Is it worth it?
Dragging yourself to the gym after a long work-from-home day is rough—but sitting still all day is even rougher on your back and energy levels. YOSUDA’s fold-away Magnetic Rower 01 brings a full-body, low-impact workout into a one-bedroom apartment without rattling the neighbors downstairs. In our tests it turned the usual “I should exercise” guilt into a quick, sweat-packed 15-minute routine that melted 200+ calories, and the built-in Bluetooth tracker fed real-time stats to my phone. If you’ve ever wished cardio equipment were easier to store and quieter to use, keep reading: this might be the simplest way to row off the excuses.
After three weeks of daily 25-minute sessions, I’m convinced the YOSUDA Magnetic Rower offers the best bang-for-the-buck entry to indoor rowing—provided you don’t expect Concept2-level analytics or commercial-grade steel. Apartment dwellers, beginners, or anyone rehabbing joints will love its near-silent pull and compact footprint; powerlifters chasing max resistance and data junkies should probably look elsewhere. The short take? It’s a surprisingly sturdy calorie-torch that trades pro-studio polish for affordability and convenience—and that trade is exactly why I’m still using it instead of letting it collect dust.
Specifications
| Brand | YOSUDA |
| Model | Magnetic Rower 01 |
| Resistance Levels | 16 |
| Flywheel | 12 lb |
| Weight Capacity | 350 lb |
| Slide Rail Length | 48 in |
| Folded Footprint | –70% |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth & LCD monitor |
| User Score | 4.3 ⭐ (5176 reviews) |
| Price | approx. 280$ Check 🛒 |
Key Features
Dual-Magnetic Resistance Core
A 12-pound flywheel paired with 16 rare-earth magnets delivers friction-free tension across the stroke. Because there’s no physical contact, the wear parts that squeal on budget chain rowers are gone. In practice that means a silent glide you can pair with an evening movie at volume level 12 without subtitles.
Bluetooth & App Integration
Built-in BLE broadcasts time, distance, strokes, and calories to FitShow, Kinomap, and MyFitnessPal. Data lovers can chart progress or race ghost workouts. During testing I set up a virtual tour of Venice canals—heart-rate data streamed from my Apple Watch and kept me in the fat-burn zone without guesswork.
Space-Saver Fold Design
A front hinge lets the rail tip 90° and lock, shrinking floor space by 70 percent. Unlike telescoping rails, the fold keeps the wheels on the ground, so even a 5’1″ user can pivot it upright solo. I slid it behind a sofa and reclaimed my living-room yoga mat area in seconds.
Ergo-Comp Seat & Rail
The contoured seat sits on four polyurethane rollers that ride a 48-inch aluminum rail, supporting inseams up to 38 inches (roughly 6’2″ tall). The long travel encourages full hip extension—key for glute activation—and the low-friction wheels stay smooth as long as the rail is wiped down. A gel cushion upgrade transformed longer rows from numb to comfortable.
Quick-Swap Footrests
Adjustable footplates use industrial Velcro straps and a five-angle heel cup, accommodating shoe sizes from 4 to 14. My teenage daughter rowed in Converse, I used size-12 trainers, and both achieved solid push-offs. The plate pivots slightly to reduce ankle strain, mimicking higher-end models.
Firsthand Experience
Unboxing feels reassuring: instead of a jigsaw of tiny parts, I pulled just six major pieces from the Styrofoam. A single Allen wrench (included) and the QR-code video had me rowing in 24 minutes—two minutes shy of YOSUDA’s claim. Even the battery for the LCD was in the box, a small touch that kept momentum high.
The first pull surprised me: the 12-pound flywheel spools up smoothly with none of the chain clank or fan roar I’m used to on gym rowers. My partner was on a conference call six feet away and couldn’t hear a thing over her earbuds. The seat, however, is bowling-ball firm; by day three I caved and added a $15 gel pad.
Week one was all about habit. I set the resistance at 6 (of 16) and streamed a 22-minute HIIT session through the free FitShow app. The stroke counter lagged by about one second, but distance and calorie estimates matched the Apple Watch within 5 percent—close enough for non-Olympians.
By day ten I ramped to level 12 and discovered the machine’s limit: sprint intervals felt maxed out, and my legs wanted more load. Still, my heart rate hit 160 BPM and VO₂ Max in Apple Health ticked up two points. The slide rail remained whisper-quiet after 7,800 total strokes, though I did wipe the aluminum track with a microfiber cloth after each session to keep dust off the nylon rollers.
Storage is genuinely painless: tip it vertically, roll it into a closet, and it occupies roughly the footprint of an ironing board. My cat even squeezed behind it for her nap spot, proving it doesn’t dominate the room. The only annoyance is bending low to sit—anyone with a knee replacement might want a riser platform.
Pros and Cons
Customer Reviews
User feedback is largely positive, with most owners praising its quiet ride, easy assembly, and wallet-friendly price, though a minority flag limited max resistance and occasional hardware hiccups. The pattern is clear: stellar customer support offsets the modest build quality.
I’m 65 and assembling it solo took under an hour—already feeling the burn in shoulders and thighs
Parts broke over 18 months but YOSUDA shipped replacements every time, so I’m still rowing daily
Great value and smooth pull, yet QC issues like mis-drilled holes mean occasional handyman fixes
Compact, silent, app connectivity is awesome, but even at level 16 I need more strength training
Perfect starter rower but limited stroke length pushed me to upgrade after a year to a Concept2.
Comparison
Against the Concept2 RowErg—the gold standard at roughly three times the price—the YOSUDA is quieter and easier to fold but sacrifices the chain-driven, air-based resistance that scales infinitely with power. Serious athletes will miss the RowErg’s PM5 monitor, but beginners might not notice.
Sunny Health & Fitness’s SF-RW5515 sits in the same budget lane, yet YOSUDA wins on weight capacity (350 lb vs. 250 lb) and Bluetooth connectivity; Sunny counters with a slightly heavier flywheel that yields marginally tougher pulls. Both fold similarly, so the choice boils down to data tracking versus raw resistance.
Hydrow Wave, a connected water rower, feels like Peloton on water—immersive classes and swooshing sounds—but costs over four times more and takes up permanent space. In my living room test the YOSUDA’s silent magnets made late-night workouts feasible, something the gurgling Wave couldn’t match.
Bottom line: YOSUDA slots neatly between no-frills budget rowers and premium connected rigs—offering tech perks and solid ergonomics at a price that won’t torpedo your renovation fund.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does it support tall users?
- The 48-inch rail fits inseams up to about 38 inches, comfortably accommodating users up to roughly 6’2″.
- How loud is the machine?
- The magnetic drive peaks around 30 dB—quieter than a dishwasher—so late-night sessions won’t wake kids.
- Can I use it without the app?
- Yes, the LCD tracks time, strokes, and calories independently
- What maintenance is required?
- Wipe the rail after each workout and check roller bolts monthly—no oiling or belt tensioning needed.
Conclusion
If your goal is to torch calories, strengthen your posterior chain, and still have room for a sofa bed, the YOSUDA Magnetic Rower 01 earns its keep. Assembly is a breeze, the ride is hushed, and folding it upright feels like magic in tight apartments.
It is not, however, a lifelong heirloom. Power athletes will outgrow the 16-level ceiling, and minor QC hiccups mean handy types will appreciate a toolbox. But at its mid-hundreds price bracket it undercuts big-name competitors by hundreds of dollars while covering 90 percent of what casual to intermediate rowers need. If you’re unsure whether rowing will stick, this is the smartest low-risk bet; if you already log 10k-meter days, consider saving for a commercial rig.
Given the feature set, reliable support, and real-world performance, the YOSUDA is easy to recommend to apartment dwellers, beginners, and anyone craving quiet cardio. Check current online deals—you can often snag it on sale and turn the living room into a mini boathouse without sinking your budget.
