How a Simple Rowing Machine Revives the Original Appeal of Home Fitness

Deep in the COVID-19 pandemic, home fitness products began resembling gym memberships, with bikes and treadmills and interactive screens attaching one big string: a monthly subscription fee.

For some folks, that works. They log in daily, track stats, develop a parasocial relationship with a hot instructor and get shredded.

But just as gyms make bank off dropouts who don’t actually cancel, these products’ brands host loads of “zombie” accounts, subscribers who’ve stopped pedaling but keep paying. On the flip side are people who do the sample workout over and over without ponying up.

Those folks will love Hydrow’s “limited edition” Core Rower, released in November of 2024.

Hydrow

GP100 Winner

Hydrow Core Rower

Specs

Dimensions	86 x 25 x 47 inches
Touchscreen Size	22 inches
Subscription Fee	$0

• $1,995 at Hydrow

The Core Rower is just like the Pro Rower but costs $200 less and doesn’t require a membership. 

Hydrow

There are no instructors, badges, milestones or other premium features. Instead you (and your family) get unfettered access to 30 self-paced rows, where you stroke through breathtaking waterways and enjoy, Hydrow says, “more meditative workouts.”

Like an analog set of weights and a bench, it requires greater self-motivation — but skipping a day doesn’t cost a dime. And hey, if you later decide you do want a kick in the butt, you can always upgrade to the membership for $44 a month.

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