Aviron Strong Rowing Machine Review: It’s All Fun and Games

Dimensions/Storability

• Footprint: 84″ L x 27″ W x 48″ H
• Stored Upright: 35″ L x 27″ W x 83″ H
• Pedal Footboards: 11″ L
• Pedal Width Adjustment: 17″ (Widest) 13″ (Narrowest)
• Monorail: 47″ L x 10″ H
• Seat: 15″ W x 10″ D x 20″ H
• Belt Drive: 30″ from where the belt appears from the flywheel

With its size and weight, the Strong Series is actually relatively easy to move.

It doesn’t fold, but it can be stored upright. It has nice stabilizers. Plus, there are two front transportation wheels on the front, so when you lift up the back end of the rail, you can move it around fairly easily.

Onboard Workouts & Apps

Alright, now I’ll give you a rundown of what you can access on the touchscreen.

For subscription content, the variety that Aviron offers is more than what most rowers, and even other fitness equipment, offer.

Before I dive into what comes with an additional monthly cost, here’s what you get without a subscription membership.

Without a subscription, you have access to the Metrics Monitor under “Quick Start” on the home screen. This is a screen that shows all of your workout metrics while rowing. The metrics tracked are total meters rowed, watts, pace, time, calories, output (in kilojoules), total strokes, strokes per minute, resistance level, and heart rate (with a monitor).

Also, without a subscription, you can connect with friends who have an Aviron to see how you rank, as well as view your rankings among other Aviron users.

When you create a profile, you’ll be able to track and access your workout history and earn achievements and award badges. You can also use all of this with a subscription. So, even if you aren’t interested in paying an additional monthly fee, you’re still able to use the Aviron.

I highly recommend subscribing, though, because the subscription content is one of my favorite things about this rower.

Games

Video games are probably my favorite aspect. They have great graphics and will appeal to video game lovers of all ages. Some of the 2D games remind me of the Pac-Man days, while the 3D games resemble newer-aged video games of today.

In one of the games, you’re a pirate ship that shoots cannons at other pirate ships in order to protect your gold.

In some of the games, other members can jump in and start playing against you if you keep the public mode on. Aviron adds new games from time to time, so this library is growing and offers a wide range of games to choose from.

Competition

You’ll find more games under the Competition category on the home screen. These include gamified competitions for you to compete against yourself or other members. The competitions feature a leaderboard and are racing games to test out your rowing skills.

Those who are competitive and enjoy playing race-themed video games will enjoy these.

Power Play

The last category for gaming content is Power Play. This is my favorite category because I can select a game, and it is structured as a complete workout. There are a large number of these games available in different durations depending on how long you want to work out.

In each game, a car driving down five lanes is shown. You are the car, and you must hit targets in the lanes in order to get points for your total score. You change lanes by changing your strokes per minute (spm), so these are great for working on rowing at specific paces.

Preloaded Apps

From the subscription content home screen, you can log into your Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and YouTube accounts. I appreciate this inclusion on the Aviron. We are often asked if fitness equipment with attached touchscreens works like TVs, and the Aviron is close with these apps. You can also log into your Spotify account and listen to music while training.

If you like to watch TV while you work out, you’re in luck considering the Aviron Strong Series Rower’s collection

Pros vs Joes

Various professional boxers, football players, sprinters, and rowing athletes are available to row against to see how you do in a head-to-head competition. The screen sometimes displays a small video of the rower in the top right corner rowing and shows workout metrics for you both. A display of two pace boats, one for you and one for them, is shown on the screen.

Pros vs Joes is where you can test out your rowing skills against professional athletes and rowers.

Coached Programs

You’ll find trainer-led content in the Coached Programs category. Aviron recommends these workouts for beginners. The majority of the videos feature Training Tall, a YouTube fitness coach who guides you through workouts on and off the rower. Austin provides form corrections, so if you’re a beginner who is new to rowing, I definitely recommend checking these out.

The other categories don’t include form correction, and since rowing is such a technical exercise, it is nice to have some guidance.

Guided Programs

The Guided Programs also offer guidance while you’re rowing. These workouts take place on and off the rower. On the screen is a graphic of someone rowing to demonstrate how to do each exercise in the workout. You even get form feedback as well as a score for how you perform each exercise and even the rest periods. These allow you to compete with multiple people, too.

Virtual Rowing

These are similar to what other brands offer for outdoor-filmed content. A camera on a rowing shell points at the water to give you the same point-of-view as if you were on the water rowing. There are several different videos filmed in different locations. The camera speeds up and slows down, depending on your pace.

The final category is Virtual Rowing.

I will say that the video quality of these videos isn’t as crystal-clear as the other features, but it is nice to have such a wide variety of content to choose from on the Aviron.

Console

Most of the rower’s functionality is built into the screen. This touchscreen is plenty large and my favorite size on fitness equipment. It’s also highly adjustable. You can tilt it up and down easily and pivot it to the side for workouts off of the rower. As far as adjustable screens found on other machines, the Aviron is one of the top because the arm allows it to be adjusted almost any way.

The console primarily consists of a 22″ touchscreen.

The screen is also clear and easy to see. I’m about 5’1″, and I can angle and pull the screen a little closer to me when I’m picking a game, workout, or show to watch. On other rowers, I usually have to unstrap one foot to reach the screen better.

The screen is also easy to use and navigate within the subscription content. There’s a navigation bar on the left side of the screen and a search bar with filters at the top. All of the categories are clearly labeled and feature images, so you know exactly what is what, too.

The screen adjusts up and down depending on your height and eye level.

There is a camera built into the screen for taking sweaty selfies to send to your friends or to take a photo for your profile. It would be nice to see more functionality in the camera in the future. You can create an unlimited number of profiles, which is perfect if you have multiple users in your household planning on using the Strong Series Rower.

The speakers are on the back of the screen, so they project away from you. They have a good volume, so you can hear them over the sound of the rower’s resistance.

You can adjust the resistance on the screen or on the handles if you purchase the Quick Adjust Resistance Remote, which is sold separately. This is a handle with two adjustment buttons in the middle, so you can adjust the resistance midstroke without having to lean forward to touch the screen.

We have this addition on our rower, and it is very convenient.

It’s essentially a small plastic ridge in between the pedals to put your phone on to keep it nearby. I really like how Aviron utilized extra space to include this feature and I think more rowers should have storage like this.

Another convenient feature of the Strong Series is a phone holder.

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Build Quality

We’re really impressed and pleased with the construction of the Aviron Strong Series Rower. It is more compact and quiet, and it doesn’t weigh too much more at 114 lbs versus 97 lbs. It is a bit hardier than Aviron’s other rower in its design, yet still pretty lightweight.

It handles up to 507 lbs of user weight, which is typically the most we see on rowers. The Concept2 has a 500 lb weight limit in comparison.

Frame

It is made of steel and aluminum with two stabilizers that keep it in place while you’re rowing. The reinforced rail and industrial grade seat wheel bearings back the Strong Rower feel very smooth to use.

I like the look and build of the Aviron Strong Series.

What makes the frame and design of this Aviron Rower is its lower rail and tall seat. This lower monorail is also shorter than Aviron’s other rower, so it takes up less space in your home. Even though it’s shorter, it still accommodates users up to 6’8″, which is impressive and safe to say the Aviron Strong Series can fit most people.

Matt is 6’5″, and he has some room to spare on the rail.

Footboard & Pedals

The footboards and pedals are impressive and, frankly, innovative. There is a crank on the side of the right pedal that lets you adjust the pedals to be closer or wider apart. This is an awesome feature that I think more brands should incorporate. In our testing, water rowers like the Ergatta tend to have narrow pedals that can feel constricting to some, especially larger users.

The crank works like manual windows in a car.

Rowing is a total body workout that primarily works your lower body. Having proper alignment between your hips, knees, and feet is important to help prevent discomfort and to allow you to push through your legs and feet through the drive of the stroke.

Since the Aviron can handle users of various heights and weights, it makes sense to adjust the space of the pedals since people vary in hip width and build. I really love the innovation here. Great job, Aviron.

Here are pedals at their widest.

The pedals adjust vertically to accommodate various shoe sizes. This is standard for rowers. This way, the foot strap can be placed across the widest part of the foot. They adjust easily. The nylon foot straps are adjustable to keep your feet in place, too. They’re velcro, which I prefer. I think velcro straps make the most sense on rowers because they’re quick to strap in and out of.

The pedals are compatible with athletic shoes, and the bottom fits around your shoe. It’s flexible to allow for some ankle flexion when you’re in the catch, too.

The only thing we noticed is that the footboards aren’t as long as other rowers. Those with larger feet will notice that their heels hang off the bottoms of the footboard below the pedals. We would like to see longer footboards on the Strong Series in the future. While you can still push off the pedals fine, we worry about the pedal durability with your heels hanging off the ends.

Handle

The handle is round and nicely padded. It feels comfortable to hold. I prefer rounded handles like this one. What is nice about this handle is that it rotates, so if you start breaking at the wrist during your stroke, the handle will rotate to realign your wrists so you keep a neutral grip. There’s nothing worse than getting floppy wrists while rowing.

This handle is 19″ long, which makes it great for larger users with broader shoulders.

The only aspect that is missing is the ability to do single-arm rowing, like the Concept2 RowErg, which has finger webbing. Considering you can purchase a handle with resistance buttons, I don’t miss this on the Strong Series Rower.

Seat

The Strong Series Rower has a wide, lightly padded seat. This seat isn’t our favorite because it has minimal padding, but you can purchase the Cloud Seat at an additional price with more forgiving padding. Rowers, in general, don’t have the most comfortable seats, but I like that Aviron gives the option of purchasing a more cushioned seat if that suits your liking better.

This is the Cloud Seat, and it is surprisingly more comfortable than the original seat.

As I mentioned about the monorail earlier, it sits fairly low to the ground, yet the seat is still 20″ high. Because the seat is much wider than other Rowers like the NordicTrack RW900, Ergatta, and Concept2, Aviron was able to get away with this design.

Sometimes, rower seats can feel a little unstable laterally if you shift your weight to either side. Because the seat is so wide, it feels supportive and stable to sit on. I think the large piece that fastens the seat onto the rail serves as a great base to keep the seat feeling sturdy and smooth.

Plus, a lumbar support accessory is available at an additional price for people with lower back and mobility issues. This is essentially a backrest for the seat, but it’s a great addition if you need extra support.

Flywheel

The flywheel is attached to the front of the rower under the screen. The Aviron Strong Series Rower is a hybrid rower that uses both air and magnetic resistance. This means that the harder you row, the harder the tension gets to pull against, thanks to the air resistance. From there, it can be adjusted up and down with the magnetic resistance.

The flywheel has vents on the sides, so when you row, fan blades move and suck air in for resistance to pull against.

The vents in the front are there to “cool you off.” They provide a small breeze as you row. This is nice and the breeze isn’t overpowering.

What attaches the handle to the flywheel is a nylon belt. I prefer belt drive systems because they make for quiet, smooth strokes. Chain drives, like on the Concept2, can require a bit of maintenance. Chains are also louder and can change the feeling of the stroke.

Resistance

So, as I mentioned, this is a hybrid rower that uses both air and magnetic resistance. The air makes the stroke feel more realistic, while the magnetic resistance allows it to be adjustable.

There are 16 levels of magnetic resistance for you to adjust on the screen or handle if you purchase the accessory separately.

Aviron says that levels 1-10 are best for cardio, and 11-16 are best for strength training. I don’t think rowing on the Aviron, or on any other rower, is the equivalent of lifting weights, but the resistance offers a great amount of tension to pull against. It is said to offer 100 lbs of resistance, which is a large amount.

Air rowers provide unlimited resistance to pull against, so even though the Aviron has a max level with magnetic resistance when you row harder, you’ll still feel more tension. I like that the Aviron is a hybrid rower that utilizes resistance well, but something to keep in mind is that this rower isn’t silent to use.

Magnetic rowers tend to be best for most homes, especially shared spaces like apartments, because they’re very quiet. The Strong Series is relatively quiet but still makes noise. It’s certainly quieter than the Concept2, though.

Warranty

Aviron includes a pretty nice warranty with the purchase of the Strong Series Rowing Machine. The warranty covers ten years for the frame and one year for parts. Setting up the rower is pretty straightforward, but I recommend two people for attaching the touchscreen, especially.

Should You Buy the Aviron Strong Rowing Machine

Rowing is not only fun but accessible on the Aviron Strong Series Rower! There’s no doubt that playing all kinds of video games, streaming from Netflix, and competing against friends and other members is entertaining and a great way to get in a workout, but the Strong Series Rower is a well-designed and constructed machine itself!

It stores upright to fit better in your home, and it is also great for people of most sizes and abilities. The adjustable pedals fit your shoes and your hips because of the 4-way adjustability.

Plus, the rail is low, and the seat is high, so it’s very easy to get on and off. It’s also comfortable with its rounded, rotating handle and wide, supportive seat. If you’re looking for a rower that’s designed to keep you entertained and comfortable, then check out the Aviron Strong Series Rowing Machine.

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Aviron Strong Rowing Machine Q&A / FAQ

Can I use an Aviron rower without a subscription?

Yes, you can use the Aviron Strong rower without a subscription. The training options are very limited, but you can access the metrics monitor and connect with fellow Aviron users. You can track achievements and view your workout history, too.

Can you watch TV on an Aviron rower?

You can watch TV shows and movies on some of the Aviron with the available apps. The Aviron Strong has Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Disney+. You will need your own subscription to each of these services to access entertainment content.

What are the levels of resistance of the Aviron Strong?

There are 16 levels of resistance for up to 100 lbs of resistance on the Aviron Strong. The first ten levels are designated for cardio by Aviron, while the rest are for strength training.

Is the Aviron Strong Rower loud?

The Aviron Strong is quieter than air rowing machines, but it is a bit louder than magnet rowers. Since it uses air and magnetic resistance, some noise is generated by the air moving in and out of the machine.

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