New
Mikolo
Mikolo T-Bar Linear Row Machine S7
$369.99
Buy NowWaterRower Oak Rowing Machine with S4 BLE Monitor
Buy Now · $1,199.00The WaterRower Oak is the brand’s classic handcrafted rowing machine – solid oak hardwood finished in Danish oil, built on a dual-rail track with eight ball-bearing polyurethane rollers. Instead of a flywheel, it uses WaterRower’s patented WaterFlywheel: a paddle spinning in an enclosed water tank, so resistance scales naturally with how hard you pull rather than a manual dial, and the “whoosh” of the water is the quietest resistance feel on the market. The included S4 Performance Monitor tracks stroke rate, 500m split, calories, watts, distance, and time, and connects over Bluetooth to apps like WaterRower Connect, CITYROW, Peloton, EXR, Kinomap, and Asensei. It stands vertically on rubber dolly wheels for compact storage, supports up to 700 lbs, and ships with a PC-connection cable and water pump. It carries a 5-year frame warranty, 2-year mechanical warranty, and 1-year warranty on the S4 monitor’s electronics.
| Rail | Dual-rail track, 8 ball-bearing-mounted polyurethane rollers |
|---|---|
| Monitor | S4 Performance Monitor -- stroke rate, 500m split, calories, watts, distance, time |
| Storage | Stands vertically on rubber dolly wheels |
| Included | S4 monitor, PC-connection cable, water pump |
| Warranty | 5-year frame, 2-year mechanical, 1-year electronics/S4 monitor |
| Dimensions | 82.25" L x 22.25" W x 20" H (operating) |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth (WaterRower Connect, CITYROW, Peloton, EXR, Kinomap, Asensei) |
| Manufacturer | WaterRower |
| Frame material | Solid oak hardwood, Honey Oak stain, Danish oil finish |
| Product weight | 67 lbs dry (~103.5 lbs with 17 L of water) |
| Resistance type | Water (WaterFlywheel), self-regulating -- no manual adjustment |
| Weight capacity | 700 lbs |
What is a Rower?
What a rower is
A rowing machine (erg) is a low-impact, full-body cardio piece — legs, back, and arms drive each stroke — making it a favorite for conditioning and steady-state work that spares the joints. Resistance comes from air (a fan; harder the faster you pull, the CrossFit/Concept2 standard), magnetic (quiet, fixed levels), or water (a smooth, swishing feel).
What to look for
A trustworthy performance monitor (pace, watts, distance) is what makes training measurable — the Concept2 PM5 is the benchmark. Also weigh footprint and storage (many rowers stand or separate for storage) and build quality, since the seat, rail, and handle take daily abuse.
How it compares
| WaterRower Oak Rowing Machine with S4 BLE Monitor | NovaRow R50 Air Resistance Rower | Concept2 Model D Rower - PM5 | Concept2 RowErg Rower - PM5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GymRadar rating | 3.56/5 | 4.67/5 | 4.81/5 | 4.89/5 |
| Price | $1,199.00 | $579.99 | $990.00 | |
| Rail | Dual-rail track, 8 ball-bearing-mounted polyurethane rollers | Single aluminum rail with stainless steel sliding rails, 1365mm track | ||
| Monitor | S4 Performance Monitor -- stroke rate, 500m split, calories, watts, distance, time | 5.3" LCD backlit display -- time, distance, calories, strokes, pulse, SPM, wattage, drag factor | PM5 (Bluetooth/ANT+) | PM5 (Bluetooth/ANT+) |
| Storage | Stands vertically on rubber dolly wheels | |||
| Included | S4 monitor, PC-connection cable, water pump | |||
| Warranty | 5-year frame, 2-year mechanical, 1-year electronics/S4 monitor | 2 years | 5 yr frame / 2 yr parts | 5 yr frame / 2 yr parts |
| Dimensions | 82.25" L x 22.25" W x 20" H (operating) | |||
| Connectivity | Bluetooth (WaterRower Connect, CITYROW, Peloton, EXR, Kinomap, Asensei) | Bluetooth 5.0, MERACH app + Kinomap compatible | ||
| Manufacturer | WaterRower | MERACH | ||
| Frame material | Solid oak hardwood, Honey Oak stain, Danish oil finish | Iron + aluminum | Aluminum with steel components | |
| Product weight | 67 lbs dry (~103.5 lbs with 17 L of water) | 73.4 lbs (33.3 kg) | ||
| Resistance type | Water (WaterFlywheel), self-regulating -- no manual adjustment | Air (wind) resistance, manual lever adjustment | ||
| Weight capacity | 700 lbs | 350 lbs | 500 lb | 500 lb (Concept2 testing) / 300 lb (EN standard) |
Reviews by source
| Expert | 3.56/5 | 3 reviews | |
| Youtube | 3.3/5 | 2 reviews |
The Oak with S4 BLE Monitor delivers the classic WaterRower experience: handcrafted solid-oak construction and a soothing water “whoosh” that reviewers consistently rank as the quietest resistance on the market, built to last for years with little more upkeep than periodic water changes. Functionality is the weakest dimension – a rowing coach’s review flags that its nearly level seat-to-footplate geometry and narrow dual-rail stance push rowers into a shorter, more upright stroke that can strain the lower back, and its splits don’t track evenly against a Concept2 for anyone training competitively. The legacy S4 display is also basic next to touchscreen rivals, so this reads as a premium-priced aesthetic centerpiece for casual, low-impact cardio rather than a data-driven training tool.
- +Build quality: solid oak dual-rail frame feels "carved out of a solid block of wood," with no wobble even under hard rowing (BarBend)
- +Build quality: among the quietest rowers available, prized for apartments and shared living spaces (Garage Gym Reviews, Fitness Tools Reviewed)
- +Durability: built for decade-long ownership, with upkeep limited to periodic water top-ups and purification tablets (Fitness Tools Reviewed)
- +Value: strong resale retention and no ongoing subscription fees, unlike screen-based smart rowers (Fitness Tools Reviewed)
- −Functionality: nearly level seat-to-footplate geometry encourages a shorter, more upright stroke a rowing coach linked to lower-back soreness on hard sessions (Training Tall)
- −Functionality: reports faster splits and watts than a Concept2 for equivalent effort, so times aren't directly comparable for competitive training (Training Tall)
- −Value: premium pricing (roughly $1,100-1,300) paired with a legacy S4 display reviewers call basic and unintuitive (Garage Gym Reviews, BarBend)
- −Versatility: no built-in workout programming -- structured sessions require a separate app subscription and phone mount (Garage Gym Reviews)
- −Versatility: dual-rail footplates sit close together, which two reviewers found cramped versus wider-stance rowers (Training Tall, Garage Gym Reviews)
$1,199.00
Buy Now