The Snode RW8 is a water rower built from solid beech wood. It looks great, and the build quality is high. The rowing stroke is smooth thanks to the dynamic resistance system and quiet belt drive, and the rail is pretty long and can accommodate users up to 6’4″. We even have a contoured seat to stop your butt from slipping in the push phase of the rowing stroke. All the essentials are there.
High-quality build for price point.
The Snode RW8 Water Rowing Machine is around half the price of the WaterRower® and, to be honest, doesn’t feel that different. It’s only really the monitor that lacks with the low-cost wood rowers. Still, Snode does make up for it with the build quality for the price point.
It’s certainly a rower worth taking a closer look at, and today we’re looking at everything this impressive water rower from Snode has to offer, including its drawbacks. At the end of the review, I’ll compare the RW8 to the Snode WR100 Steel Frame Water Rower, as it will be interesting to see how they match up.
First, let’s take a quick look at the Snode product specs!
Product Specifications
Product dimensions – 77 x 20 x 19 inches
Weight – 70lb
Resistance – water
Max user height – 6’3″
LCD multi-function monitor – strokes per minute (SPM), time spent, distance rowed, Bluetooth
Folds for storage
Weight capacity – 280lb
Frame – wood
Why Do We Like The Snode RW8 Water Rower?
What I love about the Snode Water Rower is that it gives you a more affordable way to get hold of a well-built, solid wood rower. Only a few years ago, all we had for choice was one company who supplied solid wood water rowers, and they were charging over $1000, so it’s great to see a high-quality wood rower for half that.
Dynamic resistance system – suitable for any fitness level
And what sells these machines is their dynamic resistance systems. A dynamic resistance system allows for an unlimited amount of resistance levels which means a water rower like the Snode RW8 can be used by anyone no matter their fitness levels.
Mimics the feel of outdoor rowing
And because the resistance is dynamic, its mimics the feel of outdoor rowing; the faster you row, the stronger the resistance, just like rowing on actual water. If you want that natural feel from a home rower? Always choose a rowing machine that utilizes a dynamic resistance system.
How much water to fill the tank with?
As I just mentioned, the primary way to control resistance strength on your Snode rower is through the pace of your workouts. Still, we can also determine overall resistance strength by filling the rower’s water tank with water.
It depends on your cardio and strength levels as to how much water you fill the tank with. Filling the tank to level 1 is like rowing in a boat on your own, level 3 (1/4 full) with three people in the boat, and so on.
Filling the water tank to around 1/4 is most popular as it provides a medium resistance strength which is perfect for a 30-minute workout session. But if you fancy something more intense and want to build and strengthen muscles? Fill the tank to just under half full. This is great for a 10-minute intense rowing workout.
Whisper quiet belt drive system
The belt drive system was another feature I was happy to see with the Snode RW8. Belt drives are a much better choice for a home rower than a chain drive system as they are less noisy, they help to keep the rowing motion smooth (fewer vibrations than a chain drive), and best of all, they’re maintenance-free.
Is the Snode RW8 Rower a Noisey Machine?
Water rowers aren’t noisy; well, the high quality ones aren’t anyway. And the Snode is one of the better wood rowers I’ve reviewed. These guys thought to add a rubber layer to the outside of the rollers for the seat, allowing the seat to glide smoothly and quietly across the rail. Also, you have a belt drive system keeping noise to a minimum.
The only sound you’ll hear from this rowing machine is the faint whooshing sound of the paddles pushing through the water in the rower’s tank.
The whooshing of the water isn’t a sound that will disturb you. It’s more of a soothing sound, and it’s one of the reasons I love waters; it really adds to the natural feel of the rowing machine.
Stability – Weight & Features
The weight of a rowing machine is usually what determines how sturdy the machine feels. And at 70lb, the Snode is fairly heavy for the price point with most low-cost wood rowers weighing around 55-60lb. The extra weight will help keep the RW8 planted to the floor, and it’s also a telling sign the Snode water rower is made from quality materials.
Also, once we fill the tank with water, we’re going to add up to another 20lb of weight, so you’ll be looking at a 90lb rowing machine. It’s going to feel sturdy.
Rubber feet – prevent slips.
Snode has included four rubber feet with this rowing machine. The rubber feet will prevent slips and protect your floors. Still, if you live in an apartment, you may want to get hold of a cheap rowing floor mat to help soak up the vibrations from your workouts.
Contoured seat – stops your butt from slipping.
And lastly, you have a contoured seat. Great to see a contoured seat because not only does a contoured seat provide comfort, it also provides support and stops your butt from slipping in the push phase of the rowing stroke, essential to keep the correct rowing form.
Easy To Use Monitor
We’re not going to find any HD screens or tons of workout programs in this price bracket. Wood rowing machine monitors are pretty basic, which isn’t always bad because they’re nice and easy to set up and use.
Still, the Snode monitor has few extra features that you dont normally see on basic monitors. You have Bluetooth and access to a free fitness app and you have wireless heart rate monitoring, which is a useful feature for those of you who love to train your chosen heart rate zones.
Also, there’s a targeting feature where you can set targets based on time, distance, etc. Plus, a recovery button, a cool feature as it tells you how quickly your pulse returns to normal after your workout.
The monitor screen is large, so you can easily read all your workout stats while you workout, and its angle adjustable.
NB. you’ll need to purchase an HR chest strap separately to take advantage of the wireless pulse monitoring. ($30 for a good one)
Any Other Features Worth Mentioning?
Another feature of the Snode RW8 water rower is that it folds for storage, it’s easy to fold takes a few seconds, and once folded has a footprint of around 4 square feet.
I don’t really see the need to fold the Snode rower because it can be stored vertically against a wall without being folded and takes up less room without folding just 0.3 square meters of space. Also, when you fold a rower like this, they are very difficult to move.
Easy Assembly – 30 minutes
The water tank drive and resistance systems come pre-assembled. All you’ll need to do is connect the rail to the front of the machine, attach the seat to the rail, attach the footrests and the monitor. Detailed instructions and tools for the job are provided. The average assembly time was around half an hour.
The Good
Sturdy build can handle up to 280lb
Dynamic resistance system – mimics the feel of outdoor rowing and is suitable for any fitness level
70lb high quality build – sturdy
Quiet maintanance free belt drive system
Fairly long rail – accommodates users up to 6’3″ at full leg extension
High grade ball bearings and rollers allow the seat to glide effortlessly across the rowers rail
Access to fitness app (free)
Folds for storage but can also be stored vertically without folding
Easy to Assemble
Transport wheels – tilt and roll to store
The Bad
Have to purchase HR chest strap separately
Monitor isn’t backlit making it hard to read in low light conditions
No built in workout programs
Alternative
Snode Steel Frame Water Rower
The aesthetics of a steel rower may not be as appealing as a solid wood rower, but they’re not ugly either I think they look great, and the Snode W100 is one of best out there.
The Snode steel frame water rower shares many similarities with the wood version. Both include the same dynamic resistance system and drive system. Both have long rails, the steel frame rail slightly longer accondatinhg users up to 6’5″, and both boast sturdy frames and include the same monitor.
It’s the price where these two impressive rowers differ most, the Snode steel frame rower costing nearly $200 less. Why? Because steel is less labor-intensive to work with than wood. It brings down the cost of the rower considerably. This is why steel frame water rowers are so popular right now.
The Snode steel frame water rower is a great alternative to the wood version for those who want to reap the benefits of a water rower but don’t want to pay over $500 for the privilege.
To Sum Up
Snode got everything right with their RW8 Wood Water Rower. The build quality is high, which is unusual for a low-cost water rower, and it’s sturdy thanks to its solid 70lb wood frame, which keeps the rower planted to the floor. The dynamic resistance system is what sells this rower, it gives a rowing machine that natural feel we all look for from a home rower, and when you add in the whooshing sound from the water in the tank, it’s unbeatable.
Yes, the monitor isn’t advanced, but none are in this price bracket; at least it comes with a couple of extra features, aswell as BlueTooth. Overall a well-built machine from Snode.
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