Water rower Vs Concept 2

flynntrader
flynntrader Posts: 210 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Any insight?

I don’t like the concept 2 coz of the noise and water rower is more visually appealing.

Calling all rowing enthusiasts

Replies

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,600 Member
    Pretty much all the on-water rowers use C2s for land-based training, and the Crossfit community has taken it up, as well. In that sense, it's the gold standard. It has a great online community, stellar customer support, regular virtual and in-person races if you enjoy that sort of thing, and the machines themselves are incredibly sturdy and low maintenance. I've had mine since 2003 or 2004 (I forget), and I've used chain oil on it occasionally, I wipe the rail after workouts, and I changed the batteries out once (monitor runs off the flywheel most of the time).

    The Water Rower is more furniture-looking, and quieter. I can't speak to the support from personal experience, because I haven't owned one. People who own them seem to like them. I've rowed one now and then, they feel OK, but IMO overstate pace compared to C2 (doesn't matter as long as you don't compare across brands). I believe the footprint is a little smaller than the C2 model D/E, if that matters; the C2 dynamic has a slightly smaller footprint, IIRC, but they usually don't recommend it for people who aren't on-water rowers, in my understanding.

    For either C2 or Waterrower, one needs to learn proper technique, which is not necessarily intuitive, in order to get a good workout. Most people at the gym, including a lot of trainers, set the C2 damper at max (it isn't resistance, really, so this is wrong), then whip up and down the slide at 30+spm, but get very little power on their drive. It limits workout effectiveness, to say the least.

    Rowing shells, on water, are more fun than either one . . . but you didn't ask that. ;)
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    edited May 2020
    Your $, your choice. If you like a water rower better, buy one.

    Water rowers are more expensive, more aesthetically pleasing and require more effort to maintain/move but otherwise they provide the same level of exercise. Water rowers make noise too, so IMO that's a push. Water rowers also have a wider footprint but can be stored more easily upright in less space than a C2; another push to me.

    I've had my C2 Rower for just under 5 yrs and have no complaints. Looked at water rowers b4 I bought the C2 but decided to go w/the C2 based on cost and the minimal maintenance reqd.

    This doesn't make the C2 inherently better than a water rower but it was better based on my needs/desires and I have no regrets in making that choice.

    Make the choice that suits you best.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    I love my water rower. It’s pretty, so I don’t mind storing it in my living room. It takes up very little space stored vertically and is quick and easy to roll out. Upkeep is next to nothing. Dust it every once in a while and put in a chlorine tablet every six months. I found mine pre-owned but barely used for 1/2 the price of a new one or a C2. The other advantage if you want a new one is they actually allow you to rent to own.
  • rileyes
    rileyes Posts: 1,406 Member
    I have a water rower. The sound of water is soothing. It can be stored tilted up near the wall. Maintenance includes water purifying tabs and occasional sealant for water basin. I like it as an alternative for indoor cardio.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited May 2020
    What is more important to you? That is look like an aesthetic piece of furniture or function? Also, is data important to you?

    I'm a data junkie and, for that at least, Waterrower can't compare to the C2.

    There are endless apps and ways to also communicate and even race against others on the C2. Waterrower is starting to develop these but are years behind.

    For instance, Zwift, it's rumored, is about to drop a Concept2 boat option. Zwift is an incredibly popular training program/software for Bikers. Now, I know of one software developer working on integrating the WaterRower, but again, it's much easier with the C2's computer, way advanced in comparison.

    Either are quality machines. It's just up to preference. If you like working in isolation (mostly) and just like the look and how quiet the waterrower is, I'd get that. Eventually, they will have bells and whistles that they can add to it with software and phone apps. They are in development now.

    I've done both and don't like the Waterrower feel. Once you get momentum, the water helps you "cheat" a bit and maintains higher momentum. The C2 keeps you a bit more honest, working the whole time. Like Ann mentioned, times are much faster on the Waterrower than the C2, but if you don't compare (apples and oranges), it doesn't matter. C2 has world "rankings" that people that get Waterrowers want to join in on at times (but aren't allowed to because the differences are huge and C2 has verification methods of times that are proprietary and unique to the C2 to keep people from lying about performance).

    Both are much better options than some of the others. Hard to say long term how well waterrowers hold up as they haven't been around as long. C2s are built like tanks. Very, very high resale value. You can row in a C2 for 5 years and sell it for only $200 less than you bought it if it's maintained and maintenance is really easy.
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    As I like to say, I've never met a rower that I didn't like!!!
  • klovesd84
    klovesd84 Posts: 46 Member
    I bought a water rower a month ago. I love it! It’s beautiful, blends in with my living room, sounds lovely, has a small footprint, is so smooth and I actually use it because it’s right there in my living room.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited May 2020
    For either Waterrowers or Concept2 owners that would like to do more interactive. There's a group on Facebook called "Zwift Rowers". It's free to join and open to all. It was created by the app developer of Painsled and RowedBiker.

    If you haven't heard of Zwift, it's a very fun and interactive app that was created for Bikers to "race" against each other, in real time, on their bike trainers. But what these two apps do is allow you to row on your machine and also race as a biker (for now). Zwift is about to drop rowing on Zwift, so it makes your indoor rows interactive. You can see rowing starting blocks in the virtual Bay on Zwift, so all the rowers are absolutely 100% sure that it's being developed.

    Basically, it turns your workout into a game. There's also another one I'm a Beta Tester on right now. It's also like Zwift for rowers. I'll let you know how that one is once I've tried it (just opened today!).

    You need to have one of these two apps and typically an Apple Phone and either Apple TV or a IPad in order for it to work, though I think that RowedBiker works with Android now as well (so you just have to have either an I-Pad or an Apple TV and an Android).

    Very fun, interactive tools to use for either the WaterRower or the Concept2 rower.
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
    MikePfirrman wrote: »
    Hard to say long term how well waterrowers hold up as they haven't been around as long.

    Really it's not that much different. Concept2 first rowers came out in 81. WaterRower started in 88.
    Both are New England made - C2 is in rural Vermont, WR is in not-rural Rhode Island about 3 blocks from salt water.
  • mburgess458
    mburgess458 Posts: 480 Member
    My gym used to have WaterRowers and I liked them. A couple of years ago I did research before buying a rower for my home and it came down this way (based on my memory):
    - some people had issues with WaterRowers eventually starting to leak
    - Concept2 is ranked a little higher in Consumer Reports, but both were pretty high
    - Concept2 seems pretty bullet proof, plenty of examples of them lasting millions of meters and decades
    - Concept2 has so much more data and much more accurate data (from what experts say)

    I bought a Concept2. I saved a little money by buying one from a local rowing competition... it was only used that one day for the competition. I saved money on the price and was able to pick it up so no shipping costs.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    scorpio516 wrote: »
    MikePfirrman wrote: »
    Hard to say long term how well waterrowers hold up as they haven't been around as long.

    Really it's not that much different. Concept2 first rowers came out in 81. WaterRower started in 88.
    Both are New England made - C2 is in rural Vermont, WR is in not-rural Rhode Island about 3 blocks from salt water.

    That's good to know but makes it less impressive (to me at least) how far behind on technology and compatible apps, especially being around that long. Night and day on compatibility. Though I think OTF has helped WaterRower tremendously.

    Again, I think it comes down to aesthestics versus function for most. I'm biased heavily toward the C2 because I didn't care for the feel of the water rower as much. But both have advantages. And I do think WR is catching up (albeit slowly) on technology and data compatibility.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Haven't used a water rower but I'm closing in on 10 million metres on my C2 and the only maintenance has been cleaning/lubricating the chain and cleaning the beam.
  • mburgess458
    mburgess458 Posts: 480 Member
    BrianSharpe wrote: »
    Haven't used a water rower but I'm closing in on 10 million metres on my C2 and the only maintenance has been cleaning/lubricating the chain and cleaning the beam.

    I'm at 9.2 million meters on my C2 and have also only cleaned/lubricated the chain and wiped down the beam.

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