kilos, which might restrict its suitability for people with higher physique weight.

By way of value, Concept2 is the extra budget-friendly choice. The Peloton rower prices round $2,995, almost 3 times the price of the Concept2 erg.

Peloton Rower

Dimensions: 7’10” L x 24” W

Storage: Shops upright with the Upright Wall Anchor (included with buy)

Resistance: Electronically managed

Weight capability: 300 kilos

Show: 23.8-inch 1080p HD touchscreen

Accessible programming: Stay and on-demand exercises, scenic rows

Check Price

Concept2 Rower vs. Hydrow

One other nice model of rowing machines is Hydrow. Hydrow’s unique rower and the extra compact Wave rower supply an pleasurable experience resulting from their use of magnetic resistance. Like Peloton, Hydrow rowers have built-in screens for streaming partaking, motivating exercise courses.

Hydrow’s superior expertise and immersive expertise include the next price ticket. Their rowers begin at slightly below $1,900. The Concept2 rower presents a extra budget-friendly choice beginning at about $990. To be able to entry Hydrow’s library of exercises, you additionally must pay a month-to-month subscription of round $42.

Like Concept2, Hydrow’s rowers supply Bluetooth connectivity, permitting you to hook up with coronary heart fee screens and sync with health apps. By way of dimensions, the Hydrow rower measures 86 inches in size, 25 inches in width, and 47 inches in peak, making it barely extra compact than the Concept2 rower. It additionally has a lighter weight capability of 375 kilos. This doesn’t come close to the power of the Concept2 rower, which has a weight capability of 500 kilos.

Hydrow Wave Rower

Dimensions: 80″ L x 19″ W x 43″ H

Storage: Shops upright

Resistance: Magnetic

Weight capability: 375 kilos

Show: 16-inch HD touchscreen

Accessible programming: Stay and on-demand exercises, scenic rows

Check Price

Concept2 Rower Buyer Evaluations

On 4 websites, together with Amazon, the common ranking for the Concept2 rower is 4.8 out of 5 stars. Many individuals praised it for its sturdiness, fast setup, and storage capabilities. 

Regardless of all the reward, some prospects did notice a number of drawbacks. A number of prospects discovered the noise stage regarding for at-home exercises. Others additionally famous the limitation of the PM5 display screen and would like to have a bigger monitor that supplied tutorial movies as a substitute.

Ultimate Verdict: Is the Concept2 Rower Price It?

When you think about all of the options of a top-tier rower, the Concept2 rower is without doubt one of the finest. Concept2 has constructed a stable popularity of high quality and dependability with aggressive rowers, the CrossFit neighborhood, and residential health club customers who need tools that received’t cease working after a number of months.

By an intensive evaluation by our skilled group, it’s clear that the Concept2 rower will be nicely definitely worth the funding. It supplies a easy, sensible rowing expertise. It’s straightforward to construct and will final for years, particularly in a house health club. Realizing that this product exists in lots of houses and a number of business gyms, it’s onerous to search out one other rower that may push the Concept2 rower off the highest of the rostrum.

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