Rowing Machine NerdXebex Air Rower Review
Air rower · ~$749
Xebex Air Rower
A sturdy, heavy-duty air rower with a 500 lb capacity and solid metrics, though its proprietary console limits cross-machine comparisons.
The Xebex Air Rower is the rowing machine in Xebex Fitness's cardio lineup, positioned as a more affordable air rower than the category-defining Concept2 while leaning on a notably heavy, steel-built frame. It is sold mainly in 2.0, 2.0 Smart Connect and 3.0 variants, all sharing the same air-resistance flywheel and a 10-setting spiral damper that controls how much air reaches the fan. The defining promise is gym-grade durability at a home-gym price.
This assessment is based on manufacturer specifications and published reviews rather than hands-on testing. It is aimed at buyers who want a robust air rower for steady-state cardio and interval work, who value a high user-weight capacity, and who are weighing the Xebex against the Concept2 RowErg and other mid-priced air machines.
Specifications at a glance
| Resistance type | Air (flywheel) with 10-setting spiral damper |
|---|---|
| Monitor | LCD console tracking time, 500m split, watts, distance, SPM, calories, total strokes, pulse (with HR strap) |
| Programs | Quick Start, Competition Racing, Interval/Tabata, Target Time/Distance/Calories/Heart Rate/Strokes |
| Connectivity | None on standard 2.0; Smart Connect variant adds Bluetooth FTMS and ANT+ FE-C |
| Assembled dimensions | Approx. 7'3" (front-to-rear) x 20" wide; ~8'4" fan-to-rail |
| Folded dimensions (2.0) | 36" x 20" x 55" |
| Machine weight | 95 lb |
| Max user weight | 500 lb |
| Seat height | 20" |
| Folding/storage | Folds in half (2.0) and rolls on wheels |
| Warranty | 5-year frame, 2-year parts/console |
Pros
- Heavy, steel-built frame rated to a high 500 lb user weight
- Smooth steady-state air resistance with a 10-position damper
- Folds in half (2.0) and rolls on wheels for storage
- Comfortable molded seat and ergonomic handle
- Smart Connect option adds Bluetooth FTMS/ANT+ for third-party apps
Cons
- Proprietary console formulas make data hard to compare with Concept2
- Standard model has no app or Bluetooth connectivity
- Very heavy and bulky to move between rooms or up stairs
- Handle can occasionally catch on the chain at high intensity
Best for: Home and garage-gym users who want a sturdy, high-weight-capacity air rower and are willing to step up from entry-level machines without paying Concept2 prices.
Resistance and feel: built for grinding, not sprinting
The Xebex earns its reputation as a workhorse on resistance. The fan-and-damper setup delivers genuinely smooth, progressive air resistance during steady-state work, and because the flywheel is heavy and the frame is over-built, the stroke feels planted rather than skittish even when you load up the catch. For long, rhythmic pieces this is exactly what you want: predictable resistance that scales with effort and a damper with ten positions to dial in the drag.
The honest caveat is the stainless steel chain. New rowers and anyone doing short, explosive intervals routinely report a clicking or snapping sound and the occasional catch of the handle on the chain at high intensity. This is the trade Xebex made by using a steel chain instead of a belt or cord - it is more durable but less refined. Most owners say the noise and catching disappear within a few sessions once they smooth out the front end of the stroke, but if your training is mostly all-out sprint intervals rather than aerobic base work, the chain feel is something to go in expecting.
The console is the real catch
The monitor itself is competent. It shows distance, time, watts, calories, stroke rate, stroke distance, heart rate (via a 5kHz chest strap on the standard unit), a force curve, and preset programs including interval, target and racing modes. As a self-contained training display it does the job for most home users.
The problem is not what it shows but how it calculates. Xebex uses its own proprietary formulas for distance and calories, so a 2,000 meter time or calorie count on this machine simply does not line up with a Concept2 PM5. If you train alone and only ever compete against your own past numbers, this is a non-issue. But if you do CrossFit, follow programming written for a Concept2, want to post comparable leaderboard times, or might ever switch machines, you are locked into a number system nobody else uses. That single design decision is the main reason this rower sits at 3.7 rather than higher, and it is the thing prospective buyers most often underestimate.
Smart Connect is the version most buyers should actually want
The base Xebex Air Rower ships with no Bluetooth and no app connectivity at all, which in 2026 feels dated for a machine near this price. If you care about logging workouts or riding along with third-party content, the standard model will frustrate you.
The Smart Connect variant is the meaningful upgrade. It adds an open Bluetooth FTMS and ANT+ FE-C console that pairs with Kinomap and a range of other apps, so you can record sessions, follow guided rides and keep training varied. It is worth stressing that the apps read the Xebex console's own metrics, so the proprietary-numbers issue follows you into the app - Kinomap will faithfully log Xebex calories and distance, not Concept2-equivalent ones. The 3.0 Smart Connect goes a step further with a backlit display and a rowing-powered generator so you are not chasing batteries. For most people shopping this machine, paying up for Smart Connect is the version that makes sense; the plain console is a false economy.
Build, comfort and the reality of moving it
This is where the Xebex genuinely outclasses much of its competition. The steel frame is rated to a 500 lb user, Xebex cites durability testing in the range of a million pulls, and the whole thing simply feels indestructible in a way budget rowers do not. The seat is meaningfully more padded than a Concept2, which famously has almost none, and it sits higher off the ground at roughly 21 inches - a real benefit for taller, heavier, or less mobile users who struggle to get up off a low rail. The handle is ergonomic and comfortable for long pulls.
All that steel has a cost: the machine weighs around 95 lb, far more than the 57 to 65 lb Concept2 models. The folding mechanism and transport wheels are excellent and genuinely make it easy to tuck away in a corner, but do not mistake foldability for portability. Shifting this rower between rooms, and especially up or down stairs, is a two-person job. If you have one fixed workout spot it is a strength; if you need to stow it in a closet upstairs after every session, the weight will wear thin.
Value: strong, with one asterisk
At around 749 dollars the standard model and roughly 829 for the 3.0, the Xebex undercuts or matches the Concept2 RowErg while giving you a heavier frame, a higher weight capacity, a more padded seat and a folding design the Concept2 cannot match. Purely as a piece of conditioning hardware for the money, it is a lot of rower.
The asterisk is total cost of ownership in the broadest sense. The standard console's lack of connectivity pushes serious buyers toward the pricier Smart Connect tiers, and the proprietary metrics mean you are buying into the Xebex ecosystem rather than the universal Concept2 standard that resells easily and works with every coach's programming. Factor in which version you actually need before declaring it the cheaper option.
Xebex Air Rower versus the Concept2 RowErg
This is the comparison that matters, because the two often land at a similar price. The Concept2 RowErg wins on the things that make a rower a long-term reference tool: the PM5 monitor is the universal standard for accuracy and cross-machine comparison, it is lighter to move, it has a near-bulletproof resale market, and almost all rowing programming is written around its numbers. If standardized data, racing, CrossFit, or one day reselling matters to you, the Concept2 is the safer pick and it is not especially close.
The Xebex wins on physicality and storage. It is heavier and more stable feeling under load, rated to a higher 500 lb capacity, more comfortable to sit on, sits higher for easier entry and exit, and folds in half to disappear into a corner - none of which the Concept2 does. Choose the Xebex if you are a heavier or taller home user who values a plush seat and compact storage and who trains for fitness rather than benchmarked times. Choose the Concept2 if your numbers need to mean something to anyone other than you.
Our take
Buy the Xebex Air Rower if you are a home user training for conditioning and weight loss, you appreciate a sturdier and more comfortable machine than the Concept2 offers, you are at the heavier or taller end of the user range, and you want something you can fold into a corner between sessions. For that buyer it is a genuinely excellent, over-built rower at a fair price, and we would push you toward the Smart Connect or 3.0 version so you are not stuck with a console that cannot talk to anything.
Skip it if your training lives or dies by comparable data - CrossFit Open scores, coached 2k programming, or any setting where your time has to match someone else's machine. The proprietary metrics are a real, permanent limitation, not a quirk you will grow out of. Skip it too if you will be hauling it up stairs regularly, because 95 lb of folded steel is heavy no matter how good the wheels are. For the right home, it is a 3.7-out-of-5 machine that punches above its price on build; for the data-driven athlete, the Concept2 remains the default.
Our verdict
The Xebex Air Rower is one of the most over-built rowers you can buy near 749 dollars - a 500 lb-rated steel frame, a comfortable padded seat that sits high enough for easy entry, smooth steady-state air resistance, and a fold-in-half design that genuinely disappears into a corner. For a home user training for fitness who wants something sturdier and more comfortable than a Concept2, it is an easy machine to recommend, and we would steer you to the Smart Connect or 3.0 version so the console can actually log your work.
The reason it lands at 3.7 and not higher is the proprietary console. Xebex's own distance and calorie formulas mean your numbers do not line up with the Concept2 standard, which quietly disqualifies it for CrossFit, coached 2k programming, racing, or anyone who might switch machines later. Add the 95 lb heft that makes stairs a two-person chore, and the picture is clear: a superb conditioning tool for the right home gym, but if your data has to mean something to anyone but you, buy the Concept2 RowErg instead.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I use the Xebex Air Rower for the CrossFit Open or workouts programmed for a Concept2?
- Not reliably. Xebex calculates distance and calories with its own proprietary formulas, so a 2,000 meter time or a calorie count will not match a Concept2 PM5. You can train on it, but your numbers will not be directly comparable, which is a real problem for the CrossFit Open or any Concept2-based programming.
- What is the difference between the standard Xebex and the Smart Connect version?
- The standard model has no Bluetooth or app connectivity at all - its console only displays data locally. The Smart Connect version adds an open Bluetooth FTMS and ANT+ FE-C console that pairs with Kinomap and other third-party apps for logging and guided sessions. The 3.0 Smart Connect also adds a backlit, rowing-powered display. Most buyers should choose a Smart Connect tier.
- Why does the handle make a clicking or snapping sound?
- It uses a stainless steel chain rather than a belt or cord, which is more durable but can click and occasionally catch the handle during short, explosive strokes. Most owners report it largely goes away within a few sessions once they smooth out the catch of the stroke, but it is more noticeable on hard intervals than on steady-state rowing.
- Is it easy to move and store?
- Easy to store, not effortless to move. It folds in half and rolls on transport wheels, so tucking it into a corner is simple. But at around 95 lb it is significantly heavier than a Concept2, so moving it between rooms or up stairs really needs two people.
- Who is the Xebex Air Rower best suited for?
- Home users training for general fitness and conditioning who want a heavier, more stable, more comfortable machine than the Concept2, especially taller or heavier rowers (it is rated to 500 lb and has a higher, more padded seat). It is a weaker fit for athletes who need standardized, comparable data.
References
- Xebex Air Rower 2.0 - Product Page - Xebex Fitness
- Xebex Air Rower Review (2026) - BarBend
- Xebex Air Rower 2.0 Smart Connect - Xebex Fitness
Jordan Lockwood (BSc, CPT)
Certified personal trainer (CPT), sports-science graduate, and lifelong rower. Jordan writes and reviews every guide on Rowing Machine Nerd.