YPOO Rowing Machine Review – a Budget Magnetic Rower for Home Use

I’ve never been a huge fan of budget rowers. The quality varies so much in this price range from one rower to the next; you really have to be careful when choosing one.

A lot of these companies appear one spring and are gone the next; they rarely last a year.  Over the past decade, I’ve reviewed a ton of budget rowers, and there’s only really a small handful I’d reccomend, and out of that small handful, all are made by companies that have been around for at least a few years.

Nearly Two Decades of Experience

The Ypoo Rowing Machine is made by a company with a long history. I like Ypoo, their treadmills are excellent value for money, and so too are their bikes.

They’re a company that’s been around for nearly two decades, specializing in budget fitness gear, and so far, I’m liking what I see. You get a lot of bang for your buck with Ypoo.

For under $200, the Ypoo Rowing Machine is certainly a rower I feel deserves a much closer look, so in today’s Ypoo Rowing Machine review, we’re going to take a close look at everything this impressive budget rower has to offer, including any drawbacks, because there are a few.

Also, at the end of the review, I’ll compare it with another fav of mine in this price bracket, Sunny Health’s best seller, the SF-RW5155, as it will be interesting to see how these two match up.

First, let’s take a quick look at specs, pros, and cons of the Ypoo Rowing Machine!

Specs

Why Do We Like The Ypoo Rowing Machine?

One of the best features of this rower has to be the magnetic resistance system.

It’s a frictionless system, which means it’s much quieter than the noisy air rowers. The magnets of the resistance system never have to make contact with the metal flywheel, so no noise is generated.

The Ypoo rower is so quiet it won’t disturb others around you, and at just 25 dB, it’s one of the quietest I’ve reviewed in a few years. This rower is a great choice for anyone who lives in an apartment or wants a rower for home use rather than in a separate garage.

Constant Resistance

Still, we have to remember that magnetic resistance is a constant resistance, and by that I mean it doesn’t matter how fast or slow you row, the strength of resistance won’t change. The only way to change the resistance strength is by turning the tension knob on the flywheel housing.

Magnetic Resistance Not as Natural as Air

So really, the only drawback of constant resistance (magnetic) is that you dont get the natural feeling like you would with dynamic resistance, where the resistance only gets stronger the faster you row, as it would with real rowing on water.

Instead, with constant resistance, it’s controlled by the tension knob. If you want to mimic the more realistic rowing-on-water feel, you need an air or water rower, both of which use dynamic resistance.

Still, one of the huge positives of constant resistance is being able to row at a slow pace on a high resistance level. This really works and builds your leg muscles, something that is impossible to do with the dynamic systems of the air and water rowers.

16 Levels

The Ypoo Magnetoc Rower includes 16 levels of resistance, which is excellent for a machine costing under $200. As I already mentioned, the upper levels of resistance aren’t particularly strong because of the light flywheel, but there’s easily enough strength for calorie-burning workouts for both beginners and intermediates.

Click  here to check price of the Ypoo Rower on Amazon

Inclined Long Rail

Something else that impressed me about this rower was its inclined rail, it’s always nice to find a budget rower with an inclined rail, especially a near 7% incline. I usually find these only on more expensive, high-end rowers.

The reason I like an inclined rail is that it adds something extra to your workouts. Rowing on an incline makes your workouts that much tougher, building and working those quads and hamstrings, which are the largest muscles in your body, which means calorie burn is even higher when incline rowing.

Also, the length of the rail is impressive too, it measures 46″, which is great for a budget machine, this gives a max user height of around 6.3″.

And lastly, this is a dual-rail rower, which feels smoother and more balanced than budget single-rail rowers. So a big thumbs up to Ypoo for the rail design.

Basic Monitor – tracks the essentials

Budget rowers have to cut somewhere, which is why we often come across very basic monitors, but dont think that’s a bad thing. I’d much rather they cut on monitor specs than the build quality.

Also, with basic monitors, they’re nice and easy to set up, you’re not going to spend hours trying to figure out how to work the thing. I’ve always been a fan of basic monitors on fitness gear. I’m not someone who wants to pay an extra $40 a month for a fancy fitness app.

So yeah, the Ypoo monitor is basic, but it tracks all the essentials, such as SPM, time, distance, calories, and row count. Which is enough for many people. And you can view all your stats on the built-in LCD.

Another positive of this monitor is that it boasts Bluetooth and connects to the Ypoofit app and Kinomap, so you’ll have access to guided workouts and virtual training sessions for free. They’re not amazing rowing apps, but they’re worth trying, and best of all, they don’t cost you anything extra.

Stability not an Issue

For me, this is where the Ypoo Rowing Machine stands out. It’s surprisingly stable for a low-cost rower. The wide front and rear stabilizing feet really help keep this rower stable, and those built-in rubber caps prevent it from slipping on hard, polished floors.

Many users have mentioned that it feels sturdy when rowing. And the stable design almost gives a premium feel, like something more expensive.

Also, the seat is contoured, which will prevent your butt from slipping in the push phase of the rowing stroke. Without a contoured seat, your stability and form will be affected. So many budget rowers lack a contoured seat, so it’s great to see one featured on the Tpoo

The guys really thought about stability at Ypoo, and it shows. It’s a stable, well-made machine.

Drawbacks of The Ypoo Magnetic Rowing Machine

• Very basic monitor, no wireless heart rate monitoring, which means no accurate way to measure pulse or calorie burn
• Resistance is not strong enough for seasoned pros in training, it’s a rower designed for beginners
• Assembly is a bit tricky

These are minor drawbacks. And drawbacks I’d expect to find on a rowing machine costing under $200. The positive here is that I couldn’t find any major drawbacks with the Ypoo Rowing Machine. Ypoo have got all the essentials right with their budget rower, it’s surprisingly good for the price.

Vertical Storage

Really easy to move and store this rower, okay, it doesn’t fold, but it does store vertically, which saves a lot of space. Also, moving the rower is just as easy as storing it. It’s lightweight, so all you need to do is tilt and roll it on the built-in transport wheels. Nice.

Ypoo Rowing Machine Assembly – 30 Minutes

I’ve always found rowers to be a little trickier to assemble than other fitness gear. With treadmills and bikes, most arrive on your doorstep 90% preassembled, but with rowers, you need to attach the rail to the flywheel housing, attach the footrests, and attach the stabilizers to the rail.

Tools and clear instructions are provied for the Ypoo Rower, and the parts come labeled in separate bags, which is really handy. 

Most people got the Ypoo assembled in under an hour. Rather than me explaining all the assembly steps to you, I’ll leave you the official assembly video below.

Do I need a Rowing Mat?

The only reason I’d recommend getting a rowing mat for the Ypoo Rower is if you live in an apartment or shared housing, because it will help absorb the vibrations from your workouts. The only other reason would be to protect your floors, but as this rower comes with the rubber-capped feet, you shouldn’t have any issues with that.

Also, rowing mats help prevent unwanted movement on polished floors, but again, since you already have rubber-capped feet, you won’t really need one for that reason either.

For those of you who live in apartments and may need one – Sunny Health & Fitness makes the best low cost mats: Sunny Health Equipment mats Amazon

Final Verdict

I like the Ypoo Rowing Machine. It wasnt just another cheaply made, unstable rower like most of the budget ones on Amazon. The Ypoo Rowing Machine is actually made by a company that knows what they’re doing.

These guys got most of the essentials right with this rower. The rail is an excellent length, it’s also been designed with an incline, which will really add something extra to your workouts, and the rowing stroke is smooth thanks to the dual rail, the magnetic resistance system, and the impressive belt drive system.

But what I liked most about the Ypoo Rower is the design, the wide stabilizing feet, the low center of gravity, and the contoured seat, all of which add to the sturdy feel of this rower, and that’s what’s important when rowing, you dont want any stability issues, they’re off-putting. It’s a problem that plagues many budget rowers, but thankfully not the Ypoo.

The only minor drawback of the Ypoo Rower is the lack of resistance strength in the upper levels, but this is to be expected in this price range.

It’s not a rower designed for serious rowers in training; it’s meant for beginners. We won’t find heavy-duty flywheels and pro-grade resistance for under $200.

For beginners and intermediates choosing their first rower or replacing an old one, the Ypoo is an excellent choice, well-made, sturdy, and easy to store. For the price, I think it’s a winner. One of the best I’ve reviewed in the past few years in this price category.

How Does The Ypoo Rowing Machine Compare to the Sunny SF-RW5155?

Sunny Health SF-RW5155 Rowing Machine

Sunny Health has been the go-to company for low-cost rowing machines for years, even when I first started reviewing rowing machines over a decade ago, Sunny Health was outselling everyone else by a mile, and it’s no different today.

Sunny still rules when it comes to budget magnetic rowing machines. The reason they do so well is that they’re one of the only companies that deliver on quality and price. Their equipment lasts for years, and they dont charge you a ton of cash for the privilege.

The Sunny SF-RW5155 is their flagship low-cost magnetic rowing machine. This machine has stood the test of time; people are still praising it years after owning it, and there aren’t many budget rowers around that can boast that. 

The reason I like it is that, just like the Ypoo rower, it’s well-made, sturdy, almost silent, and offers excellent value for money.

Both Ypoo and Sunny Rowers are very similar: both are sturdy and well-made, whisper-quiet in operation, include long inclined rails, and use belt-drive systems.

The only real difference is the weight of the machines. The Sunny weighs 60lb, and the Ypoo weighs just 39 lb.

The weight of the rower gives us a good clue of the overall quality of the parts used in the build. Typically, the heavier, the better.

The Sunny rower weighs over 20lb more, which is a lot, it’s a more serious rower, yes, it’s still budget, but will have a more heavy-duty feel than the Ypoo.

Also, even though the Ypoo has more resistance levels than the Sunny, the Sunny’s upper levels are much stronger because the Sunny SF-RW5155 has a much heavier flywheel.

So yes, the Sunny does trump the Ypoo on resistance strength and overall build quality, but not by a huge amount. And remember, the Sunny costs around $50 more, so it should be the slightly better machine.

Both rowers are excellent value for money. If you’re a beginner, the Ypoo is probably the best choice. If you’re someone who’s a little more serious about your rowing and dont mind spending the extra $50, then go for the Sunny.

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

Ypoo Rowing Machine FAQs