Concept2 RowErg vs Hydrow Wave
Updated June 2026
We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page — it never affects our scores or picks. How we make money.
Quick Winner: Concept2 RowErg
For nearly everyone the Concept2 wins on durability, accuracy, and cost — but the Hydrow is the one to buy if instructor-led classes are what keep you rowing.
Score comparison
Specifications
Concept2 RowErg
- Resistance
- Air (flywheel), 10-setting damper
- Monitor
- PM5 — accurate metrics; Bluetooth + ANT+; free ErgData app (no subscription)
- Subscription
- None required — ever
- Max user weight
- 500 lb
- Storage
- Separates into two pieces, no tools; caster wheels
- Fits users to
- ~6'6" (rail extension available)
- Machine weight
- 57 lb (standard legs)
- Warranty
- 5-yr frame / 2-yr parts (PM5 included); fully transferable
Hydrow Wave
- Resistance
- Electromagnetic (computer-controlled drag, 300 levels) — very quiet
- Screen
- 16" HD touchscreen (fixed; smaller than Arc/Origin)
- Membership
- ~$44/month required (live + on-demand classes, off-rower content)
- Weight
- 102 lb — ~30% lighter than the Origin/Arc
- Footprint / storage
- 80" × 19"; stores vertically
- Max user weight
- 375 lb
- Data
- No open data export or third-party app support
- Warranty
- 5-yr frame / 12-mo parts, screen & labor
The verdict
This matchup is really about how you stay motivated and what you’re willing to pay over time. The Concept2 RowErg is the gold standard: the competition machine, near-indestructible, with the most accurate data, the best resale value, and — decisively — no subscription, at $990. The Hydrow Wave is a connected rower built around immersive, instructor-led classes on quiet magnetic resistance, lighter and more storable, at ~$1,695 plus a ~$44/month membership that’s effectively mandatory and that the machine can’t function without. Over five years the Hydrow can cost two to three times as much all-in, and it loses most of its value if you cancel. Choose the Hydrow if you genuinely need on-screen classes and a coach to show up and will pay for them for years; for almost everyone else — performance rowers, value buyers, anyone wary of lock-in — the Concept2 is more durable, more accurate, and far cheaper to own, which is why it’s our overall pick.