Known for making a variety of cardio equipment, XTERRA Fitness has come up with rowing machines as well and one of the options they offer is the ERG600W. This particular model uses water resistance, which means it is capable of offering pretty much unlimited resistance, even though the company has mentioned that it has six levels of resistance.
The good thing about water rowers is that the resistance is ultimately in the control of users, as opposed to magnetic rowers. The variance is resistance happens due to the variance in your rowing.
The Workout Experience
If you want to feel like you are rowing on real water, the XTERRA Fitness ERG600W gets the job done. It comes with 16 impeller blades for spinning around the tank. The more the water volume, the more difficult it is for the impellers to swim. There are also a few built-in and programmable workout programs in the rowing machine and the LCD screen can be used for navigating the different modes, such as manual time countdown, race, strokes countdown, distance countdown and calories countdown.
There is no interactive programming like iFIT offered by XTERRA, so you will have to find your own workouts. There is no device holder on the ERG600W, so you cannot setup your phone for streaming third-party workouts.
Footprint and Portability
You cannot call the XTERRA Fitness ERG600W a compact machine in any way. You will need some floor space for keeping it because it is about 90 inches long. While it does not fold, you can keep it upright for storage.
The rower weighs 87 pounds, but it does come with transport wheels to move it around. But, you should not do so when the water tank is full.
Durability and Construction
The weight capacity of the ERG600W is about 300 pounds, which is not that impressive because most rowers have a 500-pound capacity. The slide rails are made of aluminum, but the frame itself is made of steel. Since it comes with stabilizers, you do not have to worry about the rower shifting or wobbling during use. There are no such durability concerns associated with the rower, other than leakage in the water tank that often occurs in water rowers.
The Ergonomics
The pedals are wide and the footrests are adjustable, which allows the ERG600W to accommodate a range of shoe types and foot sizes. The rowing handles does not have any contour and is straight, which might get a bit uncomfortable. The seat height stands at 13.4 inches, which might be low for some people.
Technology
While the XTERRA Fitness ERG600W is not super high-tech, it does not exactly lack in this department as some of the other budget-friendly machines. It comes with a basic and small LCD screen, along with some workout modes. There is a heart rate transmitter as well.
The display shows data like distance, calories burned, total strokes, time per 500 meters, total time, pulse, strokes per minute, room temperature and date.
Pros
- Quiet and stable
- Water resistance offers a smooth pull
- 7 pre-programmed workouts
Cons
- Small screen
- Water rower poses a risk of leaking
Conclusion
Considering the moderate price of the XTERRA Fitness ERG600W, it is a beginner-friendly machine with water resistance.
XTERRA Fitness ERG600W Review
Summary
Known for making a variety of cardio equipment, XTERRA Fitness has come up with rowing machines as well and one of the options they offer is the ERG600W.
