V-fit Tornado Air Rower Review: What To Know Before You Buy

It wasn’t so long ago there were only a couple of air rowers on the market one was the Concept 2 and the others were both high-end machines. You’d have to spend over £800 to get hold of one for your home gym. Fast forward a few years, and now we’re spoilt for choice with decent low-cost air rowers such as the impressive V-Fit Tornado Air Rower.

It’s not a Concept 2, but…

Yes, the low-cost air rowers aren’t in the same league as the Concept 2, but if you’re not a serious rower in training and just need a cardio machine for a full-body workout and increasing your fitness levels? You won’t find a better cardio machine than an air rower in this price bracket.

For under £400, you’re getting hold of a machine that can burn more calories than a treadmill, works 86% of your muscles, all while giving you a pro-level cardio workout.

V-Fit Get All The Essentials Right

The V-Fit Air Rowing Machine gets all the essentials right with a robust build, a smooth rowing stroke, a good length rail that can accommodate users up to 6’3″, and a dynamic resistance system thats suitable for any fitness level.

It’s undoubtedly a rower worthy of some serious consideration, and today I want to take a look at all the pros and drawbacks of this budget air rower from V-Fit.

Why Do We Like The V-Fit Tornado Air Rower?

There’s a lot to like about this air rower. Still, its best feature has to be its air resistance system because it’s dynamic. A dynamic resistance system on a rowing machine mimics the feel of outdoor rowing more closely than any other type of resistance system. The faster you row, the stronger the resistance, the same as rowing on actual water.

Suitable For Any Fitness Level

A dynamic resistance system doesnt include any resistance levels. There’s no tension knob to control the strength of resistance. It is all controlled by the pace of your workout. You can row as fast or as slow as you like, which is why it’s suitable for any fitness level, from a beginner to a seasoned rower.

Can Be Noisey

However, there are a few drawbacks to owning an air resistance machine, such as the noise it makes. It’s much louder than a magnetic rower because the resistance system uses a fab to create resistance.

Also, nearly all air rowers, including the V-Fit, use a chain drive rather than a belt. And while chain drives are far more durable than a belt-drive, they can be annoying noisy, and its the same with all air rowers in any price bracket. So if you live in an apartment, it’s something to think about.

Personally, I like the sound of the air whooshing through the resistance system. I find it encourages me to work harder. Still, the chain drive does cause vibrations. I recommend you get hold of a cheap rubber floor mat as they are great for absorbing the vibrations and preventing slips on polished floors.

Click here to check price of V-Fit Tornado Air Rower on Amazon

Stability

This rower is failry robust and weighs close to 40lb. It has a reasonable weight, but it’s still a long way off heavy-duty, so we can’t rely on the machine’s weight to keep it stable. However, V-Fit is thought to include a nice wide stabilizer at the front of the machine, which will help to prevent any wobbles.

Also, the rail is wide, which is a good thing because it will keep the seat stable, and the seat is contoured perfectly to prevent your butt from slipping in the push phase of the rowing stroke.

Sadly there are no adjustable levelers features on the V-Fit rower machine, which is disappointing as we usually see adjustable levels on rowing machines in this price bracket. Adjustable levelers can be independently adjusted to keep a rowing machine stable on uneven floors, so you’ll have to make sure you have an even floor to place the V-Fit.

Basic Easy To Use Monitor

There are no workout programs and no fancy features like an HD screen or BlueTooth. You can’t even measure your pulse. This is a basic monitor, which is to be expected in this price bracket. It tracks all the essential workout data such as Calorie (Theoretical Calorie Burn), Distance (KM), Speed (km/h), Stroke Counter, Stroke Rate (Strokes per Minute), and Time (Minutes and Seconds) Modes.

Still, basic monitors aren’t deal killers. If anything, they’re are cash savers. You might spend a couple of hundred more on a rower with an advanced monitor and never use half the features. Basic monitors are easy to set up, easy to use, and dont need to be plugged into the mains, which is always a good thing.

Any Other Features Worth a Mention?

The space-saving design is worth a mention because when folded, this rower folds to half its original footprint, and it is not a fiddley folding system like you see on so many budget rowers. With V-Fit, you just remove a pin, and fold takes a few seconds.

Also, we have built-in transport wheels that make moving the rower a breeze, just tilt and roll to move.

Fitness Reality 1000 Plus Magnetic Rower

We just looked at one of the best low-cost air rowers, the V-Fit, so I thought it would be interesting to compare it to one of the best low-cost magnetic rowers, the Fitness Reality 1000 Plus.

Fitness Reality has been around for decades. These guys build some great gym gear, and their prices are always competitive. Their low-cost magnetic rower is my favorite in this price racket and shines in terms of features and build qulaity.

It weighs 30kg thats a third heavier than the V-Fit; thats extra weight not only tells us it’s built from quality materials but also going to be sturdy.

Both the V-Fit and the Fitness Reality 1000 share many features, as both include long rails suitable for taller users, have smooth rowing strokes, come with countered seats, and both fold for storage.

It’s the resistance systems where they really differ. The Fitness Reality 1000 utilizes a magnetic resistance system with 14 levels.

Magnetic resistance strength isnt determined by the pace of your workouts. Instead, you can select resistance strength via a tension knob. And with 14 levels its boasts more than any other its price range.

The main benefit of magnetic resistance is that it’s much quieter in use than air resistance because the magnets of the resistance system never have to make contact with the flywheel. It’s a frictionless resistance system; thus, it’s whisper quiet and maintenance-free.

Plus, magnetic rowers always come with a belt drive system which brings the noise level down even further and adds to the smooth feel of the rowing stroke.

The 1000 Plus Rower comes with a slightly better monitor than the V-Fit as it includes BlueTooth and access to the MyCloudFitness App.

Overall the Fitness Reality 1000 is an excellent low-cost magnetic rower and a great choice if you want a quiet alternative to the V-Fit Air Rower.

To Sum Up

If you have been used to using air rowers in your local gym, such as the Concept 2, but you dont want to spend that kind of money, the V-Fit Tornado Air Rower is a good choice. It hasn’t quite got the heavy-duty build of a concept 2, but it’s not miles away either.

The rowing stroke is smooth, and like that, the rail is slightly angled to intensify the push phase of the rowing stroke and quicken the recovery phase. Many users mentioned how good it feels to row on this machine, and thats because these guys got all the essentials right.