We’ve tried and tested some of the best rowing machines on the market — from the ever-popular Concept 2 RowErg to the pioneering Hydrow Rower — to find out whether they sink or swim when it comes to giving you a great workout.
Our fitness writers judge every aspect of each machine, including how easy they are to set up, the features that set them apart from their rivals and their functionality — for providing both a lung-busting workout and a realistic rowing experience. To do this, they row a range of distances from short sprints to longer endurance pieces, as well as trying the preset programs and follow-along sessions available on some machines.
After testing, all feedback is collated to award rowing machines a final star rating, with a maximum score of five.