Rowing Machines · Buying Guide
Best Folding & Magnetic Rowing Machines
If space is your main constraint, a folding magnetic rower is the answer, quiet, compact and easy to tuck away between sessions. Here are the best folding and magnetic rowing machines in the UK, ranked on FitRank, from a £149 fold-in-half machine to a connected Echelon, with real specs and honest notes.
Folding rowers almost always use magnetic resistance, and the two go together for good reason. Magnetic resistance is set by level rather than effort, which makes it near-silent and mechanically simple, so the machines can be lighter and built to fold. That makes them the natural choice for a flat, a shared room or anywhere the rower has to disappear between uses.
The trade-off against air and water rowers is feel, magnetic resistance is smooth and consistent but does not scale with your effort the way a fan or a water tank does. For most home rowers, especially those short on space, that is a fair swap for quiet and compactness. We have compared the folding and magnetic rowers worth buying, from £149 to £599, and ranked them on FitRank, our editorial score out of 5.
The quick list
- Best overall · Echelon Row Smart Folding · FitRank 4.3 · £599
- Best specialist-brand folder · JTX Freedom Air · FitRank 3.9 · £349
- Best value magnetic · MERACH Upgraded Magnetic Rowing Machine · FitRank 3.7 · £199.98
- Cheapest and most compact · Viavito Sumi Folding · FitRank 3.6 · £149
- Best for stability · MERACH Magnetic Rowing Machine · FitRank 3.5 · £169.98
Echelon Row Smart Folding
The Echelon Row is the folding rower to beat, offering near-silent 32-level magnetic resistance and the option of Echelon’s connected classes, in a frame that folds vertically and rolls aside on built-in wheels. At £599, down from £999, with a 4.9-star retailer rating, it is the premium folding pick and the one to choose if you want quality as well as compactness.
The one thing to know is that it has no built-in screen, you run the Echelon Fit app on your own tablet, which keeps the price down. Full class features rely on an Echelon subscription, though a 45-day trial is included.
Best for Anyone who wants a quiet, foldable rower with the option of connected classes.
Watch-out No standalone display, you use your own device, and full features need an Echelon subscription.
JTX Freedom Air
The JTX Freedom Air is the folding pick from a specialist British brand, and it folds smaller than most, to around 130cm, weighing just 40kg. Its DualTorque system pairs a fan with eight levels of magnetic resistance, so it folds away like a magnetic rower but gives some of the effort-scaling feel of an air machine.
The real draw at this price is the two-year in-home warranty, which anonymous budget folders cannot match. It is entry-level, but it is a genuine step above the cheapest machines.
Best for Buyers who want a compact folder from a specialist brand with a proper warranty.
Watch-out The combined air-and-magnetic resistance is basic, and the fan side makes more noise than pure magnetic.
MERACH Upgraded Magnetic Rowing Machine
The upgraded MERACH is the value magnetic rower, with a 130cm extended rail that suits taller users up to around 1.95m and a stronger 40kg peak resistance than most budget machines. Sixteen quiet levels, a large display and app connectivity round it out, and it folds or stores vertically.
Unusually for a budget rower it carries a two-year warranty. At around £200 on Amazon it is excellent value, accepting the budget-brand build and Amazon-based support.
Best for Taller or stronger rowers who want a quiet magnetic machine on a budget.
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 and the one built purely around saving space. It folds in half, weighs just 26kg, and uses quiet magnetic resistance, so it stores in a corner or a closet and suits a flat or a shared room. A 7kg flywheel gives a smoother stroke than the price suggests.
It is an entry-level machine for gentle, regular use rather than hard training, but as a first, affordable, tuck-away rower it does the job well, backed by a 4.7-star retailer rating.
Best for Tight budgets and small spaces, and testing whether rowing suits you before spending more.
Watch-out A light, basic machine for gentle use, with a modest top resistance and no app connectivity.
MERACH Magnetic Rowing Machine
The standard MERACH magnetic rower’s trick is its dual slide rail, borrowed from wooden rowers, which resists tipping and twisting and supports users up to 160kg, more stability than the single-rail machines it competes with. Sixteen quiet levels give a 30kg peak, ample for gentle cardio and weight loss.
It connects to the MERACH and Kinomap apps over Bluetooth, folds and rolls away, and at around £170 on Amazon it is one of the cheapest quiet, app-connected rowers you can buy.
Best for The lowest-cost route to a stable, quiet, app-connected magnetic rower.
Watch-out A modest 30kg peak resistance, and Amazon-based support rather than a specialist retailer’s.
The five compared
| # | Rower | Resistance | Price | FitRank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Echelon Row Smart Folding | Magnetic, folds | £599 | 4.3 |
| 2 | JTX Freedom Air | Air + magnetic, folds | £349 | 3.9 |
| 3 | MERACH Upgraded Magnetic Rowing Machine | Magnetic, folds | £199.98 | 3.7 |
| 4 | Viavito Sumi Folding | Magnetic, folds in half | £149 | 3.6 |
| 5 | MERACH Magnetic Rowing Machine | Magnetic, dual rail | £169.98 | 3.5 |
Why folding rowers are magnetic
Almost every folding rower uses magnetic resistance, and it is worth understanding why. A magnet provides resistance without any physical contact, so there is nothing to wear out and no noise, and the level is set by a dial or the app rather than by how hard you pull. That simplicity means the machine can be lighter and the frame can be built to fold, which a heavy water tank or a large fan cannot easily do.
The result is a rower that is quiet enough to use at six in the morning without waking the house, light enough for one person to move, and compact enough to store in a cupboard or behind a sofa. If those things matter more to you than the effort-scaling feel of an air or water rower, a folding magnetic machine is the right category.
Who a folding rower suits
Folding and magnetic rowers suit people whose main constraint is space or noise, a flat, a shared home, a room that has to do double duty, or early-morning training when others are asleep. They are also the most approachable for beginners, since the quiet, controlled resistance is forgiving and there is no fan roar to contend with.
They are less ideal if you want the responsive, competition feel of an air rower for interval training, or the natural swoosh of water. If that is you, our air rowing machines and water rowing machines guides cover those. But for quiet, compact, everyday rowing, this is the category that fits real homes.
How to choose a folding rower
Check the folded size and weight
This is the reason you are buying one, so check it first. The Viavito Sumi folds in half and weighs just 26kg, the JTX Freedom Air folds to around 130cm, and the Echelon and MERACH machines fold or store vertically. Measure your storage space and check the weight if you will move it often.
Match the resistance to your ambitions
Budget magnetic rowers have modest peak resistance, the standard MERACH tops out at 30kg, the upgraded model at 40kg. For gentle cardio that is plenty, but stronger rowers should look at the higher-peak machines or step up to an air rower.
Check the rail length for your height
Taller rowers need a longer rail to stretch out. The MERACH upgraded model’s 130cm extended rail suits users up to around 1.95m, while shorter budget rowers can feel cramped. Check the recommended height range before buying.
Decide if you want connectivity
The Echelon offers connected classes through its app, and the MERACH machines connect to MERACH and Kinomap for guided sessions. The Viavito is a simple, get-on-and-row machine with no app. Neither is wrong, but knowing which you want narrows the field.
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. Our assessments draw on published specifications, resistance systems, pricing and independent owner and reviewer feedback rather than a single showroom session.
Frequently asked questions
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Prefer a more responsive machine? See the best air rowing machines or the best water rowing machines. For the full field, start with our best home rowing machines guide, or the best cheap rowing machines if budget is tight.
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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