Head to head
Concept2 vs WaterRower
Air against water, steel against ash — and the storage difference that decides it for most people with a spare room.
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This is the most interesting comparison on the site, because both machines are good, neither has a subscription, and they fail in completely different directions.
The specifications that differ
| Concept2 RowErg | WaterRower Natural | |
|---|---|---|
| Resistance | Air | Water |
| Length | 96 in | 82 in |
| Width | 24 in | 22 in |
| Weight | 57 lb | 103.5 lb filled |
| Max user weight | 500 lb (published) | Not published |
| Storage | Separates into two pieces | Stands on end, ~2 sq ft |
| Monitor | PM5 | S4 |
| Warranty | 5-year frame | Not published on listing |
| Subscription | None | None |
| Decibels | Not published | Not published |
Storage is the real difference
Fourteen inches of length separates these machines, which is not much. What separates them is what happens when you finish.
The WaterRower stands on its front end as a single piece and occupies roughly 22 by 20 inches — about two square feet, the footprint of a floor lamp. The Concept2 separates into two sections and stores at 25 x 33 x 54 inches, which is fast but leaves you with two objects to house.
If the machine lives in a room you also use, that is the deciding factor, and it is why the WaterRower wins in living rooms while the Concept2 wins in garages.
Noise: both undocumented, one clearly louder
Neither manufacturer publishes a decibel figure. Nobody in this category does.
What is knowable is the mechanism. The Concept2 moves air with a fan, which produces broadband noise that carries. The WaterRower moves paddles through water, which produces a low-frequency whoosh, and low frequencies transmit through walls less readily.
In an apartment the WaterRower is the more neighborly machine, and it is not close. In a garage it is irrelevant.
Numbers: the Concept2, decisively
The PM5 is the sport’s common language. A 2,000m split recorded on one means the same thing in every gym and every online league in the world. The S4 is a perfectly capable monitor and its numbers live inside WaterRower.
If you intend to do erg tests, join an online league, or compare yourself against anyone, this is not a preference — it is the answer.
The capacity gap
Concept2 publishes 500 lb, tested. WaterRower publishes nothing on its listings for the Natural or the Club.
We are not going to guess at WaterRower’s figure. But it is worth noting that YOSUDA publishes 400 lb for a $250 wooden water rower and Sunny publishes 300 lb for its Phantom Hydro. A $1,700 machine that publishes nothing is a genuine gap, and if you are near any ceiling it is worth an email before ordering.
Cost over five years
| Machine | Machine price | Subscription | Year 1 | Year 3 | Year 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concept2 RowErg | $990 | None | $990 | $990 | $990 |
| WaterRower Club | $1,398 | None | $1,398 | $1,398 | $1,398 |
| WaterRower Natural (Ash) | $1,730 | None | $1,730 | $1,730 | $1,730 |
Machine prices are live from Amazon as of July 24, 2026 and change without notice. Subscription figures are the published month-to-month rates, each cited on the subscriptions page. Totals are machine price plus the monthly rate multiplied by 12, 36 and 60. We do not model electricity, shipping, floor mats or resale value — each would need an assumption we cannot source, and adding them would make the number look more precise while making it less true.
Neither has a subscription, so the five-year figures are simply the machine prices. The WaterRower carries a small running cost the Concept2 does not: purification tablets a few times a year and occasional topping up.
How to decide
Buy the Concept2 if you want to train seriously, care about comparable split times, need a published weight capacity, or have a garage.
Buy the WaterRower if the machine has to live in a room you also live in, if you have neighbors below you, or if the difference between an object you like and equipment you tolerate is what decides whether you use it.
Both are genuinely good. Neither will charge you monthly. That already puts them ahead of most of this category.
Our pick
WaterRower Natural (Ash)
For a machine that lives in a room you also live in, the upright storage and the quieter mechanism win. If you are training seriously or need a published weight capacity, buy the Concept2 RowErg instead - it is the better tool and it publishes 500 lb.
Price as of July 24, 2026. #ad How we’re funded
Straight answers
Questions people actually ask
Concept2 or WaterRower - which should I buy?
Concept2 for training and comparable numbers; WaterRower for living with. The Concept2 publishes a 500 lb capacity and a five-year frame warranty, has decades of parts availability, and its PM5 split times mean something to other rowers. The WaterRower stands on end in about two square feet, is meaningfully quieter, and looks like furniture. Neither has a subscription.
Is a WaterRower quieter than a Concept2?
Yes, though neither manufacturer publishes a decibel figure. The mechanisms differ in a knowable way: the Concept2 moves air with a fan, producing broadband noise that carries through walls, while the WaterRower moves paddles through water, producing a low-frequency whoosh that transmits less readily. In an apartment the WaterRower is the more neighborly machine.
Which takes up less space, a Concept2 or a WaterRower?
In use they are similar - 96 in by 24 in against 82 in by 22 in. Stored they are not close: the WaterRower stands upright as a single piece in about two square feet, while the Concept2 separates into two sections storing at 25 x 33 x 54 in. If the machine has to disappear between sessions, the WaterRower wins clearly.
Does a WaterRower have a weight limit?
WaterRower does not publish one on its Amazon listings for the Natural or the Club, and we will not estimate it. Concept2 publishes 500 lb, tested. For context, YOSUDA publishes 400 lb for a $250 wooden water rower and Sunny publishes 300 lb. If you are near any ceiling, contact WaterRower before spending $1,700.
Do either the Concept2 or WaterRower need a subscription?
Neither. Concept2's PM5 records every session standalone and ErgData is free; WaterRower's S4 monitor is self-contained. The only ongoing cost either has is WaterRower's purification tablets a few times a year to keep the tank clear.
Show your working
Sources
- Concept2 — Compare indoor rowers (official specifications)Accessed 2026-07-24. https://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/compare
- Concept2 RowErg — published specificationsAccessed 2026-07-24. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NH9WEUA
- WaterRower Natural (Ash) — published specificationsAccessed 2026-07-24. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0053BMWWU
- WaterRower Club — published specificationsAccessed 2026-07-24. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0053BMXEW
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