Sunny Health & Fitness Compact Adjustable Rowing Machine with 12 Levels of Resistance for Complete Body Workouts and Optional Free SunnyFit App Enhanced Connectivity

I received the package today at 2:09 pm. I ripped it out of the box and was momentarily confused. On first glance it looked almost entirely assembled. After ripping open the plastic, I noticed it needed 3 things- handle bar, connecting the arm to the hydraulic and releasing the back bar. It was such a simple operation. There was no crazy fluff with the packaging so clean up was a breeze. I immediately hopped on and was impressed. I went slowly and did 5 minutes in my living room. I then moved it outside, it is SO light. I can carry one handed if I wanted to. It fits nicely in the space I set aside. The monitor is incredibly easy to use and to watch while working out. I noticed some other reviews that said it was complicated. I'm not sure why someone would feel that way, maybe they have updated it since previous reviews? Either way, I was pleasantly surprised and had no issues. Now, onto the machine's resistance which seems to be a great debate among other reviewers... Once I moved it outside I adjusted the resistance level from 1 to 3 and did a full 15 minutes. I did experience some change in the resistance towards the end but I realized that I had shortened my strokes as I got faster. Once I corrected my form, the resistance was consistent. So to clarify, I did not experience a loss of resistance. However, how it stands up over time is still a debate. I did not go particularly fast but maintained a steady pace from beginning to end. Another point some reviewers brought up was size, I am 5'4 and 220 lbs. Yes, I'm fluffy lol I had no problems. The seat could use a bit more padding but once I moved forward a little I found the sweet spot. The one *potential* problem I've noticed is that the foot rests don't seem to be very sturdy. At one point I had to adjust my feet because I noticed the fronts were slightly bending the plastic back. Maybe they are meant to have some give? I'm not sure. They felt as if they will be the first thing that needs to be replaced down the road.Highlights:Value- 5Size- 5Weight- 5Packaging- 5Assembly- 5Stability- 4.5Resistance- 5Performance- 5Conclusion: Is this a gym quality machine? Nope. Is it functional, practical and worth buying? Yes. This is not something I would recommend to an Olympian but for the average person looking to burn a few calories while watching TV, this is the way to go.Update as of 3/22/2020, When I wrote the first review, I weighed 220 lbs. I now weigh 154. I'm 14 lbs from my goal weight. The rower still works like a breeze. I use my treadmill and bike for heavy cardio but the rower is still a staple. It is amazing for cross training. The foot rests still haven't broken, so that is a plus 😂 Still no loss in resistance. Now that I am in better shape, I notice that if I go fast, I can actually slide it across my floor with the momentum. I put it on .5 inch gym flooring and have had no issue since.My boyfriend who is 5'10, 180 lbs and a hardcore volleyball player is in love with this thing. According to him, it isn't a true rower but works on his muscular imbalances caused by playing one sport.I've though about upgrading to a more advanced rower but who am I kidding? I'm not a professional and it still does what I purchased it for. No complaints.On a side note, I made significant lifestyle changes to accomplish my weight loss. When I first started and couldn't walk more than 5 minutes at a time, this rower was a true challenge but I outgrew it about a month in and started regularly walking. I no longer use it every day, maybe 3-5 times a month for about 25-30 minutes.

At first, I was a little disappointed because there was no resistance on the seat. Basically, this is just an upper-body workout. The machine is good quality, but I hoped for a more challenging leg workout. Recently, I discovered I could easily add carbine hooks under the seat and attach resistance bands from the seat to the insides of the footrests. Adding this to the rower has made it an ideal workout that now works the upper body and the lower body.

I'm always looking for portable exercise options that will check all the boxes for (1) truly easy portability (easy to carry or maneuver, not too heavy or awkward); (2) has a small/slim profile for easy storage in my oh-so-tiny apartment; (3) doesn't take up too much room while actually using; (4) is super quiet; (5) is smooth and stable (doesn't move around while using); (6) is sturdy and well made (likely to last at least a few years); (7) has adequate, adjustable resistance to provide a great workout; (8) display is easy to reset and allows for static display (e.g., if I only want to track miles or speed); (9) display retains stats until you reset it; and (10) is affordable.Very few home exercise gadgets check all the boxes. This one checks 8 out of 10. The two unchecked boxes are why I dinged it one star. Others might dicker with me as to whether or to what extent it's significant, but it is a HUGE pet peeve to me when I don't have the option to set the LED display to a static setting so that I can simply track the distance or speed without having to wait for it to constantly cycle/scan through all stats. Equally annoying is when the LED display resets itself after pausing for just a few minutes. If I want to do a 30- or 60-minute session, maybe I want to get up to refill my water or take a bathroom break. If I failed to check my stats before I got up, too bad, so sad. When I return, it's back to zero, and I have no clue how long I've rowed or what the total count is.That truly sucks if you want to set a goal for a certain daily count or total minutes per day. Sadly, this is a problem with most LED displays. But I have had several pieces of equipment that get it right. Sunny, you can do better with this!On a more positive note, when I received this machine, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was 90% assembled (and very well packed). It took me literally 10 minutes to assemble the final pieces, and I was on my way to my first rowing session.Everything that folks say about this rower is true! It was easy to assemble. It's quiet. The glide is smooth. The resistance is phenomenal. It feels well made. It's sturdy and doesn't move or wobble. It's compact and will fit truly anywhere - for both active use and storage. And for being so sturdy and well-made, it's amazingly lightweight. My 70-year-old oh-so-weak, arthritic, and achy hands have no trouble picking it up and carrying it around without having to bother to fold it back up.The only struggle for me is that it sits rather low on the ground for my achy, arthritic knees to navigate smoothly. I solved that problem by elevating the back about 3 inches, and I placed the rower right next to a window and very close to my office chair so that I can use the window sill and my chair to brace myself and help hoist myself up out of the seat when I'm done.I like that it's shorter than most rowers, which gives me so many more options as to where to put it in my tiny apartment. It easily fits in the cramped space in my office, right next to the window. Unfortunately, I believe the consequence of this compact size is that I'm unable to get complete flexion in my legs, bending them 100% as I move forward, like I can on rowers at the gym or more high-end home rowers. I believe that 100% flexion allows for a stronger thrust when you glide back. So it's a compromise, I suppose. But I'm way happy to be able to put it in my office. It makes me feel less guilty during those moments when I fall down a YouTube rabbit hole, as I can just scoot off my chair and onto the rower and feel less guilty about the time suck if I'm rowing while watching one too many vids.This is a great machine for anyone on a budget and/or with the challenge of getting a workout and storing the equipment in a tight space. I look forward to many years of happy rowing adventures.THANK YOU, SUNNY, for making an affordable rower that checks almost all of the boxes to help us get and stay fit in the convenience of our homes! Just fix that LED display, and you'll be Goldilocks-perfect!-Karen :)

Really great rower with small footprint that provides a challenging workout. My husband had it put together in about five minutes. I love the adjustable resistance. Machine is lightweight and easy to move around but sturdy enough that you feel secure using it. It is quiet and smooth. I love that it is a total body workout. However, the most amazing thing, is the FREE sunny app. It provides fitness videos for all their equipment plus all sorts of exercise without their equipment including running, strength, training, pilates all in one place. The trainers are amazing and you can follow them. I love how app keeps track of all your workouts and calories burned on and off the rower. I cannot say enough, and I would literally pay a monthly fee for the app. What a great service! It is so motivating and I plan to be Sunny-fit by summer! I was lucky enough to find a Sunny ride and row from Facebook marketplace and it is a great companion. Now that is a challenging work out! Love, love, love! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️