Why Row when you can run?

Ah! then you don’t know that rowing can be as effective as your run.

In short, you will become a hunk much faster, if you use a rower like Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515 Magnetic Rowing Machine

The ones in the gym are very expensive like a grand or so. But fear not, there are pretty decent rowers at a fraction of the cost

Save your mullah with this list of the absolute Best Rowing Machine Under $300 that are there in the market.

Best Rowing Machine Under $300 – 2023

#1

Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515 Magnetic Rowing Machine

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#2

Stamina 35-1215 Orbital Rowing Machine

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#3

Xterra Fitness ERG200 Folding Magnetic Resistance Rower

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#4

Harvil Hydraulic Rowing Machine

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#5

Merax Magnetic Rower Folding Exercise Rowing Machine

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ProGear 750 Rower with Additional Multi Exercise Workout capability

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#7

Marcy Foldable 8-Level Magnetic Resistance Rowing Machine

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1. Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515 Magnetic Rowing Machine

This is a rower which focuses on practicality and efficiency.

It is based on a Magnetic Tension System with 8 levels of adjustable resistance.

To give you a comfortable workout, this rower comes with a fully padded seat and non-slip grip handle bars.

Also, the pedals are of very good size and comes with anti-slip grip and adjustable foot straps.

It also comes with in built wheels which helps in moving the machine easily from one place to the other.

The LCD console is large and will display time, total count, calories and scan.

It can support a maximum of 250 lb.

Assembling this rower is a breeze and is very silent.

So the only noise you will have during workout is your own grunting and panting.

My Final Opinion

Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515 Magnetic Rowing Machine delivers a perfect workout every time. Large foot pedals and comfortable seats make your workout as efficient as possible.

The LCD monitor displays a lot of information like total count, calories, scan. However, it doesn’t show distance. Also, since the fonts are small you will have a difficulty to  read.

This machine makes very less noise and has 8 resistance levels. You can change these levels very easily based on your need.

Assembling the machine is very easy and you will not regret your decision of purchasing it.

2. Stamina 35-1215 Orbital Rowing Machine

It actually simulates the rowing action on water.

The best feature of this rowing machine is the assurance that it provides through 5 years warranty on frame and 90 days on parts.

This machine features smooth hydraulic cylinder resistance and adjustable tension controls

The Monitor is easy to use and has only one button. It can show you speed, distance, time, row count, calories burned and miles rowed

The machine is compact however, don’t let its size fool you. It is capable of catering to users below 5 feet to above 6 feet comfortably and of max weight of 250 lbs

My Final Opinion

Stamina 35-1215 Orbital Rowing Machine is not free from a few shortcomings. The seat doesn’t have a locking system. This makes it virtually impossible to use it for any other exercise.

There are couple of build issues like poor welding at some parts. Since the rower comes with a 5 year frame warrant, you can always get this fixed, in case of a problem. 

Overall a very good rowing machine, which delivers killer workout every time. It has a compact design and can be used by people of all height and weight. Huge capacity of 250 lb and sturdy frame work.

It is easy to assemble and gets you going in no time.

3. Xterra Fitness ERG200 Folding Magnetic Resistance Rower

This beauty is low on maintenance and high on efficiency.

It has 8 levels of magnetic resistance which is enough to test your mettle. The resistances can be adjusted by a knob, placed right in front of you.

This Magnetic resistance System is free of friction and is very smooth and silent.

Space issue? No Problem! This rower sports a compact frame design which is easily fold-able.

This makes it easy to store and shift.

The seat slides on dual extruded aluminium rails. These rails are mounted to a steel frame.

As a result, your sliding is extremely smooth and stable

It shows you clearly, elapsed time, stroke, total count, calories and scan. Also, the warranty provided by the company is decent. 1 year on frame and 1 year on parts.

My Final Opinion

Xterra Fitness ERG200 Folding Magnetic Resistance Rower is a low impact rowing machine which will provide you with 8 levels of resistance.

This one is heavier than others and trying to move it will give you a little more cardio workout.However, since you can fold this beauty, you can overcome this problem.

Assembling it is easy and the material of the rower is of good quality. The machine is not that noisy and sliding on it will bring back your childhood memories. 

4. Harvil Hydraulic Rowing Machine

Harvil hydraulic rower will win your heart with its sturdy construction. The frame is made up of steel and will last for years.

It is capable of supporting a whooping 265 lbs which is way more than most of the rowers in its class.

Give yourself a better workout by adjusting the hydraulic resistance with a single knob.

The LCD monitor is big enough and is placed right in-front of you. It will display time, total stroke count, calories burnt and scans.

Customize your goals with this tracking system and reach your full potential.

The seat is densely padded and glides smoothly as you move.

The pivoting footplates have safety straps. This will keep your feet securely in place and will provide you with a very comfortable workout. 

My Final Opinion

Harvil Hydraulic Rowing Machine is compact and great fit for apartment dwellers.

It has some minor issues like flimsy foot straps and does not measure distance.

Other than that, they are at par with their more expensive counter parts and at half of their price, makes it an absolute killer

5. Merax Magnetic Rower Folding Exercise Rowing Machine

The feature of this rower which jumps right onto your face is the 15 degree downward angle of the seat rail.

This, combined with a silent magnetic flywheel, ensures that you get a smooth and efficient workout.

There are 8 resistance levels which will ensure to make a Noah out of you.

Adjust the resistance with a single resistance tension knob as per your desire. 

You will get a very comfortable workout every-time as the seat is doubly padded and is upholstered.

Monitoring your progress is a breeze with its Large LCD monitor. This monitor can track your time, live second-by-second rowing count, calories and total rowing count. 

It has a maximum capacity of 264 lbs.

My Final Opinion

Merax Magnetic Rower Folding Exercise Rowing Machine is a decent rowing machine which is very silent. The only sound you will hear is your grunting and the sliding of the seat.

With 8 resistance levels it can help even the advance rowers also. However, some customers have faced issue with the display monitor and had to go through some struggle to get it replaced.

6. ProGear 750 Rower with Additional Multi Exercise Workout capability

This is how I can best describe this rower. It is like paying for one and getting 5 machines in return.

Along with rowing, this rower supports 10 other forms of exercises like curls, shoulder presses, pull downs, ab workouts, bent over rows, pec flies and more.

It has built in tension resistance where you have 2 independent hydraulic cylinders.

You have three resistance level to choose from and each side can be adjusted independently.

This machine allows you to have a full 180 degree range of rowing motion and the height can be adjusted to 3 different positions.

Want to up your game?

Then adjust the rowing incline in one of the three settings available.

Your rowing experience will be smooth and comfortable as the handle bars have foam grip and the foot pedals are large enough to fit in any sized feet.

They are lined with anti skid material and the foot straps will ensure that your feet are in place while rowing.

Capable of handling a maximum of 220 lbs, this one comes with a 1 year limited warranty.

My Final Opinion

Main attraction of ProGear 750 Rower with Additional Multi Exercise Workout capability is that you can do multiple types of workout using only one machine. The product creator claims that, you can do as many as 10 different types of workouts using these.

The only point of their concern is that, the product lack customer support. Otherwise, the customers have provided a very positive response for this product.

7. Marcy Foldable 8-Level Magnetic Resistance Rowing Machine

You can control the resistance by turning only a single knob present right in-front of you.

This machine promises to give you a great cardio workout every time, thus helping you to develop your upper and lower body.

This rowing machine is efficient and practical and are focused towards optimal functionality.

The pedals are anti skid and has adjustable foot straps. Even Big foot can fit into them.

The handles are foam covered and are anti slip and the foam seat is contoured to give you a comfortable glide throughout your workout.

This machine understands your crunched space needs and is easily folds up with a quick release pin. Also, the monitor is fold-able and lock in position.

Once folded you can transport it anywhere with ease using its built in wheels.

Handling a maximum capacity of 300 lbs is a breeze for this rowing machine and comes with a 2 years warranty on the frame

My Final Opinion

Marcy Foldable 8-Level Magnetic Resistance Rowing Machine is not for the super enthusiastic gym goers. They are no frills rower and gets the work done.

Assembly instructions are pretty much useless and you common sense is your best guide. However, it is not hard to assemble and even a novice can get it up within an hour.

It is sturdy and can even accommodate, very tall people. In-fact the weight taking capacity of this rower is 300 lbs, which is highest in this entire list and is pretty impressive.

What to look for when buying a rowing machine under $300?

There are a lot of criteria to look for when you are choosing a rowing machine.

Below pointers will serve you as a guide in figuring out which rowing machine to buy.

Resistance Type

Primarily, there are five types of rowing machine:

• Magentic
• Hydraulic
• Air
• Water
• Elastic

Each of them has their pros and cons like noise level, resistance provided, etc.

But primarily, it boils down to mainly the resistance that is provided.

So, be sure check if the amount of resistance that is provided by the rowing macine is as per you fitness level and requirement

Monitor

Since these are pretty basic machines, under $300 rowers tend to have lousy monitors.

However, at the least they should be easy to read, provides information about calories burnt, distance, row count.

Built

Though for a profession athlete a $300 rower may not be a lot, but for you this will probably the only rower that you will buy in a long time.

Also, $300 is your hard earned money. So, don’t throw it at the wall.

To the very least, the built should be sturdy and the frame should be made of metal, preferably steel.

There should not be any exposed electronics parts and the pedals should be anti-skid, or atleast you can make them anti-skid easily.

Comfort

Bare minimum, the seat should have good cushion, the handles should have foam grip and the pedals should be anti skid. The rolling should also be smooth.

Storage

If you are buying a budget machine, chances are you don’t have a huge spare room at your disposal.

These machines are generally compact and are fold-able. Also, most of them come with built in wheels for eay transportation

This makes it pretty easy to store them.

Capacity

Higher the better. However most of these rowers can comfortably accommodate, 250 lbs.

In fact Marcy Foldable 8-Level Magnetic Resistance Rowing Machine can support up-to 300 lbs

Dimensions

Most of the time this is not an issue, but remember to check it based on your requirement.

Assembling

Figuring out, how to assemble a rower should not be a rocket science.

And if it is, then you should search for a different option.

Warranty

More the merrier. But mostly they come with 1 year warranty on frames and 90 days on parts.

Customer Service

Many such rowers have a non-existent customer service. Be sure to check the level of after sales service they provide.

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