Life Fitness Rowing Machine Reviews - Premium Brand

Life Fitness has gained a reputation in the industry for making high quality, well-designed exercise equipment for both the commercial and residential markets.

They currently offer two rowing machines — one with water resistance, the other with a combination of air and magnetic resistance — giving you two very different workout experiences depending on what you’re looking for.

If you've ever been to a gym or health spa, you've probably come across Life Fitness machines. The company has been around for over 45 years and their treadmills, ellipticals, rowers, bikes and strength equipment have been a mainstay in higher-end facilities ever since.

Life Fitness was part of the Brunswick Corporation for over two decades before being sold in 2019, and today operates as an independent global fitness equipment brand. Their goal is to create equipment that feels natural to use while holding up to years of consistent training — something that becomes especially important with a full-body movement like rowing.

When it comes to their rowers specifically, Life Fitness takes a slightly different approach than many of the more popular home brands. Instead of focusing on tech-heavy consoles or interactive training, they lean more into build quality, smooth motion and a premium feel — which is why you’ll often see them compared to other high-end options in our Best Rowing Machines guide.

The tradeoff, of course, is price. These are not budget rowers. But if you’re looking for something that feels closer to what you’d find in a commercial setting, they can make a lot of sense as a long-term investment.

A Look at the Current Lineup

As of our latest review, the current lineup consists of 2 Life Fitness rowing machines: the Row HX and the new Heat Row.

Row HX

The Life Fitness Row HX is the lower-priced model, typically coming in around $1,600–$1,800 depending on current promotions. It features a wood and steel frame, similar in style to the WaterRower Natural, which gives it a warmer, more furniture-like look compared to most rowers. This makes it a popular choice for home gyms where aesthetics matter just as much as performance.

As we mentioned above, it uses water resistance to closely mimic an on-water rowing experience. The sound and feel are both very smooth and natural, and the resistance can be adjusted via a dial with four different levels. While it doesn’t offer the same level of precision as some air-based rowers, most users find the experience more enjoyable and less mechanical.

One thing that stands out with the Row HX is how quiet and fluid it feels during longer sessions. It’s not built for high-intensity interval training in the same way something like a Concept2 is, but for steady-state cardio and general fitness, it’s a very comfortable machine to use.

Check out the rowers from Life Fitness on sale now at the store!

The Row HX also has a relatively compact footprint at under 7 feet long and weighs about 108 lbs when the tank is full. It can support users up to 300 lbs and is easy to move and store when not in use, which adds to its appeal for home users.

Check out the rowers from Life Fitness on sale now at the store!

Heat Row

The Life Fitness Heat Row is the higher-end model and starts closer to $2,800–$3,200 depending on the configuration. Unlike the Row HX, this model is designed to bridge the gap between home and commercial use, with a much more performance-oriented build.

Instead of water resistance, the Heat Row uses a combination of air and magnetic resistance. This gives you a wider range of resistance levels and a more responsive feel, especially during harder pulls or interval training. It’s a better fit for users who want a more structured workout or are looking to push intensity a bit more.

Another key difference is the console. The Heat Row comes with two options — a standard display or the upgraded Performance console — which adds more detailed workout tracking and programming. This makes it more appealing if you care about metrics like watts, pace, and training progress.

Build quality is also a step up here. The frame is heavier-duty, the rail is longer, and overall it feels closer to what you’d expect in a commercial gym setting. It’s slightly larger than the Row HX and can support users up to 330 lbs.

Where the Heat Row really stands out is versatility. It can handle everything from light cardio to more intense interval sessions, making it a better all-around training tool — but that added performance and flexibility does come at a significantly higher price.

Are Life Fitness Rowers Worth Buying?

Life Fitness rowing machines have consistently received good reviews from both users and experts alike, largely because they are built extremely well and backed by a company with a long track record in commercial fitness equipment.

The one sticking point, however, is pricing. While in line with the rest of their lineup, these rowers are on the expensive side — especially when you consider that some of the best rowing machines on the market come in at significantly lower price points.

For example, one of our top picks, the WaterRower Natural, delivers a very similar smooth, quiet rowing experience to the Row HX, but typically costs $500–$600 less. For many home users, that makes it a more practical choice.

The Heat Row pushes things even further on price. It’s difficult to justify spending over $3,000 when there are other high-quality rowers available for substantially less — some of which offer equal or better performance depending on your training style.

That said, there is a reason Life Fitness machines are so well regarded. The build quality is excellent, the motion feels natural, and these machines are designed to last. You’re essentially getting a piece of commercial-grade equipment adapted for home use.

For that reason, many buyers end up comparing them to brands that specialize exclusively in rowing machines — like Concept2 or WaterRower — which often offer better value, even if they don’t have quite the same premium look or feel.

Still, we would never say you shouldn’t buy a Life Fitness rower. These are high-end, commercial-grade machines and among the best-built options available, particularly if you prefer the feel of water resistance or want something that looks as good as it performs.

If budget isn’t a major concern, the Row HX is a great choice for those who want a quieter, more natural rowing experience with a premium design. The Heat Row, on the other hand, makes more sense if you want a more performance-oriented machine with greater resistance control and workout versatility.

The Bottom Line on Life Fitness Rowers

The fact that so many high-end gyms and fitness facilities use Life Fitness equipment says a lot about the overall quality and durability of their machines.

They’ve done a solid job bringing that same commercial feel into the home market, offering rowers that are well-built, smooth to use, and designed to last for years.

That said, when it comes specifically to rowing machines, the Row HX and Heat Row do come at a premium. There are other strong options on the market — like WaterRower or Concept2 — that offer similar performance at a lower price point.

Still, if you value top-tier build quality, a more refined feel, and equipment that closely matches what you’d find in a commercial gym, Life Fitness rowers are absolutely worth considering.