The Ergatta Luxe Water Rower delivers a smooth, full-body blend of cardio and strength training, even if its premium design comes with a price tag that's harder to justify.
I like rowing. Specifically, I like canoeing and kayaking, but I don't hate rowing on an indoor rowing machine.
This is especially when its a water rower.
Water rowing machines have a way of making even a quick workout highly effective. They deliver a low-impact routine that's friendly on joints while still waking up your whole body.
The magic is in the resistance: every pull demands coordinated effort from your legs, core, and back. That means you're not just gliding along — you're building strength with every stroke.
At the same time, your heart rate climbs in a steady, sustainable way that makes cardio feel less like a chore and more like a flow state. It's a rare machine that can blend strength training and aerobic conditioning this naturally.
That's the big reason I wanted to showcase one of the water rowers I've had the pleasure of using. Here's what I got out of my time with the Ergatta Water Rower.
Ergatta Luxe Water Rower review: Design
The Luxe Rower is a big machine, about the length of a full-size couch. Storing it upright is possible, but it's more like trying to balance a couch on end than a casual storage solution.
If you're going to grab it, I suggest trying to find a dedicated space for it. I have a "spare room" in my upstairs where it fits well enough.
Ergatta Luxe Water Rower review: The screen folds flat for better storage
It weighs around 105 pounds when filled, which is lighter than it looks but still a lot. The built-in wheels help, yet moving it around is more of an "occasional relocation" than a daily shuffle.
I personally couldn't store it upright pretty much anywhere in my house. But again, it's 86" tall, which is a big ask of most spaces.
The frame feels solid and stable, supporting users up to 500 pounds and 6'8. The water resistance system delivers a smooth, satisfying pull.
For anyone who has used an indoor rower, you might be aware of the two most common foot positions offered. One puts your feet directly in front of you above the track, while the other puts your feet a bit lower on either side of the track.
The Ergatta, like a lot of water rowers, falls into the former category. If you're a bigger user — and I am — this can make it a little more difficult to do a "complete row."
Ergatta Luxe Water Rower review: The Luxe puts your feet in a straight-forward position.
At the apex of your stroke, when you're fully stretched, it's not too bad. However, at the beginning — or the end, I guess — you'll have your thighs jammed up against your midsection.
Or, if you're busty, crammed uncomfortably against your chest.
This isn't a flaw of the machine, for the record. But it is something to take into consideration.
Rowing coaches on YouTube point out that rowing can be a bit uncomfortable for overweight folks at the beginning. However, you can modify your strokes to be three-quarters, half, or even one-quarter strokes.
While you won't be getting the same deep stretch through your hip flexors, you'll still be getting a fantastic cardio workout. Just be sure you focus on your form, lest you wind up giving yourself some lasting back pain.
Ergatta delivered mine fully assembled, so I didn't touch a single screw. They include a siphon for changing the tank water, which is a thoughtful, practical touch.
Ergatta Luxe Water Rower review: Bigger isn't always better
Circling back to size concerns: if you're hard up for space, that doesn't mean you need to go without a rower, either. Ergatta actually offers a smaller model, the Ergatta Lite, which I wholeheartedly endorse over the one I received.
The Ergatta Lite supports users up to 6'4 and 320 pounds. It also only weighs 72lbs with the water.
It's not that much smaller, only 4" shorter than its larger sibling. However, it's a full 30 pounds lighter, which means that it is a bit easier to roll away if needed.
As always, the choice is yours. The only major trade-off is that the Ergatta Lite isn't compatible with the high-rise kit.
Ergatta Rower review: Row, row, row your boat
If you've never rowed before, I suggest hitting your local gym and giving it the ol' college try. Especially before you dedicate this much money to a rower.
A rower isn't what I'd call a "starter machine," but I wouldn't call it beginner-unfriendly either. It's just got a bit of a steeper learning curve than something like a treadmill, a stationary bike, or an elliptical.
This is largely because rowing doesn't emulate too many of the motions you do day-to-day. And that's a big part of why it's so good for you.
Ergatta Luxe Water Rower review: The paddles move through the water tank and provide tension
Rowing is a full-body exercise. It works your arms, back, legs, chest, and core — nearly 86% of your body's muscles are engaged at some point during a rowing session.
It also combines cardio with resistance training. This is great for me, personally, because I like weight lifting but tend to balk at most types of cardio.
And the best part is that it's so low-impact that it's nearly no-impact. This is great for those of us who aren't looking to put undue stress on our ankles and knees.
Ergatta Luxe Water Rower review: Water versus magnetic tension
The biggest reason I was interested in the Ergatta Rower lineup is because they're water rowers. I know from my time at the gym that I tend to prefer water rowers over magnetic-tension rowers, but it does come down to personal preference.
I like the fact that it feels a lot like rowing an actual watercraft. If you row gently, the resistance is pretty minimal; row hard, and you'll find that the water fights you.
This is highly preferable to me, personally. There are no dials to fiddle with when going from warmup to workout or during a HIIT session — it's all controlled by your personal effort.
Ergatta Luxe Water Rower review: The water drum
Another major benefit of water rowers is the way they sound. I absolutely adore the sound of the paddle sloshing the water around the tank when I row.
It's also quiet. So I get to enjoy the sound of water sloshing around at 6:30 am, while anyone sleeping in my house isn't disturbed by loud whirring.
Ergatta Luxe Water Rower review: Ergatta as a service
Like every one of these home fitness machines, Ergatta also has a proprietary subscription service that goes along with its devices.
I hate proprietary subscription services.
It's not cheap, either. Ergatta expects you to dish out more than $40 per month after fees and taxes.
Forty. Four-zero. Or another way of saying it: nearly $500 a year, or 25% of this machine's price tag — per year, every year.
Ergatta points out that you can purchase an annual membership for about $390 per year, though that's before fees and taxes. While that's a substantial savings over the $480 going month-to-month, it's not exactly a huge savings.
A Planet Fitness membership starts at $15 a month. If you really want to feel bougie, you can upgrade to a $25 per month package, which includes spa services like tanning, massage chairs, hydromassage, and Total Body Enhancement services.
And Planet Fitness has two kinds of rowing machines — water rowers and magnetic rowers — you can use. All under the umbrella of $348.88 per year.
"So what is included in Ergatta's eye-wateringly high price tag," you may be asking. And I'm here to tell you.
Ergatta has made a pretty decent service. There are these pretty, picturesque videos you can throw on the screen while you row.
There are also some great lessons for anyone new. There are even games that you can play to help you improve your cadence, your stamina, and your speed.
I think the games are the biggest draw. There's essentially Flappy Bird and Guitar Hero on deck, and they are extremely fun — I hate interval training, but I love the gamified version.
Ergatta Luxe Water Rower review: Interval training via games is extremely fun.
Perhaps the most exciting part is that you can enter into Ergatta-tracked tournaments. If you're competitive, I could see this being a huge draw.
I'm not sure if I'd consider it worth the $390-$480 per year price tag. But they are nice.
And to answer the question before it's asked: yes, you can still use the Ergatta Rower without a subscription. No part of the hardware is locked whenever you let your subscription lapse.
You'll lose access to the scenic row videos, the games, and the tournaments. You won't be able to take classes, do guided workouts, or receive recommendations.
But you still have a "Just Row" mode, access to the iOS and Android apps, workout data, music stations, and even Strava Integration.
If you're just into rowing, it might be worth it to let your subscription lapse and just get an Apple Fitness+ membership. It'd give you more workout options and would only clock in at $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year.
Ergatta Rower review: Disappointing Apple Watch integration
I'm going to be very upfront about this: Ergatta pitches its machines as having Apple Health integration. In fact, it almost makes it seem like the rower is a supplemental device to the Apple Watch.
I didn't find this to be the case.
It was difficult to pair the watch, and when I did, it really only sort of worked as a heart rate monitor. It didn't record my workout to the Apple Watch itself, which would be the entire reason I'd like to pair it in the first place.
Ergatta Luxe Water Rower review: I wasn't terribly impressed with the Apple Health integration, but I also don't live and die by my Apple Watch. Your milage may vary.
I do not, however, consider this to be a dealbreaker. The Apple Watch already tracks rowing metrics, so you can simply start a rowing workout before rowing.
Sure, you won't be able to see your heart rate on the monitor, but it's not the end of the world. It doesn't take much to glance down at your wrist mid-workout and see if you're on target.
Ergatta Luxe Water Rower review: an aesthetic, if not expensive, option
I love the Ergatta Rower. I use it multiple times a week.
I think it looks gorgeous, it moves easily when needed, and it gives me a solid workout. The quietness of it makes it perfect for "off-hours" use, when others in the house may be sleeping.
That does not offset the price tag. This is an extremely expensive machine.
If you care about aesthetics, already know you love rowing, and you've got the money to burn, I would highly suggest that you check out Ergatta. This is truly a fantastic machine.
If you're new to rowing, aren't too concerned with what your machine looks like, or are on a tighter budget, I would very strongly suggest looking elsewhere.
It's a good rower. It's a damn good rower, but $2,499 is a big ask in a time when everything else is getting more expensive by the day.
Ergatta Luxe Water Rower review: Pros
- Gorgeous hardwood design
- Fun games and rowing environments
- Feels very high end
- Feels similar to real-world watercraft rowing
- Water resistance system is quieter than magnetic resistance systems
Ergatta Luxe Water Rower review: Cons
- Proprietary software subscription
- High price tag compared to other rowers
- Takes up a substantial amount of floor space
- Unreliable Apple Watch integration
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Important: Many times, it's difficult to assign a simple star rating to a product like this. So much of it comes down to personal preference. The Ergatta Luxe is a fantastic product — it's just an expensive one.
I wish the subscription was cheaper — they've made fantastic software, which isn't always the case with exercise equipment. I love the fact that there are competitions you can enter, games you can play, free rows, and more.
If you don't factor in the recurrent cost, this product would be an easy recommendation. However, in 2025, when everything is getting more expensive, it's hard to recommend something at this price, with a hefty subscription fee on top of it.
Where to buy
You can pick up an Ergatta Rower from Ergatta's website. Normally it sells for $2,499, but the current holiday sale knocks off an additional $500, dropping the price to $1,999.
