Air Rowing Machine: How Fan Resistance Works, Pros, Cons and Damper Settings

An air rowing machine is a rower that uses a spinning fan for resistance, so the harder you pull, the more it pushes back. It's the type you'll find in almost every gym, rowing club, CrossFit box and HYROX race, mostly because of one machine: the Concept2 RowErg.

They're also loud, long and more expensive than most home rowers. This guide explains how fan resistance actually works, what the damper lever does (and doesn't do), the honest trade-offs, and what to check before you spend £400 to £1,000 on one.

How air resistance works

Inside the plastic cage at the front of an air rower sits a flywheel with fins on it. A chain or strap connects it to the handle. Each time you drive back with your legs, the chain spins the flywheel, and the fins have to shove air out of the way. That push against the air is your resistance.

The physics is what makes air rowers feel different. Air drag grows steeply with speed: the force rises with roughly the square of the flywheel's speed, and the power needed to keep it spinning rises with the cube. Concept2's monitor uses exactly that cube relationship to turn your pace into watts. In practical terms, going a bit faster costs a lot more effort. To row twice as fast you'd need around eight times the power, which is why knocking 5 seconds off your 500m split feels so brutal.

So there's no fixed "level" you're working against. A gentle pull spins the fan slowly and feels light; a hard drive spins it fast and the fan fights back. The machine scales with you whether you're a beginner on a 2:40 split or an ex-rower holding 1:45.

What the damper actually does

The lever on the side of the fan cage, numbered 1 to 10 on a Concept2, is the damper. It opens or closes vents that control how much air reaches the flywheel. More air means more drag on each stroke; less air lets the flywheel keep spinning freely.

Concept2's own guide to damper setting and drag factor compares it to gears on a bike. Low numbers feel like a sleek racing shell that you accelerate quickly. High numbers feel like a heavy rowing boat: each stroke is slower and grindier, and you need more force to get it moving.

That's the bit people miss. The damper isn't an intensity setting. Damper 10 doesn't give you a harder workout than damper 4 any more than top gear on a bike makes a ride harder. You can row an easy session at 10 or a lung-busting one at 3. Your effort sets the intensity.

Drag factor: the number that matters

Damper numbers don't mean the same thing on every machine. A RowErg in a cold, dusty garage with a fan full of lint will feel different at 5 from a fresh one in a warm gym. So the PM5 measures something more useful: how quickly the flywheel slows down between strokes. That's the drag factor.

It then uses that figure to work out how much work you did on your next stroke. This self-calibration is why your split and watts stay honest whatever the damper says.

Cranking the damper to 10 is the classic beginner habit, and it usually backfires. The heavy feel tempts you to yank with your arms, your stroke rate drops to the high teens, and your lower back takes the strain. If you're new, sort out your rowing technique at 3 to 5 first. Our guide to rowing machine resistance levels covers settings for intervals and steady rows in more detail.

Why air rowers are the standard in clubs, CrossFit and HYROX

Walk into a CrossFit box or a HYROX station and you'll see a row of black RowErgs (Concept2 dropped the "Model D" name, but it's the same machine). That isn't just brand loyalty.

Because the PM5 corrects for drag factor, a 2,000m time on one RowErg is directly comparable with a 2,000m time on any other, in Leeds or in Lisbon. That's what makes the Concept2 online logbook, indoor rowing championships and competition standards work at all. British Rowing, schools and clubs use the same machine for testing.

Comparable doesn't mean lab-perfect. A 2021 study comparing rowing power meters found a Concept2 Model D reported mean power 11 to 15% lower than a custom reference system, and it smoothed out stroke-to-stroke variation. That matters to sports scientists, not to you. Every RowErg makes the same calculation, so your numbers still line up with everyone else's.

The other reason is durability. RowErgs run for a decade or more with chain oil and the occasional wipe of the rail, and second-hand ones sell for close to retail. Our Concept2 Model D review goes into the detail.

Check the Concept2 RowErg price on Amazonaround £990

Pros of an air rowing machine

• It feels like rowing. Fan resistance builds through the drive and lets the "boat" run on the recovery, which is closer to water than the flat pull of a magnetic brake.
• There's no ceiling. You'll never max it out, because pulling harder always produces more resistance. A magnetic rower with 16 levels can run out of road for a strong rower.
• The data means something. On a Concept2 especially, split times, watts and distances compare across machines and over years.
• Few parts to fail. There's no motor or electromagnet, and many monitors run on batteries or the flywheel itself, so you don't need a socket nearby.

Cons of an air rowing machine

Noise is the big one. An air rower is the loudest type of rowing machine, full stop. The fan makes a rising whoosh on every stroke, louder the harder you go, and the chain and seat rollers add their own noise. Over a sprint it'll drown out a TV in the same room. For a garage or ground-floor gym that's fine; for an upstairs flat at 6am, think hard.

They also take serious floor space. A Concept2 is about 2.4m long and needs room behind and around it, though it splits in two or stands upright for storage. Some cheaper air rowers fold, but you still need the full length while you're using it.

And they cost more. Decent air rowers start around £400, and a Concept2 sits at roughly £990, while perfectly good magnetic rowers start at about half that. The fan also moves air at you, which some people like on a hot day and others find irritating.

Air vs magnetic vs water rowers

	Air	Magnetic	Water
Resistance	Fan, rises with effort	Magnets, set by a dial	Paddle in a tank, rises with effort
Feel	Lively, closest to a racing shell	Smooth but flatter	Heavy, smooth "catch"
Noise	Loudest (fan whoosh)	Quietest	Gentle swoosh
Ceiling	Unlimited	Capped by top level	Effectively unlimited
Data	Comparable on a Concept2	Varies, rarely comparable	Varies
Typical UK price	£400 to £1,000	£200 to £800	£300 to £1,200

Pick air if you want to train seriously, track splits, prepare for HYROX or compare your times with other people. Pick magnetic if noise is a deal-breaker or the budget is tight. Water is the middle ground for people who want something that looks good in a living room. Our full comparison of which type of rowing machine is best goes further.

What to look for in an air rowing machine

A damper you can adjust. Most proper air rowers have one; some budget machines don't, which leaves you with a single feel. Better still, a monitor that shows drag factor, though at the moment that's mostly a Concept2 feature.

Monitor accuracy and connectivity. Cheap monitors can be generous or stingy with distance and calories, and their figures won't match a PM5. If you care about comparing times, that rules a lot out. Bluetooth FTMS support opens up apps like Kinomap.

Rail length and seat height. Taller rowers (around 6ft 2in and up) need a long rail so they don't run off the end at full extension. A higher seat is easier to get on and off if your knees or hips complain.

User weight limit. Look for 130kg or more as a sign of a solid frame. Many air rowers go to 150kg.

Storage. Check whether it folds or stands upright, and measure the space for both positions. If it lives in a spare room, transport wheels make a big difference.

Chain or strap. Chains are the norm on air rowers and last well if you oil them. Straps run quieter but can wear faster.

Air rowers worth a look

The Concept2 RowErg is the benchmark. If your budget stretches to around £990, it's the one to buy, and it'll hold its value if you ever sell it.

If that's too much, the Xterra ERG780 gives you fan resistance, a 1 to 10 damper, a 150kg limit and Bluetooth FTMS for around £449, and the rail folds up for storage. You lose the PM5's comparable data and the Concept2's resale value. Read our Xterra ERG780 review for the full picture.

Check the Xterra ERG780 price on Amazonaround £449

Cheaper still, the Yosuda R2 air rower comes in around £400 with a 158kg limit. The Bluefin Blade Air pairs a fan with a magnetic brake, so it's a hybrid rather than a pure air rower. Prices change often, so check the current listing before you buy.

Recommended reads

• What type of rowing machine is best?
• Xterra ERG780 review
• Rowing machine technique
• Yosuda R2 air rowing machine review
• All rowing machine reviews