Concept2 RowErg Rowing Machine Review
The gold-standard rower that lasts decades and trains your whole body.
The RowErg is the rower gyms, CrossFit boxes, and Olympic crews trust, and it earns that reputation by being almost impossible to wear out. Buy it once and you'll likely never shop for another.
What the Concept2 RowErg actually is
This is an air-resistance rower with a flywheel, a chain pull, and a damper lever that adjusts how the air gets into the cage. It is not a fancy connected machine with a glowing touchscreen telling you to push harder. It is a tool. The whole design has barely changed in decades because it didn't need to.
Resistance comes from how hard you pull, not from a dial. The damper (1 to 10) changes the feel, not the difficulty. Crank it to 10 and you get a heavy, drag-y stroke. Most experienced rowers sit around 3 to 5. That confuses first-timers who assume 10 means a tougher workout. It doesn't. It just means more air.
How it performs day to day
The stroke is smooth and the seat glides on a stainless steel rail that doesn't get sticky or squeaky the way cheaper rowers do within a year. The handle hangs at a natural height, the footrests adjust fast, and the chain is forgiving if your form is sloppy. You can hop on cold and get a real workout in ten minutes.
The PM5 monitor is the quiet hero here. It tracks pace, watts, calories, splits, distance, and heart rate, and it's accurate enough that competitive rowers use it to log races. It runs on D batteries, connects over Bluetooth and ANT+ to apps like ErgData and a long list of third-party platforms, and it'll keep working long after the bundled-screen competitors have orphaned their software.
Noise is the main lifestyle tradeoff. Air rowers make a whoosh on every stroke, louder at high intensity. It won't shake the house, but it's not the near-silent hum of a magnetic rower. Apartment dwellers with thin walls and sleeping roommates should plan around that.
The good and the annoying
Pros: it's genuinely built to last decades, the resale value is absurd (a used one holds its price better than most cars), it separates into two pieces for storage, and it gives a full-body workout that hits legs, core, back, and arms. Concept2's customer support and parts availability are also far better than the industry norm.
Cons: the price stings at roughly $900 to $1,100, the bare-bones look won't excite anyone who wanted a Peloton-style screen, and storing it standing on end still takes a footprint of floor and wall. There's no built-in instructor cheering you on. If you need a class telling you what to do, the RowErg leaves you to your own devices, with the PM5 and free apps as your only coaching.
Who should buy it, and who should skip it
Buy it if you want one rower for life, care about accurate metrics, or expect to actually train rather than dabble. It's the obvious pick for serious home gyms and anyone who's used the same model at a CrossFit box and wants it at home.
Skip it if a quiet magnetic rower matters more than performance, if you specifically want a touchscreen and live workout classes (look at the Hydrow or Aviron instead), or if you're not sure you'll stick with rowing. For a tentative beginner, a cheaper magnetic rower is a lower-risk first step, though plenty of people regret not just buying the RowErg upfront.
The verdict
The Concept2 RowErg is the safest expensive fitness purchase you can make. It's not the prettiest machine and it won't entertain you, but it works flawlessly, lasts essentially forever, and holds its value if you ever sell it. For anyone serious about rowing, it's the default recommendation and has been for years.
Frequently asked questions
- What damper setting should I use on the Concept2 RowErg?
- Start around 3 to 5. The damper controls airflow and stroke feel, not overall difficulty. A higher number isn't a harder workout, it just makes each pull heavier and slower. Most experienced rowers stay in the mid range to protect their form and joints.
- Is the Concept2 RowErg loud?
- It makes a noticeable whooshing sound on each stroke since it's air-powered, and it gets louder the harder you pull. It won't disturb the floor below, but it's audible across a room. If near-silent operation is a priority, a magnetic rower is quieter.
- Does the Concept2 RowErg need a subscription?
- No. The PM5 monitor and Concept2's free ErgData app track all your data at no cost, and it connects to many third-party apps over Bluetooth and ANT+. There's no mandatory membership, unlike screen-based rowers such as the Hydrow.
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