Hydrow Wave Review (2024): The Concept2 of Smart Rowers

Hydrow, the maker of the smart Hydrow Rower, launched a new connected rower called the Hydrow Wave in summer 2022. In our first look Hydrow Wave review, we covered all of the need-to-know information about this new smart rower and how it compares to the original Hydrow. Now—after a few months of testing the Wave—our updated review contains personal insights from none other than GGR founder himself, Coop.

Dozens of Rowers Tested

Our product testers have been using rowing ergs for collectively more than a decade in their own fitness journeys and in our roles as certified personal trainers and competitive triathletes. We’ve also tested nearly two dozen rowing machines specifically for reviews and guides on Garage Gym Reviews. This is to say: We know a good rowing machine when we see one. 

Making Waves

Hydrow Wave

GGR Score: 4.2

Check Price Use GGRWAVE for $150 off

Product Highlights

• The Hydrow Wave is a new smart rowing machine from Hydrow
• The new rower is smaller, lighter, and easier to move than its larger counterpart
• Still features a large HD touchscreen display
• Streams the scenic workouts that have become synonymous with Hydrow.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• More compact than original hydrow
• Durable polycarbonate frame
• Stainless steel seat rail
• HD touchscreen display
• Instructor-led workouts
• On-location scenic rows
• Beginner-friendly options
• Affordable for a smart rower
• Financing available

Cons

• Still expensive for most people
• Frame doesn’t fold
• Vertical storage kit sold separately
• Floor mat sold separately
• Monthly membership required

Bottom Line

The Hydrow Wave is a smaller, more affordable version of the Hydrow rower that still offers all of the benefits of connected fitness.

A Quick Look at the Hydrow Wave

The new Hydrow Wave, released in July 2022, is like the little sibling to the original Hydrow-connected rower. According to the Hydrow website, it’s 30% smaller than the original and easier to move around your space. 

This is a huge win for connected fitness fans who live in small spaces, since most smart home gym equipment tends to be big, bulky, and heavy (although still more space-efficient than analog gym equipment.) 

The Hydrow Wave sports many of the same features as the original Hydrow, with seemingly minor changes that actually make a big difference in the home gym experience. 

After testing the Wave, Coop actually believes it to be a true alternative to the Concept2 RowErg—an all-around GGR favorite that consistently tops our guides to cardio equipment—and one of the best values for the money.

My Tips

• Consider this option over the original Hydrow if you’re tight on space or money. 
• The price starts at about $1,800, but be sure to budget for more if you want the machine mat or any accessories (and don’t forget about the monthly membership fee for workouts). 

Is the Hydrow Wave Worth It?

At first glance—and after in-depth research and over a month of testing—the Hydrow Wave is absolutely a good deal. There’s really no denying that. Most smart rowing machines go for more than $2,000, including the original Hydrow, which starts at almost $2,500. The Wave starts around $1,800, so right off the bat, you’re saving a few hundred dollars compared to what you’d spend with another brand. 

RELATED: Best Budget Rowing Machine

Coop says (and most of our audience agrees) that the deciding factor for most people will be the required subscription cost. 

At $44 per month, that adds up to $456 per year, which will equate to more than the cost of the rower itself over a period of four years. If you believe workout classes are a necessary component of your workout routine and ongoing motivation and adherence to fitness, I’d say it’s worth it. Otherwise—if you’re a very self-motivated person—you can save a lot of money by going with a Concept2 instead.

From my research, it doesn’t seem like you’re sacrificing much for the $800 price difference between the Wave and the original Hydrow. In fact, what you’re “sacrificing” is a bulkier, heavier build, which actually is not a sacrifice—and instead a bonus—for most home gym owners. We don’t all have square footage in the quadruple digits to dedicate to a workout space (unfortunately!). 

And, with the Hydrow All-Access membership (sold separately), you still get access to the robust library of workouts to stream on the HD touchscreen display. 

Hydrow Wave Specs

Hydrow Wave Video Review

Using the Hydrow Wave

Originally, before we could get our hands on the product, our team made some educated guesses about how the new rowing machine performs during workouts based on our experience with the original Hydrow and our experience with various other rowing machines. 

Here’s what we thought:

• The Wave features the same computer-controlled magnetic resistance you’d find on the original Hydrow. As far as indoor rowing goes, Hydrow has managed to better mimic the on-the-water rowing experience better than any other magnetic rowers out there—at least in the opinion of our roster of fitness professionals and product testers. 

Well, we’re pleased to announce that we were right! 

Connected fitness is really something special, and that’s exactly what you’ll get with the Hydrow Wave: In addition to the engaging workouts led by credentialed fitness instructors, you’ll also have access to the Hydrow community and leaderboard, where you can post your own workouts and view workout results from others. 

The Hydrow Wave feels just like the original Hydrow during use. Despite the smaller build, we noticed no deviations from the build quality we expect from Hydrow: no shaking, shifting, or otherwise unpleasant movement from the frame. 

As for the workouts, we’re fans of Hydrow programming. The scenic rows are simply beautiful, and the instructor-led workouts are engaging. There are plenty of workouts to choose from and filtering them to find just what you need—by time, type, or level—is easy. 

Footprint and Portability

The smaller footprint is the main selling point of the new Hydrow Wave compared to the original Hydrow. According to the Hydrow website, the Wave is about 30% smaller than the original connected rower. 

Measuring 80 inches long by 19 inches wide by 43 inches high, it is indeed a good bit smaller than the original, which measures 86 inches long by 25 inches wide by 47 inches high. 

There’s a vertical anchor kit for storing the Hydrow Wave (and a different one for the regular Hydrow), but you’ll have to shell out an additional $190. If you have the floor space to keep the Wave out when not in use, no need. But it may be worth the additional cheddar if you want to stow it away when you’re not working out. 

Finally, the Wave has front-mounted casters, which means the machine is relatively manageable to cart around. It does weigh over 100 pounds, though, so we still wouldn’t call it overtly easy. 

RELATED: Best Compact Gym Equipment

Durability and Construction

Like its larger counterpart, the Hydrow Wave features a solid build quality. 

The black polycarbonate frame is sure to hold up for years, as it’s a highly impact-resistant material. It should also resist scuffing, which is great news, because the industrial finish on the frame looks dang good. 

Impressively, the Hydrow Wave boasts the same 375-pound weight capacity as the original Hydrow despite its smaller and lighter frame.

During our usual thorough hands-on testing, we took note specifically of factors such as: 

• How the Wave feels in comparison to its bigger sibling 
• If there is any shaking or shifting while in use, at low-effort and high-effort intensities 
• How the new rower feels when in transport around the gym 

The Wave feels nearly identical in use; people who aren’t familiar with indoor rowing machine build components and/or haven’t tried dozens of rowers will never know the difference. The Wave is just as structurally sound and sturdy as the original Hydrow.

The Ergonomics

For the majority of people, the Hydrow Wave will be suitable in terms of ergonomics. 

The Hydrow Wave measures 80 inches long by 19 inches wide by 43 inches high. When it comes to ergonomics, the length is the most important measurement. At 80 inches in length, the Wave can accommodate inseam lengths of up to 36 inches. 

For reference, a 36-inch inseam in pants will generally fit people from 6’3” to 6’6” tall. This means pretty much everyone should be able to reach full hip and knee extension during the rowing stroke. Individuals taller than 6 feet, 6 inches should consider the regular Hydrow, which measures 86 inches in length.

Also featured on the Wave are adjustable footbeds to accommodate most shoe sizes, as well as an angled handle for wrist comfort during your workout. 

Tech Specs

Hydrow’s new rower is just as tech-infused as the original Hydrow rower. Both WiFi- and Bluetooth-enabled, the Hydrow Wave rower can connect to your Apple Watch or other fitness tracker, as well as a heart rate monitor if you like to track workouts that way. You can also connect the rower to external speakers to really jam out. 

The Hydrow app is available on iOS and Android devices, although we’ve heard that the experience is better on iOS. (None of us have Android phones, sorry!). This honestly doesn’t surprise us; it is a common sentiment. #iPhone4Life. 

RELATED: Best rowing apps

The good news is that no matter what type of device you have, you may not even be using the app very much. Thanks to the high-fidelity touchscreen display on the Hydrow Wave, you can stream all your favorite workouts directly on the rower. 

Finally, the resistance mechanism itself is worth calling out as a notable tech feature. The computer-controlled magnetic resistance is more fluid than that of most, if not all, other magnetic rowers. You won’t experience any jerking or shaking of the pull cord during a Hydrow workout. 

Hydrow Wave vs Hydrow

The Hydrow and Hydrow Wave are very similar. Both feature the same computer-controlled resistance, an HD screen, and instructor-led programming that includes both low-impact rowing workouts, strength training, yoga, and Pilates. 

However, there are many differences between the two, summarized in the spec chart. 

One thing I want to point out here is that you cannot use the same membership on two rowing machines if you already have a Hydrow. We asked Hydrow about this since we ran into the same issue with the Tempo Studio and Tempo Move, and here’s what Hydrow said: 

“A Hydrow membership is only valid for only one Hydrow or Hydrow Wave at a time. You can transfer your membership between rowers easily, but if you own multiple rowers that you use frequently, you might want to purchase a membership for each. Please keep in mind that this only applies to rowers that you own. You can always use other rowers at a gym or friend’s house, as long as those rowers have their own membership.”

Read our full Hydrow review for more details on the original Hydrow rower. 

Customer Reviews and Customer Service

On TrustPilot, Hydrow as a brand has an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars at the time of writing. 

The majority of negative reviews are more about customer service than the product itself. One unhappy customer wrote: 

“I received my Hydrow Wave, watched the instructional YouTube video on how to put it together, and read the pamphlet. Went to fit the two frames together and it broke on the first attempt. Called customer support, they sent an email [and I] was told to reply with screenshots and information. I received no case number with it, no ETA, and then received a conflicting email with a case number that said they were waiting for my feedback…

I expect this type of customer service when you don’t have a premium product. They are using Salesforce for their CRM and it has case management built in! This is easy stuff that they are failing to do/follow up on. I’ll happily update this review if changes occur. Currently the product is useless so a 1 star is as high as you will get.”

However, Hydrow responded: “Thanks for taking the time to write us with the review. We’re sorry for the issue with assembling the Hydrow Wave and for the experience with our team’s communication to this point. We’re committed to resolving this with you as quickly as possible and a member of our team has reached out to you with additional information on your case. If you have any questions moving forward, we are happy to answer them in our current communication.”

So in this case, it seems customer service is relatively responsive. 

The customer reviews on the Hydrow website are glowing; buyers praise the new rower for its more compact and lightweight design, easy assembly, and interactive programming.

Other in-depth Hydrow Wave reviews I came across have the same general sentiment you find here: The Wave is a smaller, lighter, less expensive version of the Hydrow that’s just as suitable for the vast majority of people. 

Final Verdict of Our Hydrow Wave Review

The new Hydrow rower packs a ton of quality and versatility into a smaller package compared to the original Hydrow, which we think is great for the majority of home gym owners. 

• The Hydrow Wave is 30% smaller than the original Hydrow rower. 
• You still need a Hydrow All-Access membership to use the Hydrow Wave ($44/month—and you can’t use the same membership if you already have an original Hydrow). 
• The polycarbonate frame and stainless steel seat rail will prove durable. 

Hydrow Wave FAQs

Here are some commonly asked questions about Hydrow and rowing:

Amanda Capritto, CPT, CES, CNC, CF-L1, CSNC

Amanda is a content writer and journalist with extensive experience in the health, fitness, lifestyle, and nutrition niches. Before joining Garage Gym Reviews, she worked as an independent writer for various brands and outlets.Her work has appeared in national and global digital publications, including Health.com and Shape.com (Meredith Corporation), CNET (Red Ventures, formerly ViacomCBS), LIVESTRONG (Leaf Group), Verywell Fit and The Balance (DotDash), SlickDeals (Goldman Sachs/Hearst), Health Journal, and more.Now, Amanda brings her expertise in fitness to the GGR team by testing equipment and writing authentic, honest reviews on everything you might need to stock your home gym.

Further reading

Acupressure Mat Benefits: Could Spikes Be the Key to Enhanced Recovery?

by Stephen Sheehan, CPT, CNC

Could laying on a bed of spikes help enhance blood flow, provide pain relief, and hasten your recovery? Find out in this deep dive on acupressure mat benefits. Read more

Ghost BCAA Review (2024): Is It Worth Adding to Your Supplement Stack?

by Sharon Lehman, RD

Our comprehensive Ghost BCAA Review includes a breakdown of the formulation, pricing, and real-world applications to help you make a buying decision. Read more

ONE Protein Bar Review (2024): Did We Find The One?

by Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, MS, RDN, LD

Looking for your next favorite high-protein snack? Find out if this is the one for you with our ONE Protein Bar review. Read more

How To Use a Chest Press Machine: Build Bigger Pecs With This Beginner-Friendly Exercise

by Ravi Davda, CPT

Wondering how to use a chest press machine? A CPT explains how to do the exercise with good form, and gives modifications, variations, and alternatives to try. Read more