Best overall
The standard rower, about $990.
About $990 (tall legs $1,155)
Check priceBest Rowing Machines of 2026
The best rowing machines of 2026: Concept2 RowErg, Rogue Echo Rower, Ergatta Lite and a budget Merach, compared on storage, warranty and owner reports.
The best rowing machine for almost everyone is the Concept2 RowErg: the standard machine for rowing teams, with comparable numbers, a split-in-two design and strong resale value, for about $990. If it must fold away in one piece, get the Rogue Echo Rower.
Few home gym categories have a clearer winner than rowers. As of October 2026, we’ve compared the rowers on the top-ranking review lists with what owners say on r/Rowing and r/HydrowCrew, and checked every price, capacity, storage option and warranty on the brand’s own site. Four are worth buying, and one of them is the answer for most people.
Best folding
Folds on its wheels, 500 lb rating.
About $925
Check price
Best for motivation
Water rower with games, about $1,700.
About $1,700, plus membership
Check price
Best budget
Merach NovaRow R50 Pro Air Rower
Air rower for about $560.
About $560
Check price| Pick | Product | Type | Size | Warranty | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Concept2 RowErg Check price | Air rower | 8 × 2 ft (splits in two) | 5 yr frame, 2 yr parts | About $990 (tall legs $1,155) |
| Folding | Rogue Echo Rower Check price | Air rower, folds | 99″ long | 5 yr frame, 2 yr parts | About $925 |
| Motivation | Ergatta Lite Rower Check price | Water rower with screen | Wood frame | 5 years | About $1,700, plus membership |
| Budget | Merach NovaRow R50 Pro Air Rower Check price | Air rower | Full-length rail | 2 years | About $560 |
Prices checked October 2026 on each brand's site and change often. Tap a product to jump to its review.
Best Rowing Machine Overall: Concept2 RowErg
Best for cardio that lasts decades
The rower most gyms use, for a third of what some connected rowers cost. It holds its value so well that buying one is close to risk-free.
- Monitor
- PM5
- Footprint
- 8 × 2 ft (9 × 4 ft in use)
- Storage
- Splits into two pieces, no tools
- User capacity
- 500 lb (Concept2-tested)
- Warranty
- 5 years frame, 2 years parts
- Price
- About $990 (tall legs $1,155)
The RowErg is the rower we’d buy, and the one r/Rowing tells almost everyone to buy. Its PM5 monitor produces the numbers that rowing teams and online rankings use, so your 2,000 m time means the same as everyone else’s. It splits into two pieces for storage, works with many apps without a subscription, and has a 500 lb user rating.
It’s louder than a water rower, and $990 isn’t cheap, but Concept2s hold their value so well that owners call them easy to resell. A used one is often the best deal in home cardio.
What we like
- The standard every other rower is measured against
- Separates in two for storage
- Holds resale value extremely well
- No subscription; free apps sync with Strava and Garmin
What we don't
- Needs 9 ft of length in use
- Fan noise at high effort
- Basic seat
What owners say
Owners call it the “gold standard” and a workhorse that lasts decades; gyms keep the same units for 15 years. Because used RowErgs sell for close to new, owners suggest buying one and reselling if rowing doesn’t stick, rather than buying a cheap rower to test the idea.
Skip it if: You don’t have 9 ft of floor length, even temporarily.
Best Folding Rowing Machine: Rogue Echo Rower
Best for a Concept2 alternative that folds instead of splitting
Rogue’s air rower is the official rower of the CrossFit Games. It folds on its wheels for storage and carries a 500 lb user rating.
- Resistance
- Air, adjustable damper
- Length
- 99″
- Weight
- 72.6 lb
- Capacity
- 500 lb; up to 38″ inseam
- Storage
- Folds on integrated wheels, no disassembly
- Warranty
- 5 years frame, 2 years moving parts and monitor
- Price
- About $925
If you want to fold your rower away in one piece, the Echo Rower folds on its integrated wheels with no disassembly. It’s the official rower of the CrossFit Games, has a 500 lb capacity and a five-year frame warranty, and averages 4.8 out of 5 from 414 reviews on Rogue’s site. It costs about $925.
Its scores aren’t directly comparable with Concept2’s, and it doesn’t have the same resale market.
What we like
- Folds without taking apart
- 500 lb capacity
- 4.8 out of 5 from 414 reviews on Rogue’s site
- Five-year frame warranty
What we don't
- Scores don’t compare directly with the Concept2 standard
- Costs about the same as a RowErg
- Less resale demand than a Concept2
What owners say
Rogue’s own reviews average 4.8 out of 5 from 414. On r/Rowing, the community line is that Concept2 is the reference machine: its numbers are the standard teams and online rankings use, and it resells easily. Buy the Echo Rower if folding storage matters more to you than comparable scores.
Skip it if: You want to compare times with other rowers. Get the Concept2.
Best Rowing Machine for Motivation: Ergatta Lite Rower
Best for people who need games and goals to keep rowing
A wooden water rower with a 17.3″ touchscreen running game-based workouts that calibrate to you. The workouts need Ergatta’s membership.
- Resistance
- Water
- Screen
- 17.3″ HD touchscreen with game-based workouts
- Weight
- 72 lb with water
- Capacity
- 320 lb; up to 6′4″ or 38″ inseam
- Frame
- Oak, handmade in the USA
- Warranty
- 5 years
- Price
- About $1,700, plus membership
If a plain monitor won’t keep you rowing, the Ergatta Lite turns workouts into games on a 17.3″ touchscreen and calibrates them to your fitness. It uses water resistance, which owners on r/Rowing note is quieter than a Concept2, and its oak frame is handmade in the USA. It has a five-year warranty.
It costs about $1,700, and the workouts need Ergatta’s paid membership. In the broader rower threads, some owners of subscription rowers regret being tied to a brand’s pricing.
What we like
- Quiet, smooth water resistance
- Games and programmes help with motivation
- Looks like furniture in a living room
- Five-year warranty
What we don't
- Workouts need a paid membership
- Costs much more than a Concept2
- Very few owner reviews on Ergatta’s site
What owners say
We found few Ergatta Lite owner reports. In the broader rower threads, people who chose a connected rower over a Concept2 say the classes kept them rowing, while others regret being tied to a subscription after a brand raised prices. On r/Rowing, owners note water rowers are quieter than a Concept2.
Skip it if: You’ll row with a podcast or your own plan. A Concept2 is cheaper and needs no membership.
Best Budget Rowing Machine: Merach NovaRow R50 Pro Air Rower
Best for an air rower for well under Concept2 money
A Concept2-style air rower for about $560. It has a backlit monitor and app sync, and a two-year warranty.
- Resistance
- Air
- Monitor
- Backlit LCD; syncs with the Merach app
- Seat
- Contoured, grooved seat
- Footrests
- Wide pedals with 2″ straps
- Warranty
- 2 years
- Price
- About $560
The NovaRow R50 Pro is an air rower in the Concept2 mould for about $560, with a backlit monitor and app sync. Merach’s own reviews average 4.8 out of 5 from 61.
r/Rowing is sceptical of it: the warranty is two years, its numbers don’t compare with Concept2’s, and nobody knows yet how repairable it’ll be. If a used Concept2 is available near you for similar money, buy that.
What we like
- Roughly half the price of a Concept2
- Air resistance feels like the real thing
- 4.8 out of 5 from 61 reviews on Merach’s site
What we don't
- Two-year warranty
- Scores aren’t comparable with Concept2’s
- Long-term durability unknown; r/Rowing is sceptical
What owners say
On r/Rowing, commenters are blunt: most say buy a used Concept2 instead, because Concept2 scores are the standard, it resells well and parts are easy to find. They describe the Merach as a copy whose repairability is unknown. Merach’s own reviews average 4.8 out of 5 from 61.
Skip it if: You can find a used Concept2 for similar money. Buy that.
How to choose a rowing machine
Air or water
Air rowers (Concept2, Rogue, Merach) get harder the harder you pull and give the most consistent numbers. Water rowers (Ergatta) are quieter and smoother-sounding. Magnetic rowers are quietest of all but feel least like real rowing.
Comparable numbers
If you’ll ever compare times with friends, teams or online rankings, only Concept2’s numbers are the standard.
Storage
The Concept2 splits in two; the Rogue Echo Rower folds whole. Water rowers like the Ergatta can usually stand upright. Allow at least 8 feet of length for rowing.
Subscriptions
Concept2, Rogue and Merach rowers work without a subscription. Connected rowers such as Ergatta and Hydrow need one for their classes. Some owners run a class app on a tablet mounted to a Concept2 instead.
Why we left out Hydrow
Hydrow is on most “best rower” lists, but we couldn’t verify its current specs and prices on its site. On Reddit, opinion is split: some owners love the classes and quiet ride, while others say the brand raised prices and cut services and regret being locked in. One Concept2 owner simply runs the Hydrow app on an iPad mounted to their rower.
How we chose
We started with the rowers on the top-ranking lists for “best rowing machine”, then weighed them against the r/Rowing community’s recommendations and owner threads on r/HydrowCrew. We checked price, resistance type, capacity, storage and warranty on each brand’s own site in October 2026. We haven’t tested every rower hands-on. How we research.
Rowing pairs well with a treadmill or exercise bike for variety, or see the full home gym equipment guide.
Deciding between cardio machines? Read treadmill vs rowing machine.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best rowing machine?
The Concept2 RowErg is the best rowing machine for almost everyone. For about $990 it has the PM5 monitor whose numbers are the standard for rowing teams and online rankings, splits in two for storage, and resells easily. On r/Rowing it's the default recommendation, new or used.
Is a used Concept2 better than a new budget rower?
Usually, yes. r/Rowing's consistent advice is that a used Concept2 beats a new budget rower at a similar price: its numbers are comparable with everyone else's, parts are easy to get, and it holds its resale value. Budget air rowers like the Merach R50 are cheaper new but have shorter warranties and unknown long-term repairability.
Air or water rowing machine: which is better?
Air rowers like the Concept2 give the most accurate, comparable numbers and are the standard for training. Water rowers like the Ergatta Lite are quieter and feel more relaxing, and many people prefer their looks. Owners on r/Rowing say the Concept2 is louder than a water rower but feels more like rowing on water.
How much space does a rowing machine need?
The Concept2 takes about 8 x 2 feet while rowing; leave extra room around it. For storage, the Concept2 splits into two pieces and the Rogue Echo Rower folds on its wheels without disassembly.
Do I need a subscription for a rowing machine?
Not for the Concept2, Rogue Echo Rower or Merach R50; they all work without one. Connected rowers like the Ergatta Lite need a paid membership for their workouts and games. Some Concept2 owners run third-party class apps on a tablet instead.
Sources
- Concept2: RowErg
- Rogue Fitness: Echo Rower
- Ergatta: Ergatta Lite
- Merach: NovaRow R50 Pro Air Rower
- r/Rowing wiki: Which erg should I buy?
- r/Rowing: WaterRower vs Concept2, which is better?
- r/Rowing: Merach rowing machines
- r/Rowing: Merach NovaRow R50 opinions
- r/HydrowCrew: Should I buy a used Hydrow or a Concept2?