Rowing Machines · Buying Guide
Best Cheap Rowing Machines
You do not need to spend much to get a rower worth using. Everything here costs under £350, from a £149 fold-away to a specialist-brand pick with a proper warranty. These are the best cheap rowing machines in the UK, ranked on FitRank, with honest notes on what each one gives up.
Cheap rowing machines have improved a lot, mostly because quiet magnetic resistance, Bluetooth and app connectivity have trickled down from pricier machines. Under £350 you can now get a folding rower with 16 resistance levels, a 160kg capacity and app support, which was a mid-range specification not long ago. A couple of these are less than half their original price.
What you give up at this end is build quality, resistance range and, with the budget brands, long-term track record. For steady cardio, weight loss and general fitness that matters little. The one genuine trap is an unbranded marketplace rower with no warranty or support, which is where cheap becomes a false economy. Everything here is from a real brand sold through a real retailer. All are ranked on FitRank, our editorial score out of 5.
The quick list
- Best overall · JTX Freedom Air · FitRank 3.9 · £349
- Best cheap water rower · MERACH Foldable Wood Water Rower · FitRank 3.8 · £349.99
- Best value magnetic · MERACH Upgraded Magnetic Rowing Machine · FitRank 3.7 · £199.98
- Cheapest overall · Viavito Sumi Folding · FitRank 3.6 · £149
- Best budget for stability · MERACH Magnetic Rowing Machine · FitRank 3.5 · £169.98
JTX Freedom Air
The JTX Freedom Air is the best cheap rower because it comes from a specialist British brand rather than an anonymous marketplace name, which at this price buys you a proper warranty and real support. Its DualTorque system pairs a fan with eight levels of magnetic resistance, it folds to around 130cm, and it weighs just 40kg.
The two-year in-home warranty is the clincher, most rowers this cheap come with little or no support, so a specialist warranty that sends an engineer to your home is a genuine advantage. At £349 it is the sensible cheap buy.
Best for Anyone who wants an affordable rower from a brand that will stand behind it.
Watch-out Entry-level build, and the combined air-and-magnetic resistance is basic rather than refined.
MERACH Foldable Wood Water Rower
If you want the natural feel of a water rower on a budget, the MERACH wood rower is the cheapest way to get it. A solid wood frame and a 14-litre tank give the progressive, swooshing catch water rowers are loved for, and it folds 180 degrees one-handed to store like a large suitcase.
Its 180kg capacity is higher than water rowers costing far more, and it connects to the MERACH and Kinomap apps. At around £350 on Amazon it is comfortably the cheapest water rower we cover.
Best for Budget buyers who specifically want the water-rowing feel and a genuine fold-away.
Watch-out A budget-brand build and Amazon-based support, with six resistance levels and a basic monitor.
MERACH Upgraded Magnetic Rowing Machine
The upgraded MERACH magnetic rower is the value pick, with a 130cm extended rail for taller users, a 40kg peak resistance and 16 quiet levels, plus a large display and app connectivity. It folds or stores vertically, and unusually at this price it carries a two-year warranty.
At around £200 on Amazon it packs in more reach, resistance and reassurance than most machines near its price, making it the standout budget magnetic rower.
Best for Taller or stronger rowers who want a quiet magnetic machine for around £200.
Watch-out An Amazon-sold budget-brand machine, so warranty support runs through Amazon rather than a specialist retailer.
Viavito Sumi Folding
The Viavito Sumi is the cheapest rower we cover at £149, and the one built purely around saving space. It folds in half, weighs just 26kg, and uses quiet magnetic resistance, with a 7kg flywheel that gives a smoother stroke than the price suggests. A 4.7-star retailer rating backs up its value.
It is an entry-level machine for gentle, regular use rather than hard training, but as the lowest-cost way to start rowing, or to find out if it suits you, it is hard to beat.
Best for The absolute lowest spend, small spaces, and testing whether rowing is for you.
Watch-out A light, basic machine with modest top resistance and no app connectivity.
MERACH Magnetic Rowing Machine
The standard MERACH magnetic rower stands out among cheap machines for its dual slide rail, which resists tipping and supports users up to 160kg, more stable than the single-rail budget rowers around it. Sixteen quiet levels give a 30kg peak, and it connects to the MERACH and Kinomap apps.
At around £170 on Amazon it is one of the cheapest quiet, app-connected, stable rowers you can buy, an easy recommendation for a tight budget.
Best for A tight budget where stability and a higher weight limit matter.
Watch-out A modest 30kg peak resistance, and Amazon-based support rather than a specialist retailer’s.
The five compared
| # | Rower | Price | Price | FitRank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JTX Freedom Air | £349 | £349 | 3.9 |
| 2 | MERACH Foldable Wood Water Rower | £349.99 | £349.99 | 3.8 |
| 3 | MERACH Upgraded Magnetic Rowing Machine | £199.98 | £199.98 | 3.7 |
| 4 | Viavito Sumi Folding | £149 | £149 | 3.6 |
| 5 | MERACH Magnetic Rowing Machine | £169.98 | £169.98 | 3.5 |
What under £350 actually buys you
At this price you are almost always looking at magnetic resistance, which is quiet, simple and reliable, though the peak resistance is modest, typically 30 to 40kg, so very strong rowers will top it out. You can also get genuine extras that used to cost more, the MERACH machines offer app connectivity and 160kg weight limits, and the MERACH wood rower even delivers a real water tank for around £350.
The one specification that varies most, and matters most, is the rail length and weight limit. Taller and heavier rowers should check both carefully, since the cheapest machines cut corners here. The MERACH upgraded model’s 130cm rail and the wood rower’s 180kg capacity are standouts at this end.
What you give up
Three things, and it is worth knowing them before you buy. Build quality is lighter and more plastic than pricier machines, so they feel less planted, particularly if you row hard. Resistance range is modest, fine for cardio but limiting for strong rowers. And the budget brands have less of a track record than the likes of JTX, so durability is less proven.
What you do not give up is the benefit of rowing itself. A cheap rower used four times a week does far more for you than an expensive one used twice. If money is tight, buying at this end and actually using it is the right call, and the JTX Freedom Air in particular gives you a specialist brand’s warranty to lean on.
Where to buy and the Amazon question
Most of these are sold either through Sweatband, an established UK retailer, or through Amazon in the case of the MERACH machines. Buying through a proper route matters more at this end than at the top, because it protects your warranty and gives you someone to contact when a part fails. The JTX and Viavito machines come through specialist retail; the MERACH rowers come through Amazon, which keeps their prices low but means support runs through Amazon and the seller.
The one thing to avoid is an unbranded, no-name rower with no warranty and no spare parts. A budget rower from a real brand is a sound purchase. A cheaper unbranded one is where budget becomes a false economy.
How we chose these rowers
Every machine here is scored on FitRank, our editorial rating out of 5 that weighs performance, build, value and features against each rower’s price and rivals. We do not rank by commission, and the order follows the scores. Budget rowers score lower than premium ones as a category, which is why the numbers here are more modest than elsewhere on the site.
Frequently asked questions
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Ready to spend a little more? See the best air rowing machines and best water rowing machines. Short on space? The best folding rowing machines guide covers the fold-aways. For the full field, start with our best home rowing machines guide.
Chris writes the home fitness reviews across our sites, including our sister site HomeTreadmill.co.uk. He compares every machine against its rivals on UK pricing and specs, and scores each one with FitRank.
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