WaterRower Natural Review — Fitness Meets Furniture
The WaterRower Natural is the only rowing machine you'd deliberately leave in your living room. Handcrafted from Appalachian ash hardwood, it's a genuinely beautiful piece of furniture-grade fitness equipment. The water resistance system produces a satisfying, rhythmic swoosh that's both pleasant and apartment-quiet. It stores upright in about 2 square feet of floor space. At $1,295 with no required subscription, it's positioned between the budget Concept2 and premium connected rowers. The trade-off: no screen, no guided workouts (unless you add the Ergatta conversion at $24/month), and the S4 Performance Monitor is functional but dated compared to the Concept2 PM5. For buyers who refuse to compromise their home aesthetic for fitness equipment, the WaterRower is the only answer.
Score Breakdown
Fitness as Furniture
Most rowing machines are engineered to perform, not to look good. The WaterRower is engineered to do both. Hand-finished Appalachian ash hardwood, Danish oil finish, and clean lines make this a piece you're happy to display in a living room, bedroom, or studio. No other rower comes close aesthetically.
This matters more than fitness purists acknowledge. If a piece of equipment is ugly enough that you hide it in a spare room, you'll use it less. If it sits in your daily environment, visible and accessible, you'll use it more. The WaterRower's design is a genuine functional advantage for consistency.
Water Resistance
The dual-tank water system provides smooth, natural resistance that scales with effort — row harder, water moves faster, resistance increases. It closely mimics the feel of rowing on actual water. The sound — a rhythmic swoosh with each stroke — is distinctly pleasant and significantly quieter than air rowers. For apartments or shared spaces, this matters.
The downside: resistance is changed by adding or removing water from the tank. Unlike the Concept2's damper (adjustable in seconds mid-workout), changing WaterRower resistance requires stopping and using a siphon. In practice, most users fill the tank once and leave it.
The Ergatta Option
WaterRower offers the Ergatta conversion kit — a tablet monitor that attaches to the WaterRower and provides game-based, data-driven workouts for $24/month. This transforms the WaterRower from a manual rower into a connected fitness platform. Alternatively, you can purchase a WaterRower with Ergatta pre-installed for a higher upfront cost. If you want guided content without buying a Hydrow, this is a viable middle ground.
Where It Fits
The WaterRower occupies a unique position: more beautiful than anything else, quieter than air rowers, more affordable than connected rowers, but less data-rich than the Concept2 and less engaging than the Hydrow. Buy it if your home aesthetic is non-negotiable.
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Resistance | Water (dual tank) |
| Material | Appalachian ash hardwood |
| Monitor | S4 Performance Monitor |
| Subscription | None required ($0 base, Ergatta $24/mo optional) |
| Dimensions | 84" L × 22" W × 20" H |
| Weight | 117 lbs (filled) |
| Max User Weight | 375 lbs |
| Storage | Stores upright (~2 sq ft) |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth (S4 monitor) |
| Warranty | 3-year frame, 3-year components |
| Commission | ~5-8% via affiliate |
Check Current Price — WaterRower Natural
$1,295, no subscription required
View Product →James has tested over 60 pieces of home gym equipment since 2019. A competitive powerlifter with a 1,450 lb total and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech, he brings both engineering analysis and real training experience to every review.