Hydrow - Connected Rower - Silver/Black

This has been compared to as the Peloton of rowers, but it is much better as rowing activates more muscles. I’ve been rowing on various machines for years at gyms, this one is solid and constructed very well. I love how quite it is, and how the pull feels. The screen is large and the content is great to keep you motivated. I wish it would sync heart rate with my Apple Watch. I work for Best Buy, but bought this on my own and did not get paid to review this. My review is my sole opinion.

I just got this today, so excited and set it up. The rower is really not functional unless you have a membership which is $38 plus tax. Jeez! It is Smooth without the program but there is no way to adjust anything without the membership. That is almost $500 a year!

Quieter than most rowers and so far seems durable and well built. Easy to set up yourself but heavy to move. You do need to have the monthly membership to use which is worth it. Some of the videos provide different views as you are rowing which keeps you engaged. Live classes, on demand classes or just yourself rowing down a body of water to keep you motivated. Overall glad I made the purchase!

I did a lot of research and this one kept coming up on top. I've never rowed in my life, but I wanted a full body workout. That's why I went with the Hydrow over a Peloton. I've only had it for one day, but I am actually excited to use it again and again. It's $38 plus tax extra each month for their videos, and totally worth it IMO. Great teachers guiding you through a fun workout. UNPACKING TIP: The cardboard edges are like razors. I got a few paper cuts while taking it out of the box. I would recommend wearing gloves, or at least go slow and watch the edges. Also, be sure to use the 2 washers in the correct order on each of the 4 bolts when putting on the leg that comes detached. Easy setup and fits perfect in the corner of my den.

Whether you are a rower or not, the mechanics of this equipment are great - low impact and yet it exercises your whole body and enhances cardio. I am actually an ex rower and the way this feels is much closer to actually being on the water than other machines I've used - the "catch" when the virtual oar bites the virtual water is much sharper than air-fans (Concept 2) and the resistance during the rest of the stroke is more authentic and adjustable than the water-rower which I used to own. That's the foundation - without that, it wouldn't matter how good the video part is. But the video part is really wonderful; when the weather is bad or you are in quarantine, how about a row on Loch Ness? Copying the technique of the athletes is really helpful and they are nice people - and they don't expect everyone to be an expert. And the live-rows (even though on East Coast Time) are fun to join sometimes. The whole family uses this (although not as much as me!)

I'll admit it, the ads finally got to me, and I have two tall daughters. My hope is that one of them might get into rowing and then all of this will be worthwhile. In the short term, it is completely worthwhile. As a complete newbie to the rowing world, my form was completely terrible until about the tenth workout. I'm sure my form is still pretty mediocre, but the variety of trainers makes their effort at being inclusive and encouraging growth mindset seem less preachy and just good practice. The machine itself is inviting, and frankly, the workout is real. I've never been able to row for more than seven minutes before and before I tweaked my shoulder I was up to a happy half hour. I'm going to have to work on stretching and take a couple of weeks off, but if you have more than one person in the house that would keep up with the machine it is completely worthwhile even with the montly costs. During this time of shelter-in-place directives, I could think of no better workout to take with me into middle age. I'm a very tall 38-year-old at the moment and created knee and back problems due to my size and my years of playing and coaching basketball. The device is great, and add-ons are worth waiting for, but the device is also worth having immediately. I'm glad I got the workout mat and the hyperice pneumatic massage gun thrown in. I am jealous that I didn't get the ridiculous black Friday deal or indigogo deal. That said, delivery was smooth and wonderful and setting it up was a stretch solo, but doable.

I own a Peloton bike and I use it regularly. The biggest issue with the bike is that it's almost all quad. Your upper leg is working like crazy and the cardio is really intense. The problem with the bike is that it doesn't do the rest of your body. I bought the Hydrow to try to get a full body workout and it's really great. You're effectively doing a squat, crunch and push up each time you row. When it's over you really feel as though you've worked out your entire body. The classes are great too. You see the instructor on the screen and you're mirroring them, so when they go fast so do you. I took a class yesterday and they were in Miami and there were dolphins in the open water. It was pretty neat. Anyway, it's nice to go stroke for stroke with them and it makes it a lot more enjoyable than a traditional rower. I love it and my family has been using it more than the Peloton.

Initially, this product was a lesson learned in doing proper research. Although it is very high quality, a major downside was prior to 2020, the product required a paid subscription to use. About $30 to $40 a month. However, due to many customer complaints, hydrorow updated the software to allow a free row mode, which allows the user to change resistance and keeps track of time and strokes. Since then, it is a much better experience.