Concept2 review
Updated September 30, 2026 · ThriveCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026
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Our verdict
Concept2 suits anyone buying a rowing machine and sticking with it for years, since the 2 to 5 years warranty and US and CA coverage outlast most rivals. Paying a $990 entry price is a bigger stretch than Academy, and the machine is not foldable.
Key facts
- Best for
- A rower you set up once and use daily, with support in the US and Canada.
- Price from
- $990 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Membership per month
- $0 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Membership required
- No (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Warranty
- 2 to 5 years (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Maximum user weight (kg)
- 227 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Foldable models
- No (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Money-back period
- 30 days (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Markets
- US, CA (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Founded
- 1976 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Phone, Help-centre, Community (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Products
- Rower, Exercise bike, Strength
- Official website
- concept2.com
Apps and profiles
- Get the app
- Google Play
Pros and cons
Pros
- The rower, exercise bike and strength range covers cardio and strength without splitting the range into separate brands.
- A $0 membership charge means the machine carries no ongoing subscription.
- A 2 to 5 years warranty outlasts the home gym and strength category median, where coverage is often shorter.
- The 30 days money back window gives time to row with the machine before committing.
- Support runs through email, phone and help centre, so a machine problem does not depend on one channel.
Cons
- The 227 kg maximum user weight is a hard ceiling, and a heavier buyer gets nothing from the 2 to 5 years warranty.
- At $990 the entry price ranks 49 of 71 brands, so a cheaper first machine is easy to find.
- The machine is not foldable, so it stays assembled in the room instead of stowing away flat.
- Coverage runs to US and CA only, leaving buyers elsewhere without the same 2 to 5 years terms.
Who it suits
- Rowers who want a rower, exercise bike and strength setup from one maker and plan to keep it for years.
- Anyone who refuses a recurring fee, given a $0 membership charge and no membership requirement.
- Buyers in US and CA who want phone and help centre support, not just email.
Who should look elsewhere
- Not for tight budgets. At $990 the entry price ranks 49 of 71, and Academy spreads treadmill, exercise bike and rower more widely from a lower entry point.
- Not for small flats. The machine is not foldable, so Teeter's cross trainer, rower and strength lineup suits buyers who need equipment to stow away.
- Not for buyers outside US and CA, where the 2 to 5 years warranty terms and support reach are less clear.
Pricing
You pay once for the hardware, at a $990 entry price for the range. There is no membership fee attached to the machine, at $0 per month, and a membership is not required to use it. That makes the outlay front loaded rather than spread: everything sits in the purchase and nothing recurs afterwards. For a reader weighing what the machine costs at entry and what it costs later, Concept2 is a one payment purchase with the $990 figure doing all the work. The same entry point places the brand at 49 of 71 brands compared on price, a mid field place rather than a premium one. Teeter and Academy both start lower on comparable hardware, so the gap between cheapest and dearest narrows once you look at what each machine includes.
What it does well
The range spans rower, exercise bike and strength, so a buyer can cover cardio and strength from one maker without moving to a second brand. A membership is not required, which means nothing in ordinary use is held back behind a subscription. The warranty runs 2 to 5 years, the strongest of the facts here, and it covers more ground than the home gym and strength category median. Alongside it sits a 30 days money back window, so an unhyped purchase can be reversed if the machine does not suit the space. Two limits are worth weighing. The machine takes a 227 kg maximum user weight, which rules out heavier users. And it is not foldable, so it stays assembled, which matters more in a shared room than in a dedicated gym.
Where it sits among rivals
On recurring cost, Concept2 sits at 1 of 59 brands, the top of the field for a $0 membership charge. Teeter and Academy both price a monthly membership above that, so anyone planning to pair the machine with a subscription service finds this the cheaper side of the deal. On entry price the ranking flips: $990 puts Concept2 at 49 of 71 brands compared, neither the cheapest nor the dearest here. The practical read is a brand that wins on what it does not charge each month and sits in the middle on what it charges once. Buyers who weigh the monthly line item above the ticket price are in the stronger position.
Who runs it
Concept2 is a US company founded in 1976, so the rower comes from a maker with a long build history rather than a recent entrant. The equipment sells into US and CA, and that same regional focus shapes what support looks like. Help runs through email, phone and help centre, giving a buyer a phone line and a help centre alongside email, which suits a machine that needs servicing rather than an app that needs a password reset. The company sells the rower, exercise bike and strength range under its own name, so the 2 to 5 years warranty sits with the maker rather than a retail partner.
How Concept2 compares
9.3 vs 9.0
9.3 vs 9.1
9.3 vs 9.5
9.3 vs 8.8
9.3 vs 8.9
9.3 vs 8.9
9.3 vs 8.7- 9.3 vs 8.9
9.3 vs 9.2Its treadmill, exercise bike and rower range pairs rower and strength with a home gym, suiting buyers building out a single room of equipment.
9.3 vs 9.2
9.3 vs 9.3
9.3 vs 8.9
9.3 vs 9.0
9.3 vs 9.6- 9.3 vs 9.3
9.3 vs 9.2
9.3 vs 9.2- 9.3 vs 9.2
9.3 vs 9.1- 9.3 vs 9.1
9.3 vs 9.1- 9.3 vs 9.1
9.3 vs 9.0- 9.3 vs 9.0
9.3 vs 9.0
9.3 vs 9.0
9.3 vs 8.8
Where Concept2 is available
- Available
- Canada, United States
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
How much is a Concept2 rower?+
The range starts at $990. That figure covers the entry machine rather than a mid range model, and buyers paying above it are stepping up in frame and monitor rather than in subscription features. Nothing recurs on top, since a membership is not required.
Is there a monthly membership or subscription?+
No membership is required, and the membership charge is $0 per month. Ranked on that figure, Concept2 sits at 1 of 59 brands, so there is no recurring fee to budget for after the purchase.
How long is the warranty?+
The warranty runs 2 to 5 years, longer than most of the home gym and strength field, where coverage commonly stops earlier. Buyers in US and CA get those terms, and anyone outside those markets should check cover before buying.
How much can the machine take?+
The maximum user weight is 227 kg. A buyer above that limit is looking at a different machine, since the load rating is a hard ceiling on who can row on it. Buyers at or under the limit have the full 2 to 5 years coverage behind them.
Can I return a Concept2 machine if I do not like it?+
There is a 30 days money back window, so a new machine can be rowed for a while before the decision has to stick. That sits alongside a 2 to 5 years warranty, which covers faults rather than a change of mind.
Where does Concept2 sell and what support do I get?+
Equipment sells into US and CA, and support runs through email, phone and help centre, including a phone line and a help centre. A US maker founded in 1976 handles support directly rather than routing it through a retail partner.
Does Concept2 make anything other than rowers?+
The range covers rower, exercise bike and strength, so a buyer can pick up a rower, an exercise bike or strength equipment from the same maker. Academy and DeerRun both mix treadmills into their treadmill, exercise bike and rower and treadmill, exercise bike and rower ranges, where Concept2 stays closer to rowing and strength.
Can I fold the machine away?+
The machine is not foldable, so it needs a permanent spot in the room. Teeter's cross trainer, rower and strength range is built more around stowable setups, which is the deciding point for small flats and shared rooms.
Sources
- concept2.com checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Products
“Shop the durable RowErg, SkiErg, and BikeErg directly from the manufacturer.”
- concept2.com/about checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Founded, Headquarters
“Brothers Peter and Dick Dreissigacker started Concept2 in 1976 in a Vermont barn”
- concept2.com/indoor-rowers/concept2-rowerg checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Foldable models, Maximum user weight (kg), Membership per month, Membership required, Price from, Support channels
“The RowErg can be quickly separated into two pieces for storage (no tools required) and has caster wheels to allow it to be moved around easily.”
- concept2.com/support/indoor-rowers/rowerg/warranty checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Markets, Money-back period, Warranty
“This offer applies to factory direct sales to our customers in US and Canada only.”
Compiled from 4 source pages, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.
What changed
- September 30, 2026: axisScores cost was 9.0, now 9.1
Concept2
A rower you set up once and use daily, with support in the US and Canada.