Amazing value for a magnetic resistance rowing machine at just over $200.
Sunny Health and Fitness are very good at producing good pieces of gym equipment at very reasonable prices. The Magnetic Rowing Machine with Adjustable Resistance by Sunny Health & Fitness – SF-RW5515 is no exception to this trend. If fact, the price is so low, it’s almost silly!
So what about the machine? The assembly is very straightforward and simple and only takes about 20 minutes.
Unlike air baffle rowers such as the Concept 2, the action is extremely quiet making it very suitable for a living room. The only thing that you can really hear is the seat rolling backwards and forwards on the runners and perhaps the occasional grunt of effort by the user!
The performance is similar to many of the other magnetic resistance rowers on the market. There is a knob just underneath the monitor which adjusts the load that can be set to a high enough level to challenge the strongest of men.
The seat is fairly comfortable although I prefer to user a rowing machine seat pad. The foot rests are big enough but it is not possible to adjust the position of the straps relative to the feet. I could imagine this being a problem if you have really small feet. I don’t (size 13!!)
In terms of storage, this machine folds away to quite a compact size and can be folded with minimum effort. It’s not as beautiful at the Waterrower which looks like a piece of furniture when put away against a wall, but then it does cost six times as much!
The monitor is not fantastic. It tracks strokes, time, and calories. However, with a good heart rate monitor and a notebook, it is quite easy to measure your improvements. My advice is to set a stroke rate of around 21-25 spm and the resistance to whatever you can sustain for the time period you are training. Keep these settings for ten training sessions and make a note of your average heart rate at the end of each session. If it starts dropping, you are getting the training right. If you are looking for a machine with a fantastic competition level computer, then you need to upgrade to a Concept 2 but this will set you back around $1000.
All in all, the Sunny Health and Fitness rowing machine is terrific value for money and will give you as good a workout as with any other magnetic resistance rower.
It’s currently priced at $205 on Amazon.
Compare other rowing machines here.