Buying guide
Best Connected Rowing Machines
The best connected rowers with built-in touchscreens and guided classes, from Hydrow's filmed on-water rows to NordicTrack iFit and Echelon subscription studios.
Connected rowers wrap the basic rowing stroke in a coached, on-demand experience: a built-in touchscreen streams live and recorded classes, tracks your output against a leaderboard, and in many cases lets an instructor adjust your resistance automatically so you never break stroke to turn a dial. The result feels less like solitary cardio and more like a studio session in your living room, which is exactly what keeps a lot of people coming back.
Almost all of these machines use electromagnetic or hybrid resistance rather than a roaring fan, so they stay quiet enough for shared spaces, and most fold or store upright. The catch is the subscription: the filmed rows and guided programs that justify the hardware price sit behind a monthly membership, and a lapsed account typically strips the screen back to a bare just-row mode. Budget for the recurring cost, not just the purchase.
The picks below span the major ecosystems — Hydrow’s filmed on-water classes, NordicTrack’s iFit destinations, and Echelon’s studio library — across a range of screen sizes and prices.
- 1 Best Overall$2,495
Hydrow Pro
Hydrow
The Pro is the most immersive connected rower here, streaming filmed on-water classes to a 22-inch swivel touchscreen while an instructor modulates the electromagnetic drag in real time. The screen rotates for off-machine strength and yoga, turning it into a full studio. It is expensive and the experience depends entirely on an active subscription.
- 2 Best Value$1,495
Hydrow Wave
Hydrow
The Wave delivers the same filmed Hydrow class library and quiet electromagnetic resistance in a lighter, more compact frame at a much lower price. A 16-inch fixed screen replaces the swivel display, which is the main concession for off-rower workouts. Like every Hydrow it does little beyond a basic just-row mode without the membership.
- 3 Best for iFit$1,599
NordicTrack RW900
NordicTrack
The RW900 brings iFit's globe-trotting, trainer-led rows to a 22-inch rotating touchscreen, with trainers adjusting your air-and-magnetic resistance automatically as a class unfolds. The hybrid stroke is quieter than pure air, and the frame folds upright to save floor space. The screen and content lock to an iFit subscription, leaving a sparse manual mode if you cancel.
- 4 Best Class Variety$1,599
Echelon Row-S
Echelon Fitness
The Row-S spins its 22-inch touchscreen sideways so Echelon's rowing, strength and cross-training classes all work, broadening it well past cardio at a competitive price. Quiet magnetic resistance and a vertical fold make it apartment-friendly. The best content needs an Echelon Premier membership, and the screen does little without one.
- 5 Best Mid-Range$1,499
NordicTrack RW700
NordicTrack
The RW700 sits between the entry RW500 and the flagship RW900, offering a 14-inch iFit touchscreen, automatic trainer-controlled resistance and a sturdier frame for several hundred dollars less than the top model. The air-and-magnetic hybrid is audible during sprints but engaging. As always with iFit, the full library requires a subscription.
Last updated June 2026.