Is The HouseFit DH-8633 Water Rower a Smart Buy?

It’s great to see some decent quality, low-cost water rowers. It was only a few years ago you’d have to pay over $1k if you wanted to reap the benefits of water rowing at home. Yeah, there are no fancy wooden frames in this price bracket, but the steel frames are just as study, and I think they look great too

Includes comparison with Best Seller Sunny Obsidian Surge Water Rower

If you have time to read through to the end of the review, I’ll be comparing the HouseFit to Sunny Health’s Best Seller, the Obsidian Surge Water Rower, another impressive water rower for around $500. It will be interesting to see how the HouseFit matches up.

First, let’s take a quick look at the HousFit water rowers’ product specs!

Why Do We Like About The HouseFit Water Rower?

You have to like most about this rower from HouseFit is the qulaity for the price. This thing weighs 80lb which is heavy for a rower under $500, and thats without the tank being filled with water. That extra weight gives us a good clue that this rower is made from quality materials and is not a cheaply built lightweight machine.

Also, that extra weight help with stability, keeping the rowing machine planted to the floor while you workout.

Long Rail – Allows User Up To 6’5″ To Achieve Full Leg extension

Another impressive feature of this water rower is its rail length (35.5″ inseam) gives us a max height limit of 6’5,” and with a 330lb weight capacity, the HouseFit DH-8633 is a great choice for larger users. The minimum height is around 5ft, as it is with most rowers.

Smooth Rowing Stroke

And perhaps what’s best of all is we have a smooth rowing stroke, and it’s something not all rowers get right.

Thankfully HouseFit thought to include a belt drive instead of a chain to accompany their Dynamic resistance system; this keeps everything smooth and quiet. Also, we have a seat that boasts three sets of rollers and high-grade ball-bearings, allowing the seat to glide effortlessly across the rail. So there are no issues with noise or the seat sticking at any point.

Click here to check price of HouseFit Water Rower on Amazon

Dynamic Resistance – Mimics OutDoor Rowing

Water rowers are pretty easy to set up; forget the rumors that they are complicated and confusing.

All you have to do is assemble the rowing machine and fill the tank with water. Then you’re ready to go. The less water you put in the tank, the less resistance you’ll feel from the rowing handle because the blades have less water to push through.

There are six water levels for the tank you can choose from with the HouseFit. I usually fill my water rower just under half full, which is level 6 on The HousFit Rower tank. I find when the water tank is almost half full, it gives a smooth, strong resistance at a medium stroke rate, perfect for a 30-minute workout session.

The Faster You Row The Stronger The Resistance

Still, it isnt just how much water is in the rower’s tank that affects resistance strength.

The pace of your workout will also determine how strong the resistance is, just like outdoor rowing; the faster you row, the stronger the resistance (dynamic)

Dynamic resistance is the main selling feature of a water rowing machine as it mimics the feel of outdoor rowing more closely than any other indoor rowing machine. You also get the whooshing sound from the blades of the resistance system going through the water in the tank. This adds to that natural feel we’ll looking for from an indoor rower.

Suitable for Any Fitness Level

And the best thing about dynamic resistance is that it doesn’t matter what fitness level you are because this type of resistance system allows you to row as fast or as slow as you want.

It’s not like a magnetic rowing machine thats uses a tension knob to adjust resistance strength. It’s dynamic, so the levels of resistance are limitless. A complete beginner to a seasoned pro can use this machine.

Disappointingly Basic Monitor but Easy To Use

It’s not just the HouseFit Water rower that suffers from a basic monitor. All water rowers in this price bracket are equipped with similar monitors. None of them include advanced features such as HD color screens and tons of workout programs.

Still, I dont mind basic monitors there are easy to set up, easy to use, and save you a ton of cash. 

Yeah, the monitors on budget water rowers may be disappointing, but they track all the essential workout data such as time-distance stroke rate ext. And thats all most of us need.

A feature that did impress about this monitor is that its height-adjustable, so no matter your size, you can position it to the right height to view it comfortably, plus the LCD screen is large, making it easy to read while exercising, and there’s Bluetooth with access to a free app. Not all bad.

Any Other Features Worth a Mention

Something else I like is the vertical storage which is better than a folding rower because it takes up less space, just 0.20 square meters, when stored up against a wall. And if you want to move it, you have the transport wheels just tilt and roll to move.

Adjustable levelers are another handy feature the Housefit includes, as they will keep your rower stable on uneven surfaces.

And lastly, the seat is a good seat for a budget water rower its countered to prevent slips in the leg push phase of the rowing stroke, and the padding is made from high-density foam. High-density foam is the good stuff. It’s not too soft to cause stability issues or too hard to be uncomfortable. It’s just right.

Assembly

There’s about an hour’s work for assembly, but most of the rower comes pre-assembled, such as the water tank and drive elements that are already attached to the front to the frame. All you’ll need to do it connect the rail to the front part, attach the seat to the rail, attach the foot pedals, stabilizer bars, monitor, and seat.

Detailed instructions and basic tools for the job are provided.

Alternative

Sunny Health & Fitness Obsidian Surge Water Rower

Sunny Health & Fitness has been at the top of its game, building affordable, high-quality cardio gear for nearly two decades. If your budget is tight, these guys are usually the ones to check out first.

I’ve reviewed a lot of their products, and they usually impress, build quality is always up there with the best, and by the looks of it, the Sunny Obsidian Surge rower is no exception.

Weighing 91lb, this is a heavy rower for the price point, which tells us it’s made from quality materials and boasts a solid build. It’s very similar to the HouseFit in that both rowers include 16 blade water resistance systems, belt drives, high-grade ball bearings, adjustable levelers, and both can be stored virtually. There really isnt much that tells these two rowers apart.

However, there are a couple of differences. The first is the length of the rail, the Sunny although the more expensive machine can only accommodate users up to 6’2″, which is 3″ less than the HouseFit also, the Sunny doesn’t include a BlueTooth option.

Both of these rowers are impressive machines for the price point. The Sunny may be the slightly more heavy-duty option, but it cost an extra $70, so you’d expect the quality to be slightly higher.

To Sum Up

There are no other cardio machines that can give you a full-body workout and a pro cardio workout at the same time other than a rowing machine, and if you need that workout to be as realistic as possible, then the best option is a water rower.

There are a few really good water rowers for around $500, 1. The Snode water rower, which is almost identical to the HouseFit 2. The Sunny Obsidian cost slightly more than the other two but an excellent machine and  3. The HouseFIt, all three machines, are a bargain for what’s included.

If you choose the HouseFit Water Rower, you won’t be disappointed, dont expect commercial quality, but for a home water rower, it’s surprisingly good for the price.