10 Best Row Machines 2026 in the United States

The Hydrow Wave River is a smart, well-built rowing machine that offers a smooth and realistic rowing experience thanks to its electromagnetic resistance, which closely mimics rowing on water. It’s made from aluminum, making it lightweight (102 pounds) yet sturdy enough to support users up to 375 pounds. Its design is space-friendly with a compact footprint and the ability to fold up for easier storage, especially useful if you need to save room at home.

Comfort-wise, it features a padded seat, adjustable foot straps, and a comfortable grip, helping you row without strain during workouts. The 16-inch HD touchscreen and built-in speakers boost engagement by providing clear visuals and sound, while compatibility with Bluetooth devices like Apple Watch and wireless headphones adds convenience. The Hydrow system offers over 5,000 guided workouts through a membership, which is sold separately, and tracks detailed performance metrics to help you improve.

The subscription cost might be a consideration if you’re looking for a fully standalone machine. Also, while the machine is designed to be foldable, the upright storage kit is an additional purchase, which could add to the total cost and effort. If you want a smooth rowing experience with smart features and don’t mind the ongoing membership fees, the Hydrow Wave River is a solid choice for both beginners and experienced rowers who appreciate guided training and performance feedback.

The Hydrow Pro Rowing Machine offers a smooth and realistic rowing experience thanks to its magnetic resistance system designed to mimic rowing on water. It’s built with a sturdy aluminum frame that supports users up to 375 pounds, ensuring solid durability. While it’s quite large at 86 inches long and 25 inches wide, it can be stored upright to save space, though this requires an additional storage kit. Comfort features include a padded, sliding seat and adjustable foot straps, which help make workouts more comfortable even during longer sessions.

The 22-inch HD rotating touchscreen is a standout feature, providing an immersive workout experience with live and on-demand classes led by professional instructors in beautiful locations. This screen, combined with front-facing speakers, makes following workouts engaging and easy. Connectivity is strong, supporting Bluetooth devices like Apple Watch and wireless headphones, which is great for tracking progress and enjoying workout music or coaching.

The machine weighs 145 pounds, so it’s sturdy but not very portable. If you want a premium rower that delivers a realistic feel, strong build, and excellent guided workouts with a sleek, modern display, the Hydrow Pro is an excellent choice. Just be prepared for the commitment of a membership and the space it needs at home.

The NordicTrack RW900 is a well-built rowing machine featuring a strong alloy steel frame and a maximum user weight of 300 pounds, making it suitable for most users. It uses a silent magnetic resistance system with 26 digital levels, allowing you to easily adjust workout intensity from gentle cardio to tough endurance training. This resistance is smooth and quiet, perfect for home environments. The machine’s comfort is enhanced by oversized pivoting pedals with adjustable straps, supporting natural foot movement and stability during your row. However, the rower is quite large and weighs 145 pounds, so space and storage might be concerns if you have a smaller workout area.

Its standout feature is the large 24-inch pivoting touchscreen, which streams not only rowing workouts but also other exercise classes, and even entertainment—although this requires a monthly iFIT membership subscription to access most of the content and smart features like AI coaching and automatic resistance adjustment. Connectivity with popular fitness apps is a nice plus for tracking progress in one place. While the subscription model means extra ongoing costs, the interactive coaching and personalized workouts can provide motivation and structure. This rower is a solid choice if you want a high-tech, versatile machine with excellent resistance control and multimedia features, and you have room for it at home.