WENOKER Water Rowing Machine Review – How Good Is This Budget Water Rower?

WENOKER Has Come a Long Way

Wenoker is a company that’s come a long way in the past couple of years. I reviewed one of their first rowers, and I was impressed even back then, but now these guys are making rowers that can challenge some of the market leaders like Sunny Health & Fitness. That’s how good Wenoker has gotten in just a few short years.

And their solid wood rowers are the products that impress me most. What Wenoker does best is deliver quality while keeping the price down. Their flagship water rower, the R51, is the one I like most.

For under $300, you’re getting a well made solid wood rower that looks sturdy and, most importantly, gets all the essentials right.

That Rowing on Water Feel for Under $300

And this is what I really like about the R51. Just a few years ago, you’d have to pay nearly twice as much to get hold of a decent solid wood water rower. Now you can get that smooth dynamic resistance and rowing on water feel at home without having to spend a small fortune.

You get the sound of the paddles pushing through the water, the resistance naturally gets stronger the harder you row, and you have that solid wood build too.

These are all the things we want from a good water rower, and Wenooker has managed to bring them down into the budget price range.

And I think that’s what makes the RW51 so impressive. It doesn’t need to be a heavy-duty beast like an Ergatta. And at under $300, we shouldn’t expect it to be.

What matters is that Wenoker has got the essentials right, and from what I’ve seen so far, they certainly seem to have done that.

So yeah, the Wenoker Water Rower is certainly a rowing machine worth taking a much closer look at, and in today’s review, I want to look at everything it has to offer, including any drawbacks.

Also, at the end of the review, I thought it would be interesting to see how it matches up against another favorite of mine, the Joroto MR280PRO. It costs a little more, so it’ll be interesting to see whether it’s actually worth spending the extra money.

But first, let’s take a quick look at the Wenoker RW51 Water Rower specs, pros, and cons!

Specs

Why Do We Like The Wenoker RW51 Water Rower?

As I mentioned in the intro, the price is what really sells this water rower. For under $300, you’re getting a well-made, sturdy, solid wood water rower, which was almost unheard of even a few years ago.

Even the budget wood rowers were selling for $500+, so for a company like Wenoker to produce a solid wood rower at this price without cutting corners on any of the essentials is pretty impressive.

Bang for your buck, the RW51 is a winner.

However, It’s Fairly Light

Still, you need to remember the Wenoker Water Rower weighs just 42lb, which is pretty light for a solid wood rower. And the weight of a rowing machine can tell us quite a lot about the amount and quality of materials used in the build.

At 42lb, you’re not getting a thick oak frame here. The wood is much thinner than you’ll find on the heavy-duty solid wood rowers that weigh over 100lb. It is, after all, a budget wood rower, and that 42lb weight is a good reminder of it.

So, as expected, you’re not going to get quite the same build quality as a high end solid wood rowing machine, but then you really can’t expect that at this price.

Still, for the money, the quality is impressive. Users love the sturdy design, it has that naturally low profile, and the slide rail is nice and wide. Plus, once you fill the tank with water, you’re adding some much-needed weight to the front end of the rower, which should really help keep things stable while you row.

Smooth Dynamic Resistance

And I like the resistance system. It should feel smooth thanks to that belt drive, and that rowing on water feel you get from dynamic resistance is really one of the things that sells a water rower like this.

The harder and faster you row, the stronger the resistance becomes, just like rowing on actual water. You also get the sound of the paddles pushing through the water in the tank, which really adds to that immersive rowing feel.

And if you want to make your workouts just a little tougher, you can add some extra water to the tank. There are six fill levels to choose from, so you can experiment and find what feels best for you.

Personally, I find filling a water rower about halfway gives the most realistic rowing feel. You still get that nice smooth stroke, but there’s enough water in the tank to give those paddles something to push through.

Click here to check price of the Wenoker Rowing Machine on Amazon

Impressive Long Dual Slide Rail

One of the features I find most impressive about the Wenoker Water Rower is its dual slide rail. I’ve been reviewing rowers for over a decade, and it’s always the dual rails that impress me most. They give the seat a nice wide, stable base to slide on, and with the smooth running rollers on the Wenoker, the seat should glide effortlessly across the rails.

That extra stability from the dual rail design, together with the smooth movement of the seat, really should add to the overall silky feel of the rowing stroke.

And the rail is long too, surprisingly long for a budget rower. Wenoker gives a max user height of 6’7″, so there’s plenty of travel here for taller users to achieve full leg extension. That’s impressive at this price.

Contoured Seat

And they’ve really thought about the seat design. It’s another stability feature worth mentioning because it’s nicely contoured, helping keep you centered while you row.

They’ve even raised the back lip of the seat to help prevent your butt from slipping too far back during the push phase of the rowing stroke, which is exactly what you want when you start rowing hard.

And thankfully, it doesn’t look like they’ve gone too firm with the padding either. There’s enough cushioning there to keep things comfortable without making the seat overly soft and taking away from that stable feel.

Basic Monitor, But All You Really Need

Okay, there’s no large HD screen or high end features with the Wenoker monitor, and sometimes that’s a good thing because all that stuff costs money. To keep the price of the rower down, monitors on low cost machines have to be fairly basic.

Still, I like basic. It means the monitor is nice and easy to use, takes no time to set up, and you can just get on the rower and start rowing.

And the monitor tracks all your essential workout stats like time, distance, SPM, and calories. You even have your 500m split time, something I always like to see on a rowing machine because it gives you a useful way to measure your pace and progress.

Yes, there are no built-in workout programs, but the monitor is Bluetooth enabled, so you can connect to apps like Kinomap and Zwift, which is great for anyone who wants a little more than just the basics.

Any Drawbacks?

There really isn’t anything that makes me think “stay away from this rower.” Most of the drawbacks are simply things you’d expect when paying under $300 for a solid wood water rower.

It’s Light for a Solid Wood Rower

This is the main one for me. At just 42lb, the Wenoker is light, and you’re never going to get that heavy, rock solid feel you get from premium wood rowers weighing 100lb or more.

The low profile design helps, and once you fill the tank, you’re adding some useful weight to the front of the machine. Still, if you’re a big guy planning to row hard every day, I’d probably want something heavier.

The Monitor Is Basic

I like simple monitors, but there’s no getting away from the fact this one is basic. No built in workouts, no fancy screen and not much to play around with.

Bluetooth helps because you can use Kinomap or Zwift, but if tech is high on your list, this probably isn’t the rower for you.

No Wenoker App

Unlike the Joroto, Wenoker doesn’t have its own dedicated app, so you’re relying on third party apps instead.

Again, at this price I’m not going to complain too much. I’d rather Wenoker spend the money on the actual rower.

Will I need a Rowing Mat?

You’d only need a rowing mat if you have polished hardwood floors and want to protect them from scratches.

However, Wenoker did think about this in their design. There are 4 capped feet that you can attach to the bottom of the rower’s frame, which are designed to prevent scratches and any unwanted slippage when rowing. So, yes, you shouldn’t need a rowing mat for this reason when you buy the Wenoker.

The only other time I’d really reccomend getting a rowing mat is if you live in an apartment or shared housing, as it will help soak up most of the vibrations from your workouts. Great idea if you want to keep your neighbors happy.

No need to buy an expensive mat. Sunny Health & Fitness makes some excellent low cost equipment mats, which you can find on Amazon or their website.

Easy To Fold & Store

What you’ll like about the folding system is how easy it is to use. Just remove a pin and fold the rower, and it takes a few seconds. Once folded, the Wenoker’s overall footprint is more than halved. Great for people tight on space.

Also there’s a built-in transport wheel, which makes moving the rower a breeze, just tilt and roll.

Wenoker Water Rowing Machine Assembly Video

Although most of the Wenoker RW51 Rower comes pre-assembled, you still need to attach a few parts, like the monitor, rail, footrests, and seat. It’s not difficult, and most users finish in under half an hour. just incase any of you guys comeacross any difficulties I will inlcude the offical assmbely video below.

Final Verdict

I think the takeaway on this one is don’t expect anything heavy duty to turn up on your doorstep. Yes, the Wenoker Water Rower is well made, it’s sturdy, and it gives you that desirable rowing on water feel, but it’s still a budget rowing machine. It’s fairly lightweight and great for the price point, but it’s certainly not a premium rower.

Still, I really like it. I love that you can now get a decent solid wood rowing machine for under $300. That really is impressive.

And Wenoker is a company that gets the essentials right, so this isn’t just some cheap rowing machine that feels like it’ll fall apart after a year. It’s well made for the price, but at the same time, it’s a long way off heavy-duty, and I think that’s important to remember.

For me, it’s a great choice for beginners and even intermediates looking for their first water rowing machine for home. You’re not getting anything fancy here, just a good, affordable water rower that gets the important stuff right.

How Does The Wenoker RW51 Comapre To The Joroto MR280Pro?

Joroto Water Rowing Machine

Joroto is a company that’s been around for a while now. I’ve reviewed a lot of their gear, and most of the time I’ve been impressed. These guys do focus on budget equipment, but I’d probably put them just above budget, somewhere between budget and mid-level.

Their gear is usually really well made and has that almost premium feel to it. And their flagship wooden rower reflects this. It’s a step ahead of most budget wooden water rowers.

The frame is solid oak, the wood is slightly thicker than the Wenoker, and the whole rower weighs around 10lb more.

That extra weight is nice to have. It gives the Joroto a heavier feel and adds some extra stability, which should help keep the rower planted when you’re rowing hard. It’s not a huge difference, but it’s enough to give the Joroto the edge on build.

Apart from that, there’s actually a lot these two rowers have in common. Both are solid wood rowers with 14L tanks and six water levels, both include impressive long dual slide rails, both use those silky smooth belt drive systems, both fold for storage, and both come with basic but easy-to-use monitors.

Joroto does include its own free app to use with the rower, which is a big plus. And for a free app, it’s pretty good, with loads of rowing workouts on there to keep you busy.

So yeah, the Joroto beats the Wenoker in a few areas, but there really isn’t a huge amount between them. You get a slightly heavier build, the solid oak frame and the free Joroto app. But when you consider the Joroto costs around a third more, you’d expect it to have a few advantages.

And this is where the Wenoker starts to look really good. If you’re a beginner or intermediate and want to keep the price under $300, I’d probably save the money and go with the Wenoker. You’re getting many of the same features and, most importantly, that smooth rowing on water feel.

But if you’ve got more cash to play with and simply want the better machine of the two, I’d go for the Joroto. It has the edge on build and tech, and overall it feels like the more complete water rower.

Still comparing rowing machines? Read Next: Best Water Rowing Machines

Wenoker Water Rowing Machine FAQs