Rowing Machine NerdXebex Air Rower vs Concept2: Is the Cheaper Erg Worth It?
If you've decided you want an air rower - the type serious trainers prefer for its effort-scaling resistance - these two are the obvious cross-shop. The Xebex Air Rower comes in around $749, the Concept2 Model D around $990. That few-hundred-dollar gap is the whole question: is the Concept2 worth the stretch, or is the Xebex enough?
Both are heavy, steel-built air rowers rated to a 500 lb user weight with 10-position dampers, so the fundamentals are genuinely similar. The differences are in data, longevity, and the things you only notice over years of ownership.
Verdict: Worth the stretch for most - but the Xebex is a genuine value alternative.
Xebex Air Rower vs Concept2 Model D: at a glance
| Xebex Air Rower | Concept2 Model D | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 3.7/5 | 4.8/5 |
| Price | ~$749 | ~$990 |
| Resistance | Air (flywheel) with 10-setting spiral damper | Air (spiral damper, 10 settings) |
| Monitor / screen | LCD console tracking time, 500m split, watts, distance, SPM, calories, total strokes, pulse (with HR strap) | PM5 (backlit; Bluetooth & ANT+; USB) |
| Connectivity | None on standard 2.0; Smart Connect variant adds Bluetooth FTMS and ANT+ FE-C | ErgData + 40+ compatible apps |
| Max user weight | 500 lb | 500 lb (227 kg) |
| Footprint / size | Approx. 7'3" (front-to-rear) x 20" wide; ~8'4" fan-to-rail | 96" × 24" (244 × 61 cm) |
| Storage | Folds in half (2.0) and rolls on wheels | Separates into two parts; front casters |
| Warranty | 5-year frame, 2-year parts/console | 5-yr frame / 2-yr parts & monitor |
Full Xebex Air Rower review Full Concept2 Model D review
Feel and core experience: closer than the price suggests
On the basics, the Xebex holds up well. It's a sturdy steel frame with smooth air resistance and a 10-setting damper, delivering the effort-scaling feel that makes air rowers worth buying. For steady-state and interval work, a lot of rowers will be perfectly happy with how it rows - this is not a cheap magnetic machine pretending to be an erg.
The Concept2's flywheel is a touch more refined and its handle and chain feel a notch more dialled-in, but in pure rowing feel the gap is smaller than the brand difference implies. If feel were the only factor, the Xebex would be a tougher call.
Data and ecosystem: Concept2's decisive lead
Here the Concept2 pulls clearly ahead. The PM5 is the worldwide testing and racing standard, so your splits are directly comparable to any other Concept2 rower anywhere, and it plugs into a huge open ecosystem of free and paid apps. The Xebex's console uses proprietary formulas, which makes its numbers hard to compare against that global standard, and the standard 2.0 model has no Bluetooth at all (the Smart Connect variant adds it).
If you want data you can trust, benchmark, and take into races or online challenges, that's a real reason to choose the Concept2. If you just want to see your own effort and progress on a single machine, the Xebex's console does that fine.
Durability, storage and resale
Both are built to last, but the Concept2's durability is legendary - units from the 1990s are still logging meters, and resale value holds at 75-85% of new. That resale strength is the hidden killer of the price argument: the Concept2's higher sticker is partly recoverable, while the Xebex depreciates more, so the true cost gap over time is smaller than $240.
The Xebex's practical edge is storage: the 2.0 folds in half and rolls on wheels, which is genuinely useful in a tight space, where the Concept2 only separates into two pieces. The Xebex is also heavier to move at 95 lb versus 57 lb. So the Xebex wins on folding, the Concept2 wins on weight and long-term value.
Choose the Xebex Air Rower if…
- You want real air-rower performance for a few hundred dollars less
- A fold-in-half frame for tight storage is valuable to you
- You only need your own data on one machine, not global benchmarks
- You're building a budget garage gym and want a sturdy, high-capacity rower
Choose the Concept2 Model D if…
- You want gold-standard, globally comparable PM5 data
- You value legendary durability and class-leading resale value
- You want the open ecosystem of free and paid apps
- You see this as a buy-for-life purchase and want the benchmark
Our verdict
For most buyers, the Concept2 Model D is worth the stretch. The extra few hundred dollars buys you the world's data standard, an open app ecosystem, legendary durability, and resale value that quietly shrinks the real price gap - it's the safer buy-for-life choice and our overall top pick.
But the Xebex is a genuine value alternative, not a compromise to talk you out of. If your budget is firm, you want a fold-away air rower for a tight space, and you don't need globally comparable data, it delivers real air-rowing performance and a 500 lb-rated steel frame for less. It's the rare budget pick we're comfortable recommending against the benchmark.
References
- Understanding Splits - Concept2
- What Damper Setting and Drag Factor to Use on the Concept2 RowErg - Concept2
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Xebex Air Rower as good as a Concept2?
- Close on core rowing feel and build, but the Concept2 leads on data (its PM5 is the global standard, the Xebex's console is proprietary), durability, and resale value. The Xebex is a genuine value alternative; the Concept2 is the better buy-for-life machine.
- Is the Concept2 worth the extra money over the Xebex?
- For most people, yes - you get globally comparable data, an open app ecosystem, legendary longevity, and strong resale value that shrinks the real price gap. Choose the Xebex mainly if your budget is firm or you want its fold-in-half storage.
- Does the Xebex Air Rower fold up?
- Yes - the Xebex 2.0 folds in half and rolls on wheels for storage, which is an advantage over the Concept2, which only separates into two pieces. The Xebex is heavier to move, though, at around 95 lb versus the Concept2's 57 lb.
Jordan Lockwood (BSc, CPT)
Certified personal trainer (CPT), sports-science graduate, and lifelong rower. Jordan writes and reviews every guide on Rowing Machine Nerd.