I wanted to get a little fitter than I was because I knew I'd lost a lot of strength and mobility over the pandemic lockdowns/restrictions and my job as a tour guide is quite surprisingly physical - BUT I have long-standing joint problems (old sporting injuries are catching up with me now I'm in my 60s). I did a bit of research and asked some knowledgeable friends and the answer was plainly an ergo/rowing machine. I only have a small home, and live alone, so I needed one that I could put together myself and which wouldn't take up too much space.
After a huge amount of checking around, reading reviews, etc I decided on this one and I'm really pleased with it. Assembly was very straightforward (I'm female and 65, by the way). The main component is pretty heavy, naturally, but fortunately it's all put together in such a way that you don't really need to lift it much if at all.
It's much more substantial and well-built that I was expecting for the price, the seat runs smoothly, the 16 different tension settings allow you to choose the level you want/need for what you're trying to achieve and the whole mechanism is surprisingly quiet and it just makes a muted 'whoosh-whoosh' sound, so you won't drive the neighbours mad. It doesn't have many bells and whistles, but I didn't want them anyway. The counter records distance, strokes, time ... that sort of thing ... which is all I needed.
I use it every day on one the middle settings, sometimes twice a day ... it's something you can do while you're waiting for dinner to cook ... and within a comparatively short space of time I began to notice a marked improvement in both my arm and leg strength and, most importantly, in my core strength. I was a little unsteady on things like step ladders, for instance, but I spent a good chunk of yesterday up a pair of steps installing heat and smoke alarms, and I had absolutely no problems balancing at all. I can't attribute that to anything other than the rowing machine.
And the bonus is that it has castors on the heavy and can be tipped upright and stored in a fairly small space, so it can easily be moved out of the way and stored in a corner if I need the room for anything else.
For the price it's quite remarkable and I unhesitatingly give it five stars across the board.
| Color | Black |
|---|---|
| Display type | LCD |
| Frame material | Aluminium |
| Material type | Aluminium |
| Meter | Distance |
| Power source | Battery Powered |
| Features | 16 Adjustable Magnetic Resistance Levels, Silent & Smooth Aluminum Structure, Comfortable Seat with Smart Monitor, Easy Transportation with Upright Storage |
| Batteries included? | No |
| Brand | Dripex |
| Manufacturer | Dripex |
| Product Dimensions | 162 x 53 x 87 cm; 24 kg |
| ASIN | B099F19744 |
