There’s a new kid on the block in the indoor rowing world – the Hydrow Wave. The Hydrow Wave is Hydrow’s newer, smaller, lighter indoor rowing machine which offers a very similar experience to their premium flagship Hydrow rowing machine but at a lower price point. Let’s take a look at the Hydrow Wave VS Hydrow and find out which one may be best for you.
Hydrow have been leading the “connected fitness” indoor rowing training scene with their unique “peloton-style” high quality rowing training experiences. Hydrow’s immersive classes are on-water, out in nature with professional athletes coaching and motivating you along the way throughout your workout. Hydrow’s community and competition are a great way of keeping you motivated and engaged in your workouts.
Hydrow Wave VS Hydrow Specs
| Hydrow Wave | Hydrow | |
| Weight | 102 lbs | 145 lbs |
| Portability | Stands | Stands |
| Size | 80″ L x 19″ W | 96″ L x 24″ W |
| Resistance Type | Magnetic | Magnetic |
| Resistance Levels | 50 – 300 | 50 – 300 |
| Maximum User Weight | 375 lbs | 375 lbs |
| Monitor | 16″ HD Touch Display | 22″ HD Touch Display |
| Power Requirement | Power Outlet | Power Outlet |
| Subscription Cost | $44/Month* | $44/Month* |
| Warranty | 5yr frame, 1yr parts | 5yr frame, 1yr parts |
 | Hydrow Wave | View on Amazon |
 | Hydrow | View on Amazon |
Build Details
Hydrow Wave
The Hydrow Wave is Hydrow’s newest connected rowing machine released in July 2022. The Hydrow Wave features a slick aesthetic looking minimalistic black aluminium and steel frame with a thermoplastic polymer body and now comes in 5 colours (orange, yellow, blue, green and the original black version). The Hydrow Wave was built to be a smaller lighter more portable version of Hydrow’s original premium flagship rowing machine. The Hydrow Wave has a 30% smaller footprint and weighs 43 lbs less than the original.
Both the Hydrow Wave and Hydrow rowing machines feature comfortable ergonomic padded seats, grip handles and adjustable footrests. Both rowing machines share the same magnetic resistance system with a polyester webbing strap which provides a smooth and quiet rowing experience, especially when compared to air rowing machines like the Concept2 RowErg.
The Hydrow Wave VS Hydrow’s seat is slightly lower. Generally this is fine as seat height is more of a preference however, having a higher seat height can help assist those that have hip mobility issues.
The screen can be folded down and the Hydrow Wave can be stored upright however an anchor (sold separately) is required to attach it to a wall for safety.
Hydrow
The Hydrow is Hydrow’s original rowing machine released in March 2019 which featured a unique yacht like looking design. The Hydrow, being a big beast of a rowing machine, is best if you have a dedicated place to put it in. The screen can also be folded down and you can purchase an anchor (sold separately) to store it upright, however it is bigger and heavier to store upright than the Hydrow Wave.
Display
The Hydrow Wave offers a 16″ HD touch display whilst the Hydrow offers a much larger 22″ screen. You don’t miss a lot with the 16″ HD touch display. It still offers a rich immersive experience whilst rowing and both displays have the same crisp 3W speakers. An important factor to note is that the Hydrow Wave’s 16″ HD touch display does not rotate like the Hydrow’s 22″ screen so if you are likely to perform other workouts like Hydrow’s strength and conditioning, Pilates or yoga videos you may want the Hydrow so you can rotate the screen and use it to work out next to your Hydrow as well as enjoying the larger display for this purpose. Hydrow also gives you access to their Hydrow app as part of your membership so you could also stream the strength and conditioning, Pilates or yoga videos from your tablet or TV in another location rather than be required to do this next to your Hydrow. Hydrow Wave and Hydrow both offer ANT+ and Bluetooth 5.0 support so you can connect heart rate monitors and Bluetooth earphones or speakers.
The Experience
Both the Hydrow and Hydrow Wave offer a realistic smooth rowing experience. Out of the Hydrow Wave VS Hydrow the original Hydrow has a slightly smoother experience (most likely due to the Hydrow’s 10-roller system vs the Hydrow Wave’s 2-roller 2-idler system). However, both are pretty similar and the difference is hardly noticeable. The Hydrow Wave’s magnetic resistance is actually slightly quieter out of the two. Being connected-experience rowing machines, you need to have the Hydrow and Hydrow Wave connected to power and Wi-Fi in order to be used. The software experience is the same on both and you can have multiple profiles for your friends and family to separately store individual rowing stats.
When you choose your profile and are ready to row, Hydrow offers you your next recommended workout session based on previous sessions you have completed. As part of the Hydrow experience Hydrow has live rows you can participate in as well as weekly races. A Library of over 4000+ workout videos is included and yoga, Pilates, strength and conditioning workouts can also be picked.
You can filter and pick your workout by:
Athlete: Choose from a range of athletes including Olympians
Duration: Choose by workout session length
Workout type: Craft your own workouts by selecting a warm-up followed by an high intensity drive session followed by a cool down session as an example
Workout style: Choose workouts by level (beginner, intermediate etc.) or HIIT, strength and cardio style
Location: Pick from a large range of locations around the world
An important note is that you need to be committed to paying the membership in the long term when purchasing the Hydrow or Hydrow Wave as Hydrow rowing machines have very limited functionality without it and it is not recommended to purchase the Hydrow or Hydrow Wave without having an active membership. Another rowing machine that does not require a membership that would be a better fit in this instance is the Concept2 RowErg rowing machine. The Concept2 RowErg is great for simple time or distance rows and mixing in with CrossFit style workouts as the Hydrow and Hydrow Wave are aimed more for guided workouts.
Pricing
The cost of the Hydrow Wave rowing machine is: $1,445*
The cost of the Hydrow rowing machine is: $1,745*
Currently there is a $300 difference between the Hydrow Wave VS Hydrow.
The cost of the Hydrow monthly membership is $44 p/m*
The cost of the Hydrow app is $19.99 p/m* (basic membership for the app without a Hydrow rowing machine)
*prices stated current May 2024 | Check Hydrow.com for latest pricing
Choosing the Hydrow Wave VS Hydrow
I think the Hydrow Wave makes the most sense for most people when choosing between the two for their home. However, the main reasons you would choose the Hydrow over the Hydrow Wave is for the following reasons:
- You prefer having the larger 22″ display
- You would use the ability to rotate the 22″ display to perform the other workout classes
- You like the look and design of the Hydrow
- You have a dedicated space for your rowing machine
Conclusion
For your average home fitness user, the Hydrow Wave is generally going to be the better option out of Hydrow Wave VS Hydrow. It takes up less space, is lighter to move and you don’t sacrifice any of the great Hydrow experience.
If you are interested in Hydrow, but not so interested in buying one of their rowing machines you can still use their app with a $19.99* p/m subscription and use your own rowing machine like a Concept2 RowErg rowing machine. A drawback however is none of your rowing data will be shown within the app and you will not be able to be part of the leader board or participate in weekly races.
*prices stated current May 2024 | Check Hydrow.com for latest pricing