Circuit Fitness Deluxe Foldable Magnetic Rowing Machine with 8 Resistance Settings and LCD Monitor

My winter fitness regimen includes daily cycling on an indoor trainer and weights every other day. In order to mix it up, decrease boredom and get a more rounded whole body workout, I decided to add a rowing machine to my winter training. I investigated all different options, including magnetic, wind resistance and water resistance rowers. The gold standard and highly recommended rower seems to be the Concept 2 Rower. I came across consistently high ratings on the Circuit Fitness Rower, but I couldn't believe that it would be that good, because it seemed to be priced significantly lower than the other units I was looking at. Because it was on sale, I decided to "pull the trigger" and figured even if I didn't like the unit, I could always resell it and not have spent a ton of money on something I didn't like. I was happy to purchase it on sale at Amazon, but even the list price on the Circuit Fitness Rower is a bargain. I couldn't have been more pleased. The unit is constructed of heavy duty steel, overall very solidly constructed, and quite easy to put together. The saddle is very comfortable and the saddle glides very smoothly over the rails. You can set the resistance at different levels, but I found that for me I set it at about 75% difficult level and just leave it there. The computer that comes with the unit is very helpful at recording total workout time, stroke rate, number of strokes, distance, etc. The key thing about this unit is that it is VERY QUIET compared to the wind resistance units like the Concept 2. Another bonus is that the rower has a 2 year warranty. A small plastic part broke after 6 months of use. I contacted customer service and they responded to my email within 24 hours. I was able to order the replacement part which was shipped to me within 4 days at no cost -- Excellent customer service and support for their product. The Concept 2 and the Peloton Rowers are beautiful machines and work well, and if you want to impress your friends and spend a ton of cash on them, then go for it. If you want to get a great workout on a quality machine that feels good and is quiet to use, and still have a ton of cash left in your wallet, then I would highly recommend purchasing the Circuit Fitness rower. I don't think you will be disappointed. This purchase is a "no-brainer".

I was moving up from a simple hydraulic rower but didn’t want to spend a lot. Saw this was on sale for $235 and bought.When arrived packaged well and no damage. The hardware was shrinked to cardboard with shadow of hardware and description so it was annoying when two different hardwares were empty. Fortunately I had spares in metric.The assembly instructions were fairly clear. Two things to make it simpler Lee is to note the metal shipping piece on front is to be removed. It was obvious to me but doesn’t state it and may impact less mechanical people. Second item that could be clearer as I was reading through instructions before starting #6 were in verbiage of instructions but not on material list or hardware packages. I dug through all packaging with no luck. I checked monitor and found them there. After that assembly went well.So I’ve used it for about 5 days now, so about 5000 reps. It works smoothly with no mechanical issues. Someone mentioned the monitor could be better, comparing it to a machine the would have cost me $1700 more, but for basic exercise it works fine. I do not use the ‘race’ mode, just manual. I set timer, strokes and calorie counter and go at it.Quality of hardware seems good. I used Loctite on fasteners so I haven’t had issue with anything loosening. Overall I feel it’s a good machine for working out.Would have given 5 stars except as other gentleman said, the monitor could be better- it doesn’t have constant display of current activity- it goes between current count and average, as well as grand total of strokes, and the missing hardware. That could have been extremely frustrating for someone who doesn’t have hardware on hand like I doUpdate after about 6 weeks, 35,000 strokes: the plastic trim on handle that covers strap is self destructing.

I like this rower. I am 70 up female and the assembly was difficult due to the illustrations in the instructions. I did watch a video to see how some parts were put on. The hardest was the foot rests. After putting them on twice upside down and then backwards, I was to exhausted to continue. It took me a total of 2.5 hours to assemble. The rail is very long and makes the rower take up about 2 feet extra. I’m 5’3”. I can’t figure out the computer at all except how to turn it on. I did not receive any instruction for the computer.BUT, I do love this rower. The rail slant is too high but otherwise, I am enjoying it.

I was worried about assembly, but there are really only 8 pieces to connect. Everything lined up and it took about 10 minutes by myself. Honestly, this rower is better than the models at my gym (which is closed and has been since mid-March). My main quality concern was the pull-rope. I've seen those fray and eventually break on the rowers at my gym. This machine has a thick strap that appears to be something that is going to last a long time. The seat moves smoothly and the tension-changing mechanism works well. Forget closed gyms and memberships fees. Invest in this quality machine and build your own gym, which will be open 24/7!The first pic shows what was leftover after assembly. There was a protective metal bar on the front support to prevent damage during shipping. It was held there by 2 screws, which explains the screws in the pic. A white-colored metal piece was also used to prevent damage to another component. These can simply be tossed into your recycling bin.The second pic is really important. It shows the pull rope. If anything is going to breakdown on a rower, it's the pull rope. This is NOT a concern on this machine. The strap (which is not just a rope) will probably outlast me!