Rowing Machine

For indoor cardio when weather is too bad for running.

Resistance Types

Type	Feel	Noise	Maintenance	Price
Air	Dynamic - harder = faster	Loud	Low	Mid-high
Magnetic	Consistent resistance	Quiet	Low	Mid-high
Water	Natural, smooth	Moderate (swoosh)	Tank cleaning	High
Hydraulic	Choppy, limited motion	Quiet	Piston wear	Low

Air or magnetic recommended. Hydraulic feels unnatural. Water is nice but pricey.

Key Selection Factors

Rail length - Check if it fits your height (>185cm needs longer rail)
Folded dimensions - Most fold to ~120-140cm upright
Monitor - Basic: time/distance. Better: pace per 500m, watts, HR connectivity
Build quality - Weight capacity as proxy for sturdiness
Noise - Air is loud, magnetic is apartment-friendly
Garmin connectivity - Nice to have for Forerunner 965 integration (see below)

Garmin Forerunner 965 Connectivity

The Forerunner 965 supports ANT+ FE-C (Fitness Equipment Control) for rowing machines. However, in practice only the Concept2 PM5 monitor properly supports this protocol.

Concept2 PM5 connects as a "Smart Trainer" sensor
Logs: pace, power (watts), distance, strokes, SPM
Alternative: ErgIQ app from ConnectIQ store

Budget rowers (including Domyos) do not broadcast ANT+ FE-C data. You can still manually start an indoor rowing activity on the watch and get HR/time, but no stroke data sync.

Conclusion: Garmin connectivity is another point in favor of Concept2 if upgrading later.

Options Considered

Model	Type	Price	Notes
Concept2 RowErg	Air	€900 new, €600+ used	Industry standard, holds resale value
Domyos 120	Magnetic	€250	Entry-level, foldable, returnable at Decathlon
Budget marketplace	Various	€100-150	High risk of poor experience

Decision

Domyos 120 - Sweet spot between cheap enough to experiment and good enough to not ruin the experience. If rowing sticks after 6+ months, upgrade to Concept2 and resell the Domyos.

Try in-store first if possible - seat comfort and rail smoothness matter.

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