Best Rowing Machine Under £500 in the UK (2026)

My pick: the Xterra ERG780, at around £449 from Fitness Superstore or £499 from Sweatband (checked 30 Oct 2026). It is an air rower with a folding frame, a 150 kg limit and no subscription, and that combination is rare in this price band.

If you want something quiet that still folds, the Domyos Training Rower 500B at £499.99 is the alternative. The Domyos Initial Rower 100 at £199.99 is the cheap start, and in a tiny flat the Viavito Sumi, at around £169, is the one to buy.

This guide is based on manufacturer specs, retailer listings and rowing knowledge, not hands-on testing. See the about page.

The shortlist

Prices at this end of the market move a lot around Black Friday. Several of these are well below their list prices, so I’d assume they can move either way by Christmas.

What £500 buys, and what it doesn’t

Under £500 you can get a decent frame, a seat that runs on a rail and a basic monitor. You will not get the build, the warranty or the resale value of a Concept2, and nothing here will let you compare your 2k with a rowing club’s. Our article on why rowing machines are so expensive explains what the extra money pays for.

The main decision is resistance type:

• Air (Xterra ERG780, Body Power AR30) feels most like a Concept2. It is louder.
• Magnetic (Domyos Training Rower 500B, Domyos Initial Rower 100, Viavito Sumi) is quieter and has fixed levels, but the feel is flatter and less responsive to how hard you pull.
• Air plus magnetic (JTX Freedom Air) is a hybrid. Expect it to be louder than a magnetic-only rower.

If you want the full explanation, the air vs water vs magnetic guide has it.

Best overall: Xterra ERG780

The spec sheet is strong for the money:

• Air resistance
• 244 x 51 cm set-up size, on Xterra’s own spec sheet
• Folds for vertical storage
• 26 kg, light enough to tilt and wheel away
• 150 kg maximum user weight
• 4-inch LCD, Bluetooth, XF Connect and Kinomap support

It is around £449 at Fitness Superstore and £499 at Sweatband (checked 30 Oct 2026), down from a £899 list price at the time of checking. Either is within budget. Xterra’s spec sheet doesn’t give a folded size or a warranty, so check both with the seller.

What I like on paper: it is the same resistance principle as the machine used at rowing clubs, so the stroke you learn here carries over. The first month on the erg advice applies as is.

What worries me: a folded air rower is still a bulky block in a flat, so measure before you buy. A 4-inch screen is small. And a budget air rower will not have a Concept2’s track record, so I’d check the return policy before assembly.

Do not buy it if you want something quiet for a shared wall, or if you need the smallest possible footprint. It is also not the machine to buy if you want scores comparable with Concept2 rankings. Treat its numbers as a private scale.

If you have a little more, jump to the best rowing machine under £1,000, where a Concept2 fits at £990.

Best quiet and folding: Domyos Training Rower 500B

The Domyos Training Rower 500B is £499.99 at Decathlon (checked 30 Oct 2026). It is the alternative to the ERG780 if you want magnetic resistance rather than a fan. Decathlon’s support pages list the 500-series rower at 37 kg with a 130 kg limit, folding to 80 x 60 x 145 cm, with 5 years on the structure and 2 years on other parts.

At 37 kg it is 11 kg heavier than the ERG780, so it is harder to tilt away. You also give up the responsive feel of an air rower.

Do not buy it if you want a stroke close to a club erg, or you will be moving it often.

Best air alternative: JTX Freedom Air

The JTX Freedom Air is £399 direct from JTX (checked 30 Oct 2026). It combines magnetic and air resistance and has no subscription. Ask JTX for the folded size and the noise rating before you buy.

Do not buy it if you share walls with light sleepers.

Best short air rower: Body Power AR30

The Body Power AR30 is a short air rower at around £369 at Fitness Superstore (checked 30 Oct 2026). I have no confirmed size or weight limit for it, so check both with the seller, and ask whether it folds. A short air rower can suit shorter rowers, but tall rowers may find the rail runs out before the stroke does. That is a general rule: a rower needs a rail long enough for your legs.

Do not buy it if you are tall, or if you need a machine that folds away.

Best for a tiny flat: Viavito Sumi

The Viavito Sumi is a folding magnetic rower with no subscription, at around £169 at Sweatband (checked 30 Oct 2026). Get the folded size and weight limit from the seller.

The usual compromises at this level are a lower weight limit and a small LCD. It is also magnetic, so the resistance is the same whatever your stroke does, which many find less natural. It is the machine I would pick for a tiny flat, or to try rowing for a few months without spending much. Other options for tight floor plans are in the folding rowing machine guide and the small spaces guide.

Do not buy it if you are tall, or plan to train hard several times a week for years.

Best cheap start: Domyos Initial Rower 100

The Domyos Initial Rower 100 is £199.99 at Decathlon (checked 30 Oct 2026), down from £299.99 at the time of checking. Decathlon’s support pages list it at 184 x 40 cm with a 110 kg limit, Bluetooth for heart rate, and Kinomap through FTMS.

It is a good first rower for light, regular use. See the beginners guide for who it suits.

Do not buy it if you are heavier than 110 kg or tall.

Cheaper still: what £100 buys

The very cheapest rowers use elastic cords or hydraulic pistons, such as the Domyos Folding Rowing Machine 100, at around £100 at Decathlon (checked 30 Oct 2026) and rated to 110 kg. These are fine for light activity and awful for training. You will outgrow them quickly if you take rowing seriously.

What to expect from the monitor

Budget monitors are basic. The ERG780 has a 4-inch LCD. Expect time, distance, stroke count and a rate readout, and treat calorie figures as rough. The numbers that help you train are pace, stroke rate and time. If the monitor shows those, it will do the job, and the stroke rate guide explains how to use them.

Several machines here offer Bluetooth and Kinomap, which lets you row on a tablet. That is optional and its cost was not checked, so I would not buy a machine for it. If you want to avoid monthly fees altogether, our guide to rowing machines without a subscription lists the options.

When to spend more

If you will row three or more times a week for a year, stretch to the Concept2 RowErg at around £990. A budget machine bought now and replaced in a year costs more than one machine bought properly. If you will row twice a week and want to try, the £500 limit is fine.

How to choose

Three checks before you click buy

1. Rail length. Measure your inside leg or look at how far a tall person’s legs extend. Retailers rarely list rail length, so check reviews or ask the seller.
2. Weight limit. Treat the limit as a ceiling, not a target. A machine near its limit is working hard.
3. Return policy. Rowers arrive in heavy boxes. Check how returns work before you open it.

If you outgrow a budget rower, the next step is the Concept2 RowErg at around £990, and the main best rowing machine guide explains where it fits. To get the most from any of these, learn technique faults early, and use the stroke rate guide to avoid rushing the slide. More machines sit in the rowing machines hub.