Rowing Machine NerdPeloton Row vs Concept2: Premium Classes or the Benchmark Erg?
This is one of the starkest matchups in rowing: the Peloton Row, a premium connected machine at around $3,295 plus subscription, against the Concept2 Model D, the benchmark erg at around $990 with no required fees. You could buy three Concept2s for the price of one Peloton Row and its first year of membership. So the Peloton has to justify a lot - here's whether it does.
As with all connected-versus-erg decisions, this comes down to one question: do you need a coach and a screen, or do you just need a great rowing machine?
Verdict: Far better value and a better workout - unless coached classes are essential to you.
Peloton Row vs Concept2 Model D: at a glance
| Peloton Row | Concept2 Model D | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 3.8/5 | 4.8/5 |
| Price | ~$3,295 | ~$990 |
| Resistance | Electronically controlled magnetic resistance | Air (spiral damper, 10 settings) |
| Monitor / screen | 23.8" HD swiveling touchscreen (front and rear speakers) | PM5 (backlit; Bluetooth & ANT+; USB) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ANT+ | ErgData + 40+ compatible apps |
| Max user weight | 300 lbs | 500 lb (227 kg) |
| Footprint / size | 94" L x 24" W | 96" × 24" (244 × 61 cm) |
| Storage | Does not fold; vertical storage via separate wall anchor (8' ceiling) | Separates into two parts; front casters |
| Warranty | 5-year frame; 12 months parts and labor / touchscreen | 5-yr frame / 2-yr parts & monitor |
Full Peloton Row review Full Concept2 Model D review
What the Peloton's premium buys
The Peloton Row's case rests on its guided experience. The standout is Form Assist - real-time stroke tracking that helps correct your technique, which is genuinely valuable for beginners who'd otherwise build bad habits. Add Peloton's famously polished instructor-led classes on a big 23.8-inch swiveling touchscreen, quiet auto-adjusting magnetic resistance, and included delivery and setup, and it's a refined, beginner-friendly package.
If you're someone who'll only train with a coach on a screen pushing you - and who values having your form watched - that experience is the whole point, and the Concept2 can't replicate it out of the box.
What the Concept2 does better
Almost everything else. The Concept2's air resistance scales infinitely and responds instantly, giving a better, more honest feel than the Peloton's simulated magnetic resistance, which a fit rower can eventually find flat. Its PM5 is the world's data standard, so your splits are comparable anywhere - the Peloton's numbers are proprietary. And it's built to run a decade-plus and hold 75-85% of its resale value, where the Peloton carries a relatively short parts and labour warranty for its price.
The Concept2 also takes a far higher user weight (500 lb vs 300 lb) and, if you ever want classes or scenic rowing, you can add third-party apps to the PM5 later. It does almost everything the serious rower needs better, for a third of the price.
The cost reality
The gap is enormous and ongoing. The Peloton Row costs around $3,295 up front and then roughly $44/month for the membership that unlocks its content - so the real first-year cost is well over $3,800. The Concept2 is about $990, with a free app and logbook and no recurring fees ever, and you can recover most of its cost on resale.
Put bluntly: the Peloton's lifetime cost can run three to four times the Concept2's, and most of that premium pays for the coaching and content rather than a better workout. That's only worth it if that content is genuinely what keeps you rowing.
Choose the Peloton Row if…
- You'll only train with instructor-led classes and a big screen
- Real-time Form Assist coaching is valuable to you, especially as a beginner
- You want Peloton's class ecosystem, delivery, and setup included
- The ongoing cost isn't a concern relative to staying motivated
Choose the Concept2 Model D if…
- You want the best feel, data, and infinite air resistance
- You want to pay roughly a third of the price and no subscription
- You value durability, resale value, and a 500 lb capacity
- You're self-directed, or happy to add apps to the PM5 later
Our verdict
For the vast majority of buyers, the Concept2 Model D is the obvious choice: a better workout, better data, better durability, and a 500 lb capacity, for roughly a third of the Peloton Row's all-in cost and with no subscription. It's our overall top pick, and against a machine costing three to four times as much over its life, the value case is overwhelming.
The Peloton Row is justifiable for one buyer: someone who genuinely will not row without coached classes and a big screen, and who'll benefit from Form Assist watching their technique - often a nervous beginner. If that describes you and the budget is comfortable, it's a polished machine that may keep you consistent. For everyone else, the Concept2 wins decisively on both performance and value.
References
- Understanding Splits - Concept2
- What Damper Setting and Drag Factor to Use on the Concept2 RowErg - Concept2
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Peloton Row or Concept2 better?
- The Concept2 Model D is better for feel, data, durability, capacity, and value - at roughly a third of the all-in cost and with no subscription. The Peloton Row is better only if you need instructor-led classes and real-time Form Assist coaching to stay motivated, which can suit beginners.
- Is the Peloton Row worth it over a Concept2?
- Only if its coached classes and Form Assist are what will keep you rowing. You're paying three to four times more over the machine's life, and most of that premium buys content and coaching rather than a better workout. Self-directed rowers get far more for their money from the Concept2.
- Can the Concept2 do classes like the Peloton Row?
- Not built in, and it has no form-coaching feature like Form Assist. But you can connect third-party apps (Kinomap, EXR, Zwift) to the PM5 via Bluetooth for scenic or gamified rowing. There's no Peloton-style live instructor library or stroke tracking, though.
Jordan Lockwood (BSc, CPT)
Certified personal trainer (CPT), sports-science graduate, and lifelong rower. Jordan writes and reviews every guide on Rowing Machine Nerd.