Date: October 30, 2020

There’re four major types of rowing machine on the market according to the resistance mechanism applied.

1. Magnetic rowing machine

• Magnetic indoor rower is the most popular type of rowing machine for home use. It’s compact in size, silent in operation, little required in maintenance. And it provides wide range of resistance levels to choose from. The only disadvantage is that it doesn’t feels like real rowing on water.

2. Water rowing machine

• Water indoor rower use water and paddles to create resistance. It’s a new innovation in rowing machine technology. It’s quiet and smooth in operation, little demanding in maintenance. The best part is that it can simulate rowing on water and some just enjoy the whoosh of the water. It also has a shortcoming – tends to be bigger than other types

3. Air rowing machine

• Air rowing machine is popular since the 1980s. It creates resistance utilizing air flowing over a flywheel. It has wide range of resistance, smooth action and little mechanism wear. But the noisy level is a little high for indoor use.

4. Hydraulic rowing machine

• Hydraulic rowing machine uses resistance achieved by pistons attached to the handles. It’s smaller in size, quieter in operation and costs less. However, it’s not very comfortable as the rowing action is not smooth enough, and resistance level is not consistent. Besides, it requires regular maintenance.