Introduction
A WaterRower will give you a much more realistic rowing experience than a standard rowing machine because it features a water tank at the front with two paddles that makes it sound like you are rowing on water.
In addition, the level of resistance is provided by the drag through the water and is therefore determined solely by the intensity of your rowing action. Therefore there are no mechanical parts at all, and you won’t have to worry about any problems relating to wear and tear.
There are now several of these WaterRowers that you can buy, each of which tends to be made from a different type of wood, but in this article I want to review the WaterRower Club Rowing Machine, which is a commercial-grade machine that is made from ash wood and features the S4 monitor.
Features And Benefits
- solid handcrafted ash wood construction
- includes water tank and flywheel
- responsive self-regulating water resistance
- comes with Series 4 performance monitor
- track time, distance, strokes rate, pulse, intensity etc
- smooth and quiet in operation
- can be stored in an upright position
- accommodates users up to 1000 pounds
- suitable for commercial gyms and home use
- 5-year frame warranty / 3-year components warranty
Product Dimensions / Weight
The exact dimensions of this particular WaterRower (in inches) are 82.25 (L) x 22.25 (W) x 20 (H) when it is fully assembled, and 82.25 (H) x 22.25 (W) x 20 (D) when it is stored in an upright position.
The weight of the machine obviously depends on how much water is in the tank, but as a guide, it weighs 103.5 pounds when it contains 17 liters of water.
Positives
I should start off by mentioning the quality of construction because this Club Rowing Machine is handcrafted from solid ash wood (from sustainable forests), which is a premium hardwood that is long-lasting and very good at absorbing sound and vibrations.
Subsequently this machine is extremely smooth and quiet in operation, particularly as the flywheel (consisting of two paddles) is enclosed in the water tank and makes very little noise, other than the realistic sound of the water sloshing around.
Indeed it is this realistic sound of water that sets this and other WaterRowers apart from many other indoor rowing machines.
You will find that there are no fixed resistance levels on this machine. The level of resistance is determined by the intensity of your rowing action.
So in other words, if you row a lot harder, there will be increased drag and therefore more resistance, and if you row a lot slower there will be a lot less resistance. This makes it very easy to control just how hard (or how easy) you want your workouts to be.
This simple but effective water resistance system means that there are no moving parts that could be prone to wear and tear, like there are on so many other rowing machines.
Subsequently because of the durability of this Club Rowing Machine and the fact that it has a solid construction that can accommodate users up to 1000 pounds, it is suitable for commercial gyms and home environments, unlike the WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine, for instance, which is only suitable for home use.
With regards to accessories, the only extra feature that you will find on this indoor rower is the S4 performance monitor. However this is a good quality display that has six windows and indicates time, distance, stroke rate, intensity, zone bar and pulse (if you use an optional heart rate chest strap).
The only other thing to say is that this rowing machine is very easy to assemble, and if you don’t want it to be taking up space in your home all the time, you can store it in an upright position very easily.
Negatives
This Club Rowing Machine has received a huge number of positive customer reviews on various sites and forums, and subsequently there are no major problems that people have complained about.
However a few people have commented that the display is not the easiest to read in dark conditions, and if you want to monitor your pulse rate, you have to purchase the heart rate chest strap and receiver separately because it is not included as standard.
In addition, the display on this machine doesn’t have some of the cool features that the Concept 2 monitor has, such as person-to-person racing, for example, but that’s understandable considering that this model is several years old now.
Some people with mobility problems may also find that the seat is a little too close to the floor, and therefore quite hard to get on and off.
Final Thoughts
Overall the WaterRower Club Rowing Machine is a commercial-grade machine that is super strong and durable, as evidenced by its 1000-pound weight capacity and the fact that it comes with a 5-year frame warranty and 3-year components warranty.
It also offers a very realistic rowing experience because of the design and sounds of the water tank and flywheel, and the fact that the drag of the flywheel through the water provides the resistance and is responsive to the intensity of your rowing action, just like outdoor rowing.
So when you consider that it is also smooth and quiet in operation and easy to store in an upright position, this machine is ideal for the home or the gym, and is easily as good as the popular Concept 2 rowers, based on customer feedback.
→ Click here to buy the WaterRower Club Rowing Machine
Also Available With Hi Rise Attachment
As you can see from the photo above, the seat is quite close to the floor, which may make it difficult to get on and off for those people who have knee or hip problems, for example, but the good news is that it is also available to buy with a hi rise attachment.
You can see from the photo below that the seat is a lot higher off the floor with this useful attachment.
→ Click here to buy the Club rower with hi rise attachment
