Proform Rowing Machines Compared

Are the Proform rowing machines worth your time and money? In this guide, we’ll take a deep dive into what this brands’ machines have to offer and how they compare to the other heavyweights in this space.

Choosing exercise equipment for your home gym can be hard. Not only do you have to find something that does everything you need it to do, it also has to fit into your home and fit into your budget.

When it comes to something like a rowing machine, it gets even harder, because at first glance all standard rowers basically look the same.

This is why we’ve written this guide.

Who are Proform?

If you’re not familiar with ProForm, its a good, long running brand in the home gym equipment space. It has a 30-year heritage in making some well-regarded exercise machines including treadmills, ellipticals and rowers.

They’re a subsidiary of ICON health and fitness; a US-based company and the biggest fitness manufacturer in the world. They’ve been operating since 1977, and also own some of the other biggest names out there, including NordicTrack, Gold’s Gym, and the interactive fitness app, iFit.

Are they a reliable brand?

At the time of writing this, Pro-form currently has a review rating of 3.9 on Trust Pilot, which is classed as ‘great’.

Reviewers cite customer service and the quality of the exercise machines as highlights.

Interactions I’ve had with them have matched this with questions being answered quickly and easily via the chat.

Are Proform rowers expensive?

The range of machines on offer are in the budget to mid-range, with the cheapest rower starting at £400 and the most expensive just under £1000, at the time of writing. This is less than your average water rower, and a good bit cheaper than the ever-popular C2 (Concept 2 machine).

What’s in ProForm’s rowing machine range?

ProForm currently sells a number of rowing machines with a range of prices and slightly different capabilities. The rowers for sale on their website today are:

• Carbon R10
• 750R
• Sport RL
• The 440R

We’ll be looking at all of the above, including how they differ and who should consider buying them.

You can see the range on their website here.

Compare Proform’s Rowing Machines

The ProForm Carbon R10

“This is Proform’s top (and most expensive) rowing machine”

Specifications

• Dimensions: 119 x 56 x 64 cm
• Resistance: Silent magnetic resistance
• Resistance levels: 24
• Monitor: 10-inch multicolour display
• iFit: Yes
• Max user weight: 114kg (251lbs)
• Folding design: Yes
• Railing Material: Steel

R10 Rower Details

Proform’s R10 rowing machine follows a similar design to the others in their range, with the central rail mounted on large front forks and smaller rear ones.

It also uses magnetic resistance, which you’ll find on the other machines in this range. This offers less upper level resistance than water and air, but is quiet, smooth and offers a good range of motion.

This rower comes with an iPad-style touch screen built-in which services as the performance monitor for this rower. While you can use this without iFit, it’s clearly been designed for anyone looking to get into the activities on offer with this service.

Who is this rowing machine best for?

This machine has a good range of resistance that makes it a good choice if you’ve never rowed before, or if you’re a mid-level rower. It’s a solid rower to start on and should last years, judging by the build quality.

Conclusion: Should you buy the ProForm R10?

This machine is definitely aimed at anyone serious about iFit, as the touch screen is built right into the front panel. If you’re not interested in online classes or don’t want to pay for iFit, there are cheaper machines in the range you should go for.

The ProForm 750R

“High-quality features, without breaking the bank”

Specifications

• Dimensions: 218 x 55 x 116cm
• Resistance: Silent magnetic resistance
• Monitor: 5-inch multicolour display
• iFit: Yes
• Max user weight: 115kg (250lbs)
• Folding design: Yes
• Railing Material: Steel

750R Rower Details

Second-from-top rower in ProForm’s general range, the 750R packs a lot of tech into a reasonably well-priced chassis and has a lot to offer for prospective buyers.

To kick things off, unlike the other models in ProForm’s range, the 750R is built around the same style of silent magnetic resistance you’d find on commercial-grade rowing machines that cost upwards of four figures.

Compared to traditional, physical resistance methods, SMR is an entirely different game. It’s far smoother to use, with even and consistent resistance levels that don’t fade down or wear out as the machine gets older. And as the name suggests, because there’s no physical contact, it’s basically silent.

On top of this, the 750R is one of the cheapest ways to get access to iFit, ICON’s interactive live fitness program. It’s no great secret that we love iFit and other live fitness apps because they give you so many options and ways to train, including virtual rowing.

We’ve written an entire guide on the benefits of iFit, but long story short, if you’re serious about your health and fitness, you’re going to want to invest in a fitness app like this.

So how does the 750R save money? Simple. It cuts out a lot of the built-in tech that you’d see on more expensive rowers. For example, there is no interactive touch screen, but it has a tablet holder to fit your own devices.

Who is this rowing machine best for?

Coming with iFit makes the ProForm 750R suitable for almost anyone. No matter your fitness goals, iFit will get you there with its thousands of fitness programs and daily classes, led by world-class trainers.

But even without factoring in iFit, there’s a lot to love here. A strong frame, the same resistance systems used on top-end rowers, all on a light and easy-to-move body.

Conclusion: Should you buy the ProForm 750R?

For its cost, the ProForm 750R delivers. You’re getting a lot of the things that you’d expect to see in a rower two or even three times the cost. It does cut a few corners and lacks a lot of the built-in bells and whistles you’d see on more expensive models, but there’s a reason. You can read our 750R review here.

In terms of performance, and what it offers, the ProForm 750R is a fantastic system, and a great entry-level way to get access to a machine with silent magnetic resistance and iFit.

Related Rowing Equipment Guides

• Are Rowing Machines Good For Weight Loss?
• The Best Rowing Machines For Tall People
• Is It Ok To Use A Rowing Machine Every Day?
• ProForm Carbon R10 Review
• How Effective Are Rowing Machines?

The ProForm 440R

A budget price doesn’t mean a lack of features

Specifications

• Dimensions: 193 x 58 x 49cm
• Resistance: Digital
• Monitor: LCD
• iFit: No
• Max user weight: 115kg (250lbs)
• Folding design: Yes
• Railing material: Aluminium

440R Rower Details

At first impression, the Proform 440R actually seems like a budget rower. It’s small and looks a little outdated. But don’t let that turn you away.

The general construction is decent across the board, with an aluminium main rail and a comfortable rowing position. The footrests are large and easily adjustable, and so is the seat, with a lot of padding, although it’s a little small for larger users.

When it’s time to put it away, the 440R is designed to work as a SpaceSaver, so it can fold upwards and save a lot of room. Unfortunately, when it arrives, expect to spend an hour putting this together.

The LCD display is great, especially for the price, with a large, easy to read screen that shows all of the essential stats. Resistance is provided with a magnetic system, just like the most expensive commercial models, which is lovely, and resistance can be changed through 8 levels with a simple dial.

Who is this rowing machine best for?

At the price, the 440R is aimed entirely at casual rowers who are only going to use this as a supplement to their workouts.

If you’re buying a rowing machine for heavy cardio work, or to seriously train, you need something a little bigger.

Conclusion: Should you buy the ProForm 440R?

The 440R doesn’t offer anything special, but it’s definitely going to get you fit. Despite being the cheapest rower on offer from ProForm, there’s a lot to love here. A solid design, with strong, consistent performance, and a reasonable feature base.

Unfortunately, that’s balanced out by a couple of key flaws, like the lowish weight limit and limited warranty. If we were in the market, we’d be looking at the other models on offer, especially considering that this is on the high end for a budget model, and the price difference between the 440R and the next model up, the R600, is pretty minor.

The Verdict: Which Proform rowing machine should you buy?

In our opinion, ProForm’s rower range is decent across the board, but the 750R is significantly better than both of the budget models.

As a way to get access to iFit, the 750R is a relatively cheap way of getting yourself on board, and the overall performance is fantastic as well and comes highly recommended.

Both the R600 and 440R perform well enough, but honestly, for a basic, budget rower, there are better options out there.

Thanks for reading. If we’ve missed anything, make sure to comment. We love hearing our reader’s thoughts and expertise!

See the full Proform rowing equipment range here.

References and further reading

• NCBI – Comparison of elliptical training, stationary cycling, treadmill walking and overground walking
• Find out more about iFit on the iFit FAQs here
• Find out more about the Proform rowing machine warranty here
• You can get manuals and support from ProForm here
• Check out ProForm’s Trust Pilot rating here
• Visit the official ProForm website for more news on these Rowers and other endurance gear