Best 5 Commercial Rowing Machines For Gym & Fitness Reviews

Are you looking into commercial rowing machines, wanting to buy one?

In which case, this article is the right one for you!

I review 5 rowing machine fitness models here and talk about the benefits of commercial rowers. I write about their specifications and features, but also about their design. You can compare the models here and decide for yourself which exercise machine is the best one for you.

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What You Need To Know Before Buying A Commercial Exercise Rower

Why Buy A Pro Fitness Rowing Machine?

Sometimes you need a professional fitness machine because you want a high-quality rower. These commercial rowers are usually made out of the best materials and durable enough to last you many years. They are suitable for home gyms if you plan to work out very hard and need something that can keep up with you.

Price Range Of The Exercise Rowers

The purpose of commercial rowers is to be used for home and commercial gyms. I included some more budget-friendly models here. Fitness Reality 1000 and Sunny Magnetic Rower are among the cheapest, while the First Degree Newport AR is in the mid-range. The rest are on the expensive end price-wise.

Where To Find Fitness Rowing Machines For Sale?

There are several options for buying these exercise machines, one of them are the official websites of the manufacturers. The other are online retail sites, like Amazon which I recommend. They offer great discounts and you can even compare prices directly on the website.

Advantages of Folding Fitness Rowers

Some of these rowers take up a lot of space while you use them, but they have the option of being folded. This way, they can be reduced to space-saving dimensions so you can store them after your workouts. They usually also have built-in rollers so you can transport them easily.

Full Body Gym Rowing Machine Workout

You can perform intense workouts on the rowing exercise machines. Rowing uses and exercises all of your major muscle groups and strengthens them. It also gives you a great cardio workout so you can build your endurance. The commercial rowers are more durable and will let you work out for many years.

Best 5 Commercial Exercise Rowers For Gym

Best Water Rower Gym Machine

First Degree Fitness Rower Newport AR

Four Levels Of Water Resistance

The technology of the Newport AR model has a dual-chamber that lets you adjust resistance with one out of 4 levels. Additionally, you have the basis of the resistance level you create with the speed of your rowing. The faster you row, the more resistance you create and the opposite is true.

First Degree Fitness Newport AR Rower Water Rower Exercise Machine

LCD Fitness Monitor For Tracking Data

The First Degree Fitness water rower comes equipped with a large and easily readable display. It monitors important statistics such as distance, time, strokes per minute, watts and 500m split time. You can also monitor your heart rate but you have to buy a chest strap separately.

Build Quality And Comfort

Since the rower can be easily used in commercial gyms, it has a very durable and sturdy build. The frame is made out of steel while the rail itself is made out of anodized aluminum. The weight capacity is 300lbs. The handle is ergonomically designed so you won’t get any arm or hand strain.

First Degree Fitness Newport AR Rower Water Rower Exercise Machine review

Upright Space-Saving Storage

Water rowers usually can’t be folded and they have a fairly large footprint, to begin with. But they can be turned vertically so they take up the least amount of space, like this commercial rower. It also has built-in wheels at the bottom so you can move it and its dimensions are 78’’ L x 21’’ W x 20’’ H while in use.

Warranty Period Of The Newport AR

The First Degree Fitness fluid rower has a good warranty behind all of its components. The frame has a 5-year warranty while the tank and seals have 3 years. Mechanical components of a non-wearing nature have 2 years, while all the other components that are wearing have 1 year.

Why Buy This Product:

  • dual-chamber tank with 4 resistance levels
  • sturdy commercial frame construction
  • easy space-saving storage

Best Home Gym Rowing Machine

Fitness Reality 1000 Plus Bluetooth Magnetic Rower

Fourteen Levels Of Magnetic Resistance

This affordable rower uses a magnet that interacts with the metal flywheel to create resistance. The closer the magnet is to the flywheel, the stronger the resistance because the eddy current slows it down. It also works the opposite way, and you can choose between 14 resistance levels to really challenge you.

Fitness Reality 1000 Plus Bluetooth Magnetic Rower

Bluetooth Smart Fitness And Monitor

This is the only rower on the market that has Bluetooth with a free My Cloud Fitness app. It’s available for both Android and iOS and has 3 goal workout settings. You can easily track your exercise results in this way. LCD monitor tracks distance, time, total count and calories burned.

Patented Foot Pads And Construction

This row fitness machine has patented footpads on the front so you can do standing exercises with the rowing strap. You can do curls and shoulder presses and much more. The seat is cushioned, large and comfortable while the seat rail is made out of aluminum. It can support a maximum weight of 250lbs.

Fitness Reality 1000 Plus Bluetooth Magnetic Rower review

Foldable For Easy Storage

This Fitness Reality 1000 rower is one of the commercial rowing machines that is compact in design. You can also fold the rail part towards the flywheel front part and transport it on built-in wheels. The dimensions of the machine while in use are 88’’ L x 21’’ W x 21’’ H.

Warranty Period Of The Fitness Reality Rower

This affordable commercial rowing machine has a warranty that is all right for the price range. The structural frame has a 1-year warranty while the parts and other components have 90 days. Other wearable parts also have 90 days. It’s a short warranty compared to other similar rowers.

Why Buy This Product:

  • 14 magnetic resistance levels
  • patented footpads on the front
  • Bluetooth connection for the app
  • easily foldable for storage
  • built-in wheels for transportation

Best Commercial Water Rower

Life Fitness Row GX Trainer

Sixteen Water Resistance Levels

The fluid technology resistance enables you to create a lot of resistance the faster you row. You can choose between up to 16 resistance levels and you don’t even have to add or remove water. You can just turn the dial on the water tank and change the difficulty setting on this Life Fitness rower.

Life Fitness Row GX Trainer

Performance Monitor For Fitness Tracking

This gym quality rowing machine comes with a large and easily readable monitor. It tracks all your basics statistics like time, distance, 500m split time and estimated calories burned. It can accommodate intense training sessions but also slower low impact workouts.

Commercial Grade Construction

This is a commercial rowing machine that can be found in all the best health clubs and has outstanding construction. It can accommodate the weight of up to 330lbs and is sturdy enough to last you for many workouts. It offers you a higher position of the seat that’s comfortable and that enables you to easily get on and off.

Life Fitness Row GX Trainer review

Easy Transportation And Storage

This Life Fitness water rower has built-in wheels that enable you with easy transportation. While this rower doesn’t fold, it can be stored vertically by turning it on its front part. The water tank stabilizes the entire rower for easy storage and the dimensions of the machine are 76’’ L x 31’’ W x 39’’H.

Warranty Period OF Life Fitness Rower

The Life Fitness rowing machine is meant to be used in high traffic areas like commercial gyms. That’s why it has a warranty that only covers the parts and components for 3 years. You also get only 1-year coverage on the labor which could be better considering the price.

Why Buy This Product:

  • 16 water resistance levels
  • readable and large fitness monitor
  • commercial-grade construction
  • space-saving while stored vertically
  • easy adjustment of the difficulty level

Best Indoor Rowing Gym Machine

Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Rower RW5515

Eight Magnetic Resistance Levels

This rowing machine for fitness has 8 magnetic resistance levels to accommodate your fitness needs. The system uses a C-shaped magnet that moves farther away or closer to the magnetic flywheel. The rower has a smooth and quiet rowing stroke and you won’t disturb anyone while you work out.

Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Rowing Machine SF-RW5515

Performance Monitor For Fitness

The Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Rowing Machine has a basic looking control panel. It monitors every important metric you need to have a good workout. It tracks elapsed time, total number of strokes, count and calories burned. The display is large enough to be easily readable.

Construction Quality And Specifications

This commercial-grade rowing machine is great for a home gym because it’s sturdy and has a quality build. It can support up to 250lbs of user weight so you know you’re supported. The seat is cushioned and comfortable while the pedals are textured so you won’t slip. The handlebars also have a non-slip grip.

Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Rowing Machine SF-RW5515 review

Foldable Design For Easy Storage

Like most magnetic rowers, this Sunny Fitness rowing machine can be folded. You fold the monorail towards the flywheel and let it stand vertically. It also has built-in transportation wheels so you can easily move it after tilting it. The dimensions of the rower while in use are 82’’ L x 19’’ W x 23’’ H.

Warranty Period For The Sunny Rower

It’s a budget-friendly fitness rower that has a warranty comparable to similar rowers in this price range. You get a 1-year warranty for the structural frame and all the other parts and components get 3 months. For this warranty, you have a good rowing machine for your home gym.

Why Buy This Product:

  • 8 magnetic resistance levels
  • Large performance monitor for tracking
  • Sturdy frame construction
  • Easy to fold and transport

Best Seated Row Gym Machine

Total Gym Row Trainer

Variable Incline Resistance System

This rowing machine for gyms works with your body weight on an incline that can be adjusted. To suit your needs and your fitness level, raise or lower the dual rails. You can choose between two levels, one is 20% of your body weight, the other is 17%. You can add up to 15lbs of band resistance if needed.

Total Gym Row Trainer, Silver & Black

Automatic Performance Monitor

The Total Gym Incline Rower CE has an automatic fitness monitor that keeps track of your performance goals. It monitors and shows you stats such as elapsed time, distance rowed and how many calories you’ve burned. The monitor is fairly large and you can read it with ease.

Solid Steel Frame Construction

This is a commercial-grade rowing machine with solid steel construction and dual aluminum rails. It’s as lightweight as it is durable and sturdy and can accommodate up to 400lbs. It’s built for multi-planar movement and is a perfect addition to your home gym. It also has an ergonomically designed seat.

Total Gym Row Trainer, Silver & Black review

Foldable Design For Upright Storage

The Total Gym Incline Rower takes up a large amount of space with its dimensions being 98’’ L x 23’’ W x 30’’ H. But it can be easily folded so it can be carried to wherever you want. You can store it upright in a closet or maybe just against a wall. It’s lightweight enough so you can pick it up.

Warranty Period For The Row Trainer

Since this is a rower that can easily be used in commercial gyms, it has a good enough warranty. The structural frame has a lifetime warranty so you won’t have to worry about that. All the other additional components and parts have a 2-year extended warranty.

Why Buy This Product:

  • bodyweight resistance levels
  • two modes of incline difficulty
  • solid steel commercial construction
  • foldable for easy upright storage
  • lifetime structural frame warranty

Other Commercial Exercise Machines

It’s also worth mentioning some commercial-grade machines that didn’t make it to the list, like the Technogym Aquafeel Rower. There is also the Sirius Fitness Air Rower that has air resistance to challenge you. And of course, there is the Lifecore R100 Commercial Rowing Machine too.

Conclusion: Which Two Best Commercial Exercise Rowers Should You Buy?

The two best commercial rowing machines are in my opinion the First Degree Newport AR and the Life Fitness Row GX Trainer. The Newport AR model is a powerful and high-quality commercial water rower suitable for any home gym. And The Row GX Trainer can be found in the health and fitness clubs.

In case you want to find out more about water exercise machines, we have an article on the best water rower for sale. For budget-friendly rowers, go to this article on best value rowing machine models. We also wrote about the best rowing machine for home use.