Best Budget Rowing Machine 2021

Health and fitness are important to many people, and one of the easiest ways to maintain or build your fitness levels is to go to the gym. With Covid19 and lockdowns, getting to the gym has been harder or outright impossible, leading to many people taking up home fitness instead. While you can do some exercises at home without requiring any, or only minimal equipment, there are some things that you need a proper exercise machine for.

Unfortunately, exercise machines, such as home bikes and treadmills tend to be quite expensive and bulky. Rowing machines are no exception, but are a great full-body workout and are one of the most effective ways to burn calories quickly. Thankfully there are cheaper rowing machines that still offer a good experience.

To help you find a good budget-friendly choice, we’ve drawn up our list of the best budget rowing machines in 2021.

The Sunny Health & Fitness Obsidian Surge 500 is a water rower for around a third of the price you normally see them at. One of the advantages of water resistance machines is the precisely configurable resistance thanks to the fact that you can adjust the water level. This model supports users up to 300lbs and has a rail that is 42 inches long. It’s important to note that this may be too short for users taller than 6 feet.

When the rower is not in use it can be stored upright, even with water in the tank, to significantly reduce the space it takes up. it can be easily moved thanks to the wheels on the front and placed evenly on uneven surfaces thanks to the rear levelers. You should be aware that many users report poor or non-existent customer service, and that the tilting pedals can work the securing bolt loose over time.

The Schwinn Crewmaster Rower comes from a brand known for its bikes and cycling equipment. This means that it has a reputation for good quality and customer service, especially when you buy directly from its website. It uses magnetic resistance which requires less maintenance and is quieter than air or water resistance-based rowers.

It supports users up to 300lbs but never advertises the length of the rail or what user heights this is suitable for, so taller people may find this unusable. It folds up when not in use to reduce the space it takes up. It features ten resistance levels and comes with a solid warranty if you have any issues. The main downsides are that it pushes the budget category a bit at just under $500 and that the screen only tracks and displays basic stats compared to alternatives.

The Stamina ATS Air Rower is a super basic entry point to rowing machines. It comes with a price tag of around $350 and achieves this by cutting out basically all of the frills. The screen is small and only displays basic stats: speed, distance, time, and calories. Resistance is provided by the air and can be adjusted only by the speed at which you row. Some may try to claim this makes the resistance adjustable, however, there is no way to adjust the amount of airflow and resistance without changing pace. This means if the resistance is wrong for you at the pace you prefer, you can’t change It without manually modifying the machine.

Some of the cost savings also affected how sturdy the machine is. It only supports users up to 250lbs, and the 90-day parts warranty comes with warnings from a number of user reviews that it’s short for a reason. When assembled the rower can reportedly support users of at least 6 foot 2, and can be folded up when not in use.

The Stamina BodyTrac Glider 1060 is a super cheap orbital rower. An orbital rower uses two distinct and pivoting arms rather than a single central handle which provides a more realistic rowing motion. The design of this model minimises its length which may be useful for people with minimal space at home. You should be aware that it is a fair bit wider than traditional rowers because of the arms.

Resistance is provided by a pneumatic tube and has ten adjustable levels. A tablet holder is present on the console so you can watch shows or fitness videos as you train. The display is small and cycles through four stats: time, stroke count, calories burned, and total lifetime stroke count. When not in use it can be stored away on its end to take up minimal space. The limited 90-day parts warranty doesn’t speak to the greatest confidence in the construction quality.

That was our round-up of the best budget rowing machines in 2021. Have you recently bought a budget rowing machine? What model did you go for and what has your experience been with it so far? Let us know down below.