Best Rowing Machines in South Africa (2026 Buyer's Guide)
The best rowing machines in South Africa are the Tunturi R20 at R4 750 for value, the Ar9 Air Rower at R14 996 for home training, and the Concept2 RowErg at R19 706 as the standard everything else is measured against. Prices run R4 750 to R29 876.
Rowing is the most complete cardio movement you can buy. It works legs, back, arms and core in one stroke, it is low impact, and a good machine will still be working in fifteen years. It is also the most commonly bought-then-abandoned piece of home equipment, almost always for one fixable reason: bad technique making it uncomfortable.
This guide covers the rowing machines we stock and ship across South Africa, with live prices in rand.
What are the four resistance types?
Air, water, magnetic and hydraulic. Air and water both scale resistance with your effort, which feels most like real rowing. Magnetic is quiet and consistent but does not respond to how hard you pull.
- Air: a fan. Loud, responsive, the competition standard. From R14 996.
- Water: paddles in a tank. A pleasant swooshing sound, similar feel to air. From R16 065.
- Magnetic: near-silent, set-and-forget resistance levels. From R4 750.
- Combination: magnetic plus air, giving quiet running with responsive feel. From R26 276.
Our full comparison of water, air and magnetic rowers goes through the trade-offs in detail. In short: buy magnetic if noise matters, air if performance matters, water if you want both feel and a sound you can live with.
How much does a rowing machine cost in South Africa?
A usable home rower starts at R4 750. Serious home machines cost R14 996 to R21 864. Competition and commercial rowers run R19 706 to R29 876. Free delivery nationwide on all of them.
| If you want | Buy | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest real rower | Tunturi R20 | R4 750 |
| Quiet home rowing | Tunturi R30 | R6 726 |
| App-connected | Yesoul R1m Plus | R14 138 |
| Best value air rower | Ar9 Air Rower | R14 996 |
| Water rowing | Athletic Water Rower 150RM | R16 065 |
| The benchmark | Concept2 RowErg with PM5 | R19 706 |
| Quiet and responsive | Sole SR550 | R26 276 |
| Premium water rower | Apollo Plus Water Rower | R29 196 |
Prices are correct at the time of writing.
What is the best value rowing machine?
Tunturi R30, R6 726 — quiet enough for a flat.
The Tunturi R20 at R4 750. It is by some distance the cheapest genuine rowing machine we stock, and it does the fundamental job: a full-body low-impact stroke, quietly, in a home.
The Tunturi R30 at R6 726 is the step up and the one we recommend more often. A longer rail suits taller users, and the extra R1 976 buys build quality you will notice within a month. Both come from the Tunturi range.
The honest caveat for this bracket: magnetic resistance does not respond to how hard you pull, so a hard stroke feels the same as an easy one at a given setting. That is fine for general fitness and frustrating if you want to train to a pace.
Which rowing machine is best for a home gym?
Ar9 Air Rower, R14 996 — responsive resistance at a sensible price.
The Ar9 Air Rower at R14 996. Air resistance responds to your effort, which is what makes rowing engaging rather than repetitive, and it is the cheapest machine in the range that delivers it properly.
The R8 Air Rower Pro at R16 024 and the Force USA R3 at R18 256 are the alternatives. See the Force Fitness and Force USA ranges.
For app-connected training, the Yesoul R1m Plus at R14 138 is the connected pick from the Yesoul range. Our post on rowing machines for home use covers the home-specific considerations in detail.
What is the best rowing machine overall?
Concept2 RowErg with PM5, R19 706 — the machine everything else is compared to.
The Concept2 RowErg with PM5 at R19 706. It is the machine competitive rowing actually uses, which means its numbers are comparable with everyone else's and its parts will be available for decades.
That comparability is the underrated part. A split time on a Concept2 means the same thing in Gqeberha as it does in Cape Town or anywhere else, so online training programmes, challenges and benchmarks all work. On a proprietary machine your numbers only mean something to you.
The Air Rower RowErg at R19 706 is the same machine listed separately, and the Concept2 SkiErg at R20 075 is its upper-body sibling for conditioning work — see HIIT equipment.
Which is the best water rower?
The Apollo Plus Commercial Water Rower at R29 196, with the Neon Plus Fluid Rower at R21 864 as the more affordable option and the Athletic Water Rower 150RM at R16 065 as the entry point.
Water rowers are bought as much for the experience as the training. The sound of the paddles is genuinely pleasant rather than the aggressive whoosh of a fan, and many end up in living rooms because they look like furniture rather than gym equipment.
The practical trade-offs: they are heavier, the tank needs occasional water treatment, and they cannot be stored quite as flat as an air rower. None of those are dealbreakers, but they are worth knowing before you buy.
Which rowing machine suits a gym or studio?
The Concept2 RowErg at R19 706 or the DK Fitness RW22 Commercial at R26 360. Commercial rowers need to survive people who have never rowed before using terrible technique all day.
For conditioning studios, the Impulse HSR007 Ski & Row machine at R27 704 covers two stations in one footprint, which matters when floor space is the constraint. See the Impulse Fitness and DK Fitness ranges.
The Air Bike + Rower Essential HIIT package at R33 434 pairs a rower with an air bike for less than the two bought separately — a sensible start for a conditioning zone.
What should you check before buying?
Rail length against the tallest user, rider weight limit, storage footprint and noise. Rail length is the one that catches people out, and it cannot be fixed afterwards.
Rail length
A rower's rail has to accommodate your full leg drive. Anyone over about 1.85m should check the stated maximum user height before ordering, because a short rail means you run out of slide at the catch and never get a proper stroke.
Storage
Most rowers separate or stand upright for storage, which is one of the format's real advantages over a treadmill or bike. Check which type you are buying: standing upright needs about 2.2m of ceiling height.
Technique matters more than the machine
Rowing is legs first, then back, then arms — and the reverse on the recovery. Most people pull with their arms and back, which is why their lower back hurts and they stop. Spend twenty minutes learning the sequence before your first real session; it is the difference between a machine you keep and one you sell.
Which rowing machine should you buy?
- Smallest budget: Tunturi R20, R4 750
- Quiet home use: Tunturi R30, R6 726
- App-connected: Yesoul R1m Plus, R14 138
- Best value air rower: Ar9 Air Rower, R14 996
- The benchmark: Concept2 RowErg, R19 706
- Quiet and responsive: Sole SR550, R26 276
- Premium water: Apollo Plus, R29 196
Tell us your height, your budget and whether noise is a constraint, and we will tell you honestly which rower fits — including when the R4 750 machine is genuinely enough. We ship free anywhere in South Africa from Gqeberha. If you would rather try a rowing action before buying, look for a fitness showroom in your city; for buying online, reach out to us.
Browse rowing machines, the wider cardio range, HIIT equipment, or exercise bikes and treadmills for alternatives. For a full room, see home gear packages.