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At an average price of $500, a rowing machine isn’t likely to be an impulse purchase. As such, getting one requires careful comparison shopping, making sure to go over the details of any equipment and seeking out qualified rowing machine reviews before deciding to get them.

You might also need additional items, like an exercise mat, when you buy a rowing machine, so make sure you take those costs into account. When you’re shopping online, a rowing machine will likely hurt you bad in shipping fees as units typically weight over 70 pounds.

Add all those up and you can be looking at a considerable expense. As such, finding the right rowing machine before making a purchase is incredibly important. You don’t need to go at it alone though, with plenty of rowing machine reviews available online.

Consumer Reports

Hailed as the leading comparison shopping magazine in the U.S., Consumer Reports is a highly dependable source for product reviews. Problems is, they rarely have rowing machines on their pages. They had an issue back in June of 2003 where rowing machine reviews were given due attention. Apart from that, though, none can be found either online or in any of their other issues.

You can try registering in their forums and asking for recommendations there although this is usually a long shot. Still, it’s only just a few minutes that can potentially get you results.

Other Review Websites

A better source for rowing machine reviews will be user-driven comparison sites like Nextag.com, MySimon.com and Yahoo’s shopping portal. They offer real, unbiased reviews from consumers who actually paid for the same products and used them.

Since these reviews aren’t written by professional writers, however, they tend to ramble off into tangents on occasion. You will need some deciphering skills, as well as an ability to read between the lines, but you will find all the rowing machine reviews you are likely to need before you make your purchase decision.

Keep on the lookout for reviews that are exceptionally one-sided with a negative slant. They are often written by distraught individuals with an axe to grind against the product or the company. Unless 50% of all the reviews for a product point towards flaws or problems, chances are it’s not all that bad. You’ll be better off focusing on positive rowing machine reviews, as they usually contain the most detail and description of the products in real-world use.

When you find products with positive reviews and have begun to narrow your choices, you can start searching for better deals. Many of the same sites with rowing machine reviews also sell new and used units of the product. If you’re looking to save a little money for your rowing machine purchase, opting for used equipment might be a better choice.

Lastly, make sure to check with your doctor before shopping for an exercise equipment. The last thing you want is to wade through dozens of rowing machine reviews, find a great model and buy it, only to find out that you have a back problem that doesn’t allow you to use the equipment.