Air vs Magnetic vs Water Rowing Machines
Choose the resistance type before the brand. On makers' pages read 2026-11-02, Concept2's air flywheel RowErg is $990, magnetic rowers run from $249.99 to $1,995 for Hydrow Wave, and water rowers run from $1,199 for WaterRower to $2,199 for Ergatta. Makers call magnetic and water machines quiet; outlets disagree about air.
This page from MudderElla sits under our hub, best rowing machines for home, and it works at the level of type, not brand. Every price below is the figure the maker's page showed on 2026-11-02, with no shipping or tax. Noise is reported only as makers and outlets state it, because no maker page read gave a decibel number. Brands named other than Hydrow and Ergatta are plain text and not linked.
Air: a flywheel you pull against
The Concept2 RowErg is the air example on this page. Concept2's page says its "flywheel design puts you in control of your workout intensity," and outlets such as Breaking Muscle describe the resistance as air that adjusts to your stroke. It costs $990 with standard legs and $1,155 with tall legs, measures 96 x 24 in, weighs 57 lb, and separates into two parts with no tools. Its PM5 monitor draws power from the flywheel during workouts, with two D cell batteries, and no membership appears on the page read.
On noise, Concept2's page states nothing. Breaking Muscle (page last updated 2023-11-14) calls the RowErg loud and says it gets louder as you row harder, and BoxRox (page dated 2025-09-17) says it is louder than magnetic machines. Both were read as summaries. If a quiet room matters, this is the type where outlets lean toward noise.
Air fits you if you want a lower price and the simplest ownership, and you can live with the length and the sound. The Concept2 RowErg review has the rest of its numbers.
Magnetic: electromagnetic drag and levels
Makers of magnetic rowers state numbered resistance levels. Hydrow describes its drag as a "patented electromagnetic drag mechanism" and calls it "whisper-quiet" in its own words; its Wave is $1,995 MSRP, 80 x 19 in and 102 lb, with a $50 monthly membership that Hydrow says should not be considered optional. The Merach NovaRow R7 is listed as electromagnetic with 16 levels at $399.99, and its page shows it at about 73.7 x 18.4 in and 57 lb, with upright storage and no folding mechanism. The Merach Q1S is $249.99 with 16 levels. The Sunny SF-RW523021 is magnetic at $399.99 with 16 levels and 79.3 x 19.7 in, and the Sunny Corezy is $299.99 with 16 levels.
The makers' noise wording is not uniform. Sunny's pages call the SF-RW523021 "whisper-quiet" and the Corezy "whisper-quiet" with a rail cover that reduces noise, in its words; the Merach pages read gave no maker noise figure. Sunny and Merach pages state the app is free or list no subscription, while Hydrow's membership is part of its design. Where Hydrow stands in the field is covered in Hydrow vs Concept2.
Magnetic fits you if quiet matters and you want numbered levels, with a small footprint at the lower prices. The magnetic rowing machines guide lists more of them, and the lower-cost ones appear in the budget rowing machines guide.
Water: a tank you pull through
Water rowers move a paddle through a tank. Ergatta calls its resistance "authentic, naturally-adjusting" water resistance. The Ergatta Luxe is shown at $2,199, weighs 106.5 lb with water, and states it "folds and stores with no additional equipment," though its length and width were not on the pages read. WaterRower's Original is from $1,199, measures 82 x 22.25 x 20 in in use and 17.25 x 22.25 x 81.5 in stored upright, weighs 63.5 lb dry and 100.5 lb filled, and its page says it "operates quietly with only the sound of moving water." The Sunny Obsidian Surge 500 is shown at $699.99 (its list price and stock were unclear on the page), is 78.90 x 22.30 x 32.67 in, weighs 91.9 lb, and Sunny's FAQ says it is quiet and can be stored upright with water in it.
Outlets disagree on Ergatta's sound. BarBend (page last updated 2024-11-17) says its water tank is loud, and Athletech News (page dated 2025-11-12) calls the water resistance "smooth and fairly quiet." BarBend also says the resistance feels like rowing on water. Garage Gym Reviews (no date shown on the page) lists the need to replace the water now and then as a drawback.
Water fits you if you want the sound and feel of a tank, wood or a screen design, and you will store the rower upright. The water rowing machines guide has more. The decision between Ergatta and the air rower is on Ergatta vs Concept2.
The comparison in one table
| Air | Magnetic | Water | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example, price read 2026-11-02 | Concept2 RowErg, $990 | Merach NovaRow R7, $399.99; Hydrow Wave, $1,995 | WaterRower Original, from $1,199; Ergatta Luxe, shown at $2,199 |
| Resistance as the maker words it | Flywheel | Electromagnetic, 16 levels on Merach and Sunny | Water, "authentic, naturally-adjusting" on Ergatta |
| Noise as stated | No maker statement; outlets say loud | Makers call it quiet; no decibel figures | Makers call it quiet; outlets disagree on Ergatta |
| Storage | Separates into two parts | Upright storage on Merach and Sunny; optional upright storage on Hydrow Wave | Upright storage on WaterRower and Sunny; Ergatta says it folds and stores with no extra equipment |
| Subscription | None found on the page read | Free app on Sunny and Merach; Hydrow membership not optional | Ergatta says not required |
Only the Echelon Row-s among the models read is described by its page as a folding rower; the rest store upright. The foldable rowing machines guide separates the two.
How to choose between them
- Lower price and simplest ownership: air, at $990 against $1,995 or more for the connected rowers.
- Quiet, numbered levels, smaller footprint: magnetic.
- Water sound and feel, upright storage: water.
- Coaching with a screen: this is a brand question more than a type question, since Hydrow is magnetic and Ergatta is water.
If you are weighing space, noise, coaching and total cost together, how to choose a rowing machine turns them into five questions.
FAQ
Which type of rowing machine is quietest?
No maker page read gives a decibel figure. Makers describe magnetic and water rowers as quiet, and outlets call the Concept2 air rower loud; outlets disagree about Ergatta's water tank.
Which type costs least?
On the pages read, magnetic: the Merach Q1S is $249.99. The air-type Concept2 RowErg is $990.
Do water rowers need upkeep?
Garage Gym Reviews lists replacing the water now and then as a drawback for Ergatta. The other makers' pages read do not say.
Do air rowers need a power outlet?
Concept2's page says the PM5 draws power from the flywheel during workouts and uses two D cell batteries.
Is a magnetic rower the same as a Hydrow?
Hydrow describes its drag as electromagnetic, so it sits in that type, but it also requires a $50 monthly membership for its main features by Hydrow's own words.