RowErg Indoor Rowing Machine - PM5 Monitor, Device Holder, Adjustable Air Resistance, Easy Storage

The Concept2 RowErg is wonderful; the mechanisms are smooth and secure, no noise, and provides a nice workout. This is a solid of equipment. The size is LONG, but it does fold to half its size for storing. The resistance allows for an easy or intense workout. It serves its purpose; an exhilarating workout, without joint pain. Concept2 did a great job at communicating and correcting the shipping (FedEx - did NOTHING). Concept2's team were responsive, respectful, and made sure the purchase met customer satisfaction. Thank you.

I have never rowed in my life, but during the winters in New England, I am often uninspired to go outside for a run, especially when the sidewalks are icy. I did a lot of surfing on the web to see what might be some options. I don't have the room for a treadmill, a stationary bicycle did not appeal to me, and I do some bodyweight exercises already. The indoor rowing machine was something that continually caught my eye and the more I read about it, the more I was intrigued. Once I decided on the indoor rower, I did a lot of reading on different websites, compared many indoor rowers, and also talked to a couple of people with some experience with rowing. If I was willing to pay for it, the Concept2 Model D was the one I wanted. It was certainly an investment, but having had it for a month, I have nothing but great things to say about it. I'm nowhere near the indoor rower that I hope to one day be, but I try to get a decent row in several times a week. For me, "decent" means trying to work on my form (I have watched many videos) and getting to the point where I am very tired. Thankfully, it feels like I can go a bit longer each week. With the proper form, I feel that my wind has certainly improved, my legs are very tired, and my arms seem to get a decent workout as well. The legs are definitely the body parts that get the best workout. I know I haven't even come close to figuring out everything that the digital monitor can do, but after such a short period of time, I can say with certainty that this machine is perhaps my best overall purchase in many years. I need to be diligent, but it feels like something I can do for years to come and if I continue to concentrate on my form, I should stay healthy with it as well. I must say that I enjoy the different workout options on the digital monitor and I'll continue to figure it out more and more. I definitely like how the machine was extremely easy to put together (instructions were great and it took about 15 minutes to assemble) and it can also come apart in about 5 seconds so you can store the rower in a closet if needed. I'm careful with it, but it also feels very sturdy. Last but not least, keeping track of workouts and syncing it with my phone using Bluetooth is a great option so I don't have to write things down all the time anymore. And...for the time being, until I move it upstairs, the Concept2 Model D sits in front of a television so I never have an excuse to avoid even a quick workout while watching a show or movie. I could not recommend this indoor rower any more highly! It's definitely a financial investment, but for me, it's already been a very worthwhile one. One final thing...I emailed Concept2 with a couple of simple (probably stupid) questions and they got back to me within a couple of hours on a Saturday. I always expect good customer service, but this was great. They were both helpful and extremely enthusiastic with their response. That just takes things over the top and if I could, I would have added a sixth star to the rating.

Just arrived and quality is evident when you open the box. Solid construction, VERY easy to put together and did a quick row and it is as quiet as people have said. While the length of space needed is about 9 feet, the width of the machine easily allows you to put this close to a wall or out of the way if you have limited space. It's a rower and the movement is in a straight-line so it's easy to stage most places. To move it around you simply lift the back end up to tilt it on the front wheels and comfortably push or pull to the desired location. Not heavy at all. It's basically just two pieces with a 3rd piece (2 metal bars and 8 small bolts) for attaching the front stand. Even comes with a standard size tool which you can use for other star bits. The two main pieces don't even need to be put together once you bolt the front stand to it--you simply insert the section with the seat into the rower section...no tool or bolts needed. And none of the pieces are too heavy to move around for most people. The shipping box is not huge either and it's well-packed. I've only use this rower a couple of times just to test it out after delivery so I cannot speak to long term usage but based on what I see-----well worth the money. I'm sick of buying cheap equipment only to have them fall apart or metal joints bend and break from wear & tear. Won't happen with this unit and it's the ones the gyms use so for home use it should last a long time even with regular use. I can't wait to cancel my gym membership and use this rower and do my walking/running outside from this point forward. Will save me time, money over the long run and allow me to do more workouts on a more regular basis. No more dealing with driving to the gym, waiting for equipment and paying monthly fees....hope this review helped.

This is a fabulous rowing machine. I've owned rowers in the past and while they're kind of fundamentally similar, this has several features that make it stand out. First, the build quality is superior. The glide rail is solid and the seat doesn't jiggle loosely on the horizontal. While other reviewers find the seat uncomfortable, I think it's a matter of placement. If you pay attention to the contours of the seat it isn't uncomfortable at all, IMHO. The PM5 monitor is well done, easily readable and has a wide variety of features to make tracking your rows easy. I went ahead and got the RowPro software from Digital Rowing, and it rocks. First, setup was a breeze -- put the information in it asks for, connect it to the PM5 with a USB A-B cable (like a USB printer cable) and it reads everything. Having your past rows to use as race buddies on the screen is wonderfully motivating. I'm running the software on a Surface Pro 3 and it doesn't stutter or have any issues. I am awaiting the peripheral cradle to be able to mount my Surface Pro on top of the PM5 so it's more in my line of sight while rowing, because the software requires interaction when you setup your session, and it's kind of a pain to have to unstrap your feet to go tap the screen to start things off or end a warm up/cool down session. I'm still early in my workout build up (I haven't rowed in years) so I haven't tried going online to compete with other folks, but if it's as smooth as doing quick rows against yourself, I'm sure it'll be a blast. The glide action is extremely smooth, and the fan is surprisingly quiet. It isn't silent (it is a fan after all), but compared with other rowers I've used, this is usable while I watch television at a reasonable volume level. The chain is quiet as well, which has been an issue with other rowers I've used. I like the fact that you can adjust the shock strap, too, which makes this a long term exercise machine. The parts all look easy to replace and it seems you can buy all of them from Concept2. I did not get a heart rate monitor, but after seeing how it would integrate with the PM5 and RowPro, I'm seriously considering it. The wireless HRM capability is a real selling point -- no wires, just the strap. The only thing I'm not a huge fan of, but it wasn't enough to lose a star over, is the foot rest. The manual is super basic, and doesn't point out the value of adjusting the foot rest depth, which can alter your form if you don't have your feet in the right spot, so pay attention to making that adjustment. They're very easy to adjust, it just didn't occur to me what was wrong until I as a couple of sessions in, since the manual doesn't really make any mention. Setup was super simple. A few screws and connecting the two pieces together was all it took. It took me longer to clean up the styrofoam than it did to put together the unit. Overall a terrific machine I'm actually excited to use and will help me get back into shape with the motivation of competition.

Overall, will give it an A, but there are some interesting things to know ahead of time. First off, the unit is solid, and "fun" to use. I have done about a total of 20 min on my first day in a few test runs (says to only do 5min first day, and increase from there for those that have not used one before...such is my case. The unit is a solid machine and looks to be built to outlast me. Key pts, which I will go into detail below in most of these: * easy to assemble, but parts are "heavy"/long (about 35# each). Just not lightweight per se * No real printed instructions, everything is on the PM5 though. * heart rate monitor & phone have to be relinked for every session * takes up a bit of space, but the footprint is listed, but it is large. * noise, sure, but not really a huge issue....sounds like a fan * you will need to wear shoes, bare feet and socks will not do. The footrest where the heel is, has an "edge" that will annoy and could lead to a blister over time. Nothing too big, but will need something to buffer between foot and foot rest. *PM5 probably gives you everything you need, but the phone adds some more, and the unit per my reading allows other SW to be attached.....if you have more than one machine (say a family gym), you can link and row together. * Firmware update is not too hard, but the website could maybe be not so clear. Need to install the utility on your computer, start the utility, insert a thumb drive, start the update, stick thumb drive in PM5 Operation: the seat moves really smooth, as does the chain and fan. Basically, operation, once I was used to the proper motion, is almost like you don't know the machine is there. Assembly: They supply reasonable instructions, and a solid tool. Basically everything is included, and a real torx driver, and not a cheap tool...took me maybe 30min including removing from the box. Parts are heavy/large...but then again, its basically two pieces. Assy amounts to attaching the legs in the front. Instructions for operation. Instructions are on 2 pages....Since I believe this is designed primarily for the gym, most of the instructions are on the PM5....which is good in that you can't lose them...but it takes a few button pushes to locate them. They even show images/video of proper operation of the machine for the exercise. Heart Rate/Phone: both sync with only a few button clicks. I picked a Garmin, and make sure you get ANT+, so you can Bluetooth to your phone. You can do both at one time if you have ANT+ on the heart rate monitor. My only gripe is that you have to resync both each time. Not a huge issue, but for a home gym, a little annoying. The holder for the phone works great, but to adapt to all phones, it has a bit of compression for my phone...but works great. Noise: I think I remember hearing comments on this. It sounds like a fan...which makes sense. I would not consider it loud. If the rower was in a room next to someone sleeping, closing the door should muffle any noise. Listing to new on the phone, I do have the volume up past halfway to hear over the fan, and the distance from the phone during the exercise. Footrest: They are comfortable, and adjustable for foot length and size. Though, because were the heel rests its a firm plastic, the edge there will rub over time....so no bare feet or socks. The part is like a strap, so this is what I mean by an edge - not a sharp one. Any light footwear would be fine, as well as gym shoes of course. Seat: I know there were some comments about this. It is a firm foam. It gives, just not a lot. I really didn't have an issue with it. I sat on it for at least 30min while playing with the PM5 and settings/instructions. Firmware update: Some of the links on their page will take you to the wrong places, but after a few tries I was able to get it. You do have to install a utility on your computer, then run the SW, install a thumb drive, slick update SW which will load the thumb drive for all their equipment....in case you have more than one, and then just put the thumb drive in the PM5. Takes about 15min from start to finish....once you have the utility installed on the computer. Maintenance: There are few maint activities that I noticed in the limited instructions. Clean the rail the seat rides on...I'm guessing to keep dust and sweat from sitting on it. Another is after 40hrs, to lube the chain. Also, the fan cover has to be removed periodically to vacuum any dust and lent out of the unit. Apparently there is a calibration set that has to be done, and the PM5 will tell you when this needs to be done and provides the instructions to perform it. I'm guessing it amounts to pulling the handle a certain way and the fan resistance???? maybe???

So far so o good. Works well and good sturdy quality. Did we not need a power socket and the display is good. The tension is amazing. Worth every penny and a see us using it for years to come

How many ways can I say I’m in love?! I bought this because my family was home bound after my husband had a stroke and I was going crazy not being able to get to the gym or even out for a walk. It’s amazing. I wish I’d had this ages ago! It’s also been great for my husband as he recovers from his stroke. He lost movement in his right foot so can no longer run on a treadmill or do much in the way of cardio except bike or row. Since rowing is more of a total-body workout we chose this, having both used this rower at the gym. He’s able to row easily and it’s going to be a key tool in parts of his rehab. It was already on the way when the Coronoa virus shelter in place orders came out so now I’m doubly glad we have it since we can’t get to a gym even when he is more mobile. I’ve been using it with the Asensei app, which is perfect for someone who’s never had much coaching on efficient stroke technique, pacing, and various workout options. I’ve done lots of short bursts of rowing at OrangeTheory but Asensei has opened a whole new perspective on why it’s such an amazing piece of equipment. I recommend you order the phone holder if you plan to use apps on your phone with the rower. I also ordered gloves. I have this in my house in an open living space and it’s not loud at all. The glide is SO smooth - I’m glad I didn’t go cheap. You can feel it’s a superior ride. Also, it’s not too heavy. Since my husband can’t help I had to bring it in the house up a flight of stairs and was able to bring each piece separately and put it together myself without problems. I did have to watch a YouTube video to understand how to connect the two main pieces. Super easy but the written instructions weren’t quite enough. I LOVE my new rower. I generally hate working out at home but I’m truly enjoying this with Asensei.

I love this rowing machine! I was very easy to assemble and provides a great workout! I wish I'd have purchased it sooner!