Concept2 RowErg Review: Still The Gold Standard?

Lindsay reviews the ultimate stalwart of rowers!

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[richardbushart]

I just purchased the Concept 2. Being 62 yrs old this rower has been great to use.

[senseman]

I love that the Concept 2 isn't "too smart for its own good" like Peloton and Hydrow. Thank goodness for NO smart screens that get unnecessary software updates that end up breaking the product and NO subscriptions. Thank you Concept 2 team for keeping things simple and reliable.

[rohanlady]

I'm pretty new to the gym, but my trainer said the one piece of gym equipment I should buy for my house is a Concept 2 rower. I get an excellent workout on this and this will be my Christmas gift to myself this year.

[brandonmanuel]

Concept 2 is the GOAT rowing machine! I will get one this summer to exercise. Looking forward to it!

[bernhardrieger]

I spent 5 mio meters on the C2 rower in the last 12 months. Perfect tool. February this year C2 launched the Real Time Loop (a new feature of ErgData). It is a virtual loop to bring rowers (bikers, skiers) together. You will meet many fellow ergers around the world. Great enhancement. I love it.

[FranklyItsMe]

I’ve had my C2 D since 2020. Before Covid. It is beautiful to me bc I look at quality rather than aesthetics. In 4 years I have learned form through hundreds of C2 YouTube videos, the customer service was amazing when one piece wasn’t fitting due to a lack of screw location and within 4 days of original delivery I had the new part. I have never had to call customer service again. This is truly a great investment. I only wish they made treadmills as too many other equipment companies don’t have even a decent reputation let alone excellent reputation C2 has earned.

[GetOffMyyLawn]

I am getting close to 10 years of C2 ownership. I oil the chain every month or 2, and replaced the seat rollers just last year... no other maintenance besides keeping it clean. As far as noise goes, the fan is not too loud, but if you like to have the tv on while rowing, you may need to turn it up a bit. The PM5 supports Ant+ and bluetooth heart rate monitors...i use a vivosmart when I row. The PM5 records the heart rate data in the log which is great for monitoring cardio progress. If you want a piece of home gym equipment that is super reliable, easy to use, and gives a great workout, you can't go wrong with the C2.

[KIARAMILO]

Great review! I love the online challenges and the WODs that you can find when you have a Concept2 logbook. (It’s free btw) You can also join an online team and participate in team challenges. Super fun! In my opinion it’s the best machine you can get for your home. Whole body workout for sure 👍 and you can find tutorials that will show you how to focus on different parts of your body while rowing. (abs, triceps, biceps, thighs …)

[kylescheele]

Great review! I really like the Concept 2 but it was nice to see a breakdown like this.

[flyingbadger]

The great thing is the smart features aren't built in, less to break. If you want a smart rower the C2 can become smart with the EXR app which basically uses your phone/tablet to turn the C2 into a smart rower. And that app is a cheaper subscription than the smart rower apps.

[michaelbrennan]

I have a model C which I purchased around 1999. It has 15 to 20 million metres on it. I replaced the monitor on it years ago after it gave way. The old wooden handle has also been replaced because I wanted a more streamlined handle. That’s it. Everything else is original. It has been a great machine.
Being an on water rower, the only machines I would consider replacing it with would be the Concept 2 Dynamic or a Biorower. However, the Biorower costs about 8-10 times as much.
Since I do not have unlimited funds I’ll probably keep the old machine. But, I still like the idea of the Dynamic for a better simulation of on water rowing.
It is worth noting that, the Concept 2 Row Erg (or model D) has been the go to training machine for world class rowers for many, many years.

[dennispeck]

We have 2 C2 rowers in our gym. LOTS and LOTS of hours with no problems. Awesome equipment

[mikepierce]

C2's are the gold standard for the category "athletes who do the sport of rowing and fitness enthusiasts" (e.g. athletes from other sports that erg for conditioning). It's *maybe* bronze for the category "casual exercisers who want a nice looking piece of equipment in their living room that they use infrequently". Probably better to compare C2 against RP3, Stairmaster HIIT rower and Xebex Erg (the latter 2 are duplicates of the C2). So which one is the *platinum* standard?

[theextravaganttraveler]

Lind if you were to purchase a rower today between the C2 or the new Rogue Echo rower, which one would you honestly choose and why? Thanks in advance!

[lisakoenig]

Nice review. Just ordered. Thanks for flaggging some features to consider.

[yglvidhughes]

I just got mine, hooked it up started rowing and was thinking I was just naturally a strong rower, didn’t realize there was a dampener lol, now I’m pumped to get home and crank it up to 10 (was just using what it was set on in the factory)

[williamwilson]

Took delivery of one a few days ago. I love it. The app makes it easy to keep track of workouts.

It also connects to my heart monitor.

[BronkBuilt]

You say no smart features, but do they at least give a way to have separate users? I don't want to buy 2 since my wife and I generally workout at different times we only need one. I'd really like to be able to track our progress separately though.

[SisterChatterDMV]

Excellent review. Thank you Lindsay..💯

[petrbohacek]

I was a bit conflicted between concept 2 or the water rower. I bought a water rowing machine to get some experience with it.
I like the water rower, good resistance in the pull fase and the water sloshing around, it's actually a soothing sound.