Best Rowing Machines · head-to-head

Concept2 RowErg vs Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515

A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515 is cheaper at $399.99. Every spec and price links to its source.

Which is better: the Concept2 RowErg or Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515?

They split the 2 specs we compare evenly. The Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515 is the cheaper at $399.99.

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Full spec sheet

marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.

Spec Concept2 RowErg Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515
US price $990 $399.99
BrandConcept2Sunny Health & Fitness
Released2003
Resistance type air magnetic
Max user weight (lb) 500 250
Footprint (in) 96 x 24 82 x 19
Foldable No Yes
Monitor or touchscreen PM5 Performance Monitor (LCD) LCD display (time, distance, calories, stroke count)
Subscription required No No
Weight (lb) 57 60
Release year 2003

Sources — Concept2 RowErg: concept2.com (verified 2026-06-15). Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515: sunnyhealthfitness.com (verified 2026-06-15).

What's the difference between the Concept2 RowErg and Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515?

Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (6 of 7). Matching specs are omitted.

  • Resistance type: Concept2 RowErg air vs Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515 magnetic
  • Max user weight (lb): Concept2 RowErg 500 vs Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515 250
  • Footprint (in): Concept2 RowErg 96 x 24 vs Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515 82 x 19
  • Foldable: Concept2 RowErg false vs Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515 true
  • Monitor or touchscreen: Concept2 RowErg PM5 Performance Monitor (LCD) vs Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515 LCD display (time, distance, calories, stroke count)
  • Weight (lb): Concept2 RowErg 57 vs Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515 60

What reviewers say

Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.

Concept2 RowErg

Both whitelisted hands-on testers — Wirecutter and Garage Gym Reviews — rank the Concept2 RowErg the best rower they've tested. Shared praise: a sturdy, commercial-grade build that doesn't feel cheap, clear and reliably accurate PM5 metrics, and strong durability with easy parts replacement. Shared gripe: the roughly $1,000 price and a simple monitor with basic built-in programming. Wirecutter alone credits the secure, non-slip foot holsters and flags loud operation plus having to stop mid-workout to change resistance; Garage Gym Reviews alone notes the seat hardens over long-term use. Noise is the one clear disagreement. (2 sourced reviews, 2 lab-tested.)

Praised: Best rower / best workout experience of all machines tested; Sturdy, commercial-grade build that doesn't feel cheap; PM5 monitor metrics are clear and reliably accurate.

Flagged: Expensive at roughly $1,000; Simple monitor with minimal built-in interactive programming; Loud flywheel — noisiest rower Wirecutter tested.

Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5515

No sourced tester review yet.

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