Which rowing machine brand is better?

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askyourfitnessquestion
askyourfitnessquestion Posts: 15 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi! I'm beginning copywriter in the fitness blog. Currently working on the comparative review of rowing machine brands. Could you please advise me which one is better - Sunny Health & Fitness vs Stamina vs Concept2? Thanks in advance!
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  • grawood888
    grawood888 Posts: 1 Member
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    Concept 2.
  • neugebauer52
    neugebauer52 Posts: 1,120 Member
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    The moment I see the word "brand" I can see big Dollar / Euro / Pound signs. As soon as I will fit into it, I will rent myself a little boat and enjoy rowing in nature - that makes sense to me.
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
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    Concept 2 hands down
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,249 Member
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    Concept2 is the gold standard. It's the one used by university and Olympic rowing clubs for off-season training.

    They're incredibly well built, require minimal maintenance and C2 also hosts a great on-line community. There's a reason you rarely see used ones for sale, people use them and keep them for years.
  • mabearof6
    mabearof6 Posts: 684 Member
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    Concept 2....
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,216 Member
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    Concept 2. The other two rely on magnetic resistance instead of air or water, which are usually the favored mechanism for any rowing erg worth it's weight. Concept2 has been at the top of the list for decades.
  • mburgess458
    mburgess458 Posts: 480 Member
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    There is no debate in my mind, Concept 2.

    If you want something more official than this online thread, Consumer Report reviewed rowers and ranked the Concept 2 the best. The Concept 2 got an 85. The next best ones were H2O Fitness and WaterRower both at 72. They didn't review the Sunny Health & Fitness but the Stamina got a 59.
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
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    askyourfitnessquestion wrote: »
    Hi! I'm beginning copywriter in the fitness blog. Currently working on the comparative review of rowing machine brands. Could you please advise me which one is better - Sunny Health & Fitness vs Stamina vs Concept2? Thanks in advance!

    Wait, if you're doing a review, isn't your goal/job to test and research the three brands and decide which one is best based on your findings? Doing a straw poll seems counter to that (I can think of a number of reasons related to research why your post doesn't really work well with regards to finding out consumer opinions). You might want to look at how Ray Maker of DC Rainmaker does his reviews. He talks about the (extensive) process in some of his ANT+ keynotes.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,216 Member
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    aokoye wrote: »
    askyourfitnessquestion wrote: »
    Hi! I'm beginning copywriter in the fitness blog. Currently working on the comparative review of rowing machine brands. Could you please advise me which one is better - Sunny Health & Fitness vs Stamina vs Concept2? Thanks in advance!

    Wait, if you're doing a review, isn't your goal/job to test and research the three brands and decide which one is best based on your findings? Doing a straw poll seems counter to that (I can think of a number of reasons related to research why your post doesn't really work well with regards to finding out consumer opinions). You might want to look at how Ray Maker of DC Rainmaker does his reviews. He talks about the (extensive) process in some of his ANT+ keynotes.

    I had the same thought but didn't really want to start a debate about journalistic integrity.
  • Silent_Soliloquy
    Silent_Soliloquy Posts: 237 Member
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    Im hoping this is supporting evidence for something like "while the general public overwhelmingly endorses the c2, our destructive showed the XYZ lasted twice as long before a bearing failure" or etc
  • Fflpnari
    Fflpnari Posts: 975 Member
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    I have only used the concept 2. My crossfit gym uses them and they take a beating and still work!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,082 Member
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    neugebauer52 wrote: »
    The moment I see the word "brand" I can see big Dollar / Euro / Pound signs. As soon as I will fit into it, I will rent myself a little boat and enjoy rowing in nature - that makes sense to me.

    I doubt that any sane organization (with a liability insurance policy) will rent you a sliding-seat single rowing shell, even a recreational "tubby" model, and that's the style of rowing the machines are emulating. (If some business will - yikes. Go in warm weather and wear your swimsuit.) You can rent fixed-seat rowing boats in some places.

    OP, the on-water rowers pretty much universally use Concept 2s for off-water workouts. If you go to an on-water race, you'll see some of the teams using C2s for warm-ups (I've never seen any other brand at a race, and I've been at lots of races.) The big indoor in-person rowing machine races all use Concept 2s. The major virtual rowing machine races require participants to use Concept 2s. Crossfit games appear to use Concept 2s.

    Water Rowers have a decent feel, look more like furniture, and are a little quieter than C2s. I've never heard of the other two brands you're "researching", but I looked them up and suspect the Sunny Health & Fitness one would be the best choice for someone who'll try it twice, then use it as a clothes rack.

    I'm a rower; I wouldn't own anything other than a Concept 2 . . . despite the big Dollar / Euro / Pound signs. (Cheaper than buying the rowing shells, by lots, BTW. ;) ).

    I've owned a Concept 2 for around 15 years, use it a lot in the off-water season, and it's still in perfect condition, looks and feels new. Keep the rail clean, clean the flywheel once in a blue moon, give the chain a little oil once in a while, and that minimal maintenance does the trick. I've only even had to replace the D-cell batteries once . . . they come with an industrial model that lasts around a decade.
  • karlpm
    karlpm Posts: 78 Member
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    Another one for C2 here. They're very rugged and have all the features you'd need like intervals etc.

    I do however prefer rowing on the water rowers. They feel more natural and I find I can go for longer. Also they're much nicer looking and have a cool swooshing sound.

    But both will get the job done fitness wise.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,249 Member
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    neugebauer52 wrote: »
    The moment I see the word "brand" I can see big Dollar / Euro / Pound signs. As soon as I will fit into it, I will rent myself a little boat and enjoy rowing in nature - that makes sense to me.

    How much will your rental cost per session? A C2 model D runs about US$900 CDN$1,250 (not sure what European prices are like) if you consider that it's available for use 365 days a year, rain or shine, and they last (mine is going on 7 years old and I haven't spent any money on maintenance yet - it'll need new seat rollers soon) the cost of ownership suddenly becomes very reasonable.

    I'd hazard a guess that unless you have a coxswain barking at you you're less likely to get as good a workout rowing around in "a little boat" )not that getting out and rowing can't be a very enjoyable way to pass the time)
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,082 Member
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    BrianSharpe wrote: »
    neugebauer52 wrote: »
    The moment I see the word "brand" I can see big Dollar / Euro / Pound signs. As soon as I will fit into it, I will rent myself a little boat and enjoy rowing in nature - that makes sense to me.

    How much will your rental cost per session? A C2 model D runs about US$900 CDN$1,250 (not sure what European prices are like) if you consider that it's available for use 365 days a year, rain or shine, and they last (mine is going on 7 years old and I haven't spent any money on maintenance yet - it'll need new seat rollers soon) the cost of ownership suddenly becomes very reasonable.

    I'd hazard a guess that unless you have a coxswain barking at you you're less likely to get as good a workout rowing around in "a little boat" )not that getting out and rowing can't be a very enjoyable way to pass the time)

    LOL! Much as I value a good coxswain (and I do!), a good workout is well within reach without one, in the appropriate type of boat (single/double/pair/quad - though pair is scary ;) ). "Barking" is not universally what coxes do, either - not even the good ones.

    FTR, I wouldn't do an indoor rowing machine race without a coxswain, either, if I could get one.

    But now I'm off topic. ;)
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,977 Member
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    Another vote for Concept 2.
  • Motorsheen
    Motorsheen Posts: 20,492 Member
    edited February 2019
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    Yep....Concept 2.

    I've tried others, this one is best (imho).
  • askyourfitnessquestion
    askyourfitnessquestion Posts: 15 Member
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    Thanks for voting! Actually, I'm only beginning copywriter. So I decided to add your opinion to the article in form of feedback. Here is what I'm working at https://askyourfitnessquestion.com/rowing-machine-brands-sunny-health-fitness-vs-stamina-vs-concept2/ What do you think? What would you recommend to add?
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
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    askyourfitnessquestion wrote: »
    Thanks for voting! Actually, I'm only beginning copywriter. So I decided to add your opinion to the article in form of feedback. Here is what I'm working at https://askyourfitnessquestion.com/rowing-machine-brands-sunny-health-fitness-vs-stamina-vs-concept2/ What do you think? What would you recommend to add?

    Like others have mentioned, the C2 is by far the best. This is another huge factor for the C2 and why I wouldn't consider another. There are phone aps and even computer programs that have been created directly around the Concept2's onboard computer. ErgData is an app that tracks your stroke rate, your drive speed (how fast you accelerate up the rail), your drive length (and more) and directly feeds into your workout log on C2's website -- the logbook. RowPro is a software that many serious indoor rowers use where you can "race" on a computer or TV screen against as many as seven (I think) other rowers in real time on a virtual graphic river with your own dedicated icon. Zwift is coming out with a Row program supposedly this year where C2 Rowers can race down rivers against each other like bikers have on Zwift for years. I can actually use PainSled now to row on Zwift currently (Painsled is a link for the C2 created just only for this rower). There's another phone app for the I-Phone that offers training programs along with recorded racing against friends head to head (LiveRowing).

    In addition to all of this, the only way to "Race" indoor in an indoor Regatta -- where they have as many as 20 individuals racing against each other with the virtual boats on something like a movie screen -- is with the Concept2. Someone built a racing program for indoor races. Nothing else has that.

    WaterRower is working to create one app but I've seen it and it's pathetic.

    If Zwift does come through and have a rowing option through C2, I'll be so stoked.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited February 2019
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    I've never seen that Obsidian Surge (by Sunny Fitness) before. Looks new. I also wonder if I've been duped into a sleek marketing promotion on that very new (and affodably priced) rower.

    Looks like a cheaper, nicer version of the WaterRower. I've tried the WaterRower and didn't like it. It's a nice piece of furniture, but when the water starts to swirl, it creates momentum that makes it easier to sustain the pace. One of the huge drawbacks (for me) was the placement of the WR's monitor. You had to look down to the right to see it. It looks like Sunny Fitness has corrected that. Good for them. Makes it look like this Obsidian Surge might be a good lower price point rower.

    Edit - after reading numerous reviews, it breaks easy and isn't built to last.

    With that said, I'm still not giving up my C2!!

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