By Paul Kendrick, Cardio & Endurance Editor · Updated 17 September 2026
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Storage kills more home rowing machines than boredom does. A rower is roughly as long as a single bed, and once it has spent a month in the middle of a spare room it tends to end up in the garage, unused. YPOO's answer on the V2 PRO is to give you two ways to put it away: stand it on its end, or fold it flat against a wall or under a bed.
At around £190 that makes it one of the cheaper folding magnetic rowers with Bluetooth app support, and the spec sheet reads well: 16 resistance levels, a 160kg user rating and a monitor that tracks seven metrics. The listing also carries more marketing than most, including a muscle claim it doesn't back up and a rail length figure that looks suspiciously like the overall length. We'll pick through both.
How we review
This review draws on YPOO's Amazon UK listing specifications, the manufacturer's own claims (labelled as claims where we use them) and recurring themes across owner reviews on a listing with around 450 ratings. We haven't rowed this machine ourselves. Where YPOO leaves a figure out or a claim unsupported, we say so rather than guess.
Buy this if floor space decides everything, you're under about 6ft, and you want quiet, steady cardio three or four times a week without spending £400. It suits a flat, a bedroom corner or a living room where the rower has to disappear before guests arrive.
Look elsewhere if you're 6ft 2in or taller, since YPOO's own height range stops there. And if you sprint hard intervals, a heavier frame will stay put better; the Sunny Health and Fitness magnetic rower and the DMASUN rower are both worth comparing before you commit.
| Resistance | Magnetic, 16 levels |
|---|---|
| Noise | Under 30dB, manufacturer claim, unverified |
| Monitor | LCD: distance, time, calories, stroke rate, speed, heart rate, cadence |
| Heart rate method | Not specified in the listing |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth |
| Apps | Kinomap, YPOO FIT |
| Rail | Dual slide rails, stated as 63.6in (see below) |
| User height | 4ft 5in to 6ft 2in (about 134cm to 188cm) |
| User weight capacity | 160kg (350lb) |
| Unit weight | About 19.7kg |
| Dimensions | 161.5 x 41.5 x 81cm |
| Storage | Folds upright (1.29 sq ft footprint claimed) or flat |
| Assembly | About 80 percent pre-assembled, around 10 minutes claimed |
Most budget rowers that "store upright" simply tip onto their front stabiliser and lean against a wall. YPOO claims a folded footprint of 1.29 square feet, which works out at about 0.12 square metres, roughly a 35cm square. The listing converts that into "95 percent less floor space", a marketing sum that compares the folded footprint with the machine laid out, so treat the percentage loosely. The 1.29 square feet figure is the useful one.
The V2 PRO's second trick matters more to some buyers. It also folds fully flat, so it can lean against a wall like an ironing board or slide under a bed. That's rare at £190. What YPOO doesn't publish is the folded height, and a standard divan with drawers won't have much clearance, so measure under your bed and message the seller for the figure before counting on it.
Wheels at the front and a fold YPOO describes as one-handed make the daily routine realistic. At 19.7kg it's light enough for most adults to tilt and roll, and that matters because a rower you can't be bothered to set up is a rower you won't use. If you're still weighing up how different machines fold, our foldable rowing machines guide compares the approaches.
YPOO splits the 16 settings into two halves: levels 1 to 8 for everyday fitness and rehab, 9 to 16 for harder work. That's a fair description of how people will use them, and 16 steps give you more control than the eight-position knob on many cheap magnetic rowers.
Understand what magnetic resistance does before buying, though. A magnet sits near the flywheel and sets a fixed level of drag; it doesn't care how hard you pull. On an air or water rower, a harder stroke meets more resistance, so the machine responds to effort in a way this one can't. For steady-state cardio that doesn't matter much. For learning a good stroke it does, because a rushed, arms-first pull feels the same as a proper leg drive, and nothing tells you you've got it wrong. Spend some time on rowing technique early rather than relying on the machine to correct you.
The under 30dB claim is YPOO's number. Magnetic rowers are the quietest type, but we haven't seen that figure measured independently.
The LCD covers distance, time, calories, stroke rate, speed, cadence and heart rate. Distance, time and stroke rate are the ones worth watching. Calorie counts on any home machine are estimates, and this listing gives no hint of how YPOO calculates them. No 500m split appears in the metric list either, which is a shame, because structured rowing plans are written around it.
Heart rate is the odd one. The listing names it as a metric without saying whether it comes from grip sensors, a chest strap or a paired device. We couldn't find the answer in the product information, so if you plan to train by heart rate, ask the seller first.
Bluetooth links the rower to the YPOO FIT app and to the third-party Kinomap training app. Check Kinomap's current plans before you buy with it in mind, since the listing doesn't say what's free. A device holder keeps your phone or tablet in view.
YPOO rates the frame for 160kg, which is generous at £190. The height range of 4ft 5in to 6ft 2in is more limiting. Plenty of rival rowers claim to fit taller users, and running short of rail at the catch forces a cramped stroke that shifts work from your legs into your lower back. Low back pain is already the most commonly reported injury among rowers (International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy scoping review, 2023), so don't squeeze onto a machine that's too short for you.
The listing's 63.6in rail length converts to about 161.5cm, which is exactly the overall length in the dimensions. That's almost certainly the whole machine rather than the distance the seat can travel, and YPOO doesn't publish an inseam. It's another reason tall buyers should get a straight answer from the seller.
The 19.7kg unit weight cuts both ways. It helps with folding and rolling, but a light frame is more likely to creep across a smooth floor when you really drive hard. A rubber mat solves most of that.
Yes, and you don't need a percentage to prove it. YPOO says the machine engages up to 90 percent of muscle groups and that scientific studies prove it, without naming a single one; the similar 85 percent figure you'll see quoted around the web isn't sourced in this listing either. Ignore both numbers. What's solid is that rowing loads legs, hips, back and arms in every stroke, and indoor rowing training improves fitness measurably: in one trial, older women rowing three 30-minute sessions a week for ten weeks raised their peak oxygen uptake and heart rate recovery (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2023).
Five 30-minute sessions a week at a moderate pace covers the NHS guideline of 150 minutes of moderate activity, with far less impact on your knees than running. If you're torn between machines, our rowing machine vs cross trainer comparison covers the trade-offs.
YPOO is an Amazon-native brand with roughly 450 ratings on this listing. That isn't enough history to show what the seat rollers or the fold hinge look like after three years of daily use, and nobody can say whether UK spare parts will still be available then. The price partly reflects that risk. If you want a rower for the next decade, spend more on an established name; if you want a good folding machine for the next few years, the gamble is reasonable.
Check the YPOO price on Amazonaround £190Yes, in two ways. It stands upright on its end, which YPOO says takes up 1.29 square feet of floor, and the listing says the V2 PRO version also folds down flat so it can lean against a wall or slide under a bed. Built-in wheels let you move it, and YPOO describes the fold as a one-handed job. Check the bed clearance before you rely on the under-bed option, because the listing doesn't give folded height.
YPOO lists a user height range of 4ft 5in to 6ft 2in, which is roughly 134cm to 188cm. That's a lower ceiling than many rivals, and if you're near or above 188cm you'll likely run short of rail at the catch. Taller rowers should look at a machine with a published inseam figure instead.
The listing says the monitor shows heart rate but doesn't explain how it gets the reading. It doesn't mention grip sensors in the handle or a chest strap, so ask the seller before buying if heart rate training matters to you. Many owners pair a chest strap with an app, which tends to be more reliable than handle sensors anyway.
Magnetic resistance is the quietest type available because nothing touches the flywheel to create drag. YPOO claims under 30dB, which is a manufacturer figure we haven't seen measured. The seat rolling on the rail and the handle cord still make some noise, so a mat underneath is sensible if someone lives below you.
YPOO's listing claims the machine engages up to 90 percent of muscle groups and says scientific studies prove it, but it doesn't cite any. Rowing does use the legs, hips, back and arms in every stroke, which is why it's such good all-round exercise. A precise percentage is marketing, and you shouldn't buy on it.
The best foldable rowing machines in the UK for 2026, compared on folded footprint, rail length and weight limit. Picks from JLL, DMASUN, YPOO, Viavito and MERACH for every budget.
An honest JLL water rowing machine review of the dual resistance rower: the 60 degree tank, 16 magnetic levels, 130cm rail, 150kg capacity, SunnyFit app and who it suits.
An honest MERACH R15 Pro review: 40kg peak electromagnetic resistance, 16 levels adjusted from the handlebar, a 130cm rail, 158kg capacity and who this £300 rower suits.
An honest Flesar rowing machine review: 16 magnetic levels, Kinomap and FitShow support, dual rails, a 160kg limit and the short 101cm rail that tall rowers need to know about.
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