Tuesday, February 18, 2014

How To Buy A Rowing Machine Part 3: Rowing Machine Features

The purpose of this buying guide is to help you find the best rowing machines for you to buy.


Here are links to the complete guide:


Now that you are familiar with rowing machine benefits and the different rowing machine types we bring you now to the different features rowing machines have so you can become familiar with them. As you go through this guide, think about your own situation and what might work for you.


confusionclipart



Features To Consider When You Buy A Rowing Machine


Resistance Type


Stamina Body Trac Glider 1050 Rowing MachineAs we covered in How To Buy A Rowing Machine Part 2, there are four main different resistance types. The more natural feeling is also the more expensive. In order from least expensive to most expensive: hydraulic piston resistance, air resistance, magnetic resistance, and water resistance.


Shown to the right is the Stamina Body Trac Glider 1050, the most popular hydraulic rowing machine on the market.


Size


Since rowing machines models vary from having a conveniently compact design to having a non-foldable property, you should consider the appropriate size of the equipment which can be rightfully accommodated at your home. If you do not have much space to permanently allot to this machine, it is best that you consider a lightweight and compact model to allow easy storage when it is not in use.


On the other hand, if you have enough room to allocate for a rowing machine, then heavy and non-foldable models should not be a problem for you.


Concept2 Model D Indoor Rowing MachineAgain there is a some direct correlation between size and how natural the rowing machine feels. The smallest, most compact rowing machines are all hydraulic piston resistance. Both the magnetic rowers and water rowers are pretty fair in size, but are not popular for home rowing machines for a few reasons (which we covered in detail in How To Buy A Rowing Machine Part 2).


That leaves us with the air rowing machines which are very popular rowing machines for home. They are also quite large. The benefit is that it gives you a very nice long natural feeling range of motion. The downside: not portable, not easily movable to storage.


Shown to the right is the Concept2 Model D Indoor Rowing Machine, the most popular air rowing machine on the market.


Resistance Change


flywheel-and-damperHow easy is it to change the workout activity? Many times that is just a manner of turning the resistance up. Most hydraulic rowers have a tension dial you can turn to adjust the resistance up or down.


The air rowers use what’s called a damper/flywheel/drag system (shown right on the Concept2 Model D Rower) to control airflow through the flywheel in an effort to change resistance. This gives you quite a flexibility in how you row and how you create more intense workouts.


Here’s a quick video we found which explains the flywheel/damper/drag system, how it works, why it works, and how to change it on a Concept2






Price


This is already implied. Price directly relates to the quality of the rowing machine and usually the resistance type. It is not directly affected by how compact and portable a rowing machine is though the correlation is similar.


It is expected that the cost of rowing machines is among the top priorities that potential buyers highly consider in the process of his survey. Knowledge of your working budget will help in narrowing down your search among the brands and models you can choose from. Quality rowing machines are usually offered at $600-800, while the high-end ones usually sell for as much as $2000 or more.


It may be a good idea to invest some extra cash to ensure a durable and a more comfortable machine. But it is also very crucial to understand that it is not necessary to spend a tremendous amount of money just so you can get the best benefits from rowing machines because it is your fitness goals and preferences which will ultimately decide this factor.


So when it comes to price, it really all boils down to your budget, some may want to buy high end rowing machines but doesn’t have the budget to do so hence ending up buying something less expensive.


User Profile


Of course, it is appropriate to consider the person who will be using the machine prior to making your purchase. Apart from his fitness goals, it is also important to note the requirements they may specifically need from rowing machines. For example, tall people should best acquire a model with a seat rail that is long and, if possible, is set higher off the ground.


Similarly, small people may feel better comfort to get a rower with a small seat rail. It is also advisable that professional healthcare consultation is done by those with special medical condition before they undertake new fitness regime. There are people with certain health conditions that though they want to buy a rowing machine, their health condition doesn’t permit them, so users profile is a big factor.


Progress Tracker and Control Panel


Performance monitor of rowing machines usually comes as a LCD screen which provides digital readout about user’s useful routine information, such as rowing speed and distance travelled.


These parameters may also be modified according to which you are most interested to track through its console controls. By keeping you accordingly updated with your workout progress, this machine provides considerable amount of motivation in staying focused on your fitness goals.


If this feature is particularly important to you, you must carefully review the parameters tracked by the unit you consider to purchase since this function varies among different brands and models. Of course, you must also consider the allowable user info the machine can store.


There are rowing machines that can only store one user info so if another person uses the machine, you may need to reset everything when you use it again. So check for this feature, some allows up to 4 user info to be stored on the training computer of a rowing machine.


Below is an example of a rowing machine display. This one belongs to the Kettler Favorit Rowing Machine


kettler-favorit-rowing-machine-oversized-display


Another example: the very detailed training computer of the Proteus Par 5500 Club Series Rowing Machine


proteus-par-5500-commercial-club-series-rowing-machine-display


Warranty/Reputation


It is definitely recommended that you check the warranties offered by the models you consider purchasing, especially when the unit you intend to buy is high-end and expensive. Most rowing machines provide at least a year of warranty to parts and labor, while higher quality machines offer two three years. Usually, top manufacturers offer generous warranties to their durable equipment.


Not surprisingly, the two companies that put out the most popular rowing machine, Concept2 also have reputable customer service.


As another example, Kettler has good days and bad days. And Proteus seems to be responsive, but distant (and they have no US-based support, only from overseas).


That Concludes This Portion Of Our Buying Guide


Now that we’ve explained the main types of rowing machines and the various features, we will go through some recommendations next! So be on the lookout for the next part: Part 4: Recommended Models And Brands


Here are links to the complete guide:


Cheers!


Check out more reviews, tips, and guides to buy rowing machine online

Posted by at
Labels: , , , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)