WaterRower Buying Guide: The Short Answer
WaterRower sells four models through Fitness Options in the UK: the Original Series (£1,199), the A1 (£899), and two aluminium-framed Metallic models, Hi Rise (£1,999) and Lo Rise (£1,899). The choice isn’t simply about budget. The A1 is the cheapest way into a genuine WaterRower, but it uses a basic monitor and a shorter frame warranty. The Original Series is the classic wooden rower with a mid-tier monitor. The two Metallic models add an aluminium frame and Bluetooth app tracking, and the only difference between them is seat height: Hi Rise sits higher, Lo Rise sits lower, and Lo Rise costs £100 less.
If you want the lowest price and don’t need app connectivity, the A1 does the job. If you want Bluetooth tracking and don’t mind paying for it, choose between Hi Rise and Lo Rise based on seat height, not price. The full comparison, individual sections and room-planning details are below.
Quick Model Selector
Choose the Original Series if…
You want the classic wooden WaterRower with a mid-tier monitor and don’t need Bluetooth tracking.
Choose the A1 if…
Price is the deciding factor and a simple LCD monitor is enough for you.
Choose the Metallic Hi Rise if…
You want Bluetooth app tracking and a higher seat that’s easier to get on and off.
Choose the Metallic Lo Rise if…
You want the same Bluetooth-tracked aluminium build, a lower seat, and £100 back in your pocket.
WaterRower Model Comparison: Verified Specifications
| Spec | Original Series | A1 | Metallic Hi Rise | Metallic Lo Rise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price (checked 1 August 2026) | £1,199 | £899 | £1,999 | £1,899 |
| Frame material | Hardwood, Danish oil finish | Oak hardwood, aluminium monorail | Powder-coated aluminium | Powder-coated aluminium |
| Monitor | Series IV monitor | A1 LCD monitor (basic) | S4 Bluetooth monitor | S4 Bluetooth monitor |
| Seat height (as listed by Fitness Options) | Not stated separately | Not stated separately | 51cm | 25cm |
| Size in use (L × W × H) | 209 × 59 × 49cm | 215 × 56 × 53cm | 222 × 39 × 70cm | 222 × 39 × 51cm |
| Storage | Stands upright for storage | Stands upright for storage | Can be stood on end | Can be stood on end |
| Warranty | 5yr frame, 3yr parts | 2yr frame, 3yr parts | 5yr frame, 3yr parts | 5yr frame, 3yr parts |
| Max user weight / height | Not stated on listing | 150kg (23.5 stone) / 208cm (6ft 10in) | Not stated on listing | Not stated on listing |
| Delivery | Two-man delivery on all four models; installation service available on request | |||
Where a spec isn’t stated on Fitness Options’ own listing, such as maximum user weight for three of the four models, we’ve said so rather than filling the gap with a figure from WaterRower’s own site that might describe a different regional version or revision. WaterRower’s own specification pages show slightly different seat-height and dimension figures for the Metallic range in places; we’ve used the retailer’s own listed figures here since that’s the specific unit sold through the links on this page.
WaterRower Original Series
The Original Series is WaterRower’s standard wooden rower, built from hardwood and finished in Danish oil. Fitness Options lists it at £1,199, with a Series IV performance monitor, a size in use of 209 x 59 x 49cm, and a 5-year frame, 3-year parts warranty.
It stands upright for storage rather than folding flat, which is the same space-saving approach used across the whole WaterRower range. It doesn’t state a maximum user weight on the current listing, which is worth asking Fitness Options about directly if that matters to your decision.
This is the model to start with if you want the classic wooden WaterRower look and the mid-point monitor, without paying for the Metallic range’s Bluetooth connectivity or the A1’s lower entry price.
WaterRower A1
The A1 is the cheapest model in this guide at £899, and it’s built differently from the Original Series rather than simply being a stripped-down version of it. The frame is oak hardwood with an aluminium seat monorail, and it uses a simpler A1 LCD monitor rather than the Series IV or S4 Bluetooth monitors fitted to the other three models.
Fitness Options states a maximum user weight of 150kg (23.5 stone) and a maximum user height of 208cm (6ft 10in) for the A1, both stated clearly on the listing, which is more specification detail than is given for the Original Series. Warranty is 2 years frame, 3 years parts, shorter on the frame than the other three models here.
It suits buyers who want the lowest entry price into a genuine WaterRower and don’t need Bluetooth tracking. The basic monitor is the main trade-off against the extra £300 the Original Series costs. It’s the same budget-versus-features trade-off we found working through our Inspire M2 vs M3 Multi Gym guide, cheaper isn’t worse, just simpler.
WaterRower Metallic Hi Rise
The Metallic Hi Rise moves to a powder-coated aluminium frame rather than wood, and it’s priced at £1,999, the most expensive model in this guide. It comes with the S4 Bluetooth monitor, which pairs with WaterRower’s free Connect app for tracking workouts over time, something none of the wooden models offer.
Fitness Options lists its seat height at 51cm and its size in use at 222 x 39 x 70cm. WaterRower’s own specification pages show a similar but not identical seat-height figure for this model, so treat 51cm as the figure for the specific unit sold through the link below and confirm it directly with Fitness Options if the exact height matters to you.
The Hi Rise’s raised seat is aimed at buyers who want an easier sit-down and stand-up position, which matters more to some people than others depending on mobility and how the machine is normally mounted. It carries the same 5-year frame, 3-year parts warranty as the Original Series and Lo Rise.
WaterRower Metallic Lo Rise
The Metallic Lo Rise is the same aluminium-framed, S4 Bluetooth-monitor machine as the Hi Rise, priced £100 less at £1,899. The only meaningful difference between the two Metallic models is seat height: Fitness Options lists the Lo Rise at 25cm against the Hi Rise’s 51cm.
Everything else, the frame material, the monitor, the app connectivity, the 222 x 39cm footprint, and the 5-year frame, 3-year parts warranty, is identical between the two. The size in use is 222 x 39 x 51cm, shorter in height than the Hi Rise by roughly the seat-height difference.
This is the Metallic model to choose if a lower seat position suits you or the people who’ll use it, and if you’d rather save £100 than sit higher. It isn’t a lesser version of the Hi Rise, just a different seat height in the same build.
Space and Room Planning
All four models are a similar length, around 209 to 222cm, but width and stored footprint differ. The wooden models (Original Series and A1) stand upright on their end for storage, which is a genuine space saver if you don’t have a permanent spot for it. The Metallic models can also be stood on end, though their aluminium frame and 39cm width give them a slightly different stored profile than the wooden models.
Measure your own space before ordering rather than relying on the table below alone. Two-man delivery applies to all four models, so also check that your access, stairs, doorways and any tight corners, can accommodate a delivery of this size before you buy.
| Model | Size in use | Storage approach | Seat height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original Series | 209 × 59 × 49cm | Stands upright | Not stated separately |
| A1 | 215 × 56 × 53cm | Stands upright | Not stated separately |
| Metallic Hi Rise | 222 × 39 × 70cm | Can be stood on end | 51cm |
| Metallic Lo Rise | 222 × 39 × 51cm | Can be stood on end | 25cm |
Download: WaterRower Model Comparison & Room-Planning Checklist
We’ve put the specifications above, plus a worksheet for your own floor space, seat-height preference, access considerations and final decision, into one printable PDF. It’s a planning aid based on the published specifications above, not a record of testing, and it carries no affiliate links.
This is the first resource in a small WaterRower content cluster. A printable maintenance schedule and a visual explainer of how water resistance works are planned as separate pieces, not yet published.
Hi Rise vs Lo Rise: Understanding Seat Height
The Hi Rise and Lo Rise are the same machine in every respect except how high the seat sits. Fitness Options lists the Hi Rise at 51cm and the Lo Rise at 25cm, a difference of roughly 26cm. Both use the same aluminium frame, the same S4 Bluetooth monitor, and carry the same warranty.
A higher seat generally means a shorter distance to travel when sitting down or standing up, which can matter to anyone who finds getting in and out of a low seated position awkward, whether that’s due to joint mobility, height, or simply personal preference. A lower seat sits closer to the water tank and the floor, which some buyers prefer purely for how the machine looks and feels to approach, rather than for any access reason.
Neither height is objectively better. It depends on who’s using the machine and how they’ll get on and off it, not on price, since the Hi Rise costs £100 more than the Lo Rise for the seat height alone. If more than one person will use the machine, or if mobility when sitting down and standing up is a genuine consideration, it’s worth thinking about seat height before frame finish or monitor features.
When the Metallic Range Is Genuinely Worth the Extra Cost
Moving from the A1 to a Metallic model is at least £1,000 more. That buys two real things: an aluminium frame instead of wood, and an S4 Bluetooth monitor that pairs with WaterRower’s free Connect app instead of a basic LCD readout. Whether that’s worth it depends on what you’ll actually use, not on which model sounds more impressive.
If you want to track your workouts over time, in an app, and possibly alongside other members in a shared or group setting, the Bluetooth monitor is a genuine functional difference, not a nicer-looking version of the same feature. If you’re rowing at home on your own and are happy to read numbers off a screen without syncing them anywhere, the Original Series or A1’s simpler monitors do the same core job of showing your pace, distance and calories.
The aluminium frame is a genuine material difference from the wooden models, and if you want a rower built for heavier or more frequent use across multiple people, that’s a real consideration. It’s not something we can verify feels more durable in practice, since that would need physical testing we haven’t done. What we can confirm is that the Metallic range carries the same 5-year frame, 3-year parts warranty as the Original Series, so the warranty terms alone don’t distinguish wood from aluminium here.
If you’re weighing up a similarly tiered decision on other equipment, our Schwinn 510E vs 590E comparison works through the same question, what does the extra money actually buy, for an elliptical.
Drawbacks Worth Knowing About
- Original Series: no stated maximum user weight on the current listing, and no Bluetooth connectivity.
- A1: the shortest frame warranty of the four (2 years against 5), and a basic monitor with no app connectivity.
- Metallic Hi Rise: the most expensive model here, and WaterRower’s own site shows a seat-height figure that doesn’t exactly match Fitness Options’ listing, worth confirming directly if precise seat height matters to you.
- Metallic Lo Rise: the same seat-height sourcing caveat as the Hi Rise, and a lower seat that won’t suit everyone’s access needs.
Final Verdict
There isn’t one “best” WaterRower among these four, only the one that matches what you actually need. The A1 is the sensible starting point if price matters most and you don’t need app tracking. The Original Series suits buyers who want the classic wooden build and a mid-tier monitor without paying for Bluetooth. The Metallic Hi Rise and Lo Rise are for buyers who want workout tracking through WaterRower’s app and are choosing between them on seat height, not on which one is “better”, since they’re otherwise identical.
Whichever model suits your situation, confirm current price, stock and exact dimensions directly with Fitness Options before ordering, and use the checklist above to record your own floor space and preferences first.
Sources and Methodology
Prices, stock status and specifications were read directly from Fitness Options’ live product listings on 1 August 2026. Where a figure wasn’t stated on the UK listing, or where WaterRower’s own specification pages showed a different figure, we’ve said so explicitly rather than picking whichever number looked better.
- WaterRower Original Oak, official specifications
- WaterRower A1 Studio, official specifications
- WaterRower Metallic M1 Hi Rise, official specifications
- WaterRower S4 Series Owner’s Manual
Affiliate disclosure: Fitness Tools Reviewed is a member of the Awin affiliate network and may earn a commission if you buy through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. This does not affect our editorial judgement. We have not physically tested any of these four machines, and everything above is based on published specifications from Fitness Options and WaterRower, not first-hand use.