Dripex Rowing Machine Review: A Serious Budget Contender

It’s been almost five years since I last reviewed the Dripex Rowing Machine, and wow, this rower has been heavily updated since then.

When I first reviewed it, I remember being impressed. Dripex was fairly new to the budget rowing machine market, and their first attempt at a magnetic rower was a lot better than most. It was sturdy, well built, and surprisingly quiet.

Even Better Than Before

Fast forward five years, and I’d have to say it’s even more impressive. It now boasts a dual rail, which is great to find in this price range.

They’ve extended the rail, making it a much better choice for taller users. The flywheel is almost twice as heavy, so resistance is nice and strong in the upper levels, and they’ve finally added Bluetooth to the monitor, making the rower app compatible, which is a big plus.

A Serious Budget Contender

Dripex has done well here. They’ve kept everything that was good about the previous version of this rower and improved what wasn’t. It’s certainly now a budget rowing machine that can compete with the very best rowers under $200.

It’s certainly one of those budget rowing machines that I feel deserves a much closer look. Yes, I reviewed it a few years ago, but it was a very different machine back then. It now offers so much more, so let’s take a close look at everything it has to offer, including any drawbacks.

Also, at the end of the review, I thought it’d be interesting to compare it side by side with another favorite of mine in this price range, the YOSUDA H-181.

The YOSUDA has been one of my top budget rowing machine recommendations for years, so it’ll be interesting to see how the Dripex matches up.

First, let’s take a quick look at the Dripex Rowing Machine specs, pros, and cons!

Specs

Why Do We Like The Dripex Magnetic Rowing Machine?

The first thing I think most people are going to notice about the Dripex Rowing Machine is just how quiet it is, it really is whisper quiet. With a noise level of just 15dB.

Yes, it’s true that magnetic rowing machines are the quietest type of rowing machine you can buy, but 15dB is on another level. Some of the quietest ones I’ve reviewed in this price range have noise levels of around 30 dB, which is impressive, but 15dB is unheard of.

Upgraded Flywheel – Smoother and Quieter

What makes this rowing machine particularly quiet is that the flywheel has been upgraded from 7lb to 12lb, and a heavier flywheel will always make the rowing stroke smoother and much quieter

Frictionless Resistance System

Also, magnetic resistance is frictionless, which means it creates little to no noise. When you combine a decent weight flywheel with a belt-drive system and a frictionless resistance system, you have the quietest and smoothest combination possible for a rowing machine.

So yes, the quilty of the parts, the resistance system, the belt drive, and the heavier flywheel make the Dripex Rowing Machine one of, if not the quietest, sub $200 rowing machine on the market, great for those of you who dont want to disturb others with the sound of your workouts.

Click here to check of the Dripex Rower on Amazon

Surprisingly Sturdy & Well-Made

A lot of budget rowers are plagued by stability issues. Many companies just seem to forget about it when designing them. Thankfully, Dripex hasn’t. They’re a company that has been around a decade or so and knows what they’re doing. Their budget rower is well-made and sturdy.

Dripex thought about the design of their rowing machine. The wide front and rear stabilizing feet really help keep the rower stable, and I like that they included adjustable levelers for the feet.

Adjustable levelers are a really handy feature, as you can adjust them to keep the rower stable on uneven floors.

Also, the Dripex rower boasts a dual rail, which is great to see at this price point. A dual slide rail adds stability and allows the seat to glide more smoothly than a single rail.

And the contoured seat is impressive too, it’s not too soft to cause stability problems or too hard to be off-putting, it’s just right.

Also, they have raised the back lip of the seat, which is good to see, as this will prevent your butt slipping too far back in the push phase of the rowing stroke.

48.8″ Slide Rail – Impressive max User Height of 6’6″

And it’s the length of that dual slide rail that is another major selling point of the Dripex Rowing machine.

It’s rare to find a long rail rower for under $200; usually, taller people have to pay more for the privilege. But with Dripex, they’ve fitted their budget machine with a 48.8″ rail. This will allow users up to 6’6″ to comfortably achieve a full rowing stroke on their rower. So a bug thumbs up for rail length.

Basic but Decent Monitor with Bluetooth

One thing you’ll find all low-cost rowing machines have in common is a basic monitor. You’re just not going to find HD screens packed full of the latest features. But for me, that’s not a bad thing, basic monitors are nice and easy to use.

There’s no scrolling through endless complicated menus, and taking an hour to set it up, you can just jump on this rowing machine and get rowing, and that’s pretty much all people want when buying a budget rower.

What this monitor does well is track all your essential workout data, such as scan, distance, time, calories, count, and total count, and it’s all easy to view while you row, thanks to the large LCD. 

And for those of you who want more, Dripex has upgraded the monitor to include Bluetooth, so you can connect the rowing machine to apps like Kinomap.

You need to manually adjust the resistance strength

Also, as this is a basic monitor, you can’t adjust the resistance strength from the monitor. For that, there’s a tension knob on the flywheel housing just below the monitor, where you can manually adjust the 16 resistance levels.

Overall, it’s a decent monitor, easy to use, and tracks the essentials, which is what I expect to find at this price point.

Still, it would have been nice to at least have a few built-in workout programs and an accurate heart rate measurement option. Hopefully, Dripex might include these two useful features in the next update.

Will You Need a Rowing Mat?

One reason people like to use a rowing machine mat is to protect their polished floors from scratches and prevent unwanted movement on hard, polished surfaces. With the Dripex rowing machine, this shouldn’t be a problem, as the rower’s front feet are rubber-capped. The caps prevent sliding and help protect your floors.

The only other time I’d recommend a floor mat for your rowing machine is if you live in an apartment or shared housing, as a mat can soak up to 80% of the vibrations from your workout, essential if you want to keep your neighbors happy.

I’ve found that the best low-cost fitness equipment mats are made by Sunny Health & Fitness. Here’s the link if you’re interested in one: Sunny Health Equipment floor mat

Drawbacks of The Dripex Rowing Machine

The Dripex Rowing Machine is in my top three budget rowers under $200, so it’s genuinely hard to find fault with it. Still, it’s a budget rowing machine, so there are always going to be a few compromises.

• The LCD monitor is very basic. It tracks all your essential workout data, but don’t expect large color screens or advanced features.
• It’s a fairly lightweight rower. While it’s sturdy in use, you don’t quite get that rock-solid feel you’d expect from a much heavier, high-end rowing machine.
• Assembly can be a little frustrating. The instructions aren’t the best, so if you get stuck, I’d recommend following the assembly video on the Amazon listing instead.

Magnetic Resistance Doesn’t Feel Like Rowing on Water

Although magnetic resistance has many positives, it does have one drawback: it doesn’t quite mimic the feel of rowing on water like an air or water rowing machine.

Because magnetic resistance provides constant resistance, it doesn’t matter how fast or slow you row, the resistance stays the same unless you manually adjust it using the tension knob.

With an air rower, resistance is dynamic. The harder and faster you row, the stronger the resistance feels, which is much closer to the feeling of rowing on water. It’s not a huge drawback, just one of the trade-offs that comes with choosing a magnetic rowing machine.

Vertical Storage

One of the upgrades I like that Dripex has included is the Vertical storage update. This used to be a folding rowing machine, and while a folding rowing machine is still a great space-saver, reducing the overall footprint by 50%, vertical storage is even better.

When this rower is stored vertically, its overall footprint is reduced by 80%, a huge improvement over its folding system. Making it a great choice for those of you tight on space.

Final Verdict

I was more than impressed with the upgraded version of the Dripex Rowing machine. What really sold it to me was that they doubled the flywheel’s weight. It now boasts a 12lb flywheel, which is really impressive at this price point. It means the resistance is not only strong enough for intense workouts but also much smoother thanks to the heavier flywheel.

And it’s not just an improved flywheel that impressed, the overall build quality is now right up there with the best in this price range. Dripex has really put in the effort with this rower, and it shows. It’s a well-made, sturdy machine.

Dripex Rowing Machine vs YOSUDA H-181: A Budget Rower Comparison

Yosuda Rowing Machine H-181

The YOSUDA Rowing Machine has been outselling most budget magnetic rowers for a few years now. It’s an impressive machine that users love. People are still praising it years after owning it.

It’s a rowing machine that’s stood the test of time, and there aren’t many budget rowing machines that can boast that.

The reason I was impressed with the YOSUDA H-181 is the build quality. It’s not a low-cost rower that feels cheap. It’s surprisingly well made for a budget machine, and it’s sturdy.

Just like the Dripex, many users have mentioned that it feels more expensive than the price, which is exactly what you want to hear.

Also, resistance is nice and strong because, just like the Dripex, it comes with a 12lb flywheel. This gives you plenty of resistance in the upper levels while still keeping the rowing stroke smooth.

Very Little Separates Them

Both the Dripex and the YOSUDA are very similar. They both boast 16 levels of magnetic resistance, weigh about the same, use belt drive systems, have sturdy frames with wide stabilizing feet, contoured seats, Bluetooth monitors, and 12lb flywheels. There really isn’t much between them.

So Which One Would I Choose?

Still, I actually feel the Dripex just edges the YOSUDA, and the reason is simple… that long dual rail. It adds a little extra stability, and the longer rail makes it a much better choice for taller users.

The YOSUDA is recommended for users up to 6’2″, while the Dripex is suitable for users up to 6’6″, thanks to its longer slide rail.

So overall, I think the Dripex just outdoes the YOSUDA, but not by much. Both machines are excellent value for money, and both are great choices for beginners who want a rowing machine they won’t outgrow too quickly.

Still comparing rowing machines? Read Next: Best Magnetic Rowing Machines

Dripex Rowing Machine FAQs