A perfect workout program for gamers? In this Aviron Rower review, we will cover everything you should know before you decide to buy. Aviron has created a well-designed rower designed around games and entertainment that has kept me hooked. Read (or watch) below to get the full scoop.
Table of contents
Aviron Rower review video
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A quick overview of the Aviron Rower
The Aviron Rower was designed with one primary goal in mind: to end boring workouts. With various workout types, entertainment streaming (like Netflix), multiplayer options, and more, it’s hard to imagine anyone being bored on this rower.
The rower itself is well made with a great folding system to help keep it space-efficient. For gamers, Aviron seems like a perfect addition to a home workout setup.
Aviron Rower specs
| Weight | 97 lbs |
| Max User Weight & Height | 397 lbs, 6′ 7″ |
| Dimensions | 97″ L x 21″ W x 43″ H |
| Dimensions when Folded | 54″ L x 21″ W x 62″ H |
| Resistance Type | Dual Air & Magnetic Resistance |
| Touchscreen | 22″ HD |
| Touchscreen Specs | Dual 2-watt speakers, 4GB memory, 32GB storage |
| Auto-Adjust | Yes |
| Membership | $25–$29 per month |
| Warranty | 10-year frame warranty 1-year labor and parts warranty |
Aviron Impact vs. Tough Series
Aviron offers two different rowers: the Impact and Tough Series.
The Aviron Impact Series is the rower that I tested and used, and with its lower price, this is what I would suggest for most people. The primary difference between the two is that the Impact is lighter and able to fold up, whereas the Tough Series is heavier and does not fold.
That said, the Tough Series may be a better fit for heavier individuals (the max user weight is 507lbs compared to 397lbs) or for those who want to add a lumbar support kit.
The Tough Series also has a nicer footpad which can be adjusted to best fit your preferred width. This is great, but again, not necessary for most looking for a home rower.
Aviron Rower design
The Aviron Rower has a solid industrial look to it. It looks good enough in an office or garage, but it’s definitely not the best-looking rower design for a home.
That said, many will appreciate its easy-to-use folding system which helps decrease the floor space needed by around half. When folded, the included four wheels make it fairly easy to transport around as needed.
Dual air & magnetic resistance
Aviron utilizes a dual air and magnetic system which has 16 levels of resistance. I think the combination works well here. It still feels like a rower should (with user-generated resistance from the fan) but has the nice addition of an auto-adjustment system with the magnetic component.
Resistance levels 1–10 feel more like a typical rower, whereas above that, it feels like a mix of rowing and strength training. The high-resistance levels won’t be for everyone, but it is a fun addition to mix things up occasionally.
The air fan is much smaller than the popular Concept 2 rower, which keeps things a bit quieter. It took me a while to feel comfortable with it, as the smaller fan does have a very different feel than most rowers. After a week or two though, once my brain got used to the different feel, I started to enjoy it a lot more.
Touchscreen and speakers
The 22″ HD touchscreen looks great and is quick and responsive with 4 GB of working memory. While the screen cannot rotate from side to side, it can be tilted slightly up and down.
I have found some rower screens to be placed too close, which doesn’t look great when you lean in during the ‘catch.’ Some rowing screens are also placed too high, encouraging you to maintain a bad neck position. The Aviron Rower has none of those issues. The positioning of the screen here is just about perfect.
The speakers are not the greatest, but I was surprised to read they are only five watts. The sound and volume are pretty decent, so somehow, the speakers are making the most of what is there.
Handle
The handle on the Aviron rower is unlike any that I have used before. The handle itself is held within a sleeve so that it can rotate around while you hold it.
The benefit of a handle like this is that it reinforces good wrist positioning. I cannot say I prefer this style compared to more traditional handles, but once I got adjusted to it, it felt fine.
While the handle felt comfortable for me to use, I will note that it is a bit larger in diameter than most. Those with smaller hands may need to use a “thumbs-over” grip which some may or may not like.
Seat and footpad
Another design unique to Aviron is how high up the rower sits. The seat is 20″ above the floor, which is significantly higher than most other rowers. While this makes it harder to reach something placed on the ground, it does make it a lot easier to position with. Those who are heavier or less flexible will appreciate this elevated height.
The Aviron’s footpads are slightly wider than what is typically seen on most rowers, although similar to what is seen on the Hydrow. This is another design decision that seems smart, especially helping those with less flexibility get into a better rowing position. And unlike the new RW900 Rower, the width isn’t so wide that it encourages bad knee positioning.
Aviron Rower membership
While the Aviron Rower is pretty good overall, the reason for most to get it will be because they want to utilize their game-focused membership.
The membership costs $29 per month (or $25 if you pay a year upfront), and includes an unlimited number of accounts to be used on the rower.
If you choose to cancel or pause your membership, you will still be able to use the “Just Row” option, as well as continue to track your metrics and add friends.
Workout selection and games
Aviron seems to have a pretty good cadence of new workout modes and game releases. Over the past few years, they have accumulated a pretty big variety of workout types to choose from.
There are a decent amount of games, like one where you shoot down hordes of enemies to try and get a high score. There are workout programs where you row at various paces to keep a car in the correct lane. Also included are some instructor-led classes as well as a good mix of scenic rides.
I can’t say everything here is good, but there are plenty of diamonds in the rough. The variety and creativity on display here are enough to keep anyone from getting bored.
There unfortunately is very little guidance on how to use these various modes to create a full program, but that doesn’t seem to be the focus. Aviron feels like it is built more for those that just want to jump in without a plan and do whatever sounds fun on any given day.
Netflix and other entertainment streaming
Many connected fitness companies (like Peloton and iFIT) actively seek to block and prevent members from accessing other forms of entertainment like Netflix on their machines. Not Aviron. They not only allow access to platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Disney, and YouTube but also display and track your metrics while using them.
People often say things like, “If I was watching Netflix, then I wouldn’t work out as hard.” While this is true, I see that as a positive. Lower-intensity training should make up a majority of endurance training, yet most connected fitness devices don’t provide many classes that encourage that, likely because it is hard for a coach to keep people entertained while keeping efforts low.
This is why a lot of people choose “scenic rides” for their lower efforts. But if given the choice to do a scenic ride or watch a show like Stranger Things, I think most would choose the show. In fact, I definitely ended up rowing longer on Aviron during some lower-zone rides just to finish an episode.
Live multiplayer
Aviron is the only connected fitness platform that I have used to provide a complete multiplayer lobby system. Not only is this a fun way to work out or challenge a friend, but it is also a great way to become a part of the Aviron community.
Previously, you would usually need to find a group of others on their Facebook or Discord group to work out with. But with their latest update, Aviron turned all workouts everyone starts into a public multiplayer session, allowing you to join someone else’s workout at any time.
You can turn this off and make your workout private if you don’t want others jumping in, but I found it to be a lot of fun to see others join me on a workout. Plus at the end, you can shoot everyone in the group a fun selfie, which helps you to realize that these are actually other people you are working out with, not just avatars.
Rewards and challenges
It wouldn’t be a rower for gamers without rewards and challenges. And luckily, Aviron provides a decent amount of things here to chase. There are badges to earn, monthly challenges to complete, and best of all, coins to collect.
The longer you row, the more Experience Coins you collect. These coins can then be used to buy additional skins for your avatar or additional game layouts. This is a fairly new aspect of Aviron that was added recently, but they say they plan on expanding it significantly. I think it is a fun way to stay motivated and am excited to see what they come up with!
Aviron vs. Ergatta
The Ergatta is probably what most will compare Aviron to since they are both game-based rowers. Despite both focused on games rather than instructor-led content, there are some significant differences between the two.
The wooden Ergatta Rower definitely looks nicer for home use when compared to Aviron. However, with its low seat profile and narrow foot placement, Ergatta will probably be less comfortable to use for many.
The programs are also significantly different. Ergatta only utilizes a few game types and is much more focused on developing fully-realized workout programs within those games. Aviron is more about having a ton of options and allowing members to jump in with whatever seems fun for them.
Connect The Watts’ Take
Overall, I think Aviron is going to be a great fit for someone who loves games and gets bored with workouts easily. With so much variety to choose from and consistent updates adding new experiences every few months, Aviron makes it easy to stay motivated. If that sounds like you, I recommend checking it out!
Suggested articles:
- 2022 Ergatta Rower review – How I feel after 6 months of rowing
- NordicTrack RW900 Rower review – updated 2022 model
- A “Zwift for Rowers”: the EXR Rowing App, now also available on Apple TV
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