Rowing Machine NerdXterra ERG650W Review
Water rower · ~$899
Xterra ERG650W
A well-built water rower with a 5.5" LCD, six water levels and BLE/FTMS app support, positioned as a value alternative to premium water machines.
The XTERRA Fitness ERG650W is a water-resistance rowing machine aimed at home users who want the smooth, dynamic feel and the familiar swooshing sound of a paddle moving through water, without stepping up to the price of boutique brands. It pairs a polycarbonate water tank with a dual-rail aluminum frame and a 5.5-inch LCD console, and lists around $899 at major retailers.
Unlike a flywheel air rower, the ERG650W generates resistance through a multi-blade impeller spinning in water, so the load builds naturally with stroke speed. XTERRA adds two layers of adjustment on top of that: six water levels set by how much water you put in the tank, and a 45-degree angled tank intended to widen the difficulty range. It is a reasonable fit for someone who values feel and build quality over a large touchscreen or a built-in class library.
Specifications at a glance
| Resistance type | Water tank, 6 adjustable water levels (45-degree angled tank) |
|---|---|
| Monitor | 5.5" LCD console |
| Console metrics | Time, 500m split, SPM, distance, strokes, total strokes, calories, watts, drag force, pulse |
| Connectivity | BLE 4.0 with FTMS for third-party apps; built-in heart-rate receiver (chest strap sold separately) |
| Programs | 15+ built-in workout programs |
| Assembled dimensions | 79.5" L x 20.7" W x 33.9" H |
| Machine weight | 76 lb (34.5 kg) net |
| Max user weight | 350 lb (160 kg) |
| Storage | Stands vertically; built-in transport wheels |
| Warranty | Lifetime frame, 2 years parts, 1 year labor (per retailer/review) |
| Price | ~$899 |
Pros
- Smooth, naturally progressive water resistance that scales with effort
- Six selectable water levels plus a 45-degree tank for a wide difficulty range
- Sturdy frame with dual aluminum rails and a lifetime frame warranty
- BLE 4.0 with FTMS opens it to third-party training apps
- High 350 lb user weight capacity and upright storage with transport wheels
Cons
- No bundled subscription content or large touchscreen at this price
- Heart-rate chest strap is sold separately
- Dual-rail design places the footrests close together, which not all users find comfortable
- At ~$899 it competes directly with more proven options like the Concept2
Best for: Home users who prefer the smooth feel and sound of water resistance and want app connectivity without paying for a subscription-locked smart rower.
How the water resistance actually feels
The ERG650W delivers the headline appeal of any water rower: resistance that builds naturally as you accelerate, so the harder you drive the catch the more the impeller fights back. That self-scaling feel is what makes water rowers satisfying for steady-state work, and the ERG650W gets it right. The genuinely useful wrinkle here is the six-level water-volume system combined with a 45-degree tilted tank, which lets you set a baseline difficulty rather than leaving it entirely to stroke effort the way a fixed-volume tank does.
In practice the level system is a coarse adjustment, not a precise damper. You change the water volume to shift the overall ceiling, then your effort does the fine-tuning within that range. That suits most home users who want a credible cardio and endurance tool, but it is worth being clear-eyed that the tilted tank trades a touch of extra noise for that wider range. Several owners describe it as slightly louder than a flat-tank water rower, attributing it to the propeller pulling through more water. If your priority is the quietest possible whoosh for a shared room, that is a small caveat rather than a dealbreaker.
Sound, maintenance and the water-rower trade-offs
Buy a water rower and you are buying a sound profile and a maintenance routine as much as a workout. The ERG650W gives you the rhythmic slosh that owners consistently call calming, and it is far easier to live with in a living room than the fan roar of an air rower. That ambience is a real reason people choose this category over a Concept2, and the ERG650W delivers it.
The cost of admission is tank upkeep. Like every water rower, you will need to dose the tank with a purification tablet periodically to keep the water clear, top up or change levels through the fill system, and accept that a sealed water tank is a part that can eventually leak years down the line. None of this is unique to Xterra, but if you want a truly zero-maintenance machine, an air or magnetic rower is the lower-fuss path. The lifetime frame warranty is reassuring, though note the parts and labor coverage is more modest, so the tank and electronics are not covered for the long haul.
Monitor and app connectivity
The 5.5-inch LCD is functional and honest about what it is: it shows time, split, distance, calories, stroke rate, watts and drag, which covers what most home rowers track. It is not a touchscreen and there is no bundled subscription content, so anyone expecting a Peloton-style guided experience should reset expectations now.
The saving grace is that the ERG650W carries Bluetooth with FTMS support, which is the feature that genuinely earns this machine its price step over Xterra's cheaper ERG600W. Through Xterra's XF Connect bridge you can push the rower's data into third-party platforms like Kinomap and Zwift, so the small native screen stops being the ceiling. If you already use a tablet for training apps, this is the model to get, because the older Xterra water rowers leave you stuck on the onboard display. Treat the LCD as a backup readout and let your phone or tablet do the heavy lifting.
Build, footrests and storage
The frame is the strong point. A steel base with dual aluminum rails feels solid under load, the seat rides at a tall 15-inch height that makes getting on and off easy for older or less mobile users, and the 350 lb capacity is generous for the category. It stands vertically on transport wheels, so footprint when stored is manageable for a machine that is nearly 80 inches long in use.
The recurring ergonomic gripe is the footrests. The dual-rail layout places them closer together than some rowers prefer, and several owners single out the heel cups as sitting too high, which can catch a shoe on dismount. The pedals are adjustable, so most people adapt, but anyone with a wide stance or large feet should expect a short break-in period. A handful of owners also reported early squeaks at the seat or console that lubricant resolved. These are quality-of-life quibbles rather than reliability red flags, and the redesigned seat roller on this model addresses the disintegrating-roller complaint that dogged the previous ERG600W.
Versus the Concept2 RowErg
At roughly $899 the ERG650W lands within striking distance of the Concept2 RowErg, and that comparison is unavoidable. The Concept2 is the proven workhorse of the category: its PM5 monitor is the gold standard for accurate data and online racing, its parts are endlessly available, its resale value barely dents, and serious and competitive rowers treat it as the default. If your goal is measurable performance, racing a global leaderboard, or simply buying the machine least likely to ever let you down, the Concept2 is the safer pick and often costs about the same or less.
What the ERG650W offers in return is the things a Concept2 cannot: the water sound, the dynamic water feel that many people find more immersive, and a frankly nicer-looking machine in a room. Choose the Xterra because you want the water-rowing experience at a sane price and you value ambience and aesthetics over leaderboard credibility and bulletproof resale. Choose the Concept2 if data, durability and community are what you actually care about. They are aimed at different buyers despite sharing a price tag.
Our take
Buy the ERG650W if you specifically want a water rower, you train mostly at home for fitness and endurance rather than competition, and you like the idea of piping your data into an app like Kinomap or Zwift rather than paying for built-in content. It is a well-built, good-looking machine that nails the water feel at a price well under the premium wooden WaterRower models, and the FTMS connectivity is the reason to pick it over Xterra's own cheaper water rowers.
Skip it if you are a data-driven or competitive rower, if you want zero maintenance, or if a large guided touchscreen is non-negotiable. At this price the Concept2 RowErg will out-measure and out-last it, and a connected rower with a bundled subscription will out-entertain it. The ERG650W is a confident 3.7 out of 5: a genuinely pleasant water rower with a clear value proposition, held back from a higher score by close footrests, modest parts coverage, and a price that forces it to argue with tougher rivals.
Our verdict
The Xterra ERG650W is a smartly positioned water rower that delivers the two things people actually buy this category for: a smooth, naturally progressive water feel and the calming slosh of a water tank, all at a price well below the premium wooden machines. The six water levels and tilted tank give it a usefully wide range, the frame is genuinely solid with a lifetime warranty, and crucially it carries Bluetooth FTMS so you can route your workouts into apps like Kinomap and Zwift. That connectivity is the single best reason to choose it over Xterra's cheaper water rowers.
It is not flawless. The footrests sit close together with high heel cups, the parts warranty is modest, the screen is a plain LCD with no bundled content, and at around $899 it has to stare down the Concept2 RowErg, which out-measures and out-lasts it for the same money. Our verdict: a confident 3.7 out of 5. Buy it if you want the water-rowing experience and app flexibility for home fitness; skip it if you are a competitive, data-obsessed rower or you want a large guided touchscreen, because better-suited machines exist at this price.
Frequently asked questions
- Does the Xterra ERG650W connect to apps like Zwift or Kinomap?
- Yes. It has Bluetooth with FTMS support and can bridge through Xterra's XF Connect app to push data into third-party platforms including Kinomap and Zwift. There is no bundled subscription or built-in guided content, and the onboard screen is a basic LCD rather than a touchscreen, so you supply your own tablet or phone for the app experience.
- How much maintenance does the water tank need?
- Like all water rowers, you periodically add a purification tablet to keep the water clear and top up or adjust the water level through the fill system. There is nothing unusual about Xterra's routine, but it is more upkeep than an air or magnetic rower. The sealed tank is also a long-term wear part that can eventually leak, and parts coverage is more limited than the lifetime frame warranty.
- Is it noisier than other water rowers?
- Slightly, by some owner accounts. The 45-degree tilted tank that gives it a wider resistance range also pulls the impeller through more water, which a few users say makes it marginally louder than a flat-tank water rower. It is still far quieter than an air rower and fine for most shared spaces; the sound is the pleasant slosh of water, not a fan roar.
- Are the footrests really uncomfortable?
- The dual-rail design sets the footrests closer together than some rowers like, and several owners note the heel cups sit high enough to occasionally catch a shoe when getting off. The pedals are adjustable and most people adapt within a few sessions, but buyers with wide stances or large feet should expect a short adjustment period.
- Should I buy this or a Concept2 RowErg at the same price?
- Pick the ERG650W if you want the water feel, the water sound and a better-looking machine for home fitness. Pick the Concept2 if you prioritize accurate data, online racing, long-term durability and strong resale value. They cost about the same but suit different buyers; the Concept2 is the safer performance choice, the Xterra is the more immersive water-rowing experience.
References
- ERG650W Rower | XTERRA Fitness - XTERRA Fitness
- Xterra ERG650W Water Rower Review - Rowing Machine King
- ERG650W Water Rower - XTERRA 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.