Rowing Machine NerdSunny Health & Fitness Elite Wave Review
Air + magnetic rower · ~$530
Sunny Health & Fitness Elite Wave (Hydro + Dual Resistance, SF-RW522017)
A hybrid water-plus-magnetic rower with 16 resistance levels, a full-metric console and app support, let down by a short parts warranty.
The Sunny Health & Fitness Elite Wave, sold under the model number SF-RW522017 and branded by the manufacturer as the Hydro + Dual Resistance Smart Magnetic Water Rowing Machine, sits in an unusual spot in Sunny's lineup. Rather than relying on water alone for resistance, it pairs an angled water tank fitted with 16 hydro blades with a magnetic brake, giving 16 selectable resistance levels on top of the natural dynamic feel of moving water. At a street price around $530, it is pitched at buyers who want the splashy aesthetic and smooth catch of a water rower but also want to dial in difficulty without changing the water level.
It competes in a crowded middle tier where shoppers are weighing it against pure water rowers, budget magnetic units, and the genre-defining Concept2 RowErg. The Elite Wave's case rests on versatility and a relatively complete feature set: a metric-rich console, Bluetooth, the SunnyFit app, a foldable frame, and a long slide rail. Whether that adds up depends on how much you value the hybrid resistance and connected features versus the long-term durability and resale strength of more established machines.
Specifications at a glance
| Resistance type | Dual water + magnetic (angled tank with 16 hydro blades), 16 selectable levels |
|---|---|
| Monitor | LCD console: time, 500m split, distance, calories, SPM, strokes, total strokes, watts, pulse (HR-compatible), scan |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth; SunnyFit app with 1,000+ workouts and 15 racing programs |
| Assembled dimensions | 76.8 x 18.9 x 36.6 in (L x W x H) |
| Folded dimensions | 36.6 x 18.9 x 76.8 in (stands vertically) |
| Machine weight | 76.7 lb |
| Max user weight | 265 lb |
| Slide rail length | 48.8 in (44.1 in inseam) |
| Seat height | 14.2-15.4 in |
| Storage | Foldable with transport wheels and floor stabilizers |
| Warranty | 3 years frame, 180 days parts and components |
| Price | ~$530 (MSRP ~$714) |
Pros
- Dual water + magnetic resistance with 16 selectable levels offers more adjustability than a pure water rower
- Full data set on the LCD console, including watts and a 500m split, plus Bluetooth and the SunnyFit app
- Folds and stands vertically with transport wheels, so it stores in a modest footprint
- Long 48.8-inch slide rail and adjustable seat accommodate taller users
- Reasonable price for a connected hybrid water rower
Cons
- Only a 180-day warranty on parts and components, short for the price point
- 265 lb user weight capacity is modest compared with premium rowers
- Water tank adds maintenance (purification tablets, occasional refills)
- Console and app are functional but less polished than Concept2's PM5 or premium connected platforms
Best for: Home users who want the look and ambient feel of a water rower with the added control of selectable magnetic resistance, at a mid-range price.
What the dual resistance actually buys you
The headline feature here is genuinely unusual at this price: a water tank and a magnetic brake working at the same time, with 16 selectable levels layered on top. On a pure water rower the only way to change resistance is to row harder or add water to the tank, so the feel is self-selecting and gets heavy fast. The magnetic element on the Elite Wave decouples the baseline drag from your stroke rate, which means a lighter setting genuinely stays lighter for steady-state cardio, and a higher setting front-loads the catch the way an erg does. That adjustability is the real argument for this machine over a conventional water rower.
In practice the hybrid feel is a compromise rather than a best-of-both outcome. You get the calming whoosh and the visual appeal of moving water, plus a smoother, quieter and more linear pull than water alone delivers. But the dynamic, self-amplifying surge that water-rower devotees love is partly tamed by the magnets, and the top of the resistance range is more about challenging a recreational rower for sprints than satisfying someone who trains hard. If you specifically want the unfiltered water-rower experience, a dedicated tank rower will feel more alive.
Console and SunnyFit ecosystem
The LCD is a real strength relative to budget Sunny rowers, several of which notoriously omit distance entirely. This one shows the full set that matters: time, distance, stroke rate, calories, watts and a 500m split, which is the single metric serious rowers actually pace by. That alone separates it from cheaper magnetic Sunny models and makes structured interval work possible without guesswork.
The Bluetooth link to the SunnyFit app is where Sunny is clearly chasing the connected-rower crowd, with a library of trainer-led and scenic rowing sessions and the ability to track progress over time. It is a sensible value-add, especially because there is no mandatory subscription locking the hardware behind a paywall the way some connected platforms do. Just keep expectations calibrated: the on-board screen is a basic LCD, not a tablet, and the app and console are functional rather than polished. This is not a Concept2 PM5 for data fidelity, nor a Hydrow for production value. It is a decent free app bolted to a capable monitor.
Build, comfort and living with the water tank
The 48.8-inch slide rail is the standout practical spec, comfortably accommodating taller users up to roughly 6 feet 8 inches, where many compact rowers cramp anyone over six feet. It folds and stands vertically on transport wheels, so despite a long footprint in use it tucks into a corner when stored. Assembly is reported as straightforward, around 30 to 40 minutes with included tools, and the frame feels sturdy through normal stroke rates.
Two ownership realities temper this. First, the 265 lb user weight capacity is modest and is a hard line, not a guideline, so larger users should look elsewhere. Second, the water tank is a maintenance commitment that a magnetic or air rower simply does not have: you fill it on setup, periodically top it off, and add purification tablets to keep the water clear. None of this is onerous, but it is real recurring upkeep, and the tank is a potential long-term failure point that a sealed magnetic system avoids.
The warranty problem
The single biggest mark against this machine is the warranty structure. The frame is covered for a reasonable period, but parts and components get only 180 days. For a roughly $530 machine that combines a magnetic brake, electronics, a Bluetooth board and a water tank, six months of parts coverage is short, and it is shorter than you would hope precisely because the hybrid mechanism has more to go wrong than a simple rower.
This matters most because Sunny sits in the value tier, where long-term durability is the open question rather than out-of-box performance. The dual system is the selling point and also the part most exposed to wear, so the brief parts window asks you to absorb that risk. If you are the kind of buyer who keeps fitness equipment for many years, factor in that you are largely on your own after half a year.
How it compares to the obvious alternative
The honest comparison is uncomfortable for Sunny: the category benchmark, the Concept2 RowErg, costs roughly $990, nearly double, and there is a reason it is the default recommendation. The Concept2 is air resistance, louder, and ships with no app or scenic content, but it offers the gold-standard PM5 monitor, a near-indestructible build, a much longer warranty, strong resale value and the resistance ceiling that serious training demands. If your priority is data accuracy, longevity and resale, the RowErg wins outright and the extra money is well spent.
The Elite Wave makes its case on a different axis. For around half the Concept2's price you get a quieter machine, the water aesthetic, an included free app library, a full data console with watts and splits, and a longer rail that fits taller users, all in a package that folds away more readily. The other natural comparison, a pure WaterRower, costs well over a thousand dollars and gives you craftsmanship and feel but no magnetic adjustability and a basic monitor. The Elite Wave is essentially the affordable hybrid that undercuts both, accepting weaker durability guarantees and a less refined experience as the trade.
Our take
Buy the Sunny Elite Wave if you want a quiet, attractive, app-connected rower for general fitness, you value the water sound and aesthetic but want the option to dial resistance with magnets, you are under the 265 lb limit, and you care more about a sub-$550 entry price and a free workout app than about owning a machine for a decade. For an apartment, a casual-to-moderate home routine, or a household where the rower needs to fold into a corner, it is a sensible and genuinely well-equipped choice for the money.
Skip it if you are a serious or heavy rower, if long-term durability and warranty are deal-breakers, or if resale value matters to you. In those cases save toward a Concept2 RowErg, which costs more up front but is the better long-run investment. Likewise, if you want the pure, dynamic water-rower feel above all else, a dedicated tank rower will satisfy you more than this hybrid compromise. The Elite Wave is a smart value pick, not a forever machine, and our 3.5 out of 5 reflects exactly that balance.
Our verdict
The Sunny Elite Wave is one of the more interesting value plays in rowing right now: a quiet, good-looking hybrid that pairs a real water tank with an adjustable magnetic brake, hands you a proper data console with watts and a 500m split, throws in a free app with no mandatory subscription, and fits taller users on a long rail, all for around half the price of a Concept2 RowErg. For casual to moderate home fitness, an apartment, or anyone who wants the water aesthetic with the convenience of selectable resistance, it punches above its price.
Just go in clear-eyed about what the low price costs you. The 180-day parts warranty is genuinely short for the money and for a mechanism with this many moving parts, the 265 lb capacity rules out heavier users, the tank adds ongoing maintenance, and neither the console nor the app is as polished as premium platforms. This is a smart starter or apartment rower, not a lifetime erg. If durability, resale and serious training data matter more than price and quietness, spend up on a Concept2 instead. Earning a solid 3.5 out of 5, the Elite Wave is a recommendation with caveats rather than a category-beater.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Sunny Elite Wave a real water rower or a magnetic rower?
- It is genuinely both. A water-filled tank with hydro blades and a magnetic brake operate together, and you select from 16 resistance levels. The water provides the whoosh and stroke-rate-dependent feel, while the magnets add a consistent, adjustable baseline you cannot get from water alone. The trade-off is that the magnets smooth out some of the dynamic surge a pure water rower delivers.
- How loud is it?
- Quiet for its class. The magnetic system is near-silent and the water produces only a gentle, calming whoosh rather than the louder fan rush of an air rower like the Concept2. It is well suited to apartments and shared spaces, which is one of its strongest practical advantages over the air-resistance category leader.
- What maintenance does the water tank need?
- You fill the tank on setup using the included pump or a funnel, top it off occasionally as needed, and add water purification tablets periodically to keep the water clear and prevent algae. It is light upkeep, but it is recurring and is something a sealed magnetic or air rower does not require. The tank is also a long-term wear point to be aware of.
- Will it fit a tall person?
- Yes. The 48.8-inch slide rail is one of the longer rails in this price range and comfortably accommodates users up to roughly 6 feet 8 inches, which is taller than many compact rowers manage. The seat and footrests are adjustable. The limiting factor is weight, not height: the user capacity is capped at 265 lb.
- Is the warranty good?
- No, this is the machine's weakest area. The frame carries a multi-year warranty, but parts and components are covered for only 180 days. For a roughly $530 hybrid machine with electronics, a magnetic brake and a water tank, six months of parts coverage is short, and it leaves you exposed to the wear risk inherent in the dual resistance system.
References
- Hydro + Dual Resistance Smart Magnetic Water Rowing Machine (SF-RW522017BLK) - Sunny Health & Fitness
- Sunny Health & Fitness Elite Water SF-RW522017 Rowing Machine Review - Rowing Machine Guide
- Sunny Health & Fitness Hydro + Dual Resistance Smart Magnetic Water Rowing Machine (SF-RW522017BLK) - Wellbots
Jordan Lockwood (BSc, CPT)
Certified personal trainer (CPT), sports-science graduate, and lifelong rower. Jordan writes and reviews every guide on Rowing Machine Nerd.