Mr. Captain Water Rowing Machine Review: Pros, Cons Cost & More

We dont have to pay WaterRower prices when you have companies like Mr.Captain offering almost the same product for half the price, yes the monitors isnt as advanced, and the quality might not be right up there, but for around $600, this is a well-built machine.

The Mr. Captain Water Rowing Machine is made from Solid Walnut and weighs close to 60lb, and thats without the water in the tank, so it is a nice heavy, sturdy rower.

And the rowing motion is smooth thanks to its whisper-quiet belt drive system and silky-smooth dynamic resistance system. Many users have mentioned how good it feels rowing on the Mr.Captain rower.

In today’s review, I want to take a close look at everything this impressive machine has to offer, and at the end of the review, I’ll also compare it to another bestseller in this price bracket, the Runow Water Rower.

Firat lets take a quick look at the Mr. Captain Water Rower product specs!

Why Do We Like The Mr. Captain Water Rowing Machine?

I’ve already mentioned how good it is to see affordable wood rowers hitting the market but perhaps what’s best about this wood rower from Mr. Captain isnt its price but its dynamic resistance system.

Water resistance is dynamic, and by that, I mean the harder you pull on the rower handle, the stronger the resistance.

Mimics The Feel of Ourdoor Rowing

This type of resistance mimics the feel of outdoor rowing much more closely than a magnetic rowing machine that utilizes constant reistnace, where you have to select a reistnace level via a tension knob. Dynamic resistance strength is determined by your workout pace, just like rowing on actual water.

Also, we get the sound of the paddles pushing through the water in the rower’s water tank. This adds to the natural feel we’re looking for; it’s not loud either it’s a soothing whooshing sound and unique to the water rowers.

Filling The Tank

While the pace of your workouts is the primary way to control resistance strength, the second way we can add some extra resistnace is by filling the water tank.

It’s up to you how much water you fill your tank with, but most people find that 1/4 full gives a smooth medium-strength reistnace. Fill it just under half full it will provide a strong reistnace.

Think of the water level in the rower’s tank as people in the boat with you. Fill it to level one is like rowing in a boat on your own, filling it to level three (1/4 full), and it’s like rowing in a boat with three people and so on.

Build Quality And Stability

60lb is a good weight for a home rower. It’s a sign this thing is made from quality materials, and that weight helps keep this rower planted to the floor.

Plus wood rowers are low profile in design, and that low center of gravity contributes to stability. Also, we have four rubber feet to grip hard floor surfaces, so unless you’re using this rower in an apartment, you won’t need a rubber floor mat.

The only reason you’ll need a rubber mat in an apartment is to soak up some of the vibrations from your rowing workouts rubber mats are great for that.

Adjustable levelers are handy for keeping a rower stable on uneven surfaces. However, there’s isnt any featured on this wood rower or any of the wood rowers I’ve reviewed, which is a shame as we see them on just about every other type of rowing machine. So you’ll have to make sure to find an even surface for this one.

Decent Monitor For Price Point

We’re not going to find a ton of workout programs and an HD screen in this price range. Still, this monitor is impressive compared to others I’ve reviewed at a similar price as it includes BlueTooth and Free access to the FitShow app, where you can download all your workouts stats, and there are a few other features you can try out too.

Wireless Heart Rate Monitoring

Another useful feature of this monitor is that it boasts wireless heart rate monitoring, great for those of you who love to train in your chosen heart rate zone. And a recovery button so you can track how fast your pulse returns to normal after your workouts a good feature for this price bracket.

Sadly you’ll have to buy an HR chest strap separately if you want to take advantage of the wireless heart rate monitoring. They’re around $30 for a decent one.

Large Screen Easy To read

The monitor screen is quite large, so it’s easy to read and angle adjustable, but it’s not height adjustable, which is a shame. It tracks all the essential workout data such as time, strokes per minute, total strokes, calories burned, distance. Plus, there are three workout options, including a goal-setting opinion where you can set goals based on distance, time, calories, or stroke rate.

There is no need to plug this monitor into the wall its runs on a couple of batteries.

Anything Else Worth a Mention?

Another good thing about Wood Rowers is that they store vertically, taking up much less room than a folding rowing machine.

When stored, the Mr. Captain water rower take up 0.3 square meters of space. And to move the rower, just tilt and roll on the built-in transport wheels. 

Something else definitely worth a mention is this rower’s long rail. It can accommodate users up to 6’5″ and with a max weight capacity of 320lb, the Mr. Captain is an excellent choice for larger users. But dont worry if you’re petite, as the minimum height limit is around 4’11”

And lastly, we should talk about noise. Many people fear that water rowers are loud, and there are a few that use chain drive systems that are loud. Thankfully the Mr. Captain water rowing machine utilizes a belt drive system rather than a chain, belt drives are much quieter than a chain drive system and dont require any maintenance.

All you’ll hear when you’re rowing is the whooshing sound of the water in thank which many people find soothing.

Easy To Assemble – 30 Minutes

Most of the complicated stuff comes pre-assembled, such as the water tank and its frame and the drive system. All you’ll need to do is attach the rail to the front part of the rower and attach the seat to the rail. Shouldnt take longer than 30 minutes.

Detailed instructions and the basic tools for the job are provided.

Alternative

Runow Water Rowing Machine

The Runow Water rower has been around a while, which is a good thing because it received a ton of feedback, and I’m happy to say nearly all is positive.

I first saw this rower last year, and I was surprised at the build qulaity for the price point. This rower weighs almost 110lb heavy for a $600 wood rower, nearly the same weight as the much more expensive WaterRower.

The extra weight is really going to help keep this rowing machine stable, and it gives us a big clue about its overall quality. Yes, it’s a more heavy-duty option than the Mr. Capatin rower,  yet it’s the same price, and thats the reason the Runow is so popular.

Other than the weight, the Runow and the Mr. Capatin are indeed very similar machines both include the same dynamic water reistnace system, both have long rails, both boast whisper quiet belt drive systems, and both have almost identical monitors with the same features.

There isnt much that sets these two rowers apart except their weight. The Runow is a heavy beast at 108lb so it will be harder to move around. Still, that extra weight will add to the machine’s stability, which is always a good thing. Whichever machine you choose, they are both impressive solid wood rowers for the price range.

To Sum Up

It’s great to see another impressive wood water rower on the Market. The Mr. Captain Water Rower is one of the best-priced machines out there that doesnt cut on quality.

It has an excellent resistance system thats both realistic and suitable for any fitness level. Im glad they included a belt drive to keep things quiet, and the monitor is impressive too, with Bluetooth and access to a free app.

Aesthetically it’s more pleasing to the eye than air or magnetic rower. The walnut finish will look great in any apartment garage, gym, or house. Easy to assemble and store, it’s a rower that shouldn’t disappoint.