Hydrow Rower Alternative: Save $1,500+ with the Concept 2 Erg

The Hydrow Rower might be one of the most well-built, beautiful, and elegant-looking rowers on the market. Hydrow also has some of the best rowing classes available. However, with a $2,245 price tag alongside an additional $38 monthly membership, Hydrow can also be tough to fit in a budget. This is especially true for those already paying for a connected fitness service like Peloton. Here’s a Hydrow alternative that will save you $1,500 (or more) off the cost.

Taking into consideration the Hydrow Rower and Hydrow Membership, the total price of the first year of ownership comes out to just over $2,700. This total cost after five years climbs up to a little over $4,500.

So if that cost seems a bit steep, here’s my “Hydrow Hack”:

Step No. 1: Buy a Concept 2 Rower

The Concept 2 Rower costs just $900 if you purchase it here from Rogue Fitness. Despite the cheaper price, the Concept 2 Rower is one of the best on the market. Concept 2 has been used by almost all erg crews, both professional and collegiate, over the past 30 years. These rowers are also used by the majority of strength and conditioning, and CrossFit facilities around the world. 

Step No. 2: Download the Hydrow App

A little-known secret is that you can download the Hydrow App and access Hydrow classes at a discounted cost of $20 per month. This digital membership includes all of the same on-demand and live classes as the more expensive $38/month. The only difference is that you lose the ability to track your stats or see the leaderboard. If you are familiar with Peloton’s digital membership, this is very similar.

Step No. 3: Use a Concept 2 phone holder (or cast the app to a screen)

Once you have the app, all you need is a way to see the class while you row. You can use the phone attachment that comes with the Concept 2, you can purchase a nice-looking one like mine from Amazon, or you can simply cast the class to a nearby TV.

Step No. 4: Save $$$$

Now that you have a world-class rower and access to all of the Hydrow Classes, you can start training with your rower while saving $1,500 in the first year, and an additional $216 every year afterwards. 

One of the great things about this Hydrow alternative is that all of the metrics that Hydrow will use during the class will be presented identically on the concept 2 screen. So unlike similar methods used with Peloton, you won’t have to do any conversions when following along with the coach’s instructions. 

Of course if you want the full Premium Hydrow experience, and have the means to do so, it can definitely be worth a purchase. Either way, if you are excited to start rowing, jumping into some Hydrow Classes is a great idea.

Buy Concept 2 Rower Here
Buy Hydrow Here