Several months ago, a company called Ergatta Fitness offered to send me a review unit of its flagship rowing machine. The company explained that The Ergatta Rower is designed for rowing enthusiasts at all experience levels. It’s designed to provide a low-impact, joint-safe, cardio intensive workout at home. I have to admit, when I first learned about the $2,000+ price of The Ergatta Rower, I was shocked; although, at the time, I had not yet seen this handcrafted rower in person. After I agreed to do the review, the company shipped me the rower.
What showed up at my door was an unassembled rowing machine. I was given the opportunity to have the delivery people set up the rower in my home or assemble it myself. I chose to do my own assembly, and honestly, that was a mistake. This is a high-end piece of workout equipment that I now believe should be professionally installed. It took me and a friend several hours to get the pieces unpacked and put together.
The Ergatta Rower
Once it was fully assembled, my first thought was how well-made and absolutely gorgeous this rowing machine is. It’s so much nicer than anything you’d see at even the most prestigious gyms, since it’s handcrafted from premium Appalachian cherry hardwood, so the high price started to make a lot of sense.
One of the first things I discovered was that The Ergatta Rower is designed for people at any experience and fitness level. Serious rowers will absolutely love this piece of home workout equipment, but it’s easy for a total novice to get started thanks to the in-depth tutorials that teach the basics of rowing and how to establish perfect form.
While you can use this piece of equipment as a straightforward rowing machine without paying an ongoing subscription, with the paid membership, the integrated 17.3-inch, full-color touchscreen offers a wide range of interactive game-based workouts, video-based instruction, community competitions, new classes each week, and a variety of other unique rowing experiences.
The Ergatta Rower pairs wirelessly with a smartphone and the Apple Watch. It also provides an integrated AI-based coach that offers rowing technique instruction, form analysis, and workout insights, while tracking your progress over time. So, if you’ve been seeking a professional-quality rowing machine at home that offers full-body workouts and goal-oriented personalized workout programs, keep reading to discover why this premium rower is an excellent investment.
The best news: While the regular price of The Ergatta Rower starts at $2,099, it’s currently on sale starting at $1,899. You can also pay using HSA/FSA funds, so now is a great time to make an investment in your overall health and fitness.
Specifications
- Price: $2,099 (and up), but on sale for $1,899 (and up).
- FSA/HSA Eligible: Yes.
- Subscription: $39/month (month-to-month); $32.50/month (one year prepaid).
- Display: 17.3-inch touchscreen.
- Display Resolution: 1080p (1,920 x 1,080 pixels).
- Materials: Primarily handcrafted in the USA from cherry hardwood.
- Ideal For: People under 6’ 8” and who weigh under 500 pounds.
- Workout Type: Low-impact, joint-safe, and cardio intensive rowing.
- Measures: 86 inches long by 23 inches wide by 40 inches tall (open); 22.5 inches long by 86 inches tall by 23 inches wide (folded).
- Weight: 105 pounds.
Pros
- Beautiful handcrafted design.
- Offers interactive, game-based workouts (with subscription).
- At-home rowing classes by CityRow are offered live or on-demand.
- Relies on water-resistance.
Cons
- Expensive.
- Subscription is optional, but highly recommended.
- Assembly is a bit complicated, so choose professional assembly when ordering.
- The display is a bit small and does not feel immersive.
Who Will The Ergatta Rower Will Appeal To?
There are a lot of at-home rowing machines available that are suitable for beginners and have a much lower price tag. So, unless you’re 100 percent dedicated to rowing as a way to achieve a full-body workout, The Ergatta Rower is probably more than you need. This is a piece of exercise equipment that is high-end in every sense of the word. It’s well made, expertly designed, and extremely functional.
While the equipment itself serves as a rowing machine, it’s the interactive and video content offered via the touchscreen display, and the equipment’s ability to wirelessly pair with a smartphone and Apple Watch that allow it to be fully customized to help someone achieve their fitness goals.
Ultimately, how useful The Ergatta Rower is to you will depend on your dedication and motivation to using it regularly. Between the price of the unit and the need to pay a monthly subscription fee to get the most out of the equipment, it’s most suitable for someone who already knows they prefer rowing as opposed to other types of fitness activities. It will also appeal to people who seek out premium products, regardless of cost, because they want the best of what’s available. The Ergatta Rower certainly meets that criteria when it comes to rowing machines.
Assembly Is Required: I Suggest Choosing the Professional Set Up Option
When you place an order for The Ergatta Rower, there are several bundles to choose from and all are focused around the rowing machine with its interactive touchscreen display. When it arrives at your door, The Ergatta Rower includes everything needed to assemble it, but it’s a two person job that took me and a friend several hours to complete. The alternative is to request professional delivery and assembly, which is an option I highly recommend to save time and ensure the equipment is put together properly.
Once the rower is assembled, it’s necessary to set up a profile for each family member who will be using the equipment and, if you choose, pair your smartphone and smartwatch to the device. While the touchscreen display has integrated speakers, I recommend also investing in a high-quality pair of Bluetooth earbuds (that are sweat resistant) if you plan to enjoy listening to a music playlist during your workout, want a more immersive experience during a CityRow virtual class or if you’re participating in a live virtual race.
Before choosing a workout routine, there are a handful of interactive instructional videos that teach the proper use of The Ergatta Rower and explain how to develop a perfect form (which is essential for using this equipment and rowing correctly). This is the ideal time to discover all of the different interactive tools and features offered via the display, and to become accustomed to the smooth motion and sound offered by the rowing machine’s self-regulated water resistance. One thing I quickly learned is that a uniform stroke is the key to spreading the work load across your body’s muscle groups.
To assist in achieving that all-important uniform stroke, the rowing machine offers a comfortable padded seat, rails that offer an extremely smooth gliding experience, an easy-grip padded handle, and adjustable footpads. It’s important to adjust the footpads correctly, with the included footstraps crossing each foot just below the base of the user’s toes. A snug fit with the straps is important to avoid slippage. I discovered it’s equally important to hold the handle correctly during workouts.
Working Out Using The Ergatta Rower
The science and fitness expert-backed instruction offered by The Ergatta Rower is top-notch. One of the things that set this rower apart from competitors are the many interactive on-screen games that help make rowing sessions more enjoyable. My only two complaints in regard to this rowing machine is the animation quality offered by these original games (which are simplistic and feel like they’re inspired by 1980s games), and the small size of the touchscreen display.
The 17.3-inch touchscreen works fine, but in my opinion, it’s not large enough to offer a visually immersive experience. Plus, the display’s integrated speakers are basic, at best. The rowing experience when playing the games, participating in a class, or while rowing while watching a video-based scenic waterways (shot at destinations around the world) would all be even better viewed on a larger size display. Ultimately, however, it’s the physical rowing activity that can help keep you physically fit and The Ergatta Rower is nicely equipped to handle this task.
The interactive tools, several of which are supported by artificial intelligence, can help users develop a highly-personalized workout plan designed to achieve specific goals. This includes the rowing machine providing in-depth insights and tracking to keep users properly motivated. During my testing, I truly enjoyed virtually exploring some of the world’s top-rated rowing destinations via the scenic rows that include beautifully shot video combined with authentic audio. Real-time rowing stats are also displayed on the screen.
The Ergatta Rower Offers Multiple Workout Options
What I like best about this rowing machine are all of the virtual tools users can choose, from interactive games, solo workout programs, video-based CityRow classes, organized virtual races, community competitions against other Ergatta users, scenic waterway programs, and more.
And of course, you can forgo these interactive tools (many of which require a paid subscription), and simply use the rowing machine at your own pace. Combine these options with Ergatta’s proprietary calibration system that’s used to personalize every workout to your fitness level, and you can easily see why the company charges a subscription fee for these added services and features.
The Ergatta Rower Connects with Your Smartphone and Apple Watch
Using the Ergatta smartphone app for iPhone or Android, you can set personalized and realistic fitness goals, track your progress, get virtual coaching to help improve your form, plan future workouts, track your heart rate (with the help of an Apple Watch) and fully customize your profile. You can also browse and preview the workout library and check-in for group challenges.
The iOS version of the mobile app integrates with Apple Health. The Android version of the app offers similar functionality, but does not pair with an Apple Watch or any of the Android-based smartwatches.
An Ergatta Subscription Is Highly Recommended
Without paying the monthly subscription fee, the Ergatta can still serve as a fully functional premium rower. You can take advantage of the JustRow module to view your metrics during each workout. You can also access a series of introductory and tutorial videos. In addition, the rower can be connected to a heart rate monitor to track your BPM, and you can pair the rower with your smartphone or Apple Watch. There’s also Bluetooth headphone support with access to free music programming, workout data tracking, access to a personal dashboard and integration with Strava (a social-oriented fitness platform and mobile app).
One reason to pay for the subscription is for access to the vast selection of live and on-demand virtual classes taught by CityRow’s expert coaches. Classes focus on cardio and core, strength training, high-intensity intervals, mobility work, endurance rows, express rows (shorter than 20 minutes), and more. Plus there’s a nice selection of beginner classes offered.
That said, it’s all of the added functionality and programming you get with a paid subscription that truly sets The Ergatta Rower apart from other rowing machines, which is why I found this monthly service to be a really good investment for rowers at any skill level. The monthly subscription plan starts at $39 per month, but there are discounts offered if you prepay for one, three, or five years. Additional savings are available if you can pay for the subscription using HSA/FSA funds.
My Final Thoughts: Is The Ergatta Rowing Machine Worth It?
The Ergatta Rower works nicely for rowers at all skill levels, but will be appreciated the most by more experienced rowers who want an authentic rowing experience at home. All of the different interactive, personalized tracking and virtual coaching elements provide plenty of workout options with new experiences being introduced on a regular basis.
The Ergatta Rower
Yes, The Ergatta Rower is expensive, but this piece of workout equipment checks all of the boxes for a premium rowing machine that’s beautifully designed. It provides a smooth rowing experience. For someone who’s serious about rowing, this is the rowing machine you want in your home.
If the price of The Ergatta Rower is outside of your budget, there’s also The Ergatta Light. It’s a lighter weight and smaller rowing machine that offers the same functionality, but it’s handcrafted from oak wood and is priced starting at $1,500 (when on sale).
