Pros
- Legendary durability — machines from the 1980s still run; rated for commercial-gym use
- No subscription, ever — the ErgData app and online logbook are free, and it works with Strava, Garmin, and 40+ apps
- The competition-standard PM5 delivers the most accurate, comparable data in the category
- Exceptional resale value (used units hold ~$800–$1,000) and cheap, user-installable parts
- Separates into two pieces with no tools for easy storage; 500 lb capacity fits nearly anyone
Cons
- Small, utilitarian PM5 monitor — no big touchscreen, no built-in instructor-led classes
- Air resistance makes a noticeable whoosh — louder than the magnetic and water rivals (an apartment consideration)
- Industrial look won’t suit buyers who want a piece of furniture
- You supply your own motivation; there’s no on-screen coaching to keep you going
Specifications
- 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
Performance
On the thing that matters most — rowing — the RowErg is the benchmark everything else is measured against. Its air resistance and flywheel deliver a smooth, responsive stroke, and the PM5 monitor produces the most accurate, universally-comparable data in the sport, which is exactly why competitions and elite programs standardize on it. The damper adjusts airflow (not absolute resistance — your effort sets that), and it pairs with the free ErgData app plus dozens of third-party platforms for tracking and even racing. What it doesn’t do is entertain you: there’s no touchscreen, no scenic classes, no instructor. For self-motivated rowers that’s a feature; for those who need coaching to show up, it’s the reason to consider a connected rower.
Build Quality
This is where the RowErg is untouchable. It’s built like commercial gym equipment because it is commercial gym equipment, with a simple air mechanism that has very few failure points — which is how 40-year-old units are still logging meters. Parts are cheap, widely stocked, and user-installable (the chain runs about $40 and lasts thousands of hours), so this is a machine you maintain rather than replace. The 5-year frame and 2-year parts warranty is solid, and uniquely it’s fully transferable, a quiet acknowledgement that these outlast their owners. It earns top marks for reliability and serviceability without qualification.
Value Assessment
Value is the RowErg’s decisive advantage, and the heart of its Editor’s Choice. At $990 with no subscription, ever, its true cost of ownership is a fraction of the connected rowers, which add $350–$530 a year in membership on top of higher sticker prices — over five years a Hydrow or Peloton can cost two to three times as much all-in. Add the best resale value in home fitness and a multi-decade lifespan, and the per-year cost is remarkably low. You give up a touchscreen and classes; you gain a machine that’s cheaper up front, free to run, and effectively permanent.
Who Should Buy It
Almost anyone who wants the most durable, accurate rower with zero ongoing cost — performance and data-focused rowers, value buyers who factor in resale and a no-subscription lifetime, and anyone self-motivated enough to row without on-screen coaching.
Who Should Skip It
People who genuinely need instructor-led classes or a big touchscreen to stay motivated (the Hydrow or Peloton Row), and apartment dwellers especially sensitive to the air flywheel’s noise (a magnetic or water rower is quieter).
Final Recommendation
The Concept2 RowErg is our Editor’s Choice and Best Overall rowing machine: the competition-standard erg, near-indestructible, with the most accurate data and — uniquely at this level — no subscription. It’s a utilitarian box rather than a furniture-grade screen, so if classes are what keep you rowing, look to a connected model. But for durability, accuracy, and value, it’s the one we’d buy and keep for decades.