Best Rowing Machine Under 500: Our Top Picks For Home Workouts

When searching for the best rowing machine under 500 pounds or dollars, it can be a little tricky at times to determine exactly what sort of quality you’re getting for your cash.

Fortunately, we’ve compiled a list of our top budget picks, based on features, price, and reviews, to take your home gym’s cardio setup to the next level.

Whether you’re after something powered by air, like this Stamina ATS Air Rower, or you’d prefer something water-driven, like this XTERRA Fitness ERG600W, we’ve got you covered right here.

Best Rowing Machine Under 500

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Best All-Round Rowing Machine Under 500 – Fitness Reality 100 Plus

Best rowing machine under 500 Fitness Reality product image of a silver and black machine.

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Fitness Reality

Brand: Fitness Reality | Max Weight: 250lbs | Resistance: Magnetic

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In our opinion, the Fitness Reality 100 Plus rowing machine is a great bit of kit to upgrade your home gym setup for less.

What we like about this machine, in particular, is that it comes with 14 levels of dual-transmission magnetic resistance which should be ideal for keeping your workouts challenging whilst also helping you make progress.

On top of that, the package includes a 6-month subscription to the MyCloudFitness app, granting you access to a selection of pre-made workout programmes and scenic routes to vary each session.

It’s also foldable, making it a great option to consider if you’re limited to space as well.

Best Foldable Rowing Machine Under 500 – Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5606

Best rowing machine under 500 Sunny Health & Fitness product image of a grey framed machine.

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Sunny Health & Fitness

Brand: Sunny Health & Fitness | Max Weight: 220lbs | Resistance: Elastic Cord

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If you’re looking to save space to make way for other equipment in your home gym, then this foldable Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5606 machine may be for you.

It comes with dual directional resistance with 4 levels of adjustable tension so you can alter the difficulty of your workouts whenever you need to.

The large LCD display provides information on your time, count, total count, calories burned, count per minute, and scan, so should be a great option for those who like to know their workout stats to keep track of progression.

Ultimately, if you’re looking for a foldable bit of kit on a budget, then we feel this Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5606 is well worth thinking about.

Best Rowing Machine Under 500 For Live Workouts – SNODE WR100

Best rowing machine under 500 SNODE product image of a black and red, water-driven machine.

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SNODE

Brand: SNODE | Max Weight: 331lbs | Resistance: Water

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The SNODE WR100 looks to be a great rowing machine, with its defining feature being the interactive personal training videos you can access via the free FITLOG app to help keep you motivated whilst exercising.

Within the app, you can also find many tutorials which may be helpful if you’re and a beginner, and you can even set training plans to help you keep on top of your fitness regime.

On the performance side, it comes with a water-driven resistance mechanism, designed to simulate the real rowing experience as accurately as possible.

On the whole, if you’re looking for something to keep you motivated, then this relatively inexpensive SNODE WR100 could be the machine for you.

Best Air-Driven Rowing Machine Under 500 – Stamina ATS Air Rower

Best rowing machine under 500 Stamina product image of a silver and black, air-driven machine.

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Stamina

Brand: Stamina | Max Weight: 250lbs | Resistance: Air

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We’ve featured Stamina before in our list of the best ellipticals under 500, and it appears it’s struck gold again with the Stamina ATS Air Rower.

As its name suggests, the ATS Air Rower creates its resistance through wind which, Stamina boasts, provides a smoother rowing stroke.

Furthermore, it features a monitor which displays your speed, distance, time, and calories burned, helping you to keep track of how hard you’re working during exercise.

It’s also worth mentioning you get free access to Müüv, a smart audio coaching app designed to give you training tips and advice if you’re new to rowing.

All in all, a solid option to consider if you’re after an air-powered machine.

Best Water-Driven Rowing Machine Under 500 – XTERRA Fitness ERG600W

Best rowing machine under 500 XTERRA Fitness product image of a black, water-driven machine.

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XTERRA Fitness

Brand: XTERRA Fitness | Max Weight: 300lbs | Resistance: Water

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The XTERRA Fitness ERG600W features in our list of the best rowing machines, so it may come as no surprise we’re including it again here.

What we like about the ERG600W is that it is water-driven, using impellers to actively move through the water tank with the intent of recreating the peaceful sounds of real rowing.

Additionally, this machine comes with an adjustable 5.5″ LCD console, plus 6 resistance levels which are determined by the amount of water inside the tank and can provide some variation to the intensity of your workouts.

Ultimately, we feel this water-driven machine is a strong contender for consideration, especially given its relatively inexpensive price.

Frequently Asked Questions About Rowing Machines Under 500

Rowing machines can sometimes come with a lot of questions, but we’re here to clear up a few common queries to help you make your purchase.

Is A Rowing Machine Worth It?

A rowing machine is a great option to have for the winter months for indoor cardio-based training, however, it also makes for a great option all year round as rowing in real life is not as simple as putting on some trainers and stepping outside.

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This is one of the reasons why we feel a rowing machine is worth having in your home gym, but we also think it’s a great way of working out your whole body whilst also improving your cardio as well.

Can You Lose Weight Using A Rowing Machine?

A rowing machine offers an extremely effective way of burning calories and, therefore, can be used to lose weight if paired with the right diet.

In fact, a study conducted by the University of Roehampton compared running on a treadmill to rowing on a machine and found participants burnt 300 calories whilst rowing.

The results also showed that rowing activated more muscle groups than running, making it an efficient way of improving your cardio whilst also exercising your entire body.

Is A Rowing Machine Better Than A Treadmill?

We’ve previously discussed whether treadmills are better than rowing machines and, in said article, we conclude that a rowing machine is a great choice for an all-around full-body workout.

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In fact, a 2015 study into rowing machines found that rowing 5 days a week for 6 weeks led to a significant decrease in fat mass and total body fat percentage which, we feel, is a strong indication of the benefits of rowing.

How Do You Use A Rowing Machine?

A rowing machine is a great bit of kit for cardio, but it’s important to get the technique right to maximise your efficiency and avoid injury.

To properly use a rowing machine, you must first secure your feet in and sit on the sliding seat so that your knees are bent at a 90° angle. This is then your starting position as your arms are locked out straight.

Then, drive back with your legs until they are fully extended. At this point, lean back slightly and bend your arms towards your ribs before straightening them back out and leaning forward until you return to the starting position so you’re ready for the next rep.

Is A Rowing Machine Good For Building Muscle?

A rowing machine is an extremely versatile bit of kit as it is an effective way of improving your cardio and building muscle because you utilise almost your entire body during the movement.

With that being said, a rowing machine probably won’t be an effective way of continually building muscle as, once you start getting more experienced, your room for progression becomes limited because it’s not as easy to up the weight compared to weight lifting.

Read More: Best Exercise Bike Under 500 Available Now

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