Rowers are packed with unmatched benefits that can instantly help to achieve your goals without burning you out in the process. Here, the battle between Concept2 vs WaterRower can make it daunting to choose between the two.
Due to the numerous benefits of rowing, there is no doubt why rowing machines are increasingly becoming more popular. The high versatility ensures to get an aerobic and anaerobic workout done with just a single machine.
That said, a common confusion many people have is the decision to choose between Concept2 vs WaterRower. They both are excellent for working 84% of your muscle mass, including abdominals, quads, shoulders, to offer a full-body workout.
Given that they both have a relatively common purpose of serving, it can be quite arduous to choose between the two. But guess what, I’ve got your back!
Here’s a complete feature breakdown of all the perks and cons of each and how you can make up your mind in just the next few minutes.
So, let’s dive right into it!
Concept2 vs WaterRower Times Review: The Brand
About Concept2
Concept2 is one of the best-selling rowers for its exceptional durability that can withstand nearly anything you throw at it. Concept 2 is the more intense the user rowers, the more resistance you are going to have. Besides that, you can also adjust the resistance level with a manual damper.
The brand has earned its reputation for offering excellent customer service during warranties and exchanges, and its pieces of equipment can be used for highly intense purposes. This means, with one investment, you can rest assured to have its support for the rest of your life.
About WaterRower Times
WaterRower has a completely different approach when it comes to offering you the ever-needed resistance in the rower. It’s a water flywheel that moves a more realistic feel to the overall feel of your rowing experience.
Although it is mainly built for competitive rowers, it is currently actively being used at home. The equipment features a large tank of water that powers the flywheel for resistance. Unlike many other rowing machines, WaterRowers gets its competitive edge from actually offering you a more realistic and natural way of rowing in the water.
Concept2 vs WaterRower Times Review Comparison
Concept2 Review
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Concept2 is for anyone who wants to go the extra mile and opt for a rower that can bear with your intense training, all while being kind to your knees. One of the things that I personally love about the equipment is giving a gym-like experience with its accurate tracking to monitor your progress and improve as you go.
Pros
1. Heart rate monitor
The PM5 monitor makes it effortless to follow your workout and track every physical activity you do with your rower. It shows your heart rate with compatibility with ATN and Bluetooth. This means you can figure out how much workout is beneficial for your body and when to stop burning out.
Besides that, Concept 2 also accepts wireless connectivity that can easily export the results of the training session一how convenient is that!
2. Ergonomic features
Concept2 features ergonomic handles with a 10-degree bend to prevent back pain during workouts. As if this wasn’t already enough, the seat slides smoothly, and the foot places are large enough to fit your feet comfortably.
3. Suitable for all fitness level
Whether you are a beginner or a newbie who just found out about the numerous benefits of rowers, Concept2 ensures you make the most out of your workout using beginner-friendly features that can eventually build up to increase the intensity of the workout.
As for experienced individuals, you can never go wrong with the exceptionally durable structure of the equipment that can easily withstand your hectic workout.
4. Brand reputation
Let’s admit it: regardless of whatever you say, the brand image helps to give you a sense of credibility in the brand and ensures complete satisfaction after the purchase.
Luckily, Concept2 has a reputation for being the preferred choice for more than 4 years, making it a standard for anyone who just got into rowing machines.
Cons
1. Storage
Although the manufacturers have tried to put some attention into making the storage easy for Concept2, it is still fairly hard to break the machine into two halves to store it away. And even after that, it takes up considerably larger space in your closet.
WaterRower Times Review
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
WaterRower is one of the most reliable options you have for water-powered rowing machines. It includes everything you need to create a small gym section at home and still get gym-like training. Its compact design and natural feel give an upper hand over the rest, making this purchasing decision a bit easier for you.
Pros
1. Soothing noise
Considering how it’s a water-powered rower, rest assured that the only noise you will hear is the relaxing sloshing of water. This can also be useful to create a meditating effect on your overall workout.
2. Durability
Its extremely durable body has been vouched by countless fitness experts worldwide, which give peace of mind that this WaterRower can stick with you through thick and thin.
3. Design
Most of its models are made of wood, allowing it to fit in quite unobtrusively in your house.
Cons
1. High maintenance
Pouring the water after each use can not only be wasteful but hard to clean too. While WaterRower isn’t as bad as other water-powered rowers, it can still be relatively harder than Concept2 to manage the upkeep of the equipment.
Concept2 vs WaterRower Times Buyer’s Guide: Things to Consider Before Investing your Hard-earned Money
While rowers, in general, offer excellent benefits, not all of them are perfect. This means to find the best one; you need to figure out what you prioritize the most and then go on to find the rowers that best meet your requirements.
To make it easier for you, here’s an in-depth guide that can make this process completely seamless for you.
1. Price
When it comes to budget, it is essential to understand the difference between cheap and inexpensive rowers. The rest of the experience you will have with your rower will depend on your initial purchase.
Therefore, it is really up to you whether you can go for a rower with advanced technology, high durability, and quality and make a good one-time investment. It can serve you well for the rest of your life.
Or opt for a cheaper one and buy a new one every year, which, in fact, can end up being more expensive than the one with an initial high price.
2. The Frame
When you look for rowers, you will get to find frames made up of wood and steel. The steel and aluminum frames are typically more common in commercial environments. This is mainly because of the cost-efficient factor and advanced durability, making it ideal in competitive settings.
As for wood frames, they are mainly known for water rowers and used for household purposes due to their quiet feature and extreme durability that can easily take up 500+ pounds.
3. Built-in Screen Positioning
Some rowing machines come with a built-in display screen that can allow you to view the workouts on the machine to make it easier to understand the complex workouts. They are usually led by expert trainers to give a more professional feel to the overall workout.
Unless this isn’t your priority, many people prefer to go for rowers with HD display so that you have a screen at eye level to make it comfortable to work out and avoid neck strain.
Besides that, you can always go for second-hand options if the purchasing price is too high for you.
4. Footprint
Space can be one of the most important factors, especially if you lack space at home. Although most of the rowers are foldable which can be put away when not in use, it is also important to look into options with a smaller footprint to make them ideal for home purposes.
5. Features
Generally speaking, unlike treadmills, rowers are manual workouts, yet they have great advanced features that let you elevate your fitness journey. Most standard rowing machines typically track your essential workout metrics like time, calories, watts, and heart rate. It is displayed on HUD or LCDs.
If your rower comes with magnetic resistance, you also get to adjust the resistance using button controls on the handles. This aids convenience and prevents you from fiddling around and getting distracted during workouts.
Benefits of Concept2 vs WaterRower Times
If you think rower is only an excellent way of helping you reach your goals, wait till you find out what other benefits it can yield to your body. Here are some other health benefits that you can expect Concept2 and WaterRower Times to offer you.
Burn calories
Rowing is excellent for offering strength and cardio training, making it a super-efficient way to burn calories. In fact, depending on your body weight and the intensity of the workout, you can easily burn up to 400 to 500 calories in an hour of rowing.
Improve your aerobic fitness
Aerobic is known for improving your cardiovascular, mental health and helps you sleep well at night. One of the best things about rowing is that even a 15-minute rowing workout is equal to a serious aerobic workout to offer you the same benefits.
This involves boosting your stamina and endurance while increasing your strength to make it to your list of most effective workouts of all time.
Work out with less injury risk.
If you are someone struggling from injury, rowing is the best way to keep yourself active. In fact, many athletes use this to recover from any injury that they may have from past experiences.
This is because high-intensity workouts like plyometrics and sprinting can be too harsh on your body. Here, incorporating low-impact workouts like rowing machines and bicycles can do wonders for your health.
Help you stay committed.
Considering how many people gained weight in this pandemic, having an at-home rower can make sure you don’t have any excuse to ditch a fitness day even in this COVID-19 pandemic.
Concept2 vs WaterRower Times: How Are They Different?
The major difference between Concept2 and WaterRower is that Concept2 offers a linear resistance which means pushing as hard as your muscles and heart will let you.
Whereas WaterRower features a non-linear resistance that allows you to row harder as you generate less incremental watts to a point where you can’t go any further than that.
Although it is not something that will affect the fitness routine of normal fitness enthusiasts, it can be a great deal for athletes who are working out for competitive purposes. Another difference is that Concept2 is mechanic and noisy when WaterRower offers a smooth and quiet experience thanks to its water-powered capabilities.
This allows you to have a more natural feel with the real slight water noises and wooden frames. As for Concept2, its HD display is packed with videos that can be relatively competitive with this sensation.
Besides that, even though Concept2 rowers allow you to position yourself more naturally, it puts more pressure on your knees. In contrast, the WaterRower position is less natural but is gentle on your joints.
Concept2 vs WaterRower Times – Are They The Same?
Concept2 and WaterRower offer two completely different experiences for their users; however, the root of the purpose remains the same. They both can easily fit into any house as their attractive design and structure can make it look more like a statement piece rather than bulky gym equipment that is only taking up valuable space.
Conclusion
Now that we have come to an end, it’s time to settle up the scores and pick a winner.
Based on the information mentioned above, Concept2 is surely the winner in terms of pierce, storage, size, and display, and WaterRower can take the lead in its high aesthetics, lower noise level, and a more natural feel.
Depending on the most prioritized factors, you can weigh all the possible benefits and disadvantages and take your bet!