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Concept2 RowErg: What to Know
Concept2 has built ergometers for competitive rowers since the 1980s, and the RowErg (the current name for what most people still call the "Model D" or "Model E") is the same design you'll find in nearly every commercial gym with a rowing section. Resistance comes from an air flywheel: a fan-and-flywheel assembly that you spin with the chain, with a manually adjustable damper (1-10) that changes how much air the flywheel has to work against. That means resistance scales with your own effort on every stroke rather than being set electronically, pull harder, get more resistance, exactly like being on the water.
The PM5 performance monitor is a small monochrome LCD screen that displays pace, distance, calories, stroke rate, and watts, and it is genuinely subscription-free. It connects over Bluetooth and ANT+ to more than 30 third-party apps, including Concept2's own free ErgData app, but you never have to pay to see your numbers or log a workout, a meaningful difference from every screen-based rower in this guide.
Concept2 states a 500-lb maximum user weight and a footprint of about 8 feet by 2 feet in use (roughly 244 x 61 cm), with a clearance recommendation of 9 x 4 feet for the full stroke and dismount. The RowErg doesn't fold flat, but it splits into two pieces without tools for storage, and at about 57 lbs assembled it's light enough for one person to move and lean against a wall.
What you're giving up next to the newer smart rowers is any built-in entertainment or coaching, there's no camera-style workout content unless you pair a phone or tablet through a third-party app like the Concept2-compatible tier of the Aviron app or ErgZone. For anyone who wants a machine that will still work exactly the same way in fifteen years with no company able to shut off a feature behind a paywall, that tradeoff is the entire point.
Key Listed Features
Air resistance with a 1-10 adjustable damper, scaling to your own stroke power
PM5 performance monitor: pace, watts, calories, stroke rate, no subscription required
500-lb stated maximum user weight
Splits into two pieces (no tools) for storage; ~57 lbs assembled
