Rowing Machine NerdErgatta Rower: The Game-Based Water Rower, Reviewed
A full look at the Ergatta Rower - gamified, race-based training on a handcrafted water rower, the subscription, and how it compares to Hydrow, Peloton, and Concept2.
Ergatta is the connected rower for people who are motivated by competition rather than coaching. Instead of an instructor shouting encouragement, you get games, time-trials, and intensity-matched races that adapt to your fitness - all on a crisp screen mounted to a handcrafted wooden water rower. It's the rare connected machine that looks like a WaterRower and trains like a video game.
Like every connected rower, it pairs hardware with a subscription, and it asks you to enjoy self-driven, gamified workouts rather than live classes. Below is our full Ergatta review plus the head-to-heads that matter - against Hydrow's classes, Peloton's ecosystem, and the no-subscription Concept2.
Ergatta rowing machines we've reviewed
Ergatta Rower
Water rower · ~$2,199
Best for: Home exercisers who want an engaging, gamified water-rowing experience in a furniture-grade machine and don't mind paying premium hardware and subscription prices.
Read our full Ergatta Rower reviewGames and races, not classes
Ergatta's whole identity is its 'Game Center': pace-matched races against your past self or other rowers, intervals dressed up as challenges, and a progression system that keeps pulling you back. If leaderboards and PBs are what motivate you, it's brilliant. If you'd rather be told exactly what to do by a coach on screen, Hydrow or Peloton will suit you better - which is precisely what our comparisons dig into.
It's a water rower underneath
Strip away the screen and Ergatta is a wooden water rower in the WaterRower mould: smooth, quiet, self-scaling resistance and a frame you're happy to leave in the living room. That's a genuine advantage over the metal-and-plastic feel of some connected rivals - but it also means the same trade-off, with a subscription layered on top.
Ergatta comparisons
Cross-shopping? These head-to-heads pit Ergatta against the machines buyers weigh it against most.
The bottom line
Buy an Ergatta if you're driven by competition and self-paced challenges, you want a quiet water rower that looks good, and you'll use the games enough to justify the subscription.
If you want instructor-led classes instead, compare it with Hydrow and Peloton; if you'd rather skip the monthly fee entirely, our Ergatta-vs-Concept2 piece is the one to read.
Frequently asked questions
- What makes Ergatta different from Hydrow and Peloton?
- Ergatta replaces instructor-led classes with games, races, and self-paced challenges on a handcrafted water rower. Hydrow and Peloton centre on coached, studio-style classes. Choose Ergatta if competition motivates you more than coaching.
- Does the Ergatta need a subscription?
- Yes - the games, races, and adaptive workouts that define Ergatta run through its membership. Without it you keep a high-quality water rower but lose the software that's the main reason to buy one.
References
Still deciding between brands? See all rowing machine brands, our best rowing machine guides, or the full reviews library.