Concept2 RowErg Review: Still the Default After 40 Years?
The RowErg is the machine every other rower is measured against, and the PM5 monitor is the reason: it produces numbers that are comparable between machines, between people and across years. Buy it if you want low impact conditioning that will not interfere with heavy lifting and a machine that holds its value. Skip it if you have no wall to store 8 feet of rower against, or if you want a machine that asks nothing technical of you.
The one piece of home cardio equipment with a genuine resale market, and the two things that catch buyers out.
Concept2 RowErg Indoor Rowing Machine with PM5 Monitor, Device Holder and Adjustable Air Resistance
Under $1,000
An air resistance rower with the PM5 performance monitor, Bluetooth and ANT+, a 500 lb user capacity and a frame that separates into two pieces for storage.
Check price on AmazonSpecifications
| Resistance | Air, with an adjustable damper on the flywheel |
|---|---|
| Monitor | Performance Monitor 5 with Bluetooth and ANT+ |
| Seat height | 14 inches |
| User capacity | 500 lb |
| Space to use | 9 ft by 4 ft recommended |
| Storage | Separates into two pieces, caster wheels |
| Power | Two D cell batteries, monitor also draws from the spinning flywheel |
| Warranty | 5 year frame |
Specifications above come from Concept2's published product information for the RowErg. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.
What it does well
- The PM5 produces standardised numbers, so a 2,000 metre time on your machine means the same thing as one on any other Concept2 anywhere.
- It separates into two pieces without tools and rolls on casters, which is the only reason an 8 foot machine fits in a normal room.
- A 500 lb user capacity and a 5 year frame warranty put it well outside the disposable cardio category.
- Bluetooth and ANT+ with a device holder, so it connects to over 40 apps and to a chest strap without an adapter.
- It has the strongest used market of any home cardio machine, which makes the real cost of ownership far lower than the sticker.
Where it falls short
- It needs 9 feet by 4 feet of clear floor to use. That is a large claim on a garage, and unlike a rack it cannot share its footprint with anything while you are on it.
- Storage solves the floor but not the wall. Split in two it stands upright against something, and if you have no such wall you own a permanent 8 foot machine.
- It is loud. The noise is the flywheel moving air, the same physics as an air bike, and it carries through a floor to the room below.
- The stroke has to be learned. A rower driven with the arms and lower back rather than the legs turns into a back fatigue machine, and that is the single most common way people conclude rowing is not for them.
- It builds conditioning, not maximal strength, and at this price it competes directly with the barbell half of a first home gym.
What owners report
Owner reports on the RowErg are unusually uniform for a machine at this price, and the recurring theme is that it does not wear out. Complaints about build quality are rare. What does come up repeatedly is the damper setting, which many owners describe misunderstanding at first: the lever changes how the stroke feels rather than how hard the machine is, and pulling on 10 all the time is a common early mistake that people report correcting later.
The other consistent report is noise, particularly from apartment owners and from anyone with a room below. The flywheel is the source and it behaves like any air resistance machine. The third is footprint. Owners who bought without measuring 9 feet of clear floor describe rearranging the room around it, which is the outcome to plan for rather than discover.
Where it fits in a build
A rower is a conditioning purchase, and conditioning comes after the rack, bar, plates, bench and flooring in the buying order. Once you are there, the honest choice is between this and an air bike. The bike is harsher per minute and demands no skill, the rower is easier on the knees and loads the whole posterior chain, and we put them side by side in rower vs air bike. If a treadmill is also on the list, treadmill vs rower covers that pairing.
The deciding factor for most people is the room rather than the training. Measure 9 feet by 4 feet of genuinely clear floor with the gym space planner before you order, and if the room is tight, our Schwinn AD7 Airdyne review covers the machine that fits where a rower will not.
Who it suits
- Lifters who want low impact conditioning that does not leave the legs wrecked for squat day.
- Anyone who trains to numbers, since the PM5 makes every session directly comparable.
- Heavier users, given the published 500 lb capacity.
- People with a wall to stand it against, which is what makes the footprint survivable.
Who should skip it
- Rooms without 9 feet by 4 feet of clear floor while it is in use.
- Apartments over a neighbour, because the flywheel carries.
- Anyone who wants a machine that requires no technique, where an air bike is the better fit.
- First time buyers who still need a rack, barbell and plates.
Alternatives worth considering
Schwinn Fitness AD7 Airdyne Bike
Under $2,500
An air bike needs no technique, occupies less clear floor than a 9 foot rower and hits the same conditioning target, which makes it the better answer in a tight garage.
Check price on Amazonpooboo Air-Resistance Exercise Fan Bike with Dual Action Handlebars
Under $500
Half the price, so the money left over covers a bench or a set of plates, which matters more than machine quality when the barbell side of the gym is not finished.
Check price on AmazonKeep reading
This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Frequently asked questions
How much space does a Concept2 RowErg need?
Concept2 recommends 9 feet by 4 feet of space for use. That is the number that decides whether you can own one, and it is clear floor rather than a footprint you can crowd, because the seat travels most of the machine's length and your hands go past the front. For storage it separates into two pieces without tools and rolls on casters, so the standing footprint drops to roughly the width of the frame against a wall. Measure the 9 foot dimension before anything else.
What does the damper setting on a RowErg actually do?
It changes how much air reaches the flywheel, which changes the feel of the stroke rather than the difficulty of the workout. A high damper feels heavy and slow like a big boat, a low damper feels light and fast. The resistance you experience comes from how hard you pull, not from the lever, which is why the monitor's pace and watts are the honest measure of effort. Many rowers settle somewhere in the middle. Setting it to 10 and leaving it there is the most common beginner mistake and tends to cost stroke quality rather than gain fitness.
Is a rower loud enough to annoy neighbours?
Yes, in an apartment or over a bedroom. The flywheel produces resistance by moving air, and moving air is audible, so a rower behaves much like an air bike on noise. On a ground floor slab in a garage it is a non-issue. Above someone else's ceiling it is the sound plus the low frequency thump of the seat and chain that travels. Rubber flooring under the feet helps with transmitted vibration and does nothing for the fan.
Concept2 RowErg vs air bike: which should you buy?
Buy the rower if you want a full body machine that spares the knees, if you train to numbers, and if you have 9 feet of clear floor and a wall to store it against. Buy the air bike if the room is tight, if you want maximum conditioning per minute, or if you would rather not learn a technical movement. The bike is the harder machine and the rower is the more transferable one. Our rower vs air bike comparison covers both cases in detail.
Is the RowErg worth it against a cheaper rower?
Two things separate it. The first is the PM5, which produces numbers that are standardised across every Concept2 in the world, so your times mean something outside your own garage. The second is resale, because the used market for these machines is strong enough that the real cost of ownership is far below the purchase price. A cheaper magnetic rower is quieter and takes less space, and it will not give you either of those.
How we choose: we compare published manufacturer specifications, stated load ratings, and verified owner reviews. We do not test equipment in person. Rack anchoring, floor loading and spotting carry real injury and property risk, so treat everything here as researched guidance rather than coaching or structural engineering advice, follow the manufacturer's rated capacity and installation instructions, and get a licensed professional involved before you drill into concrete or load a floor you are unsure about.
