Best for training data
Concept2 RowErg
FitScore for Home Rowing
- ResistanceAir
- Max user weight500 lb
- Fit (rail / inseam / height)54-in rail; inseam up to…
- Length × width (in use)96 × 24 in
Choose it if you train by splits or watts and want no membership.
Best for guided classes
Hydrow Wave
FitScore for Home Rowing
- ResistanceElectromagnetic
- Max user weight375 lb
- Fit (rail / inseam / height)Not stated on the listing
- Length × width (in use)80 × 19 in
Choose it if you want guided classes on a big screen and a quiet stroke.
Overall winner for home rowing: Concept2 RowErg. It leads on performance, durability and comfort: the PM5 shows eight metrics without any plan, it is rated for 500 lb, and Amazon lists a 5-year frame and 2-year parts warranty. The Hydrow Wave is the better fit if you want instructor-led classes on a built-in screen, a quieter magnetic stroke and a narrower frame, and you plan to keep the membership.
Concept2 RowErg wins 3 rounds- Hydrow Wave wins 2 rounds
Product photos from Amazon. FitScore weights are explained below.
Hydrow vs Concept2 is a choice between two ways to train. The Hydrow Wave is a connected rower: electromagnetic drag, a 16-inch touchscreen and a class library that needs a Hydrow membership. The Concept2 RowErg is an air rower with the PM5 monitor, which shows watts and 500 m splits and works with free apps. No membership is needed.
The RowErg ranks #1 in our best rowing machine guide. The Wave is eligible there but does not make the top five. Both scores below use the weights of that guide. For each machine on its own, read our Concept2 RowErg review and Hydrow Wave review.
Head-to-Head Specs
Here are the two rowers side by side, from the Amazon US listings. The Concept2 rail length and inseam come from Concept2, because the listing does not state them. The Hydrow listing gives no rail length, inseam or user height, and the Wave stands upright only with a storage kit sold separately. A check mark shows the stronger spec on each line. Before you order either model, search the CPSC recall database: the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission lists rowing machine recalls and the fix offered. The CDC physical activity guidelines for adults recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, and steady rowing sessions count toward it. In a study of 107 adults aged 20 to 74, rowing on an ergometer used more energy than cycling at the same power output.
| Specification | Concept2 RowErgFitScore 78.9 | Hydrow WaveFitScore 53.6 |
|---|---|---|
| Resistance | Air | Electromagnetic |
| Resistance levels | No preset levels: the pull gets heavier the harder you row | Not stated on the listing |
| Max user weight | 500 lb✓ | 375 lb |
| Fit (rail / inseam / height) | 54-in rail; inseam up to 38 in✓ | Not stated on the listing |
| Length × width (in use) | 96 × 24 in | 80 × 19 in✓ |
| Storage | Separates in two | Stands upright with kit sold separately |
| Product weight | 57.3 lb✓ | 102 lb |
| Monitor and metrics | Time, distance, strokes, calories, stroke rate, 500 m split, watts, heart rate | 16-in touchscreen; time, distance, strokes, heart rate |
| Bluetooth and apps | Bluetooth; ErgData and 40+ compatible apps✓ | Bluetooth; Hydrow |
| Subscription | None required✓ | Required |
| Warranty | 5 years frame, 2 years parts✓ | 1 year frame, 1 year parts |
| Specs won | 6 of 11 | 1 of 11 |
Check Amazon for current pricing and availability.
FitScore Duel
Both scores use the weights of our best rowing machine guide (how we score): performance 25%, durability 20%, comfort 15%, and practicality, features, affordability and noise 10% each. The RowErg wins performance, durability and comfort by a wide margin. The Wave wins features and noise. Its comfort score is low because the listing states no rail length, inseam or user height, and a value the listing does not state scores zero. A required membership also costs it points in affordability.
Key Differences
- The Wave uses electromagnetic drag; the RowErg uses air from a fan with a damper.
- The Wave has a 16-inch touchscreen; its screen, stats and class library need an active Hydrow membership after a 30-day trial.
- The PM5 shows eight metrics, including watts and the 500 m split, with no plan required.
- The RowErg is rated for 500 lb; the Wave for 375 lb.
- The Wave is about 80 × 19 inches in use; the RowErg is 96 × 24 inches.
- The Wave weighs 102 lb and runs on a power cord; the RowErg weighs 57.3 lb and its monitor runs on two D batteries.
- Amazon lists a 5-year frame and 2-year parts warranty for the RowErg, and 1 year for the Wave.
Round 1 of 5
Hydrow vs Concept2: Resistance and Training Data
Concept2 RowErg wins this round
Neither rower lists preset levels on Amazon. The RowErg fan pushes back harder the harder you pull, and a damper changes how the stroke feels. Hydrow says its electromagnetic drag adapts to your effort in real time.
For pacing work, the PM5 is the step up. It shows watts, the 500 m split, stroke rate, calories and heart rate, and it connects by Bluetooth and ANT+. The Wave listing names time, distance, strokes and heart rate, and those stats sit behind the membership.
Round 2 of 5
Screen and Guided Classes
Hydrow Wave wins this round
This is the reason to buy a Hydrow. The Wave has a 16-inch HD touchscreen, front-facing speakers and a library the listing puts at more than 6,000 live and on-demand workouts, including rows filmed on open water. It needs Wi-Fi to stream.
The RowErg has no screen of its own. It has a device holder for your phone or tablet, and it works with ErgData and more than 40 compatible apps. Owners of the Wave say the guided sessions make training fun and easy to keep up.
Round 3 of 5
Fit, Capacity and Build
Concept2 RowErg wins this round
Concept2 states a 54-inch rail and an inseam of up to 38 inches, so the RowErg fits most tall adults. The Hydrow listing does not state rail length, inseam or user height, so check your fit with Hydrow before you order if you are tall.
The RowErg is rated for 500 lb against 375 lb for the Wave. Owners describe the RowErg as very solidly built. Wave owners find it smooth and easy to assemble, but some report the unit stopping, and Amazon lists a 1-year warranty against 5 years on the RowErg frame.
Round 4 of 5
Footprint, Storage and Noise
Hydrow Wave wins this round
The Wave is narrower and shorter: about 80 × 19 inches in use against 96 × 24 inches, and Concept2 recommends a 9 × 4 ft space for the RowErg. The Wave can stand upright, but the listing says the upright storage kit is sold separately. It also weighs 102 lb and needs an outlet. The RowErg weighs 57.3 lb, separates into two pieces and rolls on casters.
Noise favors the Wave. Magnetic drag is the quietest system in our noise scale and air is the loudest, and Wave owners describe it as quiet in use. RowErg owners also call it quiet for an air rower, but a fan still moves air on every stroke.
Round 5 of 5
Membership and Long-Term Use
Concept2 RowErg wins this round
The Hydrow listing is clear: the touchscreen, stats and workout library require an active membership once the 30-day trial ends. Without one you can still row, but without the connected features. Owners are split on whether the package justifies itself.
The RowErg needs no plan at all. The PM5 data, ErgData and the compatible apps work from the first row, and the monitor draws power from the flywheel during a workout to save its batteries.
Who Should Buy Each
Data-driven and heavy training
Choose the Concept2 RowErg if you follow pace plans by split or watts, want a 500-lb rating and a 5-year frame warranty, or simply do not want a membership.
Guided classes in a quiet home
Choose the Hydrow Wave if instructor-led classes on a big screen keep you rowing, you want a quiet magnetic stroke in a 19-inch-wide frame, and you plan to keep the Hydrow membership.
Consider Instead
Sunny Health & Fitness Smart Magnetic Rowing Machine SF-RW523021
If you want a built-in screen without a long frame, see our best rowing machine with screen guide. If quiet resistance matters most and you can do without a screen, the Sunny Health & Fitness Smart Magnetic Rowing Machine SF-RW523021 ties the RowErg at 78.9 in our best rowing machine guide and needs no paid plan.
Read the Sunny Health & Fitness Smart Magnetic Rowing Machine SF-RW523021 review
Final Verdict
For most home rowers, the Concept2 RowErg is the better buy. Its PM5 data, 500-lb rating and longer warranty work with no membership. The Hydrow Wave makes sense when guided classes are what keep you training: it is quieter, narrower and far more immersive, as long as you keep the membership that unlocks its screen.
Concept2 RowErg vs Hydrow Wave FAQ
With the weights of our best rowing machine guide, the Concept2 RowErg scores higher: 78.9 against 54.8 for the Hydrow Wave. The RowErg leads on monitor data, capacity, fit and warranty. The Wave leads on features and noise, so it suits rowers who want classes on a screen.
For the connected features, yes. The Amazon listing says the touchscreen, stats and workout library require an active Hydrow membership after the 30-day trial. Without one you can still row, but without classes or tracked stats. The Concept2 RowErg needs no plan for its monitor.
Yes. The Wave uses electromagnetic drag, the quietest system in our noise scale, and owners describe it as quiet. The RowErg uses a fan, the loudest system in that scale, although owners still call it quiet for an air rower.
The Hydrow Wave is about 80 × 19 inches in use against 96 × 24 inches for the RowErg. The Wave can stand upright with a storage kit sold separately. The RowErg separates into two pieces and is lighter to move, at 57.3 lb against 102 lb.
The Concept2 RowErg. It is rated for 500 lb, and Concept2 states a 54-inch rail and an inseam of up to 38 inches. The Hydrow Wave is rated for 375 lb, and its listing does not state rail length, inseam or user height.
Amazon lists a 5-year frame and 2-year parts warranty for the Concept2 RowErg. The Hydrow Wave listing gives a 1-year manufacturer warranty on parts and mechanical defects for home use. Check the terms that apply before you order.
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