Overview
The Concept2 RowErg has been the standard rowing ergometer in fitness for decades. Its dominance isn’t marketing — it’s the fact that more athletes have rowed more meters on this machine than any other, making it the universal benchmark for rowing performance.
For Hyrox competitors specifically, this isn’t just a good choice — it’s the only choice. Hyrox uses the Concept2 RowErg as the official competition machine, so training on anything else means your splits won’t translate to race day.
The PM5 Monitor
The Performance Monitor 5 is what separates the RowErg from the rest of the market. It tracks split pace (/500m), watts, strokes per minute, and calories, and connects via Bluetooth and ANT+ to apps like ErgData and Garmin devices. Your training data is portable and comparable across any Concept2 anywhere in the world.
Hyrox Specifics
In Hyrox, the row is 1,000 metres per station. Understanding your target pace in watts and /500m split — and being able to hold it under fatigue — is a critical race skill. Train on the RowErg so your pace intuition is calibrated to the actual machine.
Noise
The main practical limitation of air resistance is noise. The flywheel is loud enough to be a problem in apartments or thin-walled shared spaces. If this is a concern, consider the Concept2 BikeErg or a water rower as alternatives — but neither will prepare you for Hyrox.
Verdict
The best rowing machine for CrossFit and Hyrox training. No equivalent product comes close for competition-specific preparation.
