Full-body conditioning, minimal floor space

Used Commercial Rowing Machines

Buy used commercial rowing machines from gyms, studios, dealers and refurbishers across the UK. Equipd provides the marketplace and the payment protection — secure card payment, Buyer Protection on eligible purchases and a free Instant Valuation on any model.

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Live commercial rower listings

Air, magnetic and water rowers listed on Equipd by UK gyms, studios, dealers and refurbishers — frequently in batches from a class studio or functional area.

Browse all commercial rowing machines

Other commercial cardio to consider

Rowers are the cheapest way to add conditioning stations. Combine them with treadmills, bikes, cross trainers and climbers to cover both steady-state and interval programming.

Shop by brand

Concept2 dominates commercial rowing for good reason, with Technogym, Life Fitness and WaterRower each offering machines with a different feel. Parts availability is unusually good across this category, which is what makes used rowers such a dependable purchase.

Why buy used commercial rowers on Equipd?

  • Batches from studios and functional areas

    Class studios buy rowers in numbers and replace them together, so Equipd listings often cover four, six or eight matching machines. That is an efficient way to equip a group training space in one transaction.

  • Parts that stay available for years

    Rowers are the most repairable cardio you can buy. Chains, seat rollers, handles, shock cords and monitors are all obtainable for the main commercial models, which means age matters far less here than in any other cardio category.

  • Low cost per station

    A rower gives full-body conditioning for a fraction of the price of a treadmill, needs no mains supply and can usually be stored upright between sessions — the best value per square metre on most floors.

  • Protected, valued purchases

    Pay by card through Equipd with funds held until handover is confirmed, Buyer Protection on eligible purchases, and a free Instant Valuation so you can check a batch price before agreeing it.

Value rowing machines before you agree a price

Commercial rowers hold their value unusually well, which cuts both ways: sellers often under-price tired machines and buyers often over-pay for older monitors. Use the free Equipd valuation on the specific model to see the UK range by year and condition, then price a batch properly or negotiate a single machine from an informed position.

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Buying guide

Used commercial rowing machine buying guide

Rowing machines are the safest used purchase in commercial cardio. They are mechanically simple, almost everything that wears is a cheap and available part, and a decade-old machine with a fresh chain, rollers and shock cord can perform exactly like a new one. The things that go wrong are specific and easy to check: a stretched or dry chain, flat-spotted seat rollers on a scored rail, a slack shock cord that will not return the handle, a clogged flywheel enclosure and a monitor that has lost its memory or its battery contacts. This guide covers choosing between air, magnetic and water resistance, understanding monitors and metre counts, the faults to look for, space and storage, maintenance you can do yourself, brand differences, and how to buy and move a batch of machines sensibly.

Air, magnetic or water resistance

Air resistance is the commercial default. A fan flywheel with an adjustable damper gives resistance proportional to effort, which is why air rowers are used for testing, competition and class programming — the numbers are comparable between machines and sessions. The trade-off is noise: a bank of air rowers under class conditions is genuinely loud, which matters if there is a studio or office next door.

Magnetic rowers are much quieter and give a smooth, consistent pull at a set resistance level. They suit hotel gyms, rehab settings, quiet corners of a floor and any site with noise-sensitive neighbours. They are less popular for group conditioning because the feel does not respond to effort in the same way, and split times are not directly comparable with air machines.

Water rowers use paddles in a tank to produce a smooth catch and a distinctive swishing sound that many users prefer to fan noise. They tend to look far better in a boutique studio or a members' lounge, need occasional water treatment, and are heavier to move when full. Some also combine air and magnetic resistance in a hybrid, which is worth trying rather than assuming.

Match the choice to the programme. If you run benchmark testing or class-based intervals where members compare scores, buy air. If quiet operation or aesthetics is the priority, magnetic or water will serve you better. Buying a mixed batch is usually a mistake for class use, because the machines will not feel or score alike.

Monitors, metre counts and data

The monitor is the part of a used rower most likely to date the machine. Successive generations added memory, wireless heart rate, connectivity to apps and USB or Bluetooth data transfer, and on some models a newer monitor can be retro-fitted to an older frame. That is worth knowing, because it means an older machine with a good frame is upgradeable rather than obsolete.

Ask for the lifetime metre count from the monitor. It is the equivalent of a treadmill hours reading and gives you a genuine sense of use — a studio machine can accumulate very large totals while a hotel rower may barely have been touched. Frame condition and roller wear should broadly corroborate whatever number you are told.

Check the monitor actually works properly rather than just lighting up. Confirm it registers strokes and displays split, stroke rate and distance, that the buttons all respond, and that it holds settings when switched off. Monitors are commonly powered by batteries with a generator top-up, so a dim display is often a cheap fix rather than a fault.

If you intend to run classes with leaderboards or connected programming, verify compatibility before you buy rather than assuming. Older monitors may not talk to modern software at all, and the cost of upgrading several machines is a real budget item that should form part of the purchase decision.

Common faults on used rowers

Seat rollers and the rail are the first things to check. Sit on the seat and slide it the full length of the rail, listening for grinding and feeling for bumps. Flat-spotted rollers and a scored or dented rail will annoy every user, and while rollers are inexpensive, a badly damaged rail is a bigger job. Look for dents from dropped weights if the machine has lived in a functional area.

Inspect the chain or belt closely. A dry, rusty or stretched chain is common on machines that have never been oiled, and a chain that has visibly stretched should simply be replaced. On belt-drive machines look for fraying or glazing. Pull the handle to full extension repeatedly and watch that it returns smoothly and completely.

A handle that returns slowly or not at all means the shock cord has stretched or the cord tension needs adjusting. It is a cheap and easy fix on most commercial rowers but it makes a machine unusable, so it is worth using as negotiating material rather than a reason to reject an otherwise good frame.

Open or look into the flywheel housing where you can. Air rowers pull dust, hair and carpet fibre into the enclosure, and a heavily clogged flywheel changes the feel and stresses the bearings. Also check the damper slides freely across its range, the footplates and straps are intact, the frame fixings and any folding mechanism are sound, and the whole machine is free of the sweat corrosion that collects under the seat and around the monitor arm.

Space, storage and where rowers can go

A commercial rower needs around 2.4m of length and roughly 0.6m of width in use, plus clear space behind the flywheel and enough room at the seat end for the user to get on and off. In practice, allow closer to 3m of clear length per machine so the rail end is not against a wall.

Storage is what makes rowers so space-efficient. Most commercial models separate or tilt to stand vertically, which turns a 2.4m machine into a footprint under half a square metre between sessions. Check the ceiling height for upright storage and confirm the machine you are buying has whatever pins, catches or wheels the storage method requires.

Think about noise placement for air rowers. Fan noise carries, and a row of air machines directly beneath an office or next to a mind-body studio causes complaints. Rubber matting and sensible positioning help, but the honest answer is to put air rowers where noise is expected and magnetic ones where it is not.

Access in is the easiest of any cardio category. Rowers are light — typically 25 to 40kg — and most split into two pieces, so a single person can carry one upstairs and through a standard door. That is a genuine advantage when equipping an upper-floor studio or a site with no lift.

Maintenance you can do without an engineer

Rowers are the one category where in-house maintenance is realistic for almost any operator. Oiling the chain on schedule, wiping the rail, cleaning the seat rollers and checking the footplate straps takes a few minutes per machine and prevents most of the wear that devalues a rower.

Clean the flywheel enclosure periodically on air machines. Removing accumulated dust from the fan housing restores the feel, keeps the bearings happier and is usually a straightforward job with the covers off. Sites with carpet or high foot traffic need this more often than they expect.

Keep a small spares kit for a batch: seat rollers, a chain, a shock cord, footplate straps and monitor batteries. All are inexpensive and all are things you will eventually need, and having them on a shelf means a machine is never out of service for more than an evening.

Water rowers have their own routine — the tank needs treatment to stay clear, and the manufacturer will specify a purification schedule. Ask the seller when it was last treated and factor a fresh fill and treatment into the handover if the water looks anything other than clean.

Brand differences and why Concept2 dominates

Concept2 is the benchmark in commercial rowing and the reason the used market in this category is so reliable. The machines have changed relatively little in fundamentals over successive generations, spares are available for very old units, and monitors can often be upgraded, which means an older machine is a serviceable asset rather than a liability.

Technogym and Life Fitness both build commercial rowers aimed at class and floor use, often with more integrated design and connectivity than a standard air rower. They are excellent machines, though parts and monitor support are more likely to run through official channels than an open spares market.

WaterRower and similar water machines are chosen partly for feel and partly for appearance, and are a common sight in boutique studios and hotel gyms. They are well built and repairable, but heavier to move and dependent on tank maintenance, so they suit sites where the aesthetic justifies the extra care.

For batch buying, matching matters more than badge. A set of eight identical machines from one brand means one spares kit, one maintenance routine and comparable numbers across your class leaderboard. Mixed batches cause exactly the friction you would expect the first time you run a benchmark session.

Buying batches, transport and inspection

When you buy several rowers, inspect each one individually rather than sampling. Machines from the same studio can be in noticeably different condition depending on where they sat in the room, and it is not unusual for one or two in a batch to need rollers and a chain while the others are fine.

Row every machine for a minute. Take several hard strokes at both a low and a high damper setting, watch the monitor register properly, feel the seat travel and listen to the flywheel. A quick row finds nearly every fault on a rower, which is why this category so rarely produces post-sale surprises.

Use a simple checklist per unit: monitor function and lifetime metres, chain or belt condition, handle return, seat roller and rail condition, damper movement, footplates and straps, flywheel housing cleanliness, frame and folding mechanism, corrosion, and the serial number. Photograph each machine and label which is which for delivery.

For transport, remember fulfilment is agreed directly between buyer and seller on Equipd — collection, seller delivery or a buyer-arranged courier. Rowers usually split into two parts, travel well and rarely need specialist movers, so collection in a van is often the cheapest route for a batch. Confirm the fixings and any monitor arms travel with the right machine, then inspect on arrival and only confirm handover once you are satisfied, since that is what starts the Buyer Protection window on eligible purchases.

Frequently asked questions

How air, magnetic and water rowers differ, what to check on chains, rails and monitors, and how buying a batch through Equipd works.

Which resistance type is best for a commercial gym rower?

Air resistance is the commercial standard because effort translates directly into resistance and scores are comparable between machines, which suits testing and class programming. Magnetic rowers are much quieter and better for noise-sensitive sites, and water rowers offer a smooth feel and studio-friendly looks. Choose based on programming and noise rather than price alone.

Does a high lifetime metre count mean a rower is worn out?

Not usually. Metres are the rowing equivalent of treadmill hours, but almost everything that wears on a rower is a cheap, available part. A machine with millions of metres but a new chain, rollers and shock cord can perform like new. Judge the metre count alongside the rail, roller and chain condition rather than on its own.

Why does the handle not return properly on a used rower?

That is almost always a stretched shock cord or a cord that needs re-tensioning, which is an inexpensive and straightforward fix on most commercial rowers. It makes the machine unusable in the meantime, so treat it as negotiating material on an otherwise sound frame rather than a reason to reject the machine.

Can an old rower monitor be upgraded?

On several commercial models, yes — newer monitors can be fitted to older frames, adding memory, wireless heart rate and app connectivity. Check compatibility for the specific model and generation before buying, and include the cost across the whole batch if you intend to run connected classes or leaderboards.

How much space does a rowing machine need?

Around 2.4m of length and 0.6m of width in use, and in practice closer to 3m of clear length so the rail end is not against a wall. Most commercial rowers store vertically, reducing the stored footprint to well under half a square metre, so check ceiling height if you plan to stand them up between sessions.

Are air rowers too loud for a shared building?

They can be. A bank of air rowers in a class produces significant fan noise that carries into adjacent rooms and floors below. Matting and thoughtful placement help, but if you have an office, treatment room or mind-body studio nearby, magnetic or water rowers are a more practical choice.

What maintenance do commercial rowers need?

Oil the chain on the manufacturer schedule, wipe the rail and clean the seat rollers, check footplate straps, and periodically clear dust from the flywheel housing on air machines. It is realistic to do all of this in-house, which is why rowers have the lowest running cost of any commercial cardio.

Should I buy a matched batch or mix models?

Buy matched machines if they will be used for classes or benchmark testing, because feel and scores differ between models and resistance types. A matched batch also means a single spares kit and one maintenance routine. Mixing is only sensible when machines will be used individually on a general floor.

Do I need specialist movers for rowing machines?

Rarely. Most commercial rowers weigh 25 to 40kg and split into two sections, so they fit in a van and can be carried upstairs by one or two people. Water rowers are heavier and should be drained before moving. Fulfilment is agreed between buyer and seller, so collection is often the cheapest option for a batch.

What should I check on arrival before confirming handover?

Row each machine, confirm the monitor reads correctly, check the seat travel and handle return, and make sure every unit matches the condition described in the listing. Confirm handover only once you are satisfied, as confirmation starts the Buyer Protection window on eligible purchases and it applies per order rather than per machine.

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