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Thanks to the best rowing machines, getting fit with a well-rounded full-body workout has never been easier. With each and every stroke using nine major muscle groups, rowing is a great way to get fit without putting excessive strain on any of your joints. Indoor rowing machines (also known as ergometers, or “ergs”) allow you to reap all the benefits of a rowing workout without ever needing to set foot in a boat. Great news for the aquaphobic.

Despite the wildly varying quality and prices of rowing machines, buying your first indoor rower needn't be a daunting prospect. To take the stress out of the experience, we've compiled a selection of the best rowing machines on the market, whether you're looking to save money or to buy the best rowing machine money can buy. If you want to learn which type of erg is best for your needs, you can read our buying guide below.

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There are four different types of rowing machine, using different types of resistance, but each has its pros and cons:

Feedback and data are important to making progress in your fitness, and almost all rowers come with an LCD display that lets you know how far you’ve rowed and how quickly, with others giving you more advanced metrics, too. If all you want is a rower to give you a quick exercise fix, there’s no need to go for a model that provides extensive workout data.

As with most things, though, the more you spend, the more features you normally get. Some rowing machines include a USB port you can use to export data from your workout, and some support ANT+/Bluetooth Smart, enabling you to connect to a range of devices, including smartphone apps and heart-rate monitors.

Longevity and toughness may seem like a strange requirement for an indoor machine, but extensive use can take its toll on a rowing machine so it’s worth considering how heavy-duty the unit is. Hydraulic pistons, for instance, can begin to wear out. The Concept2 flywheel, by comparison, is fairly bombproof and many units from 30 years ago (the infamous Model B) are still in use.

The realism of the resistance is also important for more than just competitive rowers. Hydraulic and magnetic resistance may look superficially the same, but the unique benefit of rowing exercise relies on resistance changing according to the speed of the stroke. A flywheel or water chamber can generate that type of resistance, meaning that your arms and body are offered a dynamic workout just as much as your quads, whereas cheaper systems cannot.

A final advantage of that flywheel system is consistency across machines. You can jump on a top-end air or water resistance machine in any gym or health club in the world and pick up where you left off from your home workout.

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Price: £230 | Buy now from Amazon

This is the perfect rowing machine for anyone just starting out on a fitness kick, who doesn’t want to spend a lot of money or commit a vast amount of space in their home to the rower. The JLL R200 offers 10 levels of magnetic resistance to keep challenging you as you get fitter, and folds up into a tall position that makes it possible to store it out of the way in a cupboard.

It’s also a fairly quiet machine, since it uses magnetic resistance instead of air, and it has a clear display that shows stats during your workouts. While even the highest level of resistance might not be enough of a challenge for experienced rowers, beginner and intermediate users will get plenty of action out of the R200.

Key specs – Dimensions in use: 180 x 52 x 49cm (LWH); Dimensions while stored: 71 x 52 x 127cm (LWH); Weight limit: 100kg; Ant/Bluetooth support: No; USB workout upload: No; Warranty: One year

Price: £250 | Buy now from Decathlon

The Essential 120 from Domyos, one of Decathlon’s in-house brands, is perhaps the next step up from the JLL R200 featured above. At £250, it’s also pretty budget-friendly, while its 4kg flywheel makes for a smooth rowing experience. The small multi-function console can provide you with a range of stats from distance covered to stroke rate and calorie expenditure, and it’s also got a tablet holder in case you fancy watching some Netflix while you row.

It’s not the most feature-packed rowing machine but, alongside the R200, the Essential 120 is a decent budget rower.

Key specs – Dimensions: 184 x 65 x 51.5cm (in use), 72 x 52 x 125cm (while stored); Ant/Bluetooth support: No; USB workout upload: No; Warranty: Two years (parts and labour), five years (frame), spare parts available for 10 years

Price: £860 | Buy now from Argos

The Concept2 Model D is used by everyone from at-home fitness aficionados to medal-winning Olympians, making it the best-selling rowing machine in the world. Crossfit games, World and National Indoor Rowing Championships and even Olympic rowing squad selections are all held on the Concept2 Model D or E. There’s a good reason behind it.

As well as its smooth action, comfy ergonomic handle, easily adjustable footrests and intuitive resistance settings, the Concept2’s Performance Monitor 5 (PM5) computer system offers simple metrics in an advanced and reliable way.

The Model D's PM5 with has a backlit LCD display. It gives you all the key metrics you need during a workout including distance, speed, calories, power curve efficiency and watts. Its USB flash drive port lets you export all your workouts to your computer, but for more advanced metrics and analysis, you can sync it to the ErgData smartphone app, which interfaces with Strava and TrainingPeaks. It'll work with both ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart heart-rate monitors, too.

At just over 2.4m, the Model D is a large machine, but the quick-release framelock mechanism means you can split the body and store the two halves upright. It lacks a few of the impressive finishing touches of Concept2’s flagship Model E, but the core functionality and physical experience is completely identical, making it tough for most consumers to justify the extra £200.

It’s popular for a reason, and worth every penny of the asking price if you’re very serious about building power and fitness.

Key specs – Dimensions in use: 244 x 61 x 63cm; Dimensions while stored: 63.5 x 83.8 x 137.2cm; Weight limit: 227kg; ANT+/Bluetooth support: Both; USB workout upload: Yes; Warranty: Two years

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Price: £495 | Buy now from JTX Fitness

For most people, the JTX Freedom Air Rower 2 will be the ideal pick for a home rower. Not only does it offer the quality of a gym-standard machine for less, but it’s also self-powered, so you can use it anywhere inside or outside your home without having to worry about finding a convenient plug socket.

The machine has eight levels of resistance that are provided by a combination of air and magnetic means. This allows you to set a level of magnetic resistance and then row against the air resistance, which provides a natural feel and increases the harder you pull. You can also set up workout targets on the console to help you keep pushing during your training sessions.

Key specs – Dimensions in use: 230 x 88 x 55cm; Dimensions while stored: 130 x 157 x 55cm; Weight limit: 135kg; Ant/Bluetooth support: Yes; USB workout upload: No; Warranty: Two years

Buy now from JTX Fitness

Price: £220 | Buy now from Sweatband

Whether you’re working out with music, in front of the TV or during unsociable hours, this Viavito machine is the one for you for the simple reason that it makes much less noise than other models. Of course, it’s not silent, but this magnetic resistance rower is one of the best for those seeking peace and quiet during their workout.

That's not its only appeal, either. Ten levels of magnetic resistance help you find the right intensity for your training, while its basic LCD screen lets you see important info such as distance, calories burned and stroke rate. The Viavito also boasts a handy fold-up design, although one downside is its lack of support for heart-rate monitors.

Key specs – Dimensions in use: 178 x 53 x 48cm; Dimensions while stored: 74 x 53 x 48cm; Weight limit: 120kg; Ant+/Bluetooth support: No; USB workout upload: No; Warranty: Two years

Price: £1,049 | Buy now from Argos

It’s simplistic to call this smart rower the Peloton of rowing machines, but that does quite neatly convey what it does. The rower links with the Echelon app, which you can view mid-row using a tablet mounted on the console, and that app is laden with live and on-demand instructor-led rowing workouts you can follow. There are more than 900 classes you can tackle on demand, plus a handful of live ones to join each day.

The classes are great for motivating you, especially when it comes to HIIT workouts, but if you're not in the mood for that you can also row on rivers in scenic locations through the Echelon app. You’ll also find non-rowing classes in the app, with options like yoga and meditation.

There are 32 levels of magnetic resistance on the machine, which you can change using buttons in the middle of the handle. It’s a great all-round package for people who want the extra motivation and camaraderie of classes during their rows, but you will be paying through the nose for it. The rower itself is very expensive, and you also have to pay £39.99 a month to get access to the Echelon app.

Key specs – Dimensions in use: 215 x 52 x 111cm; Dimensions while stored: 101 x 52 x 154cm; Weight limit: 135kg; ANT+/Bluetooth support: Bluetooth; Warranty: One year

Price: £1,049 | Buy now from John Lewis

If you want a rowing machine that marries expert performance with handcrafted design, this model from WaterRower could be the one for you. Made from solid ash and treated with Danish oil, you might recognise this machine as the one used by Frank Underwood in House of Cards. Its appeal isn’t just in the design, though – it performs like a high-end rower, too.

Thanks to the ingenious water-resistance flywheel, it’s the closest you'll get to real rowing without leaving the house. Like the Concept2, it has adjustable footrests and a nice grippy handle and, of course, there's the LCD display, which shows all the key metrics during your workout such as distance, stroke speed and watts.

The dolly wheels on the WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine are a nice touch, letting you easily wheel it away and store it vertically. Although the price tag is steep, the five-year frame and three-year parts warranty are testament to what a high-quality product you're getting.

Key specs – Dimensions in use: 209 x 57 x 51cm; Dimensions while stored: 51 x 57 x 207cm; Weight limit: 300kg; Ant+/Bluetooth support: ANT+; USB workout upload: No; Warranty: Three years parts, five years frame

Price: £3,900 | Buy now from TechnoGym

TechnoGym is a very new player in the world of rowing machines, but it is extremely eager to challenge the throne of Concept2.

With Bluetooth and ANT+ compatibility, the SkillRow can link up to a smartphone app and any third-party heart-rate monitors. The accompanying SkillRow app offers long-term form analysis, as well as multi-player interactivity and virtual race simulation. Like interactive spin classes, users can access structured group sessions, too.

The machine isn’t just geared solely to competitive rowers, though. It has simple adjustability that lets you switch resistance from a rowing simulation to a high-resistance power development setting. The SkillRow offers interactive coaching for rowing technique, too, because even the best machine is only as good as the user’s ability to use proper technique and maximise the workout.

For now, there’s no doubt that it’s a little too expensive for most users, but this is the first brand to really challenge the status quo and try to take indoor rowing to the next level.

Key specs – Dimensions in use: 244 x 63 x 128cm; Weight limit: 160kg; Ant+/Bluetooth support: Yes; Warranty: One year

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