ALDI Rowing Machines

terribly poor quality – when trying to row , no air resistance, taken cover off ,there is no friction between the wheel pulley and the rowing handle strap, i guess now that it has not had much use will just become a pile of junk and there would be no warrantee Show details

Very good value – I am a masters competition rower and find it excelent to work out on during off periods. Set at top 8 on mine it best mimics the standard resistance of 100 for a Concept 2 workout for over 50s. Putting in a 20min workout at 27spm several times per week keeps my fitness up. The rail is long enough to accommodate all sizes and feet allow you to come up on your toes. Show details

Broke after 19 months – I was happy to buy a Crane Air Resistance Rower from Aldi for about $A350, as a Concept 2 is about $2000. It had 4 batteries, but I checked with the After Sales service as it only needed 2 and worked except for the pulse meter, as it was not clear how that got connected to me. It was relatively simple to assemble. It's travel is a bit short, so… Read more

if you reach forward you have to bend your arms, so when you pull back your arms are bent, which they are not supposed to be; bending your arms is the last element of a rowing stroke. But it was working OK for 19 months, with me using it 2-3 times a week for about half an hour, which is not a lot. But after 19 months the tape just came out and did not go back. I rang After Sales Service 1800 465 070, who said that as it was 7 months out of warranty, I had to find my own repairer. Not impressed really.

It is a excellent fitness machine – I have found the rower is a sturdy funktional piece of workmanship, and I’ve been now using it daily for more than 16 month without problems of any kind Show details

Great product. No issues at all – I've been using mine since purchased about 3 months ago on an almost daily basis. Haven't had any of the issues others have had. Works great, resistance is fine, I use mine up to level 5 sometimes. LCD display appears accurate and provides lots of information. All good for me. Show details

Great for the price! – I purchased the air resistance rower in June on a spur of the moment - I got carried away by all the other shoppers piling products into their trolleys! I had been looking for a reasonably priced piece of exercise equipment - and I am so pleased to have purchased this. For $349, it is a sturdy rower that is perfect for a beginner, and works you… Read more

hard. It has a wide seat, the handles have a good grip, the Velcro straps on the feet pads position you securely. The manual is helpful to assemble and gets you started, and the display is large and clear. It easily folds up to save storage, doesn't shake during use and is very comfortable. Comparing quality and size to other similar priced units on offer, I would recommend when they re-appear in Aldi.

Works but Faulty – Rower works but monitor screen doesn’t. Waited months to be told a part not available for replacement. Not impressed will never purchase a large item from Aldi again as warranty is worth nothing. Too large & heavy to return, since it’s already built- that’s the only offer. Sweet FA ! Show details

Clutch system can't handle torque – Bought the rower mainly because I've wanted a concept 2 for years... it was so cheap (discounted to $209) i grabbed it knowing it would be a little rough but after only 15 mins in and the clutch system breaks... now it slips exactly like others on this forum have stated. Strangely the spring tension on mine was way too light, opposite to others… Read more

but at least that could be adjusted.

Sadly, thought I might have had a bit of fun with this but unfortunately its a bit of a dud.

The resistance is WAY too strong. Need to open and adjust it – Bought second hand. The easiest setting is as hard as the hardest setting on most rowering machines. Per another comment here, I successfully opened it up and adjusted the tension and now it works fine. Good for $100 second hand. To fix the problem, take the plastic cover off. You will see a spring connecting to the felt strap. It’s way too… Read more

tight. I added a key ring in beteeen the spring and felt strap which have about an extra 1.5 cm of play and that is perfect. Frankly you could simply remove the felt strap as the fan alone is enough resistance. Pretty poor quality control by ALDI

Belt not working properly – I bought this rower in June 2020 and used it about 10 times. There was a big gap between when I used it recently and the time before that...maybe 6 months. After 5 minutes of use the belt malfunctioned and the beginning of the row comes off in spurts and is very rough. Anyone had this happen? Any way to fix it? I'm only 6 months out of warranty Show details

Great rower for the price – Purchased in June 2021. Assembly was easy with well written instructions. Seems to be well built. Smooth operation with no resistance issues as mentioned in earlier reviews. Overall satisfied with purchase. Show details

Still quite intense – The review is for the 2021 version purchased 26 June. The effort required to row is quite intense as compared to a Concept 2 air rower which I use at the gym. At its lowest setting the Aldi rower is as intense as a well used Concept 2. If you put the Aldi rower at 3 and above, the fan stops between strokes, there must be some sort of brake on the… Read more

fan which is set too high. I was looking for more resistance than the gym Concept 2s so its not such a bad thing, however my partner struggles using it and I am afraid she wont use it much because of the high resistance level.

Totally happy – This is the Jun 2021 Aldi Air rower for $349. Instructions for assembly are clear and easy to follow. Took me about an hour to assemble. Rowing action feels smooth and unit feels solid. There is the expected noise given that it's an air-resistance rower. Putting my phone running a sound meter right next to it the max level I could get was 84dB… Read more

most strokes are more about 75dB. Personally, in my small carpeted room the noise is pretty much a non-issue unless you're trying to talk on the phone while using it.

I've only had it a day and used it moderately but so far I'm very happy with it.

Great value rowing machine – During the set-up I noticed that the rower is quite well designed. The machine is very solid and stable. It worked first go and I am quite happy with the performance. The restistance settings work as intended and the rowing motion is smooth. If it lasts, it is definitely value for money.  Show details

2021 model tweaked? – Just bought in Melbourne VIC and it appears Crane may possibly have tweaked the design/setup - manual is a 2021 revision. In any case mine is smooth, quiet and solid. Resistance level is appropriately light on lowest settings. Fan vent does emit an air stream though obviously not particularly strong. Overall happy for price.

Sorry I spent the money – The machine was easy enough to put together . But the resistance settings don’t work . With the lowest setting having very very high resistance .. I have read various reviews encountering the same issue  Show details

Excellent workout machine – I'm not a professional but I found this rower just what I wanted. It is well designed, easy to use and provided the exercise I was looking for. I've only had it a few months but it seems very durable. Good instructions for assembly. The electronic monitoring takes a while to understand, as the instructions for using that are not so simple, but overall I recommend this model. Show details

Re roping after break – I’ve really enjoyed my rowing machine but also can’t access the product help number .i would like to know if anyone could help me to re rope the fly wheel

Definitely not a $1600RRP rival – I was so excited to purchase this rower as a cheap holdover until Concept stock returned to Australia. My opinion is that this rower is not fit for purpose. I'm not new to rowing - even on its lowest resistance this machine is a challenge to pull. When you manage to pull, it's not smooth at all. I've seen other reviews stating you can disassemble… Read more

part of it and manually adjust the resistance, but I'm not willing to go to that effort - it should function as sold.

I was incredibly disappointed with the quality of the materials. I expected the pull to be actual cabling, but instead it's made with cheap nylon like a backpack strap. There's no way that's going to last considering the amount of strain it's under.

I also found that the performance monitor was never correct. I could row for 20 minutes and it might only capture 10-15 strokes. Most of the expected performace monitor functionality didn't work.

Let's be real - it's not even close to Concept quality. To advertise this as a rival to other $1600RRP rowers is absolutely off the mark. At $350 I could probably accept the quality for the price if it actually worked, but it was just poor all around.

My local Aldi was incredible and happily processed a refund without any issues. Some people say its not worth the effort of disassembling it, but for me it absolutely was. There's no way I would continue to use that machine. Even if I managed to manually adjust the tension, it fails on so many other points.

Aldi Air Rower - not for cardio workout – Hi all, like many during the period when gyms were closed, I thought this would be a great purchase and lined up with others to get one. I consider myself to be reasonably fit and will usually row for 30 minutes (at a high cadence) at the gym on maximum setting in addition to other cardio exercises however on the Aldi rowing machine can barely… Read more

manage 5 minutes at warmup speed on the easiest setting. The problem is the tension is way too hard. I contacted the manufacturer who informed me that it is functioning as designed and the tension cannot be adjusted. I feel that the product is not really fit for purpose as a cardio exercise machine and would not recommend this to anyone. Using it is more like doing resistance exercise. No-one else in my family has the strength to use it. Just an update on this, since the manufacturer of the product was not helpful I contacted Aldi and they were super helpful in getting me a refund on this. Aldi’s service was great.

Dangerous – We returned the machinery Aldi, the tension was far to tight which made it almost to row. Muscles could be pulled from insertion in an attempt to achieve any sort of fitness Show details

Horrible machine – We were so excited when we bought this as we really enjoy rowing on the concept 2 machines in the gym. This is not even closely comparable. As mentioned by everyone else, the machine is sooo difficult to use even on the easiest setting. By the end of each stroke the momentum of the rower has completely stopped so every stroke is like a hard… Read more

start. Seat was damaged when we got it, and the console does not accurately measure pace or distance. It is so far off its a joke. We will be returning it.

Can you give it minus stars? – This is the worst purchase ever, cannot use it on 1. Contacting Aldi for a return is useless they dont get back to you, wish I had not got rid of the packaging. Show details

Absolute Waste of Money – Just as everyone else is saying; the tension control and computer do nothing. It is way too hard to pull and I also can't get past a minute or two. I am so upset with myself for loosing the receipt, or I would have returned it by now... I won't even sell it on Gumtree because I don't want anyone else to have to end up with this waste of money! I'm… Read more

going to attempt the spring adjustment and hope that there is some way to redeem this purchase.

Edit: the spring adjustment worked a treat; thank you to the brilliant person who shared this... I guess you get what you pay for, it's at least usable now.

False advertising. Not fit for purpose – As others have stated, this thing is not an air rower. The motion is unsatisfying and harsh. The only positive about the machine is the quality of thr seat and the rail. Everything else, including the computer, is a joke. The fact that it was billed as an air resistance rower, not to mention a 1600 dollar one, is hugely misleading. It is the first and last product I'll ever purchase from Aldi. Show details

Adequate after Spring Adjustment – I agree with pretty much everyone else. I am a relatively fit mid 30's guy who plays multiple sports a week and after the first few strokes I thought i was in for a weightlifting session. The "AIR RESTISTANCE" is a moderate lie. There is a fan blade there but the majority is essentially provided by a felt brake that is applied to the large wheel.… Read more

In essence, it does work like an air rower but a part of the negative force is by the applied felt brake. By stretching the spring out, it significantly removed the initial pressure of the rower.

Now, itll do the job I expected of it at a price point I was happy to pay. The overall construction quality appears to be quite sturdy. The measurement is next to useless but at the end of the day, I wasnt buying it for that. I just set a timer and go.

So I give it 3 stars based on the following caveats: You are okay to unscrew the fan compartment and lightly stretch the spring to make the initial resistance low enough to use. You dont really care about the onboard computer tracking much. You aren't expecting Concept2 quality and this rating is based on its quality at $350 price point.

I would still buy it knowing the above.

The ALDI Air Rower is the low water mark – There must be some low water mark below which a good rower cannot be made. The ALDI Air Rower *IS* the low water mark. And once the adjustment has been made (voiding the warranty, not recommended) it seems to be ok for me. But there is in truth so much wrong with this thing, I can not recommend it, yet, I will use mine a few times a week - as long… Read more

as my back holds out. With that said: 1. I don't think you can buy something better, for cheaper. For example, I've used the York R150, and it is much worse than the ALDI Air Rower. 2. The seat, the rowing travel distance, and the height of the pull-handle are all good. 3. It really isn't an air rower, as much as an aeroplane isn't a road vehicle. Yes there is type of fan wheel inside the box, but the resistance is from a felt-lined strap that goes around the wheel, not from the action of the wheel against the air. I'm pretty sure this thing would work the same way in a vacuum. It would more accurately be called a Felt Strap Friction Rower. 4. Without the dreaded, warranty-voiding and not recommended adjustment, the ALDI Air Rower is absolutely unusable. If you're not prepared to open the box, void the warranty, and make the adjustment, then just take it back as you will 100% be dissatisfied. Again, I don't recommend making the adjustment, it's up to you. But I did it, and it is a good compromise for me. 5. This does not feel like any gym rower I've ever used, and if you're hoping it is something like a bargain Concept 2, then you will be as disappointed as I was. It's more like an upmarket battle rope than a downmarket gym rower.

In favour, it looks pretty cool, you probably can't do better for the money, and if you don't end up injured you'll probably end up fitter. At least, I hope I do.

So hard to pull even on the lowest level! – I can’t believe how hard the resistance is on level one. There is no way I can pull this! This is rower number two, as I thought the first one had to be dodgy. Has to go back again, I will do physical damage to myself trying to workout with this machine. What a waste of time and standing in the line in the cold! Show details

Good value for the price (if you modify it) – Mostly in agreeance with the other reviewers. The default tension is really hard to row at the easiest setting. I was totally shattered after 1 minute and my back was sore after two. It was like it was a weight lifting machine. The tension was so strong, my partner was getting her butt pulled off the seat instead of pulling the handle back. … Read more

So based on the some of the other reviews, I pulled the rower protective screening off (about 10 screws) and was able to take the spring and stretch it out a little bit. Don't overstretch it :). It took about an hour and if you have the ability to assemble this device, you can do this as well.

Once it was back together, everything seems to be working as it should have been originally. Definitely annoying, but for the price, I did not think it was a big deal compared to a de-assemble/repackage/return.

Poor resistance and no meaningful distance indicator – I guess I was hoping for too much, but there is no way this is close to a $1600 machine (as it was promoted in the media). The resistance level is far too strong even at the lowest level, though this is substantially improved by removing the spring that is attached to the felt that is intended to provide resistance. With that spring removed it… Read more

does operate much better and still provides adequate resistance to give a good workout.

The other thing that really disappointed me is the distance indicator - it's useless, as it only measures movements made by the sliding seat, and not rotations of the fan. So you can do a 10 minute workout on at moderate to high pace, and still only cover 200 metres. On a better machine the distance covered should be much more than that.

In terms of positives, the seat is very comfortable, and the display screen and information it shows is very good, so I like that.

Piece of junk – What a waste of time, effort, hope and money. The machine is unusable as rowing machine- It just feels like you are pulling a really heavy rope. Very little rowing action going on. Very, Very annoying that I now have to dismantle it and lug it back to the store. What a shame Aldi don't test their products before they sell them. I bet they see a… Read more

90% returns rate on this piece of crap.

I love Aldi, so I am really upset how bad this whole expereince was.

Not great but usable if modified - an example of getting what you pay for – As excited as I was to purchase an air rower for $350 reality soon kicked in when I found the machine to be virtually unusable due to the abnormally high resistence setting. Keen to work out why this was I pulled apart the machine and found the resistence cable attached to a sping and removed it altogether, which made the resistence of the machine… Read more

actually feel like a proper rowing machine (ie. a Concept 2). Had I not discovered this I would have been returning this and demanding a refund as I would have payed money for a rowing machine that I would never use/couldn't use due to potential for back injuries.

Additionally the computer is super inaccurate - for example a 10 minute row at a moderate effort got me 100 metres on this machine... Anyway I found from playing around on it that the computer only measures the movement on the seat and doesn't gauge the amount of weight being pulled through the handle itself.

So if you are looking for a cheaper alternative to a Concept 2 rower- this is definitely not it!! If however you want a basic air rower that you can use to measure time and strokes per minute this will do the job and is probably worth the $350 price.