Life Fitness Row GX Trainer Rower Review

Quick Take

The Life Fitness Row GX rowing machine is the big daddy rower from the legacy fitness brand. Tougher construction and more resistance levels, however it still uses the same basic screen and metrics that you get from other more affordable rowers of both water and other resistance types. Its warranty is also no better than more affordable options, which comes as a bit of a surprise—typically in other equipment categories commercial-grade equipment gets more substantial warranty terms. We’re also noting a lack of other features, like on-board programming or connectivity to any sort of training/progress monitoring apps. As we’ve noted in other reviews these features aren’t really dealbreakers in the rowing category, but once you crest north of a $2,000 entry price we tend to expect a bit more in terms of features.

The Life Fitness Row GX Trainer is a club-quality commercial-grade water-resistance rower that uses a fluid resistance system to create an enhanced rowing experience with the option of 16 resistance levels beyond the water in the tank. Enjoy precise resistance levels while also relishing the feel and sound of water as you row.

It’s a bit unfortunate how light the Life Fitness site is when offering up specifications, especially in this price category. The drive pull on this rower is a belt style, which cuts the noise factor that typically comes from a chain drive, though at the cost of overall product longevity. Beyond that, build quality seems more than up to par for the price point. The single-rail unit is good to support rowers of up to 330 lbs.

The Row GX Trainer is both compact and convenient with a small 76.8” footprint, transport wheels, and the ability to be stored vertically. The machine is an investment that sells for just over $2000, but the commercial-grade construction is built to last. Check out the HX Rower by Life Fitness if this rower is beyond your budget.

Positives

• Attractive: The modern and sleek design of the Row GX is hard to miss and will class up any commercial or home gym.
• Folding Design: Designed to be folded vertically for easy storage, this rower is ideal for home use or any gym that moves rowers around for group classes. When folded, the rower is just 71” tall.
• High Quality: The Row GX offers the durability expected from Life Fitness. This rower requires little to no maintenance and with a 330 pound max user weight, it’s ideal for high-traffic gyms with multiple users.
• Data: Keep track of your workout with an easy-to-read display featuring essential information like 500m split time, strokes per minutes, calories burned, and time elapsed.
• Cushioned Seat: When rowing, comfort is essential to maintain proper form and keep your low back free from injury. The seat on this rower is contoured, cushioned, and perfectly positioned for comfort.
• Higher Seated Position: You’ll sit 20 inches off of the ground on this rower, which makes it easy to get on and off without struggle (even for users with mobility issues).
• Smooth Operation: The Row GX Trainer is unique with its Fluid Resistance Technology system that creates a smooth and natural feel out of water and a well-designed railing system. Using water resistance via a refillable tank, this rower is biomechanically designed to recreate the sensation of rowing on the water.
• Versatile: From the adjustable footboard and foot straps to the 16 resistance levels, it’s easy to create a workout experience unique to your goals. To change resistance levels, simply turn the dial. No need to empty or fill the water tank simply to adjust the resistance.
• Easy To Move: This rower is fairly lightweight at 135 pounds, with a small 76.8” footprint and transport wheels.

Negatives

• Price: This isn’t a cheap rower by any means, with a price tag of over $2000. Considering the basic console and lack of features like workout programs or heart rate monitoring, the price stings that much more. Life Fitness is a respectable brand, but this rower could use a features upgrade for that price.
• Warranty: You get just 3 years coverage on parts and 1 year coverage on labor. There are options for extended warranties that include 3 or 5 years coverage, but it’ll cost you!
• Heart Rate Monitoring: An optional tracking package is available (which includes a receiver and chest strap), but these options are not included with the price of the machine, and so there’s no way to monitor your heart rate unless you have your own device or purchase this package.
• Program Options: This rower lacks any built-in workout programs, so you’ll need to get creative. This is definitely a “con” if you are a beginner and need direction.
• Display Screen: The dimensions of the display screen are not provided, but it’s small. It’s not very easy to read (especially when rowing), but it does provide basic workout readouts.

Our Conclusion

The Life Fitness Row GX Trainer is a tough one to rank overall, as we have faith in the construction and quality, but not the volume of features given its steep sticker price. If we were building a commercial gym, the pedigree of Life Fitness would be enough to sway the vote in their direction. After all, if the focus is heavy use rather than bells and whistles you can trust Life Fitness to deliver. Sure, the rower is missing a few key features like heart rate monitoring and built-in workout programs, but is still a reliable and attractive machine overall.