Rowing Machine NerdEchelon Smart Row vs Hydrow: Budget or Premium Connected?
Both of these put a big touchscreen and instructor-led classes on a quiet rower, but at opposite ends of the price range: the Echelon Smart Row often around $800, the full-size Hydrow around $2,195. That's a huge gap, and both then charge a monthly membership. The question is whether Hydrow's premium experience is worth roughly two and a half times the price.
Here's how the budget option stacks up against the premium benchmark of connected rowing.
Verdict: The smarter value for most - unless Hydrow's premium polish and content are the draw.
Echelon Smart Row vs Hydrow Rower: at a glance
| Echelon Smart Row | Hydrow Rower | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 3.4/5 | 3.8/5 |
| Price | ~$800-$1,900 | ~$2,195 |
| Resistance | Magnetic, 32 electronic levels | Electromagnetic (computer-controlled, adjustable 50-300) |
| Monitor / screen | 22" HD swivel touchscreen (Row-S); device holder on base Row | 22" Full HD (1920x1080) pivoting touchscreen |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, Echelon Fit app | ANT+ and Bluetooth (heart rate and audio); Wi-Fi required |
| Max user weight | 300-350 lbs (varies by source) | 375 lbs |
| Footprint / size | Approx. 84-85" L x 21-24" W x 45" H | 86"L x 25"W x 47"H |
| Storage | Folds for storage | Upright storage with separately purchased wall kit |
| Warranty | 1-2 yr standard; up to 5 yr with Premier membership | 5 years frame / 1 year monitor & labor |
Full Echelon Smart Row review Full Hydrow Rower review
Experience and content
The Hydrow's strength is polish: a beautifully produced library of filmed, instructor-led rows on a large 22-inch pivoting screen, with near-silent electromagnetic resistance. It feels premium, and the content quality is a genuine step above.
The Echelon Smart Row delivers the same basic idea - a 22-inch swiveling touchscreen and Echelon's class library over quiet magnetic resistance - at a fraction of the price. The production and feel aren't as refined, and the magnetic resistance is flatter, but the core screen-and-classes experience is there for far less.
Build, storage and feel
The Hydrow is the more substantial machine, with a heavier, sturdier build and smoother electromagnetic resistance. The Echelon's plastic shrouding undercuts its frame a little, but it has one big practical advantage: it folds for storage, where the Hydrow doesn't (and needs a separately purchased wall kit for upright storage).
For a tight apartment, the Echelon's folding frame and lower price are a strong combination. For a dedicated space where build quality and feel matter, the Hydrow is the nicer machine to use.
Price and the subscription math
Both depend on a membership (Echelon around $40/month, Hydrow around $50/month), so the ongoing costs are in the same ballpark - it's the upfront gap that decides it. The Echelon saves you well over a thousand dollars to get into connected rowing.
If you want the connected experience and budget matters, that saving is hard to argue with. If you specifically want Hydrow's superior content and premium feel and can afford it, the extra buys a genuinely nicer product - but it's a big premium for what is, fundamentally, the same screen-and-classes concept.
Choose the Echelon Smart Row if…
- You want connected, class-based rowing for far less money
- A folding frame for a tight space is important
- You'll use the membership and don't need premium production
- You want the lowest-cost way into the connected experience
Choose the Hydrow Rower if…
- You want the most polished, premium instructor-led content
- Smoother electromagnetic resistance and a sturdier build matter
- You have a dedicated space and budget for a premium machine
- Production quality and the larger pivoting screen are worth the premium
Our verdict
For most buyers, the Echelon Smart Row is the smarter value - it delivers the core connected, class-based experience and folds for storage, for well over a thousand dollars less up front, with a similar monthly fee. If you want a screen and classes without premium spending, it's the sensible pick.
The full-size Hydrow is worth its premium if you specifically want the best-in-class content, the smoother feel, and the more substantial build, and you have the budget and space. Just know you're paying a lot more for a refined version of the same fundamental idea. For many, the Hydrow Wave splits the difference better than either of these.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Echelon Smart Row or Hydrow better?
- The Hydrow is the more premium machine - better content, smoother resistance, sturdier build. But the Echelon Smart Row offers the same core screen-and-classes experience and folds for storage at well under half the price, making it the better value for most buyers.
- Does the Echelon Smart Row fold and the Hydrow doesn't?
- Correct. The Echelon Smart Row folds for storage, an advantage in tight spaces. The full-size Hydrow doesn't fold and needs a separately purchased wall kit for upright storage.
- Do both need a subscription?
- Yes - both rely on a membership to unlock their classes (Echelon around $40/month, Hydrow around $50/month). The ongoing costs are similar, so the main difference is the large upfront price gap.
Jordan Lockwood (BSc, CPT)
Certified personal trainer (CPT), sports-science graduate, and lifelong rower. Jordan writes and reviews every guide on Rowing Machine Nerd.