RowErg with PM5

Finally my very own Concept 2. Assembly was super easy, all you need to do is attach the “legs” and clip the middle bit together, and the version with tall legs looks like a work of art, plus the tall legs make it so easy to get on/off. Value for money if you add up the annual cost of a gym membership where, pre/lockdowns, I mostly only used the Concept 2 rowing machine anyway, I never much enjoyed the gym experience. My wonky back (mild scoliosis) will thank me now, combined with the weekly reformer Pilates classes and long walks, I think I’m sorted. Oh and this rower can be stored next to the sofa in the living room, in two parts and taking apart and putting it back together again literally takes seconds. If I had been aware sooner how easy it is to store this machine, I would have purchased it ages ago. Plus it’s an ergometer, it measures the work you put into your rowing. Also there is an app which is super easy to use, it links to your phone or tablet and your workouts are automatically logged into the app and into the Concept 2 logbook where you can keep track of progress made, participate in races or compare your results against other rowers if you’re competitive. A lovely rower, I’m very pleased and impressed. Built to last a lifetime, I’m over the moon. Already had a couple of rowing sessions in front of Netflix in our living room, no need to go to the gym! A fabulous machine, nothing else comes close. We went to see a cheaper version and it was twice the weight of Concept 2, looked ugly and I tried rowing on it - didn’t even come close the smoothness and pure joy of rowing on a Concept 2 machine. I’m so glad I held out for this one and had the previous experience of rowing on it in various gyms. 100% satisfied.

I’ve had the Concept2 for a few months now, and it’s easily the best piece of cardio equipment I own. It feels super solid, the rowing motion is smooth, and the performance monitor makes it easy to track progress. It’s not small, but it breaks down quickly and wheels into a corner, which is a lifesaver in a home gym. Only downside is the seat gets uncomfortable after longer sessions, but a cushion fixed that. Overall, it’s not cheap, but if you want a reliable machine that feels like what pros use, this is it.

The product deserves the ultimate star rating. I have used a Concept 2 rower for many years at the gym, so there was familiarity. This version is constructed to a high standard. My concern was with the ordering process. Following an operation, I needed a machine at home as part of my recuperation. I ordered from Amazon on 8th August, including the assembly package as I have limited mobility. Arrival was scheduled for 14th August. A belated message on the delivery date informed me the delivery was rescheduled for 18th August. I changed a medical appointment for that date and waited between 7am to 7pm. The item did not arrive. I had engaged in a chat with customer services previously, receiving an assurance the item would be delivered on the 18th. I telephoned on the evening of the 18th to ask about the failed delivery on the rescheduled date. This customer service contact was marginally helpful. Early on the 19th August, I received a message my rower was two stops away without prior warning! Arranging for a family member to be available, as I was dropping family off at the train station was not easy but I did not want to reschedule again. The delivery and assembly were good. Very disappointing service from Amazon with a convoluted customer service chat mechanism as, at one point, I was locked in a loop. Great product, below par delivery.

This is one of the best purchases I've made. It's got me fit in record time and rowing workouts are low impact. I purchased the Concept rowing machine as two friends had one, and it's the most popular indoor rowing machine accross all online rowing videos, as all the professional rowers and trainers use them. The quality of the rower is first class and it is so simple to put together. The online manuals are great and they also provide a range of maintenance documents for future use. Pairing this rower with the RowERG app is simple and I've experienced no problems since owning this for a few weeks. I highly recommend this rowing machine over others (which I have used at Gyms, etc)

Saved my pennies to buy a Concept 2, expensive, but worth it. It feels like a quality product that will last forever. Super smooth and quiet rowing action. My only slight disappointment is the supplied PM5 rowing computer, it's fairly basic, and if there is more than one person using the rower, you can't log-on as different people and see summaries of your individual sessions. Other than that, love it!

This is a big purchase. I wanted to buy a cheaper £100 rower but they all seemed to have compromises in build quality or the rowing experience. I wanted something that felt as good as what I used in the gym that wouldn't break after a couple months or a year. I have used a different and undoubtly expensive rower in a hotel I stayed at and though it was perfectly fine, it definitely didn't measure up to the C2 in how it felt to use and how well made it was. The C2 is a great machine to use, where all you have to worry about is the effort you put into using it. For me, the rowing action feels very progressive and natural allowing easy transition between easy and harder effort and the knowledge that this is being tracked accurately on the Performance Monitor. I also seriously considered getting a water rower but apart from being more expensive, I also had slight concerns with its long term robustness as there were reports of it occassionally going wrong while the C2 just seems to keep on rocking even after millions of km. Also the performance monitor is considered to be superior / more accurate / fully featured. If I was buying for use in a living room then regardless it would have probably been the one I got, though I would have tried to get a test drive of it somewhere. However, since it's not going to live in the living room but in the garage, the extra noise is not an issue so the C2 it was. Assembly was very simple - the only parts that needed to be assembled was the support stand under the flywheel and that took minutes to do. The hex tool required is even provided. The seat rail then attaches cleverly to the main body of the rower, before being locked in place with a plastic flap. Joining up the two parts does require some care as the two parts are heavy and need to be properly aligned prior to attaching. There's a risk of getting your fingers caught in between as well as gouging the paint on the inside, which I've managed to do due to poor alignment. However it's as quick and easy as it's possible to do and still provide a stable and rigid enough structure to take the forces that will be exerted on it. I'm actually surprised by how well it works.I also like how it stores in two pieces as it's not so tall and imo less noticeable than if it was just stood on its end, even though the area footprint may be higher. I've only used it a few times and the heel part of the footrest does cause friction blisters when I wear trainers. I've heard of various remedies from going barefoot/in socks and wrapping a sock around the heel part of the footrest to using duct tape on the heel of all things. However I do remember that this was an issue I'd encounter every time I came back to rowing and it just goes away after it heals and a callus forms. Nonetheless I don't regret the purchase and hope it provides me with a lifetime of trouble-free use.

This rowing machine is almost absurdly good. It arrives in a giant box, and the whole thing is absolutely massive so you really need a large area for it - it’s not wide, but it’s incredibly long. It arrives in 2 pieces and it comes with instructions so you can put it together but, literally, you just screw the legs on then clip the two parts together and you’re done. I was worried it would be flimsy but, somehow, clipping it together forms an almost solid steel bar. If you don’t have room to leave it “open” you can just unclip it to store it in two parts against the wall and it’s well made enough that the clipping and unclipping probably wouldn’t damage it but, to be honest, if you do have room to leave it as is I would really recommend it because over time wear and tear at the join *could* affect its durability. The seat is surprisingly comfortable - I remember using the rowing machine at the gym in my twenties and my bum being angry at me for days. Presumably over the years they’ve made them more comfortable, but you can order a specific seat cushion for it if your coccyx has words with you. It’s good and quiet to use with just a fan that whooshes as you row, and the LCD screen tracks your speed, how far you’ve rowed and how long you’ve been rowing. The LCD screen has myriad buttons on it, too, where you can program specific workouts including Racing mode and Games but we only use the Just Row option and then heave ho until our legs get a bit wibbly. To be honest it, all a bit high-tech: you can connect it to various apps and monitors using Bluetooth and something called ANT+ (?) but we’re luddites who just want to go for a row in our front room. It’s a bit like having an iPhone or an expensive camera - you know it does loads of fancy gubbins but you just need it for the basics and having a dabble with the gubbins is really, really fun but ultimately you always go back to the fundamentals. And the thing is, the fundamentals of this thing are *amazing*. The rowing motion is smooth and sleek and, even as a bit of a chubber, it feels absolutely rock steady beneath me. It doesn’t even wobble. Just quickly: on the flywheel there’s a dial that goes from 1 to 10 and I assumed that was the resistance. I actually put it to 10 because the resistance wasn’t increasing so I wondered if it was faulty. Have no fear, it isn’t broken! That dial doesn’t increase resistance, it’s a damper - essentially the higher the number, the heavier the boat you’re rowing. The instructions recommend setting it to between 3 and 5 to simulate a sleek, fast rowing experience. So, is it with the money? My goodness YES. We went back and forth for a while because of the cost but it’s worth every single penny. This will be with us for years to come and not compromising on the quality is so worth it for something like this. It feels like a better piece of kit than the professional rowing machines I used to use in the gym... if you’re thinking of ordering it, don’t hesitate a single second. It’s absolutely bloody marvellous.

We have been looking at getting a rowing machine to get a good all round level of fitness with low impact but highly beneficial exercise of the major muscle groups. After months and months of research into various makes of rower I purchased the Concept2 Model D rower in black and I am so glad we did. It is fantastically smart in the black colour. We investigated many types of rower from magnetic, to air resistence at various price points and found nothing that came close to the Concept2. Whilst not cheap, the rower features absolutely rock solid build quality, features and ease of use and hence why it's the default choice in most commercial gyms. Once we decided that Concept2 was the best model we did consider purchasing a second hand model from various auction sites but the rower holds its value incredibly well and for not much more money you can get a new rower with full warranty safe in the knowledge that it hasn't been abused. This isn't much more than a good gym membership either and had the convienence of being at home. Many rowers are more expensive too. We have had this rower for about three weeks now and we are already starting to feel leaner and fitter and me and my wife are now competing against each other. It is so easy when we don't have much time to have a row each night. The rower itself is pretty heavy but comes in two sections that simply click together. 8 bolts are supplied along helpfully with the tool to tighten them to attach the legs and this literally took 5 mins and we were ready to row. The rower is easily able to disconnect and split into two sections for storage upright in a corner/against a wall which is really handy in a tight space. When assembled, the rower is quite long allowing for anyone upto a good height/weight to use this. I am 6ft 4 and have no issues. I believe Concept2 recommend a space if 9ft by 4ft but more details on their website which was helpful in placement. The PM5 computer came with latest firmware and D batteries preinstalled. These charge off the rower when in use which is an added bonus. The PM5 is very clear, easy to use and features a wide range of rowing options and even a few games like fishing and darts to change exercise routine. The PM5 also supports ANT+, Bluetooth and Bluetooth smart for connecting devices such as smartphones, iPads, and heart rate monitors/computers. We use the free Concept2 Ergdata app which runs on smartphones to track our progress and thus helpfully uploads data to our online logbook which is also free on the Concept2 website. This runs off Bluetooth so is wireless. I believe results can be saved to USB pen also if needed but app was easier for us. The Concept2 website is fantastic, as it offers a free online logbook which you can track your progress, compare with others of similar ability and challenge people. In addition there are tons of useful guides, videos and daily challenges (if you sign up) on the website which was really helpful. In particular the technique videos where really good and easy to understand. In use, the Rower is pretty quiet and whilst there is some wind noise I can easily listen to music or watch to with the volume up a bit. Also included is a reduced trial of row pro which allows online training/races against other using a computer but as yet not felt the need for this yet. In summary: What's good 1. Fantastic made to last build quality 2. Easy to use and very clear computer 3. Great website/support 4. Easy to dismantle/store What's bad 1. Wish I bought it sooner Any questions please ask but hope you found this useful.