• AIR+MAGNETIC Resistance: 32 levels for a realistic rowing experience.
• Advanced LCD Monitor: Tracks time, distance, calories, SPM, & more.
• Ergonomic: Handlebar with controls, contoured seat, & adjustable footrests.
• Heavy-Duty Construction: T13 aluminum Mono-Rail & precision steel legs.
• Space-Saving Storage: Easy fold-and-roll system with a safety child lock.
*Some Images Shown w/ Optional Add Ons. See Add Ons
Connect-22 Compatible
Ant+ & Bluetooth
Commercially Warranted
Magnetic Resistance
$1,999.00
Track your performance effortlessly with the black mask LCD display featuring LED backlighting. Monitor essential metrics like time, distance, calories, strokes per minute, and more, all while benefiting from 12 preset programs and 4 user profiles.
Resistance: 32 Levels of Resistance Utilizing BODYCRAFT Air+Magnetic Eddy Current Technology
Travel: 38.5″ of Travel Will Accommodate Users Up to 6’8″
Drive: Zero Maintenance Premium Nylon Belt Tested at 580lb load with 500,000 Repetitions
Bluetooth: FTMS Protocol Compatible
Power Source: Plug-in
Handlebar: Ergonomically Correct Comfort Grip Aluminum Handlebar with Wireless Remote Control
Seat: Contoured Comfort Seat with Heavy Duty Roller Bearings
Foot Hold: Deluxe Adjustable Heel Rest with Quick Adjust Foot Straps
Support Legs: Precision Formed Laser Cut High Strength Steel
Storage: Easy Fold and Roll System with Safety Child Lock
BLACK MASK LCD DISPLAY
Display: Time/500M, Calories, Pulse, Strokes Per Minute (SPM), Watts, Strokes, Meters, Time, Level, Profile
User Profiles: 4 Users
Manual Mode: Quick Start or Set Countdown Goals.
Program Profiles: 12 Auto Resistance Change Profiles
Programs: 6 Race, 4 HRC, 3 Interval, User Mode, 1 Custom Definable & Manual
Pause/Power Off: Can Pause Workout for 5 Minutes and Will Auto Shutdown After 5 Minutes of No Use
Finish: Powder Coated Steel with Anodized Aluminum Beam
Track: Heavy Duty I-Beam Mono-Rail – High Strength T13 aluminum
Click HERE to see dimensions PDF
Dimensions: 98.5″L x 20″W x 38.5″H
Folded Dimensions: 58.5″L x 20″W x 77″H
Box Dimensions: 71.5″L x 30″W x 10″H – Ships LTL
Max User Weight: 350 LBS
Weight: 101 LBS (116 LBS boxed)
-RESIDENTIAL-
Frame: Lifetime
Parts: 7 Years
Labor: 2 Years
Wear Items: 1 Year
– COMMERCIAL –
Usage: 5 Hrs/Day
Facilities: Non Paying
Frame: 10 Years
Parts: 3 Years
Labor: 1 Year
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I actually went to the fitness store to look at another machine. After not being happy with what it, we saw the rowing machines. I liked the fact that I could get a full body workout instead of just aerobic. Very sturdy and easy to use. This is a great workout and a good change up from our elliptical.
Neil
I love this machine. I switched from using an elliptical to this and could not be happier. It is very smooth, sturdy and gives you an excellent workout. It has even helped improve my posture. I've had friends come over and hop on and I could not get them off; it is actually fun to use! This is a top-notch machine and I don't know what I would do without it.
MikeB
I received my VR500 rower this morning assembled it and had my first workout this afternoon. Still have a lot to read and learn to maximize the experience but just using quick start and manual setting was invigorating. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality, sturdiness and stability. It was up to gym standards and I am looking forward to it having a long life. BTW, the folding lets it stand in a corner of my living room and is very convenient.
Michael Lerner
We compared this BodyCraft VR500 side-by-side with a Concept2 Model D Indoor Rowing Machine. We tried the minimum, medium and nearly the maximum resistance settings on each. We bought the BodyCraft.
Cons:
- Few reviews for comparison
- Might be hard to use when we don't feel very energetic; might be comparable to the Sole elliptical we just sold because it was too hard to use sometimes
- Resale value might be poor because Concept 2 machines are so much more popular
- Large footprint, just like the Concept2
Pros:
+ Padded, comfortable seat
+ Programs for when we get bored with it: 4 user profiles, 12 program profiles (4 race; 4 heart rate - 55%, 75%, 90%; custom; 2 interval; 1 custom; and manual/quick start/countdown)
+ The beam is long enough for my legs to fully extend: I have a 36" inseam. When I fully extend my legs, I have 9 1/2" remaining behind me
+ My Polar heart rate monitor works with it, even when my legs are fully extended and I'm leaning back as far as I can (my back is very flexible)
+ Consistent resistance throughout strokes
+ Soft, durable, comfortable handlebar
+ 32 levels of resistance adjustable during rowing from the buttons on the handlebar
+ Air and magnetic resistance
Comparison with the Concept2 Model D Indoor Rowing Machine:
Stars
*** seat much more comfortable*** - a deal breaker!
*** resistance is adjustable from the handlebar*** - a deal breaker!
*** Easier to adjust resistance: press buttons on handlebar instead of having to stop rowing, step out of the footrests, and adjust the resistance on the flywheel*** - a deal-breaker!
*** The Concept2 handle became easier to pull once we got momentum going, especially when starting each stroke which made less use of our leg muscles and put more stress on our backs and arms*** - a deal breaker!
Pluses
+ Better warranty: Concept2 is only warrantied for 5 years on certain frame parts, and 2 years on the rest of the machine. See BodyCraft warranty info below.
+ The seat is higher: the brochure states it is 19". Ours is 18" to the top of the lowest point.
+ 32 levels of resistance compared with 10
+ Foot straps easier to adjust because the nylon webbing is smoother, but the footrest design is very similar
+ Nylon web strap connects the handlebar to the fly wheel instead of a metal chain
+ On the Concept2, the seat kept cutting into the backs of my ankles because I kept hyper-flexing my legs, i.e., I kept going too far forward during my recovery stroke
+ The Concept2 has a shorter beam
Comparable
= Comparable durability of I beam and rollers under the seat
= Comparable handlebar
= Both seem to be sturdy, built to last many years
Negatives
- The footrest heel cup is narrower, but it stretches, and the design is nearly identical
- Pricey unless you get a deal like what we got from our local fitness store: only $200 difference :)
- The salesman said the Concept2 display gave more information that is more relevant for rowing athletes, but we were just looking for a full-body workout machine, so this was not meaningful to us.
The BodyCraft display shows:
average and total: time and distance in meters;
average: pulse and strokes per minute;
and total: calories and watts.
It also shows your resistance level as you row.
- Less popular
- Comes in one color; the Concept2 comes in a choice of colors
STORY
We went to our local fitness store to try recumbent bicycles. My husband asked about the rowing machines. He had owned a piston-style one decades ago and wondered why they didn't have any like it. The salesman explained the differences between pistons, flywheels and water wheels. We tried the magnetic and air flywheels and the water wheels.
We understand that the piston-type are less durable and less ergonomic.
When we tried the water flywheels, we liked the sound of the rushing water, but we thought that would probably get annoying. We also decided on a different flywheel because our cellar has no drainage, and we didn't want to take a chance on the water tank leaking. The salesman told us the tank only holds around a gallon of water, but still...
We tried the air flywheel. We liked the breeze that came off of it, but we didn't like the noise it made.
Then we tried the BodyCraft VR500. The seat was the first remarkable thing about it: it was SO comfortable! We liked the feel of pulling on the nylon webbing better than the metal chain in the Concept2. The handlebar felt MUCH better than the other machines, except it was comparable to the Concept2. We had fun easily adjusting the resistance using the buttons on the handlebar as we rowed, without affecting our pace.
We so enjoyed the workout we got on the rowing machines during both visits, we lost interest in the recumbent bicycles. We have a treadmill, so didn't really need more lower-body exercise equipment.
I use it for weekly cross training. I am a runner who has won and placed in 5K races (for my age group) in the rural area where we live. My husband is working up to using it daily to supplement his daily 30-minute walk.
I viewed dozens of YouTube videos that explain how to use a rower. I found the one called Rowing Technique by doosport to be the most helpful.
We downloaded the Concept2 training manual from their website. It is great! We plan to follow their advice regarding workouts as we get used to the machine.
WARRANTY
I saw varying statements about the residential warranty for this rower. The BodyCraft website states "Lifetime Frame, 5 years Parts". The BodyCraft brochure states "Lifetime Frame, 5 year parts, 1 year wear items, 2 year labor."
WeaverGrace
I received my VR500 rower this morning assembled it and had my first workout this afternoon. Still have a lot to read and learn to maximize the experience but just using quick start and manual setting was invigorating. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality, sturdiness and stability. It was up to gym standards and I am looking forward to it having a long life. BTW, the folding lets it stand in a corner of my living room and is very convenient.
Michael Lerner
An amazing machine is a good place to start. We purchased this machine to restart our workouts. This machine is easy to both move around and to assemble. I am a big guy, 6’3” and 370. This machine is comfortable and doesn’t even know I’m on it. The seat glides smoothly and the gentle puff of air that hits you when you pull on the hand grips is great. It is quiet and folds up nicely into a compact package. I particularly like the 5 minute cooldown at the end of your workout. So far, I have just used the manual mode. Will get into the programmed workouts soon. I like the review displayed at the end of the workout. I really like the “no impact” part of this workout. Overall, I would give it more than .5 stars, but that’s tge only option. If you’re thinking of adding a rowing machine to your personal gym, stop looking. You have found the perfect equipment. It is a commercial grade machine at a residential price for your home gym. See you in a 100 pounds!!!!
Bob Chronister
This is my first personal rower. I have arthritis and recently had surgery on my right foot and needed a way to exercise efficiently and at home. This machine is all it's cracked up to be. I can get on and off easily. I can easily adjust the foot rest to accommodate my orthopedic shoe and keep my incompletely healed foot protected. love the computer display and optional programming. I love that you can adjust the pull resistance right on the handlebar. It is very quiet. I prefer music when I workout and did not need to adjust the volume for machine noise. I left the television on once just to see if I could watch a movie while rowing and I had no problems hearing the television at normal volume. It is easy to fold and unfold, but is too large to fit under a bed or in a standard size closet. The quality of these machine is excellent. It took my husband a couple hours by himself to put it together and he had no difficulty.
Cleveland Customer
I've been very happy with my rower so far. It's smooth and sturdy, and I'm confident it will last for many years. I assembled the machine myself, which was simple enough, but note that you should keep all pieces in the box to aid in assembly. I also ended up dropping a bolt into the main mechanical part, which was incredibly difficult to retrieve - so try to avoid that! I'm going to buy the phone / tablet holder today.
Molly
Like most shoppers, I also did a lot of research on rowers.
I didn't want the pricey monthly subscriptions that some of the units boast about. I want a solid, tried and true machine to use for many years to come. It is a new purchase as 0f 6-1-2021 but so far so good. Assembly was pretty straight forward, two people helping is much easier. unit works great just plug it in and begin. This is a really well built machine, fun to use and it looks like a high end gym unit.
Dennis D
Now that I'd had my VR500 for a couple of years, I can add reliability and durability to the superlatives I've used about it.
Generally use it 4 to 5 times a weeks, both manual and program modes. It delivers a consistently good workout with no equipment problems. Just an occasional wipe down and it stays prime. It's the best piece of exercise equipment I've ever owned.
Don Padalis
