Everything You Should Know About The Stamina X Air Rower (in Depth Review)

Stamina has been around for a couple of decades. These guys are well known for building quality cardio machines, and their rowers are some of the best out there. I’ve reviewed a ton of their gear over the years, including a few of their rowing machines. They usually deliver both on quality and price and, by the looks of it, their new rowing machine, the Stamina X Air Rower, is no exception.

Eye Catching – Serious Rowing Machine With a Sturdy Build.

At first glance, the Stamina X looks good with its eye-catching black and red frame. Still, when you get closer, you realize it gets better; this is a serious rowing machine with a sturdy build and air resistance system.

A good-quality air rower like the Stamina X is the perfect choice for beginners or intermediates looking to increase their fitness levels and burn off some calories at home.

Today we’re going to take a close look at everything Stamina’s new X Rower has to offer, its pros and its drawbacks ill also compare it to another bestseller in this price range to see how it matches up.

First, a quick look at the product specs!

Why Do We Like The Stamina X Rower?

What first stands out about this rower is its hefty build which is great to find on a low-cost rower. The Stamina X weighs 63lb which is heavy for an air rowing machine, with most air rowers in this price bracket weighing around 50lb.

The extra weight will help keep the rower planted to the floor, plus it’s also a telling sign of the quality of materials used in the build—the heavier the better when it comes to rowers.

Long Rail – Full leg extension for users up to 6’4″

Another great feature of this rower is that it boasts a surprisingly long rail for the price point. Most budget air rowers can only accommodate users up to 6’2,” but the Stamina X allows users up to 6’5″ to achieve full leg extension. With a max capacity of 250lb, this rower is a good choice for larger users.

Smooth Gliding Seat

One of the most important features of any rower is how smoothly the seat glides across the rower’s rail. The Stamina X includes six high-grade rollers with enclosed ball bearings which allows the seat to glide effortlessly across the rail.

Quick look: Stamina X Workout Video

Click here to check price on Stamina X Rowing Machine

Resistance Type: Dynamic (Air Resistance)

Something else I like about this rower is that it uses air to create resistance. It’s a variable resistance rower, so there’s no adjustment knob to select resistance strength.

The resistance of the Stamina rower is determined by how fast you row (just like actual rowing). The faster you row, the stronger the resistance. It’s dynamic. This type of resistance is so popular because it mimics the natural feel of rowing much more closely than magnetic resistance.

Can Be Loud at High Stroke Rates

The only issue with air resistance is that it uses a fan to create resistance which can be loud and isnt ideal for some homes.

Plus, air rowers usually come with chain drive systems which are noisy as well. This is the one downside of owning an air rower, such as the Stamina.

However, some people love the noise an air rower makes because it makes them feel like they’re working out hard and pushes them to work out harder.

Quiet Alternative – Magnetic

It’s a tough choice to make because the alternative in this price bracket is magnetic.

Magnetic resistance is whisper quiet because it’s a frictionless system. The magnets dont make contact with the flywheel, so they’re great for home use. But the drawback of magnetic resistance is that it’s a constant resistance. It only gets stronger or weaker when manually changed via a tension knob. Constant resistance doesn’t mimic the natural feel of rowing like an air rower with dynamic resistance.

Basic but Easy To Use Monitor

All low-cost rowers feature basic monitors, and you won’t find workout programs or HD screens. Still, I dont mind basic monitors. They’re easy to set up, easy to use, and always track the essential data you need for a workout plus save you a ton of cash.

The good thing about the Stamina Monitor is that it’s large, so it’s easy to read while you workout, and it doesn’t need to be plugged into a wall, and runs on a couple of batteries.

The Stamina monitor tracks all the important data such as distance, calories burned, speed, workout time, total strokes, and strokes per minute.

I was slightly disappointed that there’s no way to measure pulse with the Stamina X which is suprising for a $400 rowing machine. Most rowers in this price bracket at least offer a monitor with wireless capabilities so you can use a chest strap. And there’s no tablet holder, which is another disappointment.

Stability – Wide Stabilizers

I was happy to see that Stamina included adjustable levelers with this rower. Why? Adjustable levelers help keep the rower stable on uneven surfaces. 

Also, we have nice wide stabilizing feet at either end of the rower, and the Stamina X is pretty heavy. That extra weight will help keep the rower planted to the floor.

If you’re going to use the rower on polished surfaces, I’d recommend getting hold of a cheap rubber floor mat to prevent any unwanted slips.

The rower seat is designed well for stability because it’s perfectly contoured to prevent slips in the rowing stroke’s push phase, and the rower rail is quite wide, which helps keep the seat stable.

Anything Else Wother a Mention?

The Stamina X folds for storage, so it doesn’t take up too much room, but what’s impressive is how easy it is to fold just remove a single pin; it takes a few seconds.

Also, the Stamina is easy to assemble because the resistance system, and rail are already attached; all you’ll just have to do is attach the seat to the rail, attach the foot pedals, monitor and stabilizers. Most people got it together in under an hour. Basic tools for the job and illustrated instructions are provided.

Alternative

Fitness Reality 1000 Plus Magnetic Rowing Machine

The Fitness Reality 1000 is the best magnetic rowing machine in this price bracket, so I thought it interesting to compare it to the Stamina.

Fitness Reality are one of the most well-known companies in the home gym market theses guys know what they’re doing, and they do it better than most producing some of the best quality cardio and lifting equipment at low prices, and their budget rower is my favorite magnetic rowing machine under $350

Yes, it’s cheaper than the Stamina, but it easily matches it when it comes to quality and features.

Boasting 14 levels of whisper-quiet magnetic resistance, this rower is suitable for most fitness levels. It also includes a quiet belt drive system, premier weighted flywheel, and high-quality ball bearings and rollers for the seat, so it has one of the smoothest rowing strokes you’ll find.

Just like the Stamina, the Fitness Reality 1000 includes a long rail for the price, accommodating users up to 6’4″ and comes with a reasonably good monitor. The monitor includes Bluetooth, which is great for this price range, and free access to the MyCloudFitness app.

Also, we have an extra pair of footpads at the front of the rower that can be used with the rowing handle to perform standing exercises such as bicep curls, a feature I know many users love about this rower.

Overall this is another well-built low-cost rower and an excellent alternative to the Stamina if you’re after a near-silent rowing experience.

To Sum Up

I was happy to see another air rower hit the market, and Stamina didn’t disappoint. Yes, the Stamina X Rower looks a little better than it actually is, its nowhere near the quality of a concept 2, and i wouldn’t expect it to be for $400. Still, for a budget rower, it is good quality, sturdy, and utilizes air resistance which is great because it allows for the natural feel of rowing.

The long grail is another selling point as there aren’t many low-cost air rowers with long rails so larger users will be happy.

It’s easy to assemble, looks better than anything else, and folds for storage—another impressive fuss-free air rower from Stamina.