Peloton Rower Review — 2023

In-depth Review of Peloton Rower

Content

With our experience using Peloton’s equipment and content, we pretty much know what to expect from the content on the Peloton Row. There are some new instructors coming on as well as some of the current trainers teaching rowing classes. By seeing some videos on Peloton’s website, and taking our fair share of Peloton’s classes, the rowing classes shouldn’t differ much (if any) from Peloton’s other classes. There will be rowing classes, and rowing boot camp, plus I’m sure there will be some artist series rowing classes coming down the pipeline.

If you aren’t familiar with the Peloton App, here’s a quick overview. Peloton offers live and on-demand workouts in a variety of disciplines including treadmill, cycling, strength, cardio HIIT, yoga, bike and treadmill boot camp, meditation, and outdoor audio classes. The classes are all filmed in professional indoor studios.

Peloton also has a small number of outdoor filmed cycling and running classes to be taken on their exercise bikes and treadmill. It’s unclear right now if they’ll have outdoor trainer-led classes for the rower. There will be a scenic row option that appears to let you explore outdoor locations while you row, on your own.

It’s also unclear whether Lanebreak will be available on Peloton Row. It’s currently only available on the Peloton Bike and Peloton Bike+. It would be cool to see Lanebreak for the rower to make the machine closer in comparison to Aviron and Ergatta rowers which both offer gaming content, you can check out both of these on our list of best rowers.

I’m really intrigued to see how the real-time form-assist technology works. There appears to be a graphic on the screen during class that serves to give users visual feedback on their form while rowing. There are sensors built-in to help assess your positioning during class. It appears this feature is similar to the Peloton Guide which corrects your form during mat classes. This also reminds me of the Tonal which is a strength training system that corrects your form using AI technology. This is a really smart move on Peloton’s part, especially considering how challenging it can be to get proper rowing form.

Peloton says that there will be a rating after each class of your form, too. By the looks of it, it seems Peloton is really aiming to educate users on proper rowing techniques and terminology.

Keep in mind that in order to access Peloton’s library of classes and we’re assuming all of these features, you’ll need to pay for a membership which is $44 per month.

Console

True to other rowers like the Hydrow, the console seems to primarily consist of the 23.8” touch screen. Most of the functionality of the Peloton Row seems to be implemented through it. The screen is adjustable. It can be tilted up to 25 degrees and rotated 45 degrees to each side. This can help with overhead glare and also let you utilize the screen for training off of the rower.

We expect the screen to be responsive and of the same quality as the Peloton Tread and Peloton Bike+. It’s the same size and has the speakers at the top. Navigating the library of classes should be the same on the rower, too.

I like that there are customizable target metrics that let you fit each class to your ability level. With this, you’ll be able to focus on your stroke rate and intensity. The instructors appear to cue you to stay within a certain stroke rate during class, too. You’ll also be able to see your heart rate and zone when synced with a compatible heart rate tracker. Oh, and of course, the leaderboard is on the right side of the screen to compete and give high-fives to fellow members.

A thoughtful feature of the Peloton Rower is the storage pocket and cupholder. Most rowers don’t include any storage or place to put your water bottle. I know I usually just have mine on the floor next to me when I’m rowing and testing rowers.

These are positioned in front of the monorail. My only concern is that they might get in the way when you’re in the catch, and when you hook and unhook the handle.

Construction Quality/Durability

I will admit that by comparing photos of the Peloton Rower and seeing the specs, it seems that it is bigger than what it looks like online. The Peloton Row is almost 8’ long, similar in length to the Aviron, and 156.5 lbs, which is about 11 lbs heavier than the Hydrow.

The Peloton Rower can be stored upright and it comes with an anchor that mounts to the wall. Considering the length and weight of this rowing machine, we recommend paying extra to have the anchor professionally installed. The last thing you want is for it to come crashing down on something or someone.

Considering the Hydrow is heavy and harder to move than other lighter rowers like the Concept2 and even the NordicTrack RW900, I’m guessing the Peloton Rower will be just as difficult if not more. You’ll need to lift the rear rail to engage the front transport wheels to move it.

It has a 300 lb weight capacity which is fine, but nowhere near the 500 lbs that the Concept2 can handle.

Frame

The rower is said to be out of anodized and powder-coated aluminum. The monorail should provide a smooth experience, but it’s impossible to know until we test the rower. It’s also hard to determine how high the seat is off the ground and how easy it is to get on and off the rower. I’m assuming it is around as high as the Hydrow’s monorail and not as high as the Aviron’s, but I could be overestimating.

Peloton states that users from 4’11” up to 6.5” can use the rower. Our reviewers range in height from 5’0” to 6.5”, so we’ll be able to give insight into this once we use the Peloton Row.

Footboard & Pedals

It appears that the footboards and pedals provide a little bit of space for your feet, which is nice considering we feel a little cramped on the Ergatta which places your feet close together. Peloton states that shoe sizes from a women’s 5 up to a men’s 13.5 can use the pedals. Don’t worry, we’ll be getting out our tape measurer during our testing to determine if this is true.

You’ll most likely be able to wear any athletic shoe and fit your foot securely in the pedal while clipping your heels around the ankle clips and adjusting the straps. I’m excited to see that the red-striped foot straps are velcro. Velcro makes strapping in and out very quick and efficient.

Handle

I’m also excited about the handle. The handle is said to be textured rubber, so I’m curious to feel the texture for myself. The handle is also round and slightly angled, which reminds me of the Hydrow’s – hopefully it’s just as comfortable. What I’m really excited about is the center cut-out in the middle of the handle. This allows for single-arm rowing and more versatility with the handle. The beloved Concept2 Air Rower has finger webbing to accommodate single-arm rowing, in comparison.

It doesn’t appear that the handle can be rotated to adjust your grip, however.

Seat

Most rowing seats aren’t the most comfortable. It is difficult to tell how much padding and contouring (if any) there is in the seat. We won’t know how comfortable it is until we sit in it ourselves and row. I do hope it’s plenty wide since some rower seats feel a little small, especially for larger users.

FlyWheel

The flywheel is at the front of the Peloton Rower, just below the touch screen. It is similar to the Hydrow by looking at it. The red-striped belt attaches the handle to the flywheel and should make for a smooth and hopefully quiet, rowing experience. Peloton has said that their rower is quiet, but we’re assuming there will be some noise generated by the flywheel, even though this rower isn’t an air rower with a fan as the flywheel.

Resistance

The resistance is “electronically controlled” as Peloton puts it. This means that it uses magnetic resistance. Considering the size and type of the flywheel, this was expected the moment we saw the rower. Magnetic resistance is known for being quiet and adjustable. I’m assuming the intensity level that’s adjustable on the screen is the resistance. Whether the rower has numerical adjustment levels or not, is unclear. The Hydrow has an adjustable drag factor that has a range to adjust the tension that you feel when you row.

Warranty

Peloton includes a 12-month limited warranty with the purchase of the Peloton Row. This is a lot less than what we see from other brands, like Hydrow, NordicTrack, and Aviron – to name a few.