What makes the Waterrower so good? A test and review by Sport's Physiologist, Craig Morgan
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- čas přidán 1. 08. 2024
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The Waterrower - A quick summary:
Whilst the Waterrower machines are not the cheapest on the market (in the region of $1000), they perform extremely well, are quiet, easy to store and beautiful to look at. They are also extremely quiet in operation due to the wooden construction and the use of a strap rather that a chain.
There is virtually no delay in the resistance at the catch (the beginning of the pull), but the resistance drops off in the middle of the stroke as the water is lifted up away from the blades. This then drops down again as the end, which once again increases the resistance.
Storage is also a plus point for the Waterrower series as they are all designed to stand upright with the tank acting as ballast for stability. In this position they only take up around two square feet
All in all, the Waterrower is an excellent rowing machine that will last a long time. It has a beautiful design and a smooth quiet action. It is easy to move and store, has a comfortable seat and solid handle. If you are serious about buying a rowing machine, then you should really spend the extra cash and buy a good one. If you choose a Waterrower, you will not be sorry!
Thank you for an awesome review without the loud salesman pitch and fancy gadgets. New subscribers here❤I actually love the quiet sound of the water far above that of the fan which sound very industrial.
I'm 29 and have used both the C2 and WaterRower since I started rowing at 13. The WaterRower hands down is the better choice (and is my choice for home use). It may not offer the same gizmos and resistance options as the C2, but the delayed catch on the C2 and its wretched seat and handle really make the WaterRower the better choice. If you've actually spent time rowing for real, you'll feel more comfortable on a WaterRower than a C2.
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He was about to take off on a magic carpet ride! LOL
So is it like the c2 rower where the harder u pull the harder it fights back? I had a c2 rower and it was great but sold it cause it was making my lower back sore. So I bought an echo rogue airdyne bike. I have 2 lower back bulding disk. Iam also debating between buying a rower or one of thoese sleds on wheels?
Separating out the specific parts and tools for each of the seven step assembly process steps was brilliant on the part of the manufacturer. For the price, I am impressed at how sturdy this czcams.com/users/postUgkxvObaTzoHoHQLL4lHbJQmExHqsrZQm-f7 unit is and it does go together easily. Well, I was puzzled at first at Step 5 and maybe the instructions should mention that rail #62 needs to be tilted upwards a little to get the rail to fit into the main part #44. I like it that the rower can be stored vertically in a really small amount of space, but be forewarned that this rower is top heavy and for safety you'll need at least two bungee cords to keep the unit upright, attaching them to something; in my case to a third garage door. I have had this unit only a short time, and I will post an update once I've had it for a year. As for working your legs, I have to admit that I'm mainly rowing for upper body strength and I use other forms of exercise for leg strength (like walking fast, biking, or using a trampoline. But if you pull as far forward as possible, then you can give preference to your legs for the first 4 feet or so of travel. I also admit to not taking the two electronic connectors apart at Step 7. I simply inserted the two batteries while the other parts remained connected. By the way, there is plenty of resistance here, even in the lowest resistance settings. Kudos to Sunny Health & Fitness !
Anyone else notice him scooting on that carpet across the floor?
So much for putting 16 rubber feet on them ! Mine is on a naked hardwood floor no slip .
@@glennbenoit4958Same here
I just sold mine. I got fed up of trying to convince myself that not being able to adjust the resistance doesnt matter. Heres the deal, if you want more resistance youve gotta work harder/faster same as rowing in a boat. But what if you dont want to be rowing fast? I want to row slow and steady but still maintain decent resistance. If you row slowly on this machine its like freewheeling your bicycle downhill with the wind at your back, basically wasting your time. In essence this really is a cardio machine, the more you put in the more you get out. I wanted a machine that would stress most of my muscles with slow steady catch with plenty of resistance. I bought myself a €50 used 'Kettler Favoutit'(hard to find) rower. Now i can have as much or a little resistance as i wish and move at my own pace. Bottom line, water rowers are expensive toys with little resistance unless you burst a nut first to get some traction .
I have a Waterower at home and it is a great machine and can be tucked away in a corner without being obtrusive. However at the gym I use , the machine is a Concept 2 and I find the foot plate better positioned than the Waterower . It is too high on the Waterower.
It looks like the footplates are just screwed onto the plank, so you could probably move them down about 5cm (2").
I have to agree Chris. I tried the water rower today and while I absolutely loved how smooth the action is and also the noise, the foot placement was kinda awkward. It made me knees come up really high and when I come forward it feels like my balls are getting squished! I don't get this feeling with the concept 2. Unfortunately because I live in apt I can't get the concept 2 due to the noise so debating between this or matrix rower.
Try the A1 Water rower. The foot placement is farther apart and lower
I'm thinking to buy one. How about the maintenance? I live in hard water area. How often you change the water. Thanks!
I got mine years ago and have never changed the water (not the recommended "frequency"), some algae (slight green tint in the water tank) grows when I do not use it for a while but since there is no odor and at the end is only algae I do not bother, it goes away after a few rowing sessions. They sell a blue dye that prevents this but I think I prefer it green. The water does not evaporate so I guess the hardness should not matter but you could fill it with a few gallons of bottled drinking water. So practically maintenance free.
You don't have to change the water but you should drop in purification tablets every few months to keep the water from going funky. I get the tablets on Amazon. About $20 for a couple years supply.
@@vlvr if you buy a waterrower, they'll basically supply you with chlorine tablets when you request them(last time they sent 6, which covers 3 years based on their recommendations)... but you could easily use a few drops of chlorine to replace it. only time i changed the water in 7 years was when i moved it up some stairs, otherwise the chlorine tabs every 6 months is keeping it clear for me.
Mine has started squeaking and advice on how to make it stop ??
It may happen once in a while, just tighten the screws and you'll be fine.
You have to change the water and take care of the plexi deposit.
You also displaced a couple of cm on the floor from pushing it away from you, thats a loss of energy into the catch.
Use distilled water instead of tap water. The lack of minerals will prevent mineralization, the tank getting cloudy, and allow you to change out the tank less frequently.
@@alexglemzu658 I'd still use the tablets. With another consideration of long-term standing water being Legionares Disease, even with distilled.
Have an A1 waterrower seal went on the tank. When I disassembled it to repair it I got to see first hand how badly these things are made. Then waterrower want a ridiculous amount of money for some overpriced silicone to re seal the tank which has nothing else holding it together. I would recommend looking at a different rower.
Does the machine actually slide a few centimeters like in the video if placed on a hardwood floor?
It depends on your rowing form, you can make it slide but not for long. I used to get that at the beginning but now I row faster and it does not move at all.
Mine is direct on a hardwood floor and doesn't shift at all. I was rather surprised to see his shift around.
In case anyone else’s wondering, I ended up purchasing a Waterrower and use mine directly on hardwood and it doesn’t slide. The sliding in the video is probably because of the movable rug underneath.
Looks like it slides because of his carpet
I wouldn't recommend these water rowers. Ergonomically and anatomically they are objetively terrible:
The feet are positioned too close to each other, reducing strength and leading to injury and poor performance and overall a non effective workout.
The feet are also positioned too high relatively to the seat so your knees willl get in the way of rowing.
Additionally while wood looks nice, it is not a good material for anything that will be used frequently or extensively. It will start to squeak and it will be very annoying.
Finally these water rowers are relatively expenisve, some of them even more so than the Concept 2 rower which is objectively the best and the gold standard for a reason.
A water rower only makes sense if you really care about the aesthetics above anything else.
Absolutely spot-on review!
I agree to an extent albeit your opinion is quiet subjective. To call or suggest any rower an "overall non-effective workout" is just ignorant (next time use the word "ineffective" it's more appropriate for your intended point). I'm sure that water rowers were not designed for the ultra-competitive, collegiate or Olympic rower, they don't market to those demographics. You also have to take into consideration the rower's height (torso/leg length) regarding fit, angles and biomechanics (water rowers don't change you anatomically). And it's a well known fact that the Concept 2 is quite hard on your knees. I won't even debate "water" vs "air" regarding realistic resistance/training quality. The Concept 2 is the "gold standard" because they check all of the boxes for popularity: inexpensive, effective, unbreakable, consistent and they've around since the 1970's. Regarding the overall "fitness user" experience, the Concept 2 (best fan rower) pales in comparison to the Ergatta (best water rower) in every way, objectively speaking of course.