WaterRower rowing machine accessories

Why choose WaterRower rowing machine accessories?

This brand comes out of rowing on open water and brought that principle indoors: a flywheel turning in a tank of water, held in a frame of solid wood. Those two decisions explain this entire parts list. Water that is set in motion with every stroke and then settles again has to stay clean, so purification and a maintenance set belong here as basics, where other rowing machines need nothing comparable. And because the tank is a separate component rather than a sealed unit, you can replace it: in oak, in walnut, in black and in a version that belongs to a different model series. A rower that gets a new tank after years of use instead of a place on the kerb, that is the idea behind it.

The second reason to look here is the wood finish as a running choice. Oak, ash, cherry, vintage oak and a club sport version recur throughout the range, so an accessory does not just fit your machine but belongs on it. The rail extensions come in club stained ash, in natural oak and in all black; the riser sets in walnut and in oak; the arm for phone and tablet in walnut. That sounds like a detail until you remember that a machine like this often stands in the living room, which makes it furniture. A rail in the wrong tone is visible every single day, and it stays fitted for years.

The one thing to be clear about beforehand is that these parts are model specific. A rail, a tank or a riser set is built to this brand's dimensions and to one machine series within it, so it will not fit a rowing machine from another manufacturer, however similar the frame looks. Within the brand's own line the wood finish has to match what you already own. So check which model and which wood you have first, and order after that. Also take a look at the other fitness equipment from WaterRower.

The range of WaterRower rowing machine accessories

Forty-five items, grouped into a handful of clear categories. This is what you build your order from.

• Purification and maintenance: tablets you drop into the tank, in blue and in other colours, together with a maintenance set holding the tools to fill, drain and clean the tank. This is the only part of the list you buy again on a regular basis.
• Replacement tanks: in oak, in walnut, in black and in a version for a different model series. Because the tank is available separately, a crack or a leak is no reason to write off the machine.
• Rail extensions: the XL rails in club stained ash, in natural oak and in all black. They add centimetres at the end of your stroke, which you notice the moment you have long legs.
• Riser sets: the HiRise sets in walnut and in oak lift the machine higher off the floor. Getting on changes from crouching down to simply sitting down.
• Measuring and connecting: a bluetooth module for the monitor, a kit that reads your stroke digitally, a digital heart rate set with chest strap, a wireless receiver with strap and connected bundles in two sizes.
• Comfort and protection: a rowing cushion for the seat, wooden handles, a cover against dust and a protective floor mat of 220 x 90 cm. If you need a different size or type, have a look at the separate mats.

Which WaterRower rowing machine accessories suit you?

What you need depends on your body, your floor and what you want to do with your numbers.

You have been rowing for a while without thinking about the water: start with the purification. This is not an extra but the maintenance that goes with this type of brake, and it costs you a few seconds each time. Water left too long without tablets will discolour and smell, and that is not easily undone.

You are tall and run out of room at the end of your stroke: then a rail extension is the part you are missing. On a standard rail a long leg length brings you to the end of the track, so you shorten your drive without noticing. The XL rails remove that limit and come in three finishes, so the tone of your frame still matches.

Your knees or hips are stiff: choose a riser set. The machine sits higher off the floor, so you step on and off from a normal seat height instead of dropping into a deep squat. That is exactly the movement where people give up, and the sets come in walnut and in oak.

You want your zones to be right during intervals: take a heart rate set with a chest strap. A strap reads at the source and follows a sharp rise straight away, while a reading taken through the handle only catches up afterwards. If you want to see the options side by side first, browse the separate heart rate monitors.

You row upstairs or on a wooden floor: put down a protective floor mat. The 220 x 90 cm mat absorbs the pressure of the rail, keeps moisture off your floor and softens the sound travelling to the room below. With rowing that last point is not a luxury, because the rhythm carries.

You want to row with programmes and virtual races: combine a bluetooth module with an arm for your phone or tablet. The module brings your monitor to your app, the arm puts the screen at eye level instead of on the floor beside you. For a large tablet there is a separate holder.

What to look for when buying WaterRower rowing machine accessories

Your model comes first

This is the one question that can genuinely cost you money. Rails, tanks, riser sets and arms are designed around this brand's dimensions and around one machine series within it. They do not fit a rowing machine from another manufacturer, and not every model in this line either, however similar the frame may look. So find out which model you own before ordering; it is usually printed on the frame or listed in the booklet that came with it.

The wood finish

Within the brand's own line, wood is a second dimension you select on. Oak, ash, cherry, vintage oak and a club sport version recur across the range, and the rails, riser sets and arms are offered per finish. A rail in natural oak under a frame in cherry works perfectly well in technical terms, but you see the difference every day. Check which tone your machine is finished in and stick to it, including for an accessory you buy years later.

Purification is maintenance, not an accessory

A water braked machine holds tens of litres of largely standing water in your living room. Without purification, algae and bacteria have free rein in there, resulting in a greenish colour and a musty smell. The tablets prevent that, and you add one at a fixed interval; the blue variant also shows you at a glance that the product is still in the water. So count the tablets as a recurring cost of owning the machine, like oil for a car, rather than something you pick up when you happen to think of it.

Chest strap or grip sensor

There are two ways to bring your heart rate into your training. A chest strap with a receiver measures at the source and is clearly more accurate as soon as you work with intervals, because it follows a jump in your heart rate immediately. A reading through the handle is more convenient, since you do not have to put anything on, but it lags behind and becomes erratic as soon as your hands get sweaty or your grip shifts. If you row by feel and by time, the grip is enough; if you train in zones, choose the strap.

Riser set or rail extension

These two get mixed up more often than anything else here, and they solve different problems. A riser set is about getting on and off: the machine sits higher, so your knees and hips bend less far. A rail extension is about your stroke: with a long leg length you run out of track at the end of the drive on a standard rail. If you are tall and stiff, those are two separate purchases, because one does not do the other's job.

Our advice: start with the purification, because it is the only part every owner of a water braked machine needs, and put down a floor mat straight away if your machine is not standing on concrete. Then look up your model and your wood finish and keep those two details to hand; with them you will order rails, tanks and riser sets correctly the first time. If you want to see what sits underneath all these parts, or you are considering a second machine, browse the rowing machines. And only buy a riser set or a rail extension once you notice that your entry or your stroke is genuinely restricted; they are in the range for a specific problem, not as a standard upgrade.

Who are WaterRower rowing machine accessories suitable for?

• Anyone owning a water braked machine from this brand: the purification and the maintenance set are not a choice but a fixed part of ownership. Without those two, the water you set in motion with every stroke slowly deteriorates.
• Tall rowers: above roughly one metre ninety you hit the limit of a standard rail at the end of your stroke. The rail extension gives you that room back and comes in three finishes.
• Anyone with stiff knees or hips: for you the riser set decides whether you row twice a week or leave the machine standing. Stepping on from a higher position simply asks less of your joints.
• Physiotherapists and practice owners: a machine set higher is easier for your clients to use and easier for you to supervise, and with a replaceable tank a machine that clocks up a lot of hours stays in service.
• The data driven rower: the bluetooth module, the kit that reads your stroke digitally and the connected bundles bring your power, your stroke rate and your heart rate to your app, so you can train on zones and on watts instead of on feel.
• Anyone with the machine in the living room: the cover, the rowing cushion and the floor mat turn a piece of training equipment into something you do not want to put away every evening, and the finishes let you keep the whole set in one tone.

Less suitable if your rowing machine is from another brand. Rails, tanks, riser sets and arms are model specific and only belong on this manufacturer's machines, and an adapter does not solve that; only the separate floor mat and a chest strap work independently of the frame. If you train on a ski ergometer or on a rowing machine with air or magnetic resistance, you also have no need for purification and a large part of this list is not meant for you. And anyone looking for a tank lid or a backrest set for a seated model will come up short here: the centre of gravity of this range lies with maintenance, wood and measurement.

Need help choosing?

Would you like to buy WaterRower rowing machine accessories but are you not quite sure which part fits your model? We are happy to help. You can reach our fitness specialists by phone on +31 85 773 00 57, send an email or visit our fitness store in Volkel, the Netherlands.

Frequently asked questions about WaterRower rowing machine accessories

Do these parts also fit a rowing machine from another brand?

No, and that is the most important thing to know about this category. Rails, tanks, riser sets and the arms for phone and tablet are built to this brand's dimensions and to one machine series within it. They do not fit a rowing machine from another manufacturer, even if the beam or the rail looks identical at a glance. What does work regardless of brand are the floor mat and the heart rate strap with receiver, because those are independent of the frame. So look up your model before ordering a part.

Do I really need water purification tablets?

Yes. A water braked machine holds a tank with tens of litres of water that is largely left standing, and algae and bacteria thrive in it. Without tablets that water turns greenish within a few months and starts to smell musty, and then you are facing draining, cleaning and refilling. The tablets prevent that for a fraction of the effort; you drop one into the tank at a fixed interval and that is all there is to it. With the blue variant the colour of the water also tells you whether the product is still active.

Does the wood of an accessory have to match my machine?

Technically no, visually yes. A rail extension in natural oak carries just as well under a frame in cherry, but with a machine standing in the living room you see that colour difference every day. That is why the rails, the riser sets and the arms are offered per finish: club stained ash, natural oak and all black for the rails, walnut and oak for the riser sets. So check which wood your machine is finished in and stick to it, including for a purchase you make years later.

What is the difference between a riser set and a rail extension?

A riser set lifts the whole machine higher off the floor and is therefore about getting on and off. That matters most with stiff knees or hips, and in a practice where clients have to be able to use the machine unaided. A rail extension lengthens the track and is about your stroke: with a long leg length you run out of rail at the end of the drive. So they solve two different things, and anyone who is tall and struggles to get on needs both.

Can I replace the tank of my machine myself?

The tank is a separate component and is sold on its own, in oak, in walnut, in black and in a version for a different model series. That means a leak or a crack is not the end of your machine: you drain it, swap the tank and refill. What matters is that the tank belongs to your model and to your wood finish, because the shape differs per machine series. If you are unsure which version you need, pass on your model and have it checked before you order.