Head to head
Concept2 RowErg vs WaterRower Natural (2026)
RowErg vs WaterRower Natural: air against water, data against furniture, compared honestly for serious home trainers.
#1 in our rankings · Best overall
Concept2 RowErg
Best for: Serious home trainers, rowers, and anyone who wants one machine that will still be the standard in a decade.
#2 in our rankings · Best water rower
WaterRower Natural
Best for: Buyers who want a rower that looks like furniture, sounds like water, and needs no power socket or subscription.
Our recommendation
Buy the Concept2 RowErg if you train by pace and power, want a subscription-free monitor, and judge a rower by measurement. Buy the WaterRower Natural if you want a rower that lives happily in a living room, sounds like water, and gets used because it is pleasant rather than because it is measured. Both are superb machines; the choice is about what keeps you rowing.
Stroke feel
The RowErg feels precise and mechanical, with a fan that answers effort instantly and a chain that feels connected to the flywheel. The WaterRower feels fluid and boat-like, with a water catch that is softer at the start and heavier through the drive. Rowers who love data tend to prefer the Concept2 feel, while rowers who love the sensation tend to prefer the water.
Data against beauty
The PM5 is the standard for training data, with pace, power, and app connections that no water rower matches. The Natural answers with an ash frame, a water tank, and upright storage that suit a living room, where the RowErg looks like gym equipment. Decide which you will value daily: numbers on a monitor, or a machine you enjoy looking at.
Noise and care
The RowErg is the louder machine, with fan noise on every stroke, but it needs little care beyond chain oiling. The Natural is quieter and more pleasant to hear, but it needs tank filling, water treatment, and care for the wood, plus help moving it once filled. Neither is maintenance-free; they simply ask for different kinds of attention.
Choose Concept2 RowErg if…
- You train by pace, power, or a written plan
- You want a monitor that needs no subscription
- You want gym-proven durability and parts availability
Choose WaterRower Natural if…
- You want a rower that suits a living room
- You prefer a water stroke and a soft swishing sound
- You row for general fitness and enjoyment rather than data
Spec-by-spec comparison
| Spec | Concept2 RowErg | WaterRower Natural |
|---|---|---|
| Price tier | Premium | Premium |
| Resistance | Air flywheel with damper adjustment | Water flywheel in an enclosed tank |
| Monitor | PM5 performance monitor with device holder | Series 4 performance monitor |
| Drive | Nickel-plated chain | - |
| Footrests | Adjustable, with flexible footplates | - |
| Storage | Separates into two parts | Stores upright |
| Frame | - | Solid ash wood, honey oak stain |
| Size | - | 84 by 22 by 21 inches assembled |
| Best for | Serious home trainers, rowers, and anyone who wants one machine that will still be the standard in a decade. | Buyers who want a rower that looks like furniture, sounds like water, and needs no power socket or subscription. |
| Skip if | You want coached classes on a built-in screen, a silent stroke, or a machine that folds flat against a wall. | You need precise power numbers, a folding frame, or a machine you can move upstairs alone, since a filled tank is heavy. |
Strengths and limitations
Concept2 RowErg
Strengths
- The PM5 monitor tracks pace, power, distance, and stroke rate with the accuracy that training plans and online rankings are built around, and it connects to third-party apps without a subscription.
- Air resistance with a damper adjustment means the stroke feels heavier or lighter by lever, not by menu, and harder pulling always meets more resistance, which suits interval training naturally.
- The frame separates into two parts for storage, the chain drive is proven over decades of heavy gym use, and spare parts remain available, which is why used RowErgs hold their value.
Limitations
- Air resistance is audible, with a fan whoosh on every stroke that carries through thin walls, so late-night sessions in a shared flat need consideration.
- There is no built-in screen, no classes, and no coaching in the box, so buyers who need instruction must bring their own device and app.
- The long monorail and the industrial look demand floor space and tolerance for gym equipment in a living space, and the seat height suits most adults but not everyone stepping on from a low chair.
WaterRower Natural
Strengths
- The patented water flywheel gives a smooth, self-regulated stroke: pull harder and the water pushes back harder, with a swishing sound that most owners find pleasant rather than intrusive.
- Solid ash with a honey oak stain makes the Natural look like furniture, so it can live in a living room without apology, and it stores upright when not in use.
- The S4 monitor covers intensity, stroke rate, heart rate, duration, and distance, and the machine needs no mains power, so it can sit anywhere with floor space.
Limitations
- Water resistance cannot be set to a numbered level, so precise, repeatable interval targets are harder to program than on a magnetic or air rower.
- The tank needs filling, occasional water treatment, and care against leaks, and the full machine is heavy to move once filled.
- Assembly arrives in two boxes and takes patience, and the wooden frame, while beautiful, marks more easily than a steel frame if knocked.
How they fit the wider field
- Concept2 RowErg: ranked #1 (Best overall) in The Best Rowing Machines. Read the full Concept2 RowErg review.
- WaterRower Natural: ranked #2 (Best water rower) in The Best Rowing Machines. Read the full WaterRower Natural review.
Neither one quite right? The full rankings cover 10 picks matched to different buyers.
Made your call?
Questions, answered
Which is better for weight loss?
Either, since weight loss follows consistent, hard-enough sessions over months, not the machine type. Choose the rower you will actually use several times a week, since habit beats a small difference in stroke feel.
Which lasts longer?
Both are built to last, with the Concept2 having the longer proven record in gyms and the better parts network, while the WaterRower's wood and tank need a little more care to reach the same age.
Can I do classes on either?
Yes, with your own device: the RowErg connects to third-party apps through the PM5, and the Natural can pair with apps and a phone holder, though neither has a built-in class screen like Hydrow.