Hi everyone!

I’ve spent a great deal of time this year looking over various review sites and studying how Google is trying to improve its search results by weeding out fake sites. That’s when a question came to my mind:

How do people know or how can people tell the difference between fake review sites and the real thing?

I believe this is one reason why Amazon remains so popular- most people believe that the majority of reviews come from honest, everyday people who are using the product regularly.

But What Are Their Qualifications?

Of course, if you simply want to know if the flashlight you are interested in buying is as bright as they say, then no qualifications are needed, but what about rowing machines?

To someone who has never used an indoor rower, chances are that they will think whatever rower they purchased is the best one ever!

My name is Petra and I’m the founder of RowingCrazy.

In this article, I would like to explain why you can trust the reviews you see on this site and what qualifies us to judge indoor rowing machines.

Where Do We Get Test Rowers From?

This is a question I’ve seen more than once.

Our rowers come from a wide range of sources.

A few of them were either donated to us or we purchased them outright for testing.

Some companies are anxious for good reviews, so they donate machines to use for a test period, such as 30 or 90 days.

Some staffers already own machines at home and are willing to offer their point of view about the value or reliability of the machine.

To top it all off, we sometimes run into situations where neighbours and friends have machines that they will evaluate for us or allow us to use so we can give out our hands-on reviews of the machines.

Many people ask us about rowing machines they are thinking of buying. If, for whatever reason we can’t conduct an in-person review, we engage with the rowing community and gather as much feedback from users as possible.

Lastly, a few of us belong to gyms or rowing clubs where certain rowing machines are used. We can then test products, machines, and workout programs, and get feedback from regular users of these machines.

We Don’t Let “Donated” Machines Get a Free Pass

Rest assured that when a manufacturer donates a machine to our “testing facilities” (the room adjacent to our lunch room), it does not guarantee that we will rate the product as “excellent.”

We received only two donated machines, so far. The majority of rowing machines we currently have were purchased by our company or returned after the test period.

Rowing Crazy will never accept payment to push a certain machine or publish articles with fake data or fake reviews.

How Our Testing is Done

Our testing method is pretty much the same for every machine. We realise that what one person loves about a machine or program may not please someone else.

We try to let as many employees as possible use these devices and fill out a review form. Then one of our executive staff will use the machine themselves and, with this combined experience, will write the review.

What is Our Testing Method?

In most instances, we put the machine in our breakroom (also known as the testing room) and ask employees to have a go at it.

We put review forms and ask reviewers for their opinion of the product tested.

Each review form is slightly different, with different tests depending on the product category.

For example, for a water rower, we might ask:

• What do you think of the overall look of the machine? What do you love? What do you not like?
• Do you feel challenged?
• How did the seat feel?
• Would you buy this machine?

Then Comes the REAL Test!

We like to leave the machine in the breakroom and let our reviewers (employees) give it a good pounding. No, I don’t mean we let them beat on the rower, but we encourage them to use this machine day after day after day, just like you would at home. This is one of our benchmark tests.

Seriously, don’t you want to know if a rowing machine will hold up over time? Nothing is more frustrating than having an indoor rower that breaks in a few weeks or after the warranty expires.

If the majority of employees tell us how much they love the rower/rowing programs, our executive staff agrees, and the machine holds up well, we are happy to give it an Editor’s Choice award.

Some of Our Machines are Being Used Daily by Multiple People over Several Years!

We update and publish our findings to inform readers if the rowing machine develops serious issues or deserves a recommendation for an outstanding length of service.

For long-term testing, we let our employees (and their families if they like) use the machine and give us their honest opinion. They offer numerical ratings or a few words about a given category (e.g., overall performance).

Then we let the real testing begin by subjecting the machine to daily use (sometimes by several people) for months. In the case of a few machines, they have been tested (used) for several years!

Why Should You Trust Us?

We are real people giving our honest reviews about a variety of machines and programs. We aren’t AI-written, we aren’t fake profiles, we are everyday people like you who are putting rowing machines to the test.

Our final reviewers and writers are the executive staff with a background (experience or everyday jobs in the rowing industry) in rowing so we can offer true research and performance evaluations.

Not all machines will make the “Editor’s Choice”, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t good machines offering true value for your money.

Not everyone is (or was) a professional rower so we like to include a wide range of opinions.

For example, if our employees think a particular product is terrific but the executive staff isn’t as happy with certain tests, we will offer you both sides of the rowing machine.

We believe that honesty outweighs “nice” reviews. You want the truth to determine if a particular machine is a good fit for you and your goals.

How Does Rowing Crazy Test All Rowing Machines?

We can’t.

Let’s be honest here, no one can purchase and test every single model and rowing machine on the market today. There are hundreds, possibly even thousands, of indoor rowing machines available.

Every manufacturer will tell you that their machine is the best, but our tests will tell you the facts we discovered after some serious usage.

If we haven’t used a machine ourselves, we say so. We will say upfront that while our staff did not get hands-on experience, we rely on feedback from users who tested the machine themselves.

Our Long-Term Testing Process

I think this is our most valuable category.

If you’ve ever bought a new car and thought it was great in the first three months and then had nothing but trouble with it, you know what I’m talking about.

Many products do well in tests when the machine is new out of the box. (Of course, we have had a few machines with issues right off, but that is rare.

We continually update our reviews to include long-term tests so you can recognise a real value when you see one.

For example, our Hydrow rowing machine has been in our breakroom for about 3 years now. The only days it isn’t used are Christmas and New Year’s!

Every year or so I update the Hydrow review to let readers know that this machine is still in use and works perfectly when other products have long retired.

If you want to know whether a certain rowing machine has held up well after it has been reviewed, bookmark the review page. We do updates over time and you can discover how long a particular machine lasted until it developed issues.

What Exactly Do We Test for with All Rowing Machines?

As I mentioned before, everyone has different likes and dislikes, but overall, we evaluate the following:

• Overall Appearance, Size, Manoeuvrability
• Build Quality, Noise Level, Durability, Feeling of Stability
• Type of Resistance, Overall Feel, Smoothness of Operation
• Comfort and Ergonomics
• Connectivity and Programming (if applicable)
• Value for the Money
• Overall Performance and Opinion

Of course, some rowing machines have features that others do not have, and we try to take technology into account.

Some people aren’t as fond of technology as others are. While a growing number of rowing machines use advanced technology, some manufacturers are wary of the increase in costs these advanced features bring.

In short, we do our best to keep all review tools the same so we compare apples to apples, not apples to oranges.

Our Team of Experienced Rowers Conducting Testing:

While we like our staff to conduct their “everyday user” reviews of all rowing machines, the final response will be published by one of our executive staff:

• Petra Amara– CEO and Founder of RowingCrazy.com
• Max Secunda– Heavy Weight Rower and Rowing YouTube Influencer
• Rachel Taylor– Olympic Silver Medalist Women’s Coxless Pair
• Laura Tanley– Physical Therapist and Certified Rowing Instructor

If you check our About Us page, you can contact the appropriate person for further questions about a device or our reviewing process.

We are also happy to hear from our readers about their experiences with the device they are using.

The Bottom Line

I commend Google for trying to keep the reviewing industry honest and fair.

I believe that customers who read these articles deserve correct data and unbiased opinion that they won’t find from manufacturers who pay to promote certain features or products.

As the founder of Rowing Crazy, I want my readers to feel confident in our review process. We put nearly every rowing machine to the test of time and unbiased analysis.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this.

Stay healthy and happy rowing!