The Best Rowing Machines for a Swole Year

“Row, row, row your boat…” You get the idea. There’s some value in keeping that old nursery rhyme playing in your head—especially when it comes to rowing yourself to swoleness this year. For what it’s worth, the benefits of rowing are clear;  it’s a full-body workout for all fitness levels that also serves as excellent cross training for other athletic pursuits such as running and lifting. That said, who even has consistent access to a rowboat, much less lives near a sizable body of water, anyway? (Like we’re gonna spend hours on top of a freezing lake or river in the middle of winter.) 

Although we enjoy a good kayaking session and scenic, crystal blue waters, for most of us, it’s home rowing machines that are going to be our main simulacra for hauling oars. Designed to recreate the sensation of moving a boat across water, these machines boast many of the same low-impact, full-body benefits as actual rowing does—simultaneously working multiple muscle groups, including your core, arms, quads, hamstrings, glutes, and back; improving cardiovascular endurance; and burning tons of calories, all without the need to have access to a lake house or a boat club. Will you be a poser if you ever actually tried to go full Winklevoss and enter the Henley Royal Regatta? Maybe, but at least you’ll look like a beefcake poser. 

With that, we found the best rowing machines for grinding away instead of being plopped on the couch and staring off into space. It’s 2023, and we’re rowing our way to the finish line.

Rowing is an excellent full-body workout, but cross training makes each workout feel progressively easier—that is, unless you adjust your machine accordingly. While in progress, expect a buttery smooth, quiet ride with its silent magnetic resistance technology, sliding rail system, and inertia-enhanced flywheel. Follow virtual workouts on the screen while receiving automatic resistance adjustment during training sessions. NordicTrack’s machine also offers not only a classic rowing workout, but tons of strength training and yoga sessions as well, easily viewable from a variety of angles thanks to its featured rotating monitor. 

Bring the Great Lakes to your dungeon with this impressive, top-rated rowing simulator by Hydrow. Think of it as the Peloton of rowing machines; its electromagnetic drag mechanism and industrial-grade webbed strap produces silent strokes so you can row your faux boat at all hours of the night. This one also gives gym-experience energy with its on-the-mat integrated workouts, with plentiful options including yoga, pilates, and strength training to get you yoked for that upcoming cruise to Cancun. 

It’s not a roundup without a tech-savvy budget pick. For under $300, the Sunny machine’s features include an extra-long 48” slide rail, LCD monitor to display health stats, adjustable magnetic resistance, transportable wheels, and non-slip foot pedals. It has a 4.4-star rating and over 17,000 reviews on Amazon. One reviewer even describes it as an “ab fab rowing machine,” if you want to score some chiseled abs. Equinox who? 

If you’re a beginner, the Echelon is a good basic—yet fancy—model. It provides 32 virtually silent magnetic resistance levels with the controls at the handlebars. Follow along speed, strength, endurance, and fusion classes live or on-demand with a membership, or be your own personal trainer. Built-in wheels also allow for easy portability. It’s also simple to put together, which is always a plus; one reviewer on Amazon described assembling it to be a “sheer pleasure.” 

Another model from Sunny, this rower is the best bang for your buck if you’re content without all the thrills of a fancy machine. It gets the job done with 12-level adjustable resistance, a simple digital monitor, and adjustable pedal straps for a stable ride. It may be under $100, but it has a 4.4 star rating and over 16,000 reviews on Amazon.  

Just don’t fall overboard. 

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.