JLL Folding Rowing Machine for Home Gym, Adjustable Magnetic Resistance, Quiet & Smooth Workout, Compact Rower with Transport Wheels, Full-Body Exercise Equipment with Optional Free SunnyFit App

Had the rower for just a few days but already very impressed with it. It's a very sturdy piece of kit. Easy to assemble out of the box - says two people required but apart from a slight struggle to extract it from the box (which I didn't want to damage in case I needed to return it), I managed to put it together myself in 25 minutes with the included tools. The rower has a very smooth action and is quiet enough to exercise whilst watching the TV, albeit with the sound turned up a tad (much quieter than the air rower at the gym). The tension settings are perfectly adequate for a good range of abilities, though if you are a serious rower or extreme fitness fanatic the highest setting might not cut it for you. The lower 4 or 5 settings are also a little weak but useful if you haven't done any serious exercise in a while and want to start off gently. The seat is comfortable at first but can make your btm ache after a little while so I just put a small memory foam pad on it and it's fine. I'm 5' 10 1/2" and there is plenty of travel on the seat for me. I've read some people saying that the foot pedals are too big and their feet fall out - this can be remedied by threading the pedal straps through the lower slots in the pedals (they are in the higher slots out of the box). The display takes a bit of mastering as the instructions are a little vague but with a bit of trial and error you can soon work it out. I'm not sure how accurate the calorie counter or distance measure are but I'll only use them for comparison from session to session anyway. To sum up: for the price this is a really solid machine and I expect it to go the distance. If you're serious about your rowing you'll probably want something a bit higher up the league but if you're looking for a rower for general fitness purposes at beginner/intermediate level, buy with confidence.

Been using for a month and for a budget rowing machine it’s adequate , and is a shorter length to accommodate than some. I am 5’8” female , 62 years of age and purchased to try to obtain overall workout on a machine which doesn’t play havoc with my dodgy knees! I had wrangled with the decision whether to buy this one or the much more expensive Concept 2 of which I have experience using at the gym as it had very good reviews.To be honest I couldn’t justify spending that much for the concept one, plus , it was too big for my box room. I decided any exercise is better than none and the JLT one is adequate for my needs. I use 5 x per week and it gives me that kick start energy-wise in the mornings before work. I do find it a little low to the ground which is an effort getting up and down to it . It’s sturdy enough though and was easy enough assembling it myself . I only awarded it 1* for the ease of folding as it folds right in the area where the wire which is very flimsy, connects to the screen readout . I think it could very easily damage the wire and render the screen useless in no time. In that respect the design hasn’t been thought through. Other than that is ok.

I want this to be a very helpful review so bear with me while I set the background. I'm 65. It's years since I set foot in a gym and I have no experience of other machines in decades. I am 5'9 and was 12 st. Always 12st - for years. It didn't matter what I ate much to the chagrin of other people trying to cut the calories. I would have said I was fit and most of my friends would have agreed with me. They'd have called me slim. I was pretty damned complacent. Until I checked my own blood pressure in a machine at the surgery. At which point I had to hit the alarm button. The doctor put me on the lowest dose of blood pressure tablet but I wanted to not just rely on medication. I'd used a rowing machine a long time ago and I was sure it was the most complete exercise machine. So I bought the JLL after seeing a fitness website make it their "surprising recommendation". At this price I could try it out and not worrry about the outlay. Assembly is pretty easy if you take your time and one person can do it just about. Packaging was excellent and the components felt heavy and well-engineered. None of those not-quite-properly-threaded holes or bolts that didn't quite turn freely. You know the Chinese junk I'm talking about. This felt solid and well-made. I found it hard work to start with, I was tired after 1/2 a kilometre on no4 resistance and I had to overcome discouragement. I'm 65 remember. After 4 months I'm doing 4 kilometres neraly every day at maximum resistance and I could do more if I wanted to. My blood pressure is down to normal, although obviously the meds have played their part. Here's the thing, though. I've lost 10lb even though that wasn't an objective. Where's it gone from? That stomach that I was a little bit in denial about. My trousers are loose on my waist! My biceps and forearms are like iron. Ditto my leg muscles. If you are not using the machine as a surrogate for real rowing - you know, with water involved! - then this machine WILL get you fit - and without the impact injuries you can get from jogging. I haven't felt fitter in twenty years. What I took to be the inevitable pains of aging have gone. At £166 this can be a life and health-changing purchase. So what's not like? Well. rowing's boring. So do what I've done. Stick a TV nearby and plough through a boxed set! Keep your eys of those dials. My sessions are taking half an hour and I do it nearly every day (say 11 days in every 14). So it takes time. You don't have to do as much as that, though, and if you're younger you could try a higher pace than my 22-23 strokes/min to shorten the time. It's darned satisfying - and motivating - to see 180-200 calories on the read out day after day, even if the readings are as inaccurate as everyone says. So my strong advice is to use the readouts just for comparison purposes day on day. Feel your body, That's the only readout you really need. The only truly negative thing I have to say is that my bum aches after a while! That seat could be more padded. Get a cushion! So there you are. A man his 60s can use one of these - but for God's sake build up from a low base of short sessions at lower resistance. You will lose weight - you can't help it, believe me! You blood pressure will fall. You will feel better about yourself. Your girlfriend/wife will like the improvement to your body. You will improve your life expectancy. Just take it steady to start with. Getting fit is a marathon not a sprint. I'm not saying other machines won't do just as well. but this one feels like a bargain to me. It's changing my life. Really. If you're thinking about it - just do it. And please - get your blood pressure checked out. Don't taek it all for granted as I did. Twleve Month Update: After nearly twelve months my enthusiasm for this machine is undimmed and I can't believe much fitter I feel. However, just before the warranty ran out there was a failure in the main base unit. The rowing action started to produce a grinding sound and the tension fluctuated. At their request I sent JLL a video clip. They sent me a whole new machine so I could replace the base unit. At my request they also allowed me to replace the seat unit. A bolt had worked its way out its seat, although it made no difference to the its operation. I simply packed up the dodgy bits and they arranged for the box to be colllected. So the warranty was fulfilled politely and efficiently in less than a week. Should you be worried about this failure? My own view is that if you have to buy one every year it's probably still an decent deal. You should bear in mind that my machine had about 750 "miles" and thousands of strokes on the clock by the time it failed. That's pretty intensive use and at full tension. Let's be honest with ourselves: many of you will soon get fed up and others will use it spasmodically. I maintain this is still an ideal machine that doesn't involve you in huge investment in order to get yourself fit. And the warranty is taken seriously by JLL. UPDATE: May 2023. Today the recoil unit failed again. So it's time for the last rites. The first recoil unit (is that what it is called?) failed in less than 12 months. The second one lasted 5 years. That points to a little bit of hit and miss with quality control. The seat unit has also been fine since it was replaced, indicating again that the first one was substandard. I need a new machine and, dammit, the websites are still recommending this one as the best buy for amateur use. It's a darned sight dearer - over £100 dearer - but still looks like good value. I note that competitor machines also have various componenet failure issues. What to do? Watch this space....

I did a lot of research before buying this machine, and have to say I'm very pleased with it. I'm a 61 year old guy who is still slim and in reasonable shape, but I realised recently that I could be a lot fitter. It was suggested by a friend that a rowing machine would be the ideal thing for me. As I'm not into running, and have no wish to spend a fortune on a gym, I took his advice. The machine was really simple to assemble. I unpacked it, laid all the bits out on the floor, and had it sorted in around 30 minutes. It's very sturdy and everything seems to be of good quality. The foot rests are a little strange, but I'm sure with a little use I'll figure out the most comfortable way of securing my feet. I hopped on board, and thought I would try some very gentle exercise just to get to know the rower. I set the tension at it's lowest and tried a few strokes - all felt fine - enough resistance for a beginner like me to start with. Then tried the resistance at 5, and could definitely feel a difference. Finally tried it out on maximum, and could feel a considerable difference. Dropped it back down to minimum and had my first 10 minute trial session. The machine is very quiet in use, feels very stable, and the seat is quite comfortable. The digital display works very well but it will take a while to get used to all the various settings. So I just left it on scan which shows everything in sequence. Easy to read and understand. Being new to "proper" exercise, I'm going to start gently with 10 minutes morning and evening and see how I get on, but even after that first session, I could feel that I had been using my hamstrings and abs. So, gently, gently to begin! Finally, the machine is very easy to fold up, and I just leave it in the corner of the room until needed. This is definitely a very good machine for an entry level user like me. The resistance is certainly enough to give me a work out. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who just wants to get into shape and improve their fitness, rather than someone who who wants a more demanding fitness regime. I'm very impressed with this at the price. It's good quality and looks very nice, works smoothly, and I'm sure will help me improve my muscle tone and aerobic fitness. (I'll report back in 3 months).

I've used this machine for 20 minutes almost everyday for 4 months now and so I feel I can comment on its performance. Its very robust, showing no sign of wear - and I' try to work it hard! The (2xAAA) batteries in the display ran out after 3 months but they are easy to replace. I certainly feel I am getting my money's worth from the machine. I was used to the Concept 2 air resistance machine in the gym but could spare neither the money nor space for that model. This one is almost as comfortable to use and quite a bit smaller. The length of the track is fine for me (I'm 1.82 cm tall) although I find the geometry a little less suitable, maybe the port from which the handle emerges is a little lower - I'm not sure. I've got used to it though. At max setting there isn't quite as much resistance as I was used to with the Concept 2, so the work out is a little different, again I've adapted. One thing that I do find awkward is that the handle is very thick, 4 cm in diameter. I've got big hands but that is a little too wide even for me. For the first month or so, I tried gripping with my thumb around the handle but started developing strain in my hands. There isn't any way of taking the handle off to replace it so now I rest my thumb on top and switch grip from over to under hand every 5 minutes - not perfect but I guess I work slightly different muscles so perhaps its a good thing. The second point to make is that although the instructions say this system "folds up", as far as I can make out, you have to remove a bolt with a spanner to do that - not ideal for everyday tidying up. On the other hand the machine stands well on its end to take up much less room so the only time I think one would want to fold the machine would be to stick it in a car. Overall then I'm very, very pleased with this machine, it great quality for a reasonable price that almost matches a professional machine 5 x its price.

First the good: this is a good and affordable rower for a beginner wanting to try out a new exercise regime. It is very quiet in use and won't annoy the neighbours (which is why an air resistance rower is simply not an option for me; too noisy). It has a very small footprint when stood upright (but it doesn't fold, unlike some of the advertising and the manual suggest). It feels well-made generally, and the seat sliding motion is very smooth. And it definitely works; I am exercising (and feeling!) some muscles which haven't seen much use when sat behind a computer all day long. However, there are a few gripes with the design and the way it is shipped: - Some bolts and washers arrive loose in the box; lift the flaps in the base of the box to find the missing bolts & washers. I understand they wanted to put some bolts already in the mounting holes to show users where they go, but really they had better be shipped in a sealed plastic bag because in transit they rattle loose and drop out. - The rear stand wasn't welded square, so even on a perfect level floor the left adjustable foot needs to stick out three quarters of an inch more than the right one. It works fine and it is a cosmetic issue rather than a functional issue, but it indicates a bit of sloppy welding; looks like they welded it "square" by eye rather than using a welding jig. - My main gripe however, is that the machine needs electrical power connected to adjust the resistance levels. The magnets are adjusted by an electric motor inside, rather than adjusted manually by mechanical means, which is a really poor design choice (see below why) - Every time you reset the monitor to the stand-by mode (required to change your program), the machine resets the resistance level to 1, which is barely any resistance at all - You can't change the resistance level BEFORE starting the program. You have to select your chosen program first, then only AFTER the first stroke (which triggers the program to run) does it allow you to set the resistance level back up to where you want it to be. Really bizarre design decision. - Because the footrests are not adjustable in forward position or height, and the handle doesn't retract very far forward of the footrests, some people may struggle to find a good catch position.

I wouldn't quite describe it as "Luxury" but Ffor the price it's ok. It's operation is very smooth, resistance is fine the seat is comfortable and the display turns off automatically once you've stopped using it. Display is a bit fiddly to use, in terms of the buttons being a bit small, but the one complaint I would have is that despite having very small legs the actual body of the rower is too low and you can't have a nice smooth action and form when rowing. You have to pull the handle towards you and up over your knees or row with your knees turned outwards which is uncomfortable. I'd say that is a bit of a design flaw, it's not encouraging me to use it, but I don't give up easily.

I considered several spin bikes and rowing machines and settled on this one. I like it. I bought it the Tuesday after Cyber Monday and it arrived on Thursday - nice quick delivery via Yodel. Setting up is quite straightforward. Like previous reviewer, I think bigger diagrams in the guide would have been great, but a little patience means 30mins is about enough time to get it set up. The product is a good weight and feels solid and well built. The computer display is big enough to be easy to read at the finish stage of a stroke. The magnetic mechanism is very quiet and the majority of the noise comes from the sliding of the seat in the drive and recovery. I felt confident straight after setting it up to push up to 40strokes/min. Folding the machine is quite simple - just remove two bolts. [update below]:I've given the product 4 stars for 2 reasons: (1) the pedal strap is just a velcro strap. I've racked up about 10km since receiving the unit and the straps keep coming off my feet. Two straps per foot or a toe/heel block would help keep feet in place during the recovery stage of the stroke. (2) The magnetic load mechanism is low. This means the handlebar has to be kept very low during the stroke. I use a Concept 2 ergometer at the gym and the higher placed flywheel ensures that arms are above the knees throughout the stroke. IMHO that works much better. At the moment I have to keep my arms outside my knees to make this work. I'm only 5'8", for reference. Oh, for those who want to know, the display has no backlight, and the machine is suitable for people at least half a foot taller than me - the monorail is a good length. The seat is soft too, if thats a priority for you. I like the tension and IMHO unless you're a pro it will provide more than enough resistance. At first use the magnetic resistance wasn't very smooth at low resistance, but it seems to be smoother now, and is definitely smooth at higher resistance. I like the product and the wife has decided to give it a go, so can't complain. Recommended if you can engineer a way to keep your feet in, and don't mind having your arms outside your knees. [update - 11th Dec] This review got a comment from JLL. They pointed out that the foot pedals had an extra slot for the strap. I used the lower slot and this provides more security. I've also grown used to the lower arm position so can't complain. 5 stars! Recommended