- EFFICIENT CARDIO WORKOUT AT HOME: Stamina magnetic row machines for home provide an affordable and convenient cardiovascular exercise routine in the comfort of home; Ideal for burning calories, toning the lower body and boosting heart health.
- SMOOTH MAGNETIC RESISTANCE: Turn the dial on the rower machine for home to adjust between any of the eight levels of smooth, quiet magnetic resistance; The LCD Monitor tracks total strokes, strokes per minute, workout time, distance and calories burned.
- EASY STORAGE: Use the built-in wheels to roll the rowing machine to a closet or corner for storage; The rower stands on its end to save floor space.
- SMART WORKOUT APP INCLUDED: This row machine is fully supported by muuv, the all-in-one app that provides smart guided audio coaching, a follow-along assembly video, personalized workouts tailored to the equipment you own, and more.
- COMFORT FEATURES: The rowing machine is outfitted with smooth ball-bearing rollers, a comfortably padded & ergonomic seat, pivoting foot plates with adjustable straps, a built-in drink / smartphone holder, and a padded rowing handle.
Dairylander –
It was super easy to install… we’ve been using it for almost 2 weeks everyday and it work AMAZING… so far there is nothing to complain about.
Edward –
I purchased this for under $200 and while I am still vastly more content with this as a purchase as I believe I would have been if I had instead chosen to purchase a similarly priced treadmill or bike, this product definitely has some design flaws that range from minor to frustrating.
So, first to positives.
Price: As mentioned, comparing a $200 rower to $200 treadmills or elliptical or bikes, I think this is a much more viable option. We’re obviously not dealing with a concept2 or something, but for something that is 1/5th the price, I am reasonably satisfied
Assembly: Following the directions was straightforward and while I didnt bother to go through the extra steps to install the cup holder, the rest of it was very easy to follow and put together.
Size: I live in an apartment so I don’t have a ton of extra space which a traditional treadmill or bike would have been extremely space consuming. This rower is only about 2×2.5 feet when in the upward position for storing so it can go right up against a wall and is out of the way.
Resistance Level: I’m not the most fit and I’ll admit, I can’t row for very long, but I feel like the amount of resistance the max setting provides is a good challenge. I usually keep it set to the midway point and that’s just fine. But the lowest settings do feel far to easy even at my most tired. But this is just a cardio machine. This isn’t something you should expect to set to max resistance for doubling up on strength and cardio. But the amount of resistance seems more than good enough to give even a fit person a good struggle for cardio.\
Now the things I don’t like about it.
The starting point of the handles: this isn’t an issue specific to this machine, it seems like something that would be a problem with most of the less expensive machines, but the handles/belt stow at a position that is not very far from where the chair meets the base. I personally like to pull myself in as much as possible and so I either have to bend my arms or hold the handles higher and push the belt over the top of the machine to be able to come further in on the catch. As I said, this seems to be a common design for low-mid cost machines and there may not be any getting around it without spending considerably more.
The pivoting feetplates: It seemed like a selling point to allow more ease of movement when I was shopping for this, but now that I’ve used it I can firmly say that this is something that I wish I could go back and tell myself to find a different product. Because the plates move, I feel like I can’t push off of them or pull myself back in with the same amount of power as I would if the plates were bolted into a single position. MAYBE this would be better if the pivot point was closer to 3/4ths of the way up the pedal instead of at the half way point of my foot. I don’t know, but maybe then it would only pivot during the catch. But it starts to pivot almost as soon as my knees start to bend on my return stroke and I feel like I don’t have stability or support. But it would probably be better to just remove the pivot altogether. Or have some way to lock the plates in place locking it in with the lower stop bar by the heel or something, but there isn’t.
Also, the straps. Inside the feet plates are two sets of slits for the straps to go in and neither are good. If you go with the upper slots which are far too high up they only hold down your toes unless you had a size 15 foot and so I dont feel like my feet are being held in place almost at all. But if I use the lower level, it is strapped directly on my ankles restricting their ability to move and causing pain. The best I’ve come up with is to feed one part through the lower slot and the other end through the higher slot to diagonally go across the part of my foot that the straps should have been designed to be able to go over, but the plates are far too large when being used barefoot. Maybe I’m only supposed to be using this machine while wearing shoes and that would resolve this, but for an in-home machine, I dont want to have to put on shoes to row for a few minutes.
I’d be concerned putting this machine on a wooden floor like is shown in the video without getting some kind of additional padding to put underneath both ends (not included). I have carpet so that’s not a concern for me, but still want to point that out.
The machine started to squeak very loudly within a fairly short period after I got it. I did manage to get some WD40 to apply to the wheels and the squeaking has stopped. I do understand that things need maintenance, but I don’t feel like I should have already needed to do that within a couple weeks of getting the product.
Lastly, in order to use the display requires AAA batteries which they do not include. I usually try to have a few AA’s, because a few things like remotes and wireless mice do use those, but I do not keep AAA so it was a nuisance to need to go out and get them if I wanted to track time or distance. However, the interface is hard to reset and units are in miles which…. why? I know the USA isn’t on metric and feet would be weird, but there’s space for up to 4 numbers on the display. If someone is rowing 10 km+,(over 9,999 m) I think they can deal with the numbers rolling back to 0. I’m usually only rowing for ~1,000 m in a session at a time anyway.
All in all, it’s a good enough rower especially at this price point. I don’t feel like the cons were bad enough to drop it down to a 3 since most of my issues are really just minor annoyances, but I do wish I could have done 3.5 because the feet plates and ability to get a good depth on the return stroke are pretty seriously hampering me.
Dairylander –
I noticed that the higher end, more expensive Stamina brand rowers frequently made the “best rower” lists on exercise equipment review websites, so I was hoping that quality would trickle down to this budget model and I wasn’t disappointed. The resistance mechanism is very quiet; the most noticeable sound comes from the seat as the urethane wheels roll on the track. The action is smooth and the resistance is consistent. The resistance is a little limited – I’m a 150 lb. fit male and I use the maximum level of resistance for a more intense workout. If I get much stronger I’m going to outgrow this rower. The frame is strong and stable; no rocking or lifting occurs. It’s light and easy to tilt up for storage and roll around on hard floors. The foot straps are cheap, but they are wide and have two different options for placement on the foot plates, so they hold well. One issue is the “reach” feels a little short. If you have long arms you might feel like the place where the handle cradles into the machine could be a few inches farther away to give you a longer reach to start your stroke. Overall, it’s a good piece of equipment for regular people. The small footprint and quiet operation make it an ideal apartment rower. If you are tall or are looking for an “on the water” experience, look elsewhere.
Rough dimensions:
Overall length 62″
Front end: 22″ wide, 30″ high
Back end: 14″ wide, 12″ high
Amazon Customer –
UPDATE: After leaving the review below, I used the machine over the course of the following week. I came home from work Friday to see a package left at my front door containing alternate pedals. I’m not sure if it was the vendor who sold me the machine or Stamina who sent them, I never contacted anyone. Wow, what a difference! The different pedals hold your feet much better. Thank you to whoever it was that read the review and handled getting the better pedals to me. Great customer service!!!
Original Review:
As others have mentioned, the pedals are completely useless. I purchased mine a week ago, 1/28/18, and see that there are several more reviews stating the same thing since my purchase. This product had 4.5 stars when I purchased. I bought it after seeing a couple reviews mentioning the pedals were an issue, so I was aware that it was a probable issue. I can say that after my first 20 minutes with it, your foot falls out of the straps every 4-5 strokes. I wear a mens size 10 and I think even the smallest foot would have the same issue. Flipping the pedals to the wrong side as they are marked, “L” on the right side & “R” on the left side mad it a lot easier to tighten the Velcro strap, however I still found it difficult to get the straps tight enough to keep my feet in place and there is almost no lip on the bottom of the pedal for the heel to rest on. Also, I can’t seem to get the water bottle holder to stay in place, but I think that will be an easy solution with a could dabs of super glue.
I like the rest of the machine, the seat is comfortable slides quietly and is smooth. The display is nice, however it does have a faint beep with every stroke but nothing that I feel will get annoying. There’s no way you can hear it if there is any other noise in the room, I was in a quiet garage. There is a good range of resistance from the different levels.
Helpful tip: The handle bar comes with one foam hand grip preinstalled and one not installed so you can slide the bar through the strap going into the machine and then install the foam grip. I found it very difficult to do it this way without feeling like I was going to tear the foam. I installed the the foam grip on the handle bar before I put it though the strap while lubricating the bar with a small stream of water under the faucet. I then removed the preinstalled foam grip, put the bar through the strap, and then put the foam grip back onto the handle bar. Since this foam grip has already been on the bar it is stretched to the diameter of the bar making it a lot easier to slide onto the handle bar with it installed on the machine.
UPDATE: After leaving the above review, I used the machine over the course of the following week. I came home from work Friday to see a package left at my front door, alternate pedals. I’m not sure if it was the vendor who sold me the machine or Stamina who sent them, I never contacted anyone. Wow, what a difference! The different pedals hold your feet much better. Thank you to whoever it was that read the review and handled getting the better pedals to me.
Doug T. –
Straightforward assembly instructions. Seems to be substantial construction. The only consideration will be the durability of the rubber, “cable”. Hopefully, it will last.
Jessica –
Fácil de armar y resistente
Agata Maziarz –
Had a problem with the computer not receiving data (strokes, wattage, distance, etc.). Consequently, the computer considered the machine was not being used and shut off every four minutes, unless I pushed a button. Not optimal.
Within a couple of weeks Stamina sent me a new computer and some easily installed wires.
While the machine arrived not fully functional, customer service was superb.
I love the machine for the price.
ELISA G. –
Good product!
I had previously bought the air model of the stamina rower then by husband broke it and it wasn’t in stock anymore so we go this one.
Its quieter than the air one which is nice.
The settings are fine – however if you want to be more challenged I would go with the air model.
Easy to put together – took me about 20 min alas I had put together one before which took me an hour.
Good price for what it is.
If you are a hobby rower and would like to get some exercise at home – go for it you wont regret it!