Rower

The rowing machine is the most honest piece of cardio equipment in any gym: legs, core, back and arms in one movement – without pounding your joints. That is why it sits in almost every box, every training room and more and more home gyms.

We deliberately stock air-resistance ergometers from Concept2 only. Not out of convenience – because they hold up over years of daily use, and because competition rowing happens on air. If you want to buy a rowing machine that still runs in ten years, you are in the right place.

Which rowing machine fits your setup?

The question is rarely "which brand" but "what for". A rower in a home gym runs a few times a week and has to be out of the way afterwards. One in a box runs seven days a week with changing athletes and never gets put away. Those are two different jobs.

We have been fitting out gyms for over ten years and we train on these machines ourselves. What we have learned: with a rowing machine it is not the features that matter, but whether the mechanics still run the same after three years.

Concept2 RowErg Indoor Rudergerät – Concept 2 mit PM5-Monitor, Frontansicht

Why we only stock air resistance

With air resistance you decide how hard it gets: the harder you pull, the more resistance the flywheel builds. The machine adapts to whoever sits on it – no conversion, no setting.

That is exactly why competition rowing happens on air, and why we stock nothing else. Water and magnetic machines have their place. For a room where different people train every day and figures need to stay comparable, they are the wrong choice.

The Concept2 RowErg is the benchmark everything is measured against – CHF 1'195. The StrengthErg (CHF 1'895) goes one step further: shorter, heavier pulls for strength endurance.

Concept2 RowErg Rudergerät – Seitenansicht mit Luftwiderstandstrommel und vernickelter Zugkette

Space, floor and neighbours – what planning usually forgets

A rowing machine needs more floor than most people plan for – around two and a half metres in use, plus air behind the flywheel. Exact dimensions are on the product page. In a gym, add room to get on and off.

More important than space is often the floor. The rails transmit every stroke into the structure – in an apartment building the floor below hears that, even though the machine itself is quiet. A rubber mat underneath decouples it noticeably.

What makes sense in your case depends on the build-up: screed, timber joists and concrete behave completely differently. That is exactly what we look at before a project – flooring and placement are part of choosing the machine, not an afterthought.

Frequently asked questions about rowing machines

What does a good rowing machine cost?

The Concept2 RowErg is CHF 1'195, the StrengthErg CHF 1'895. Below that, savings are made on the mechanics, and you notice after a few hundred sessions. Above it you are mostly paying for displays, not for durability.

Which rowing machine works at home?

If you row three or four times a week and want to store it afterwards: the RowErg. It separates into two parts and one person can move it. Worry less about features and more about whether you can really put it away on your own – otherwise it stays out.

How much space does a rowing machine need?

In use, count on roughly two and a half metres of length and a good half metre of width, plus some air behind the flywheel. Stored upright the footprint shrinks considerably. Exact dimensions are on each product page.

Is a rowing machine loud?

The machine itself barely – the flywheel sounds roughly like a fan. What neighbours hear is usually structure-borne noise through the floor. A decoupling rubber mat solves that in almost every case.

Why do you not stock water rowers?

Because they are rarely the right choice for our customers. The feel is pleasant, but the resistance cannot be compared as cleanly as with air – and that matters as soon as several people train on the same machine or you want to track your numbers over months.

Rowing machine or cross trainer?

The rowing machine demands considerably more muscle and trains the posterior chain, which usually gets neglected. The cross trainer is easier to use and forgives technical mistakes. Learn to row properly and you get more out of the rower.

Which rowing machine is used in competition?

Competition formats such as Hyrox and CrossFit row on air-resistance ergometers. If you are training towards a competition, work on the same type of machine – the pull characteristics of water and magnetic machines are different.

How long does a rowing machine last?

With good mechanics and a little care, ten years and more is realistic, even in daily use. The chain or drive belt and the seat rollers are wear parts – having spares available matters more at purchase than any display.