Customer Reviews

WaterRower Oxbridge Rowing Machine in Cherry with S4 Monitor

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
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I don't know where to begin. I researched many types of exercise equipment and this one takes the cake. Check the manufacturer's well-built site for all the details on the product. I picked the cherry model for looks, but I'm sure any model would have suited my fitness needs. This rower is rock-solid, whisper quiet, comfortable and beautifully designed. When standing against a wall it looks like a piece of art. But it doesn't stay there long. My wife and I use it everyday. The resistance and motion is so smooth! I can't recommend this machine enough. You can even buy software to race other WaterRowers online. If you are really serious about an aerobic workout, look no further. The WaterRower is worth every penny and built to last.

Anyone considering this rower should know first and foremost that it is absolutely gorgeous. Beyond that, what really sold me over the Concept 2 is that the layout of the machine is more conducive to rowing while watching tv, for example, nearly silent (great for apartment living), and what you noise you do hear is the gentle whoosh of water swirling.

I've never rowed in a scull, but I have to imagine the WaterRower sounds much more realistic than the sawing sound of the Concept 2.

Storage is a breeze with the low center of gravity and roller wheels - just lift it up and it takes up about the space of a dining chair.

The only potential downside is the computer. The Concept 2 has very accurate drag calculations, etc., that allow you to compare against anybody else's scores in the world. The S4 monitor on the WaterRower, by contrast, is not nearly as sophisticated. It doesn't even tell you total calories burned, which is a bummer. Despite some of the shortcomings of the monitor, however, I found that it was suitable for my intended purpose - exercise. I am not trying to become an Olympic rower, but merely lose some weight. For that purpose, I think the monitor is going to work out just fine.

(As an aside, the WaterRower company does offer a usb connector so you can hook up the rower to your computer and do some online things. It was complicated to figure out, at least on a Mac (looks more straightforward for Windows computers), but once I got it set up, it was kinda cool to race against a pace boat. Allegedly you can also race real people around the world, but the room was empty when I tried it out.)

In the end, this is a lot of money but it's a gorgeous piece of equipment that still manages to get your heart rate up. Is it better than the Concept 2? I guess that depends on your needs/wants. For me, near silent operation and beautiful presentation was more important. And if you do go the WaterRower route, may I suggest spending the extra coin for a fancier wood model. I've seen a demo unit in the Natural, and while beautiful, the Oxbridge model I bought in Cherry is amazing. Don't go by the stock Amazon picture, it looks nothing like the real thing. I'll try to post some pictures tonight.

Thanks for reading!

I have owned my WaterRower for nearly six years now. I love it. I had never rowed, but wanted to do something aerobic to make up for jogging less, which was bothering my ankles and knees. Starting out, take it slow and work on your form (the WaterRowever website has great videos), and after time you'll be able to increase your resistance and overall endurance.
I think the best thing I can say about it is that the customer service and warranty care is phenomenal. I initially bought the basic rower and added the computer two years later. The computer stopped working after a year, but WaterRower sent me a replacement without any questions, priority mail, and I haven't had any problems since.
This is just a great product that provides a great workout, and it impresses the neighbors when they come over because the wood design is very classic looking and it stores easily.

I have been using this machine now for about 5 weeks as part of an effort to lose 35lbs (along with eating healthier, though not 'dieting') and strengthen my heart due to heart disease that runs in my family.

The rower was easy to put together, taking only about 30 minutes. Filling it with water took considerably longer however as its not very accessible. I had to run pitchers of water then take them to the provided pump to transfer into the waterrower. Considering you only do this one, not really a big deal. The build of the unit feels rock solid, and moving it from the hall to the living room is easy with the attached wheels.

Using the machine is a joy. The motion/resistance is smooth in both the handle and the seat. The workout can be leisurely or intense depending on how hard/fast you row. The book says it takes 4x effort for every 1x increase in speed. I believe it. Trying to maintain a 35 stroke rate is far harder than maintaining a 28 stroke rate. I have bad knees that prevent me from doing many exercises but they feel fine with the rowing machine. It is definitely non-impact.

The S4 monitor is servicable, but is lacking a bit at this price I feel. The screen is hard to see in a dimly lit room which is what I usually row in as I like to watch TV while doing it. The monitor also times out if you leave it paused for more than a minute or two which is annoying when you're interrupted by something. The screen is large however, and easy to read if you keep the lights on bright.

Overall, I am extemely satisfied with the Waterrower and highly recommend it to anyone looking to get/stay healthy. 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week and I've been losing a consistent 1-2 lbs/week.

I own 2 rowers in 2 different locations:
1st is a Concept 2 (model C - computer upgraded to PM3, handle and seat from D) which is just over 10 years old at my office/shop.
2nd is the Water Rower in Cherry which is just over 6 months old at my vacation house (used every weekend).

I write this review just having finished rowing on the Water Rower.

I purchased both machine new.
In the past, I had a "silicon filled piston super heavy duty rowing machine" which just died of many wear and fatigue problems before I purchased the Concept.

Either the Concept or Water Rower will do a really good job of lasting and keeping you in shape without killing your body.
I ran for many years but it was doing slow damage to my knees so I moved to rowing.

I row 3 days on, 1 off unless I get a major workout some other way.
I use these machines to keep in shape. Keep the lungs and heart moving etc.
I just get on the machine and row for 30 minutes either watching TV (at office) or listening to a pod caste and looking at the ocean.
I do not use any monitor graphics or other features.
I want 3 things - total time rowed - total meters rowed - current time for 500 M.
To me the rest of the displays are just not interesting.
I own and might use a heart rate monitor every 6 months are so...

The concept has > 10 million meters on it.
Replaced some parts over the years - the grips wears out fairly fast and the original was poorly shaped (for my hands) but the D model is good. The chain and shock cord has been replaced 2 times. Multiple seat roller sets. Complete seat.

The significant maintenance issue is you must wipe down the rollers and clean the rail with every use. If you do not do this it will not be smooth and drive you crazy. I keep paper towels and a wetting squirt bottle next to the machine. You can expect to use one half a paper towel per row if you want a smooth machine. The seat rollers need to be replaced on a regular basis - they give off some black material all the time. Concept keeps changing the material of the rollers so maybe they will find a good solution.

The Concept PM2 monitor was changed to a PM3 monitor which was a gift. The PM3 might have been an upgrade in some ways but effectively deleted the long term total of the PM2. When the batteries die my PM3 often loses info which the PM2 did not. This does not affect me much but might be a large issue for many users.
The design of the battery holder makes me sad every time I replace the batteries.
Card workout storage system is not something I use so no info on that.

The worst part of the Concept is it is very loud - I have to turn the TV up to dead max and can barely understand it.
The machine + TV is so loud I normally try and wait till the business next door leaves before I row - subjecting someone to equipment noise is ok but to bad TV just seems so rude...

Originally I expected to purchase a Concept D for my vacation house having talked several friends into buying one.
But I was concerned with rust since there is a lot of salt in the air at the vacation house. The Concept has developed few spots of rust in it's current location so I knew this was going to be a big issue.
The Water Rower has some steel parts also but is mostly wood so I figured this was a plus.
The Water Rower also looks much better which was a plus - who cares in my shop but this is now in a home.
And the Water Rower looks way better standing up - the Concept looks like it will fall (never has) and hurt you. In theory, the Concept can be split into 2 pieces but this is a pain in the butt for an everyday operation.

So I purchased the Water Rower in cherry...

The Water Rower has about 600 KM on it to date.

Water Rower good points:
Looks great.
Very quite.
Smoother stroke.
No issues with rails - this is surprise to me - I even talked to Water Rower directly about the rails and wear etc. Looked like a iffy solution - works great.
Feels more stable - the Concept is fine - the Water Rower is even better.
Computer is better than I expected given the comments on Amazon.
Rust has not been an issue so far - there are some steel parts but the coating must be really good.
The handle is better - at first I expected to replace the handle with a Concept model D version but then I found I just forgot about it - so it works.
Seat is better - women seem to find it significantly so.

Things which could be improved:
The rollers on the front to moving around the machine need work - Water Rower needs to make a spacer to make them better fit the holes. Easy fix but needed.
The overlay on my monitor needed to be positioned better (caught buttons down) - and then fell off - easy to reapply but a quality issue. As a note to water rower - make your cut outs bigger next time by at least 0.010" - will save you and users some grief.
Publish data on freezing prevention - I am technical and can figure out the ratio of Isopropyl for my needs but users need support.
Finish - Danish oil would be a nice option - it just makes it look much richer than the stock finish.
Foot straps - not quite great yet if you use socks or less - foot straps for wind surfers etc would be great optional upgrade.

More differences for the Water Rower vs. Concept:
The stroke is very different and many believe the Water Rower is incorrect on work expended.
I am not convinced - the Water Rower stroke has more resistance at first and less at the end.
The Water Rower is also less affected by a varying rate - it is fairly easy to "cheat" on the Concept.
If I row X meters in 30 minutes on both - I feel different but my sweet level and guess at work expended is very close with a slight increase on the Water Rower.
Not sure why either machine would be less than accurate - fairly easy to calculate.

So in the end if I was just going to purchase 1 machine again it would be the Water Rower hands down.
But for now I will keep rowing on both....

Just got mine today.

For reference I am no athlete, middle aged, fairly reasonable shape considering I rarely venture off my lazy butt.

Easy to put together, with an excellent instruction book if you are a little bit handy. You need to jiggle the parts a little to get the holes to line up. And the fit on mine wasn't absolutely perfect - one board was machined slightly off and didn't seat perfectly no matter how much I played with it.

The rowing was a dream. I added 15 liters of water - the suggested midway point for a non-athlete. It was deceptively easy to row but man I felt it after a few minutes. The whole thing is smooth and quiet with just a gentle water sloshing around.

Easy to roll around or stand up. One nitpick - the things you put your feet into look a little cheap to me, and seem awkward to adjust since this will be shared with my wife. We will see but I think they could have splurged a little more on this part considering what this thing costs.

I love this machine. Price was crazy high. They are handmade in Warren, Rhode Island so its nice to see something made in the USA for a change.

Outstanding so far. They are dropped shipped so expect to wait about 10 days. The excellent vendor I bought it from here on Amazon - Fitness 4 Home Super Store. Inc. - had the lowest price I could find and was a pleasure to deal with.