Sunny Health & Fitness SPM Magnetic Rowing Machine - SF-RW5801

For a magnetic one this appears, so far, to be quite a catch. It's not an easy task picking out a good "affordable" rower. However, a decision had to be made as we prepare the break area here at the office for when people start coming back to work in the building. It's going to be a break-time wonderland when everyone sees what has changed and this is just one of the many improvements. Mostly because it works really well. At first (right now), we have built it at one of our homes alongside some other equipment. To break it in and make sure it works ;0) -- This is also because the break area at work is getting a new floor. So might as well get some use out of it somewhere until it is ready to be slid onto the back of a small truck and taken there. With that being said, it is easy enough to move around that it won't be difficult at all come time. It doesn't take up much space outside of the length (like most small to mid-size rowers), and two people can easily carry it around without breaking much of a sweat. It went together within 20 mins with one person putting it together as the other one hung out for emotional support but didn't touch anything. There wasn't a difficult step in the procedure and they give you everything you need. Outside of a knife to open the box and materials with, no tools were needed. When it comes to performance, it isn't a Concept 2, but it wouldn't be fair to associate the two since the Concept 2 is so much more expensive than an affordable one like this. So if you are hoping for Concept 2, get a Concept 2 (we've noticed a lot of people recommend it in the comments here on Amazon). However, not everyone is looking to spend that kind of money. So if you are looking to keep it reasonable in price, this is a top option for sure. It seems to perform quite well and quietly at that. The only downside is the LCD display is as simple as it comes. You get your normal stats and that's it. No games or anything special. It does, however, handle a good amount of weight and function well for what a rower is supposed to do (row). So it functions well and does it quietly, and goes together quickly. One person can do all the work and the price is right (especially when it is on sale). Is it perfect? No. Nothing is, but the only thing we could find was that the middle support foot doesn't' touch the ground unless you have someone heavy enough on the machine. So worst-case scenario, if this bothers you, stick a thin-ish piece of wood or a book under it to help add some support. It hasn't been noticeable to us thus far, but it could change when it moves to the hard surface at the office. Beyond that, we haven't run into anything to complain about. Of course, we will update if anything has a meltdown. We will also try to come back and add images once Amazon ever gives us consumers the option to do that again. **If you have found our review helpful, please vote it as helpful below so we know. This helps us to provide quality feedback in the future.

I'm 53 yo female and have gotten fairly out of shape over the last 8 years. (I used to be quite athletic and fit) I'm also in menopause and gained 30 lbs from this. To top it off, I live out in the country where there are no sidewalks for safe walking. It also rains here and we get seasonal weather like snow. I bought this rower after doing a lot of research. I wanted something in my price range but also good quality. This fit the bill so I bought it. I assembled it by myself, no problem. First off, this thing is QUIET. I am really noise-averse so I was so happy about how quiet this is. Q-U-I-E-T Second, I am nearly 6 feet and I have plenty of room on this. I've read comments about the lack of resistance. Look, if you are on this thing, like I am, between 30-60 minutes, YOU WILL FEEL IT. This is not weight training. You get cardio and strength with this, not isolated, concentrated muscle use. If your form is good, you will have sore everything the next day from using this. I had no idea how much it worked my legs until I woke the next day with sore glutes, hamstrings, and thighs. I was shocked. (and delighted) I vary my workouts between 1 and 4 resistance (it goes to 16) and I FEEL it. My sweetie, who is both younger, taller, and fitter, at first commented on the lack of resistance and made fun of it. I got him to row at a 16 and it beat him up and he was sore the next day. He now respects it as legit. I did buy a rower seat pad just because I want it to be as comfortable as possible. I put in my ear buds and an audio book and close my eyes and row. I never imagined I would so enjoy working out. I truly am loving this thing. It doesn't hurt my joints, I feel stronger, I am sleeping better, I can do it any time/weather, it doesn't bother anyone in the house because it's so quiet - just an overall win and great investment. I have finally found exercise I will do. I've also researched rowing as a form of exercise and study after study shows that you work 86% of the muscles in your body and you get cardio and strength at the same time. I am rowing daily and find that, unlike literally every other kind of exercise, I'm not resisting or finding excuses to not do this. I ordered a book that suggests different types of workouts on a rower so I can expand my reality about what's possible with this thing. I watched a youtube video to learn proper form and have experienced no back or joint pain at all. If you like to row or want to, and can't afford a $1200 machine, this one really does a good job. I am really pleased.

I have to put fit toned male, 5'8", 160 lbs, 40's, in the review headline because this site doesn't separate the reviews by male, female and fit or not fit as well as age This is important info when it comes to exercise equipment because those factors play a major part in what we can typically do on exercise machines. Ultimately this rowing machine temporarily messed up my lower back joints, so I couldn't use it. It may just be me, which is why I'm still giving this a good rating. If that didn't happen, I'd give this a 5 star rating. This was easy and quick to put together in roughly 30 minutes. It took longer to unpack the box and take the materials out. It's packed tightly that I had to cut the styrofoam to get the pieces out. At least it was definitely protected. No broken or defective pieces. Once this was put together, I noticed the resistance was pretty strong. I was shocked as I read many reviews saying there's no resistance. This wasn't true on my end. It was set on the strongest resistance though. The issue came with the joint clickings going on in my lower back tailbone, so I ceased use so as it not to aggravate it. I'm an exceptionally fit toned male, 5'8", 160 lbs that has worked out and exercised several times a week since childhood, so for decades. I run circles around so many people fitness wise. I'm not lazy and love to exercise, so I am experienced. And therefore I prefer equipment that can be great for maintenance, especially with having stronger resistance, no wimpy machines. This machine would've been excellent for daily maintenance had I not experienced the lower back issue. I don't have this problem with the gym Rowing Machines, but those machines are not super low to the ground like this one is. The problem with this being so low to the ground is that the way you have to sit low on the machine curves your body in a way that it shouldn't have to do. It's also not uncommon for professional rowers to experience lower back pain or issues. Mentioning this so that you know to take gym equipment pieces seriously. I've noticed a great deal of home machines tend to be bought by those that are not typically fitness ready or into exercise. They even admit in their reviews that they're either older or lazy. So with any equipment, use caution. Had I not faced this issue with the lower back, this machine would've been perfect. It's too low to the ground to sit correctly on it. But I had no other issues with it outside of that. And my back was healed within a day or two after I stopped use with this. The resistance is good and even felt a bit stronger than the gyms on the highest setting. There were no noises coming from the machine aside from the the chair sliding across the railing, but it's not loud at all. It's going to make some noise as it slides, but it's there, but there was no clicking noise. It was just a low sliding sound. Someone can be in the next room and not hear it much.

Fair price, easy assembly, sturdy, space saving

We purchased the SF-RW5801 rower two weeks ago after a great deal of research to decide upon which machine was right for us. I'll make this review as comprehensive as possible and address why we chose this brand/model (I will provide updates in the future as well). First, a little history about why we were shopping for a rower in the first place. After recently being diagnosed with a form of dysautonomia (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome - POTS), I needed to begin physical therapy, and supine cardio exercises are required as part of that plan such as recumbent biking, swimming, and rowing. Rowing is the preferred exercise because research shows that rowers have the largest and strongest heart muscles due to the total body effort, so that's the form I chose. That said, with mounting medical bills from this health issue, we needed to choose a machine that was more reasonably priced than the other equipment that we already own (commercial quality LifeFitness), but we also wanted to make sure that the quality was sufficient for the frequency I will be using the machine. We researched a variety of options within this price range, and also compared our selections to gym-quality machines such as the Concept II and NordicTrack. My physical therapy, if it goes well, should progress from supine to upright exercise within about 5 months. Having been a long distance runner for the past 20 years, we had already planned to upgrade to the NordicTrack x32i incline treadmill later this year, so we knew that was the priority for our budget...once we get me on my feet again! That meant that we would stick to the $300-ish range for our rower. Two weeks in with exercising on this machine, and I can wholeheartedly say that I am IMPRESSED! This rower might be budget-friendly, but the quality is surprisingly good for this price range. I'll break down my review into three ares: 1) What I Love, 2) What Could Be Better, and 3) Why We Chose This Machine Over Others in This Range. **WHAT I LOVE** 1. Easy Assembly: The machine arrived in one large box weighing about 70-ish pounds. My husband was able to carry it inside and upstairs to our home gym by himself with no problem. Upon unboxing, the bulk of the machine is already assembled. The only thing that needs to be done is to attach the seat to the rail, the feet to the bottom of the machine, and screw on the footrests...then the rail/seat assembly attaches to the machine. All of the components and tools are included in the box (yay!), and they are vacuum sealed unto a piece of cardboard and numbered to match each assembly step that's detailed in the instructions. Really, they could not make this any easier! For example, everything you need for step one is vacuum sealed together with the number "1" clearly printed right on the cardboard. The instructions are clearly written and there are detailed drawings of each step. Honestly, I think a small child could figure this out! It took us about 15 minutes to put the whole thing together--so easy! 2. Padded Seat: I've been using rowers at the gym for many years, and the thing that often stinks is that they have hard seats. This one is lightly padded, and it makes such a difference for a long workout. The quality of the vinyl is great too, and stitching of the seams is tight. 3. Tablet Holder: Talk about a smart upgrade! This is one of the reasons we chose this machine over other options. If you have a membership to a workout app like iFit (which you can now use with ANY brand of machine), you can follow the workout on your tablet, and that's a great feature. (Note, you cannot connect this machine to iFit so that the instructor controls the resistance, etc...but you can follow along with the workout on your own.) 4. Excellent Resistance: We decided on a magnetic resistance machine because they're so much quieter, and that proved to be a good decision. This machine is whisper quiet! I noticed some reviews complaining that the resistance between the 16 levels wasn't noticeable, and I don't understand that. I train on intervals: warm up on level 2, then increase to level 6 when I get going, and drop to level 4 during my "recovery" intervals. Level 6 is challenging, and I'm not horribly out of shape by any means. I doubt I will ever be able to complain that it's not hard enough with 10 more levels to build toward. Rowing is an exercise that's all about endurance with proper form. If you're on level 16 and yanking the handle, can you do it? Of course. But can you maintain proper form and stroke rate throughout a workout? Doubtful unless you are very fit. Thus, I have to dismiss any of those negative reviews as being folks who most likely don't understand the mechanics of rowing. 5. Aesthetic and Quality: Truly, I care far more about function over form, but I have to say that this machine is quite good looking. It fits in perfectly with our LifeFitness equipment, and it looks very professional. But more than looks, it FEELS high quality too. Is it like a $3,000 machine? Well, no...but it also doesn't cost $3,000. I hate to even qualify my statements by saying "for the price range, it's great" because that doesn't give enough credit where it's due. Instead, I would say that I'm surprised this machine is ONLY $250 because the quality feels like it should be at least double that. **WHAT COULD BE BETTER** After my 5th point above, let me explain where this machine could be improved. However, remember, this is a $250 machine, so anything I'm listing here should be taken with a grain of salt since I wouldn't necessarily expect these things at this price point. But if anything on this list is a must-have for you, you should know what you're getting (or not getting, as the case may be). 1. Display Monitor: The digital monitor will display the elapsed time, stroke count of your current workout, calories burned, and total stroke count. You can leave it on one of these, or have it scan through them all. The biggest deficit here is that there is nothing to track distance. Since distance is a product of strokes and resistance, there's really no way to know...you'll just have to guess based on your own calculations and perceived rate of exertion. This is, by far, my biggest wish for this machine. I would get rid of the calories altogether and replace it with distance since calories are a total shot in the dark anyway. There's nowhere to put in your age, height, weight, so the calories calculation is basically junk. Distance would be SO helpful for anyone actually looking to train on this machine! Also, some reviewers have complained about the quality of the monitor, which is just a digital display of numbers, but c'mon...you can't really expect an interactive touchscreen at this price point. It's fine. Some folks have weird expectations. 2. Handle/Strap: Tons of reviews mentioned that the strap fell off the handle and was sucked back into the engine. So far, I can't imagine this actually happening, but theoretically, I can see how it could. The handle is just a metal bar. The strap is slipped over it, and then two foam pieces bracket either side of the strap as hand grips. For the strap to come off, the foam grip would have to come off first. So, this is possible...but the foam grips are REALLY securely attached, so it's not like they would suddenly slide off somehow. I can't even pull/twist them off with effort (I tried), so unless the reviewers had damaged their hand grip and continued trying to use the machine without fixing them, I don't understand how this occurs. However, what could make the machine better would simply be that the strap was actually secured to the handle with a rivet or something. It would be so simple that I can't understand why the company doesn't just make the fix. 3. Height: The rail sits quite low to the ground, unlike other machines I've used over the years. During use, it's not a problem...you're rowing, it doesn't really matter how far away the ground is below you. But, after a hard 40 minutes are over and you need to stand up from the machine, whew. Getting up from such a low position can be a little tougher on spent muscles. I would also say this might be tough for anyone with arthritis or similar mobility issues. 4. Cup Holder: It's awesome that this machine has a place to put your water bottle, however, I can't reach it once my feet are strapped in during use. I end up just putting my water bottle on the floor next to me instead. However, I'm only 5'4", so maybe a bigger person with long arms wouldn't have a problem. It's a good place to stash your phone or something though. 5. Warranty: Although it was not noted in the listing, the Sunny website states that there is a 3 year warranty on the structural frame, and 180 days on "other parts and components". Those 180 days are pretty light, but again...this is a $250 rower, so.... **WHY WE CHOSE THIS MACHINE OVER OTHERS IN THE PRICE RANGE** 1. Reviews: The reviews for the Sunny Health & Fitness brand machines are overwhelmingly positive. That goes for their whole line of products, not just this rower. Those reviews were often quite detailed and that made me feel more confident that they were authentic. So many brands get people to do fake reviews just to boost their ratings, but it doesn't appear to be the case here. 2. Tablet Holder: Seems silly, but it makes such a huge difference. The fact that you could use this machine with iFit on your tablet is pretty much amazing! That made this machine stand out from others in this price range. 3. Warranty: I know I listed warranty in the "things that could be better" section, but it also factored into our buying decision. The fact that the company offered a warranty at all mattered to me. We did purchase 2 years of additional coverage for only $25 as well, but at this price point, I don't know if that was terribly necessary. 4. Customer Service: The company seems to follow up very quickly and then work to resolve any issues. Those who mentioned in their reviews that their monitors or other parts were damage upon receipt (presumably due to shipping trauma) usually noted that the company promptly replaced the parts, or in some cases, the entire machine. Those kinds of ethics are hard to find these days.

First, I'm 5'5", early 50, fairly athletic, not a rower. My son is 6'3", used to row on a team and is still very athletic. 1. Rowing pull:. Plenty for me or someone his size 2. Noise: Fairly quiet. Noticed without my earbuds the stop pegs on the footboards can make click noises with contact on and off with the footboards. Not very loud, but if you want silent you'll need to add foam or something. Pull is super quiet in my opinion. 3. Seat comfort: Better than average. Enough foam for an hour for most people but it's not going to last forever. Definitely cheaper foam under the faux leather cover 4. Sliding: Glide is smooth. Actually this and the pull are really good for the price as good as higher end products. 5. Cup holder: Behind the tablet, computer or reader "stand". This is pretty idiotic but I keep my water just beyond the footboards so not an issue considering the price. 6. Distance to the ground: This might be an issue for older people. I'm pretty athletic for my age and it's pretty low. I have to push off to get up to avoid injury. Again not a deal breaker but if you are 60+, male or female, you might want to spend the money on one that sits a bit higher. 7. Tracker: It's a one and done. Once you reset, everything except the full count resets. It's weird about the full count thing. It also only has 4 digits, so for the full count, I don't know if it just rolls from 9999 to 0000. Almost there but wanted to post before I forgot about it. 8. Overall quality: Mine had a tiny dent in the rail which normally I might send back but it's on the underside. If you are very picky, their quality might not be up to standards, although from other comments they seem to try to make it right quickly. 9. Overall resistance: My son is a gym rat who has used professional training rowers to low end like this. He said setting 16 (highest here) is about a 10. He's comparing chain ones to cord. I'm probably below average in arm strength and I use it at 7. If I were using it everyday, I'd probably put it down to a 5. So it's actually pretty good for the price also.

My wife wanted a rower, so after a thumbs up on the Sunny Rower from Coop at Garage Gym Reviews, I pulled the trigger on this. Let's get the obvious out of the way: it's an ugly piece of equipment. It's not going to be the centerpiece of your home gym based on it's looks. Assembly - there are only seven steps to assembly and my son and I cobbled it together in about 45 minutes, at least 10 of which was just unboxing and getting all the parts free of packaging. Resistance: This rower uses magnetic resistance instead of the industry standard fan. Considering the target audience for this rower isn't professional rowers and hardcore Crossfitters, I think it's plenty (with the added benefit of being whisper quiet. There are eight levels of magnetic resistance which should be plenty for the average person to get in a decent workout. I did 20 minutes of Zone 2 with only half the resistance set, and I'm a fairly big, strong guy. Stability - this machine only weighs 50 pounds, so while it's easy to move around and store it in a corner, it's not going to be as stable as it could be if you're really getting after it and trying to generate 100W during a HIIT workout, but again, for the average person it's going to be just fine. I haven't had any issue with this machine tipping or walking around on me yet, and I'm about 6' 1" and well over 220lbs. I have a 34" inseam, and I'm able to easily fully extend my legs on the stroke. Users over 6' 3" might find it difficult, but everyone else will be fine. Durability - the main and slide rails are a fairly heavy gauge steel and should hold up well. The plastic cowling over the flywheel, in addition to being ugly AF, feels cheap and brittle as do the foot rests. Another item of potential concern is rather than use an industry standard chain, to hit the price point this rower uses a nylon strap which will certainly wear out with use, as will the nylon rollers under the seat. In a high use commercial setting these items would wear out quickly, but should be okay for awhile in your average home gym with only one or two users. Fit and finish - nothing about this rower looks or feels premium. You're getting exactly what you pay for, a good, solid budget rower. The cheap foam on the handle neither looks, nor feels good in the hand and will also be a likely point of failure for wear. The few welds on the rail are all good welds with no sharp points anywhere. The high density foam on the saddle is comfy and feels good to sit on. It seems to be one area they didn't skimp on. In use, it feels smooth and is very quiet. I know one other reviewer posted a video of the rower making creaking sounds, but I would guess that's due to loose bolts or the nylon rollers needed to be replaced. The foot rests are designed to be used with shoes. This might not be a problem for most, but I always workout barefoot, and it would be nice if you could tighten the straps down enough to work well for barefoot trainees. All in all it's a very functional, budget rower that most people will be happy with until they can upgrade to a Concept 2 (or a clone).

Good exercise for this 76 year old senior woman, using 14 on pull. Easy to assembly, did it with my 10 year old grandson. Only thing I do not like—screen with stats is very small and dark (cannot see it while rowing), and foot pedals are huge, even though I have a 10.5 size foot, my feet slide around the pedals and I am using the straps, but still annoying while rowing. Solid machine, price okay.

very good product

Firstly, it arrived in 3 days. Assembly was easy, with explicitly clear instructions and all parts easily identified. It is quiet, even in a hard workout. The resistance levels, from 1-16 are true, with 16 being a bit of a struggle, and the lower numbers a good relaxing pull. Great machine for exercise, not so much for training, as the monitor does not show distances or stroke rate, just number of strokes, time and calories burned. It is very sturdy, and the price was much lower than comparable ergs. Oh yes, and the seat is the most comfortable I've ever had.

Produit conforme, Bien emballé, délais de livraison respecté.

椅子部分が想像よりしっかりしていて、動きがスムーズです。 もっとギシギシいったりするのかと思っていましたが、全くそんなことはないです。 ベルトの音もほとんどないので、全くうるさくないです。 負荷調整もでき、かなりいい全身運動になります。 ほかのマシンを使ったことがないので、比べようがないですが、この値段でこの品質なら買いです。 特別な機能が必要ない小さめの体格の人なら、この型で十分だと思います。 思った以上に大きな箱で届きます。そして重いです。玄関に上げるまでに一苦労しました。 片付けまで何とか1人でやり切りましたが、2人いたほうがいいと思います。 取扱説明書と部品のパッケージに番号が書いてあるので、組み立てはそんなに難しくありませんでした。 主要な部品を幾つかのボルトでつなぎ合わせるだけです。ネジ回しなども付いているので、道具を買い足す必要もありません。 折りたたんで部屋の隅に置いておくことはできますが、使う時には結構な長さになるので、それなりのスペースが必要です。

I have had several budget rowing machines at home in my (long) life, but this equipment is the best. It's stable, and your feet remain in front of the resistance machine. This allows you to move further forward and bend your knees more. I wasn't expecting a resistance comparable to gym equipment, but it's fair for me, and my wife loves it.