The Live Outdoor Reality RowerHydrow’s innovative Live Outdoor Reality™ (LOR) technology not only delivers world-class rowing instruction in real time, but does so while leveraging state-of-the-art features that bring the sights, sounds and physical experience of rowing on the water — making Hydrow the closest you can get to an on-river experience without actually leaving your home.Shop Now
Written by the business, not verified by us.
Is Hydrow legit?
Hydrow (hydrow.com) has a 4.1 out of 5 rating on OK.one, based on 200 user reviews collected here. It is listed under Sports and its reputation is good. 77% of reviews are 4 stars or higher and 13% are 1 star; The business has replied to 97% of negative reviews; 26 of them were added in the last 12 months. Last updated 2026-08-12.
Hi Clay -- Thanks for taking the time to leave your review. We are always excited to hear about our member's positive coaching experiences! Feel free to reach out if you ever have any questions and we will see you on the water.
I had an extremely disappointing experience with Hydrow's customer service and repair process. They outsource all repairs to a third party, which isn't necessarily a problem—except when it's handled poorly. Instead of equipping the technician with multiple replacement parts to properly diagnose and fix the issue on-site, they sent him with just one specific part. Unfortunately, the part they provided did not resolve the problem. The technician installed it, but my Hydrow remains broken. I paid $200 a month ago for this repair, and now I'm out the money with no resolution. This is unacceptable.
Reply from Hydrow2024-08-23
Hi Andrew -- Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. We’re sorry to hear that you’ve had difficulties with the repair process. One of our goals at Hydrow is to review every repair with our engineering team to ensure that our trained technicians can make repairs efficiently and without error.
While we strive to be as accurate as possible with our diagnoses, we understand that it’s frustrating when a technician has to return to your home. Please know that we are committed to resolving this issue as quickly as we can at no additional cost. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out in the open communication with our team - We are happy to help.
Hello -- Thank you for taking the time to reply. We are thrilled to hear you are enjoying Hydrow and hope you continue to have great workouts. We look forward to seeing you on the water!
My partner surprised me with a Hydrow for my birthday a few years ago - and I instantly fell in love with it. It satisfies my penchant for competitive rowing while making it easy to row all year long and get/stay in shape. And now I know that their support is great, too. I had a small issue recently - and live in Québec - so wasn't sure how it could get resolved easily. But Hydrow reached out to our local dealer and made it happen quickly and easily - and I am MOST grateful. Thank you Hydrow!!!!!
Reply from Hydrow2024-08-12
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience and for trusting us with your rowing journey! We're thrilled to hear you're enjoying your Hydrow, and we're always here to support you!
It's a great product if you're recovering from an orthopedic injury to your ankle. It does exactly what someone at my conditioning and rehabilitation level needs.
Reply from Hydrow2024-08-07
Thank you for your review! We're glad to hear that Hydrow is helping with your recovery and meeting your needs.
Had one years. But had to give it up due to not being able to fit it in a property I was moving to. But am living in a bigger house now and my god I missed it! You can tell you’ve done a workout on the Hydrow best rowing machine on the market
Reply from Hydrow2024-08-07
Thank you for your review! We're thrilled to hear you're back with Hydrow and enjoying your workouts again, welcome back!
Hi Sloan -- Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. It’s great to hear that you’re enjoying all that the Hydrow library has to offer. We’re thrilled to provide workouts from all over the globe, and it's support from members like you that enables us to explore even more exciting destinations in the future. See you on the water!
Boy, this is a tough review to write… while I am disappointed in my experience with Hydrow, I have no choice but to give them 5 stars for being a reputable, honest and customer service focused organization.
I painstakingly researched rowing machines for months. I finally decided on Hydrow for a number of reasons. It looks super cool, is built like a tank, other reviews were very complementary and they offered a no-risk 30 day trial period. There was also financing options with no interest. What could go wrong?
Well, after ordering my unit, having it delivered, assembling it and hauling it upstairs my frustrations began…
It turns out that the unit literally has no functionality other than random rowing if you don’t buy their $44 a month subscription. When I say nothing, I mean like nothing… it will give you stats on your current row, but will not save them or accumulate your usage over time. The screen displays an annoying message that you need to activate the ridiculously expensive monthly membership to access ANY videos, save your workouts, etc. I was shocked… maybe I missed something on their webpage and ads, but this is not what I was expecting. I just spent $1,700+ on a machine with a beautiful touchscreen and couldn’t use 95%+ of the features without paying $528 a year in subscription fees. This is over $5k+ for 10 years. Damn, I could go to Planet Fitness for $120-$240 a year.
Here’s where the good part of my review comes in… Hydrow completely and unconditionally honored their 30 day risk free trial. I called to express my displeasure with the draconian subscription fee. The woman I spoke with was very nice and offered me 1 month for free. Really? Sorry… not interested.
I was then put into a return situation which went absolutely flawlessly. I did not have to disassemble the unit or save original packaging. A shipping company came a week later, picked it up with no hassle and my account was credited in full without much hoopdadoo. I have to admit, I was extremely impressed by the honesty, responsiveness and transaction pieces of my engagement with Hydrow. This is why they get a 5 star rating.
If I could make some recommendations to gain more customers.
Be upfront in your advertising and spell out completely what is included and not included in your purchase. Maybe I missed it, but the shock of your subscription price to use even what most would consider essential in a piece of equipment like this is unrealistic.
Offer a light package subscription that offers all the basic functionality you get in a piece of workout equipment. I still think it should be included in the purchase, but it would at least entice people like myself to keep the equipment. Maybe a few videos as well…
Inflation is a real thing right now… people are trying to figure out how to feed their families. I get every company loves re-occurring revenue streams and the SaaS market is very profitable, but there has to be a balance.
In the end, if you are looking for a quality machine and willing to pay a monthly fee like this one you can’t go wrong. I am actually very sad I did not keep this machine as it truly is a work of art. It was high quality and looked like it would last for many years. Hydrow is an outstanding organization that stood to their word and for that fact alone I have much respect!
Reply from Hydrow2024-08-05
Hi Sam -- Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. While we are sad to hear that the Hydrow experience didn't work out for you, we appreciate the kind words and are glad to hear that the return process went smoothly. We are always striving to improve the Hydrow experience, and we will pass your feedback on to the relevant team here at Hydrow.
A quality, attractive machine. Motivational instructors make all the difference. So many videos to choose from. Conversation, music, & scenery make the sessions absolutely fly by. It’s so much fun!
Reply from Hydrow2024-07-31
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're delighted that you're enjoying the machine, finding our athletes motivational, and having fun with our diverse video selection.
The rower is a heave package. The packaging itself is at least another 200lbs. The delivery guys dropped it at least twice that we know of. The packaging protected the machine. The plastic side covers do not appear to be cracked. The screen does not appear to be cracked. If there is a hairline crack anywhere in the metal or plastic or glass, it has not yet surfaced. The customer service rep stated that the part would be replaced if it had broken.
Reply from Hydrow2024-08-05
Hi Sean -- Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. While this is certainly not the delivery experience we wanted or expected you to have, it’s good to hear that the Hydrow seems to be in full working order. We designed Hydrow, and specifically the Hydrow box, with durability in mind, so it often survives the potential for rough handling during delivery. If you do notice any issues, please feel free to reach out to our team directly, and we will be happy to help.
Hard to find programs, just want it to say interval training. Everything online said how easy to use the touch screen was but I'm struggling to find programs I want.
Delivery called, automated phone call, I denied the date they were coming, got an email saying I would get a call to reschedule, it showed up when we weren't there, they left it on a pallet outside of our gate.
Reply from Hydrow2024-07-25
Hi Michele -- Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. We are sorry to hear you faced some challenges with our delivery partners. We always expect our partners to provide a time and date for delivery that works well with you, and leaving the Hydrow outside does not meet our expectations. We are happy to hear the Hydrow is now active. If you ever have any issues or questions or would like some tips and tricks on navigation, please feel free to reach out to our team directly, and we will be happy to help.
I’ve had the Hydrow for about a week now and i do enjoy the workouts and the rower is smooth and quiet.
The originally scheduled delivery was cancelled the evening before and I had to then readjust my work schedule to be home 10 til 2 on a day the following week which was a little disappointing.
I’m still trying to work out the music. I enjoy working out to music, but it’s been very background (more water and oar sounds when I increase the volume).
The screen is a great size and I like the being on the water feeling it provides.
Reply from Hydrow2024-07-25
Hi Bridget -- Thanks for taking the time to leave your review. We are sorry to hear you had some difficulties with the delivery but are glad to hear that the Hydrow arrived and you are now enjoying your experience on the water! If you have any additional questions, specifically on how to best adjust the audio mix, feel free to reach out to our support team. Our goal is always to tailor the experience to all of our members so they can fully enjoy the Hydrow experience.
Still brand new at "rowing", but I feel like I picked an excellent product and am looking forward to some great exercise!
Reply from Hydrow2024-07-24
Hi Terri -- Thanks for taking the time to reply. Whether it is your first time rowing or you have been doing it for years, we always strive to bring a great exercise experience to all of our members. We are thrilled to welcome you to the Hydrow Crew! If you ever have any questions or want any pointers, feel free to reach out, and our team will be happy to help.
Uneven service" Returned a unit and purchased another…
I returned a unit and purchased another one that was a better size fit. Returning the unit took an extended time due to scheduling the shipper to pick it up. Buying the new unit was easy. It has taken a few calls to sync the return/buy transactions. I paid for the new unit; it was delivered and worked fine. Customer service is responsive by phone, but corporate is slow in processing the refund for the original unit.
Absolutely shocking customer service I honestly can't think of a poorer experience in my lifetime
1 Product was delivered and the team refused to take the rower up one flight of stairs although I clearly stated this on the delivery ticket
2 Tried to activate the subscription and after entering my bank details which on screen displayed as successful I wasnt allowed access and was returned to the enter your bank details screen
3 Tried to contact customer support and got through to an answer phone machine that said we will get back to you in 2 days
I'm still waiting this is absolutely disgusting as I'm concerned sensitive information may have been compromised
4 Received an email with a re activate your membership code (that wasn't activated) needles to say the code didn't work
5 Emailed there customer support and the default email response had an emergency contact phone number which I called
This put me through to a chat and dating service
I can honestly say it's the most shocking level of customer service I've ever experienced
Do not buy this product if I don't hear from them in the next 48 hrs I will return the rower
It's a real shame as the product itself is of high quality they just seem to be let down but a poor customer service infrastructure
Reply from Hydrow2024-08-23
Hi Stephen -- Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. We are sorry to hear you faced difficulty activating your Hydrow but are happy to see that our support team was able to solve the problem and get you on the water. The error you received was a global banking issue that affected a small number of new users in the UK. We worked with our internal teams to fix the issue, so you should not have any difficulty activating or using the Hydrow in the future.
Difficult issues like this can take a bit of time to diagnose and solve, and we apologize if our response was not as quick as you anticipated. It is always our goal to help our members as quickly as we can, and despite the initial challenges, it is good to see that you are now able to enjoy Hydrow. If you ever have any issues or questions in the future, feel free to reach out to our support team directly, and we will be happy to help.
Starting to understand how to use:) seems simple but you have to focus on parts of the body. Way too expensive for monthly service.
Reply from Hydrow2024-08-23
Thank you for your feedback! We're glad to hear you're starting to understand how to use the Hydrow.
While Hydrow does operate without a membership, we feel that the paid subscription leads to the best experience possible. Our membership includes access to a vast library of live and on-demand workouts, world-class instructors, and an engaging community that enhances the overall rowing experience. We continuously work on adding value to our service and hope you find it worthwhile. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out.