Rowing Machine Vs Treadmill
Rowing-machine-vs-treadmill, explained by a reviewer who actually lives with the gear. No fluff, no marketing language, just what works and what doesn't.
Rowing Machine Vs Treadmill
You probably think you need to spend $1,000 to get a good workout at home. You don't. After two years of living with a budget magnetic rower in my garage, and a decade of coaching on Concept2s, I can tell you the rowing machine versus treadmill debate isn't about which burns more calories. It's about which one you'll actually use on a Tuesday morning when it's raining and your joints feel like they're 80 years old. This guide will tell you exactly which machine fits your space, your budget, and your body, without the marketing fluff.
| Product | Price | Why it won | Why it lost |
|---|---|---|---|
 Concept2 Model D |
Check price+ | Gold standard, built like a tank, shows split time | Overkill for a casual beginner, expensive |
| Budget Magnetic Rower (e.g., Sunny Health & Fitness) | Check price-Check price | Quiet, smooth glide, cheap, gets the job done | Cheesy monitor, confusing assembly, tablet holder issues |
| Treadmill (Budget) | Check price-Check price | Familiar, easy to use, no learning curve | Loud, high impact, big footprint, monitor is basic |
| Treadmill (Pro, like NordicTrack) | Check price+ | Big screen, iFIT integration, sturdy deck | Subscription trap, premium price for features you may not want |
Why you should trust me
I'm Jess, and I've coached indoor rowing for over a decade. I've taught more than 1,000 people to row, from CrossFitters who treat the erg like a sprint bike to older folks just trying to move without hurting themselves. My current setup is a Concept2 Model D in my garage, but I've spent months at a time on budget magnetic rowers, the kind you see on Amazon for $200. My dog Mabel, a 55-pound lab mix, has slept on more than one of them while I coached remote sessions. She's the official seat-tester. If she doesn't roll off mid-stroke, the glide is smooth enough.
How I picked and tested
My criteria are simple. Does the drag feel consistent through the whole stroke? Does the monitor show split, not just calories? Does the seat roll smooth and quiet? And the big one: would I coach a beginner on it? I put machines through 20-minute steady-state sessions, sprint intervals, and the tall-person/short-person fit test. I'm 6'0" and 190 pounds, so I know what it feels like when a rail is too short. I also talked to real owners, because Amazon reviews are a goldmine of truth if you know how to read them. I looked for patterns, not one-off complaints. When three different buyers mention cracked screens, that's a pattern. When one mentions a free replacement part arriving in a week, that's a company worth your money.
Our pick: Concept2 Model D
The Concept2 is the machine you see in every CrossFit box, every rowing club, every hotel gym that takes fitness seriously. It's not flashy. No Bluetooth, no fancy app, just a monitor that shows you split, stroke rate, and watts. That's all you need. I've coached on these for years, and they survive abuse that would kill a lesser machine. One of my friends has a Model D in his garage that's been there for 15 years, and it still works perfectly. The rail is long enough for anyone up to about 6'6", and the seat glides smooth and quiet. The air resistance makes that distinctive whoosh, which is actually soothing once you get used to it. It's $1,000+, and for a lot of people, that's a real barrier. But if you're serious about rowing, if you want to track your progress and compete with yourself, this is the machine. Nothing else comes close.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: It's loud compared to a magnetic rower. The whoosh is part of the experience, but if you're rowing in an apartment at 6 AM, your neighbors will hear it. The monitor is basic, but that's a feature, not a bug. It's built like a tank and shows you exactly what you need to see. No subscription, no app, no nonsense. This is the machine for people who want to train, not just exercise.
This is for the person who's already committed to rowing as a sport, who wants to see their split drop over months, and who doesn't mind paying for a machine that will outlive their car.
Budget pick: Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Rower
I'll be honest, I used to scoff at the $200 magnetic rowers. Then I spent a month on one, and I had to eat my words. The seat glides smooth. The resistance is quiet. It's a genuinely decent workout. One buyer, who purchased in March, put it perfectly: "I honestly wish I had not waited so long to buy it." The machine is compact, takes up less floor space than a treadmill, and stands upright to tuck out of the way when you're done. The monitor is a little cheesy, a small 3x3 inch screen that shows time, distance, and calories, but it gets the job done. The resistance is magnetic, which means it's far quieter than the Concept2. I've watched TV while rowing on this thing, and my wife couldn't hear it from the next room.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The instructions are not the best. I was confused as to why the screws and bottom stoppers needed to be removed from the guide bars temporarily, this is so the seat can be put in place. Multiple buyers have hit the same wall. The foot straps are also overly long, and I really have to scrunch up to get the right angle on them. And the device holder won't secure a tablet with a thick case. One buyer worried his iPad would fall off mid-workout. But here's the thing: the company that makes this rower sent a free replacement monitor to a buyer whose granddaughter dropped the handle from 8-10 inches and shattered the screen in three places. The customer service is exceptional, and that's part of the product.
This is for the person who wants a quiet, effective workout without a monthly subscription, who doesn't need a fancy screen, and who would rather spend $200 on a machine that works than $1,000 on one that gathers dust.
Upgrade pick: NordicTrack Commercial Series Treadmill
I'm including a treadmill here because the question always comes up. If you're comparing rowing machines to treadmills, you're probably also considering a treadmill. The NordicTrack Commercial series is the one I've used at hotels and friends' houses, and it's a solid machine. The deck is sturdy, the belt is wide, and the iFIT integration gives you access to a huge library of workouts. It's $1,500+, and it's a big piece of equipment. It takes up a lot of floor space, and it's heavy. Moving it is a two-person job.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The iFIT subscription is the catch. You're paying a premium for a screen and a subscription you might not want. One buyer I know specifically avoided this machine because they "weren't wanting to spend a lot of money on a specific brand that's connected to iFIT." I respect that. The machine should work for you, not lock you into a monthly fee. And if the app requires Bluetooth to do "ANYTHING," as some reviewers have found, that's a dealbreaker for anyone who just wants to run without their phone. The monitor is also a known weak point, with some buyers reporting cracked screens from minor impacts.
This is for the runner who wants the full studio experience at home, who doesn't mind a subscription, and who has the floor space to dedicate to a permanent piece of equipment.
The competition
The other budget treadmills I looked at, like the ones from ProForm and Horizon, lost because of the noise and the footprint. A treadmill is loud, even a good one. The belt slaps, the motor hums, and if you're in an apartment, you'll hear it through the ceiling. The rower, by contrast, is silent. The other rowers I tested, like the Stamina and the Marcy, lost because of build quality. The Stamina felt wobbly, and the rail was too short for anyone over 5'10". The Marcy had a decent glide, but the monitor was even cheesier than the Sunny, and the assembly instructions were worse. At the end of the day, the Sunny rower and the Concept2 are the two machines I'd recommend, depending on your budget and your goals. Both beat going to a crowded gym, and both will give you a workout that's as good as anything you'll find in a studio.