Top positive review
24 people found this helpful
Great for someone looking for exercise through the winter
By Tyler Junger on Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2020
Let's be clear: I have never, in my life, rowed a boat competitively. The closest I've ever gotten was being woken up by a cockswain yelling the cadence to rowers when I was in college. Poor guys were on the water by 6 AM. I have no idea what those folks would think of this machine. For me, though, it's excellent. Set-up: The machine is relatively easy to assemble, and it comes with (very basic versions of) all the tools you'd need to do so. Sunny provided all the hardware on one vacu-sealed, labeled card. Between the manual and that card, every piece is numbered, and the illustrations in the manual make it very easy to tell what goes where. My only complaint about the illustrations is that it isn't entirely clear which end of the long support goes to the front and which way to mount the seat. Looking at an actual photo of the machine tells you the stickers go toward the back and the leg depressions go forward, so from there, everything was good to go. Using my own electric screwdriver (and otherwise using the provided tools), the time between opening the box and rowing my first stroke was about 90 minutes. I really appreciated that Sunny included both a funnel and a simple transfer pump for adding and removing water. I over-filled it at first, and the pump made it really easy to get it down to the level I wanted. Operation The machine works great. The mechanics are very smooth, and it's very quiet while in use. The water makes a light "woosh" noise that's actually really pleasant. I set this up downstairs, away from our baby's room, but I would be comfortable using it in the room next to his without fearing that it would wake him up. I filled the bubble to level 3. A review on another site said that 6 felt like rowing in real water "with a little extra," and that's not what I was going for. At level 3, I can keep a nice slow-ish pace and build up my heart rate, or I can push harder or do intervals to really get going. The monitor is the real reason I chose this model over the cheaper magnetic model, also from Sunny. This version counts strokes per minute, and that was important to me. Online training videos use strokes per minute as a reference point, and I wanted to be able to follow along with those. Weak Points Only a couple of weak points on this machine: 1. No place to stand a phone/tablet up. There's a depression in the front unit where you can *store* a phone (iPhone 8 Plus with an Otterbox-style case fits with room to spare), but it's horizontal so you can't watch the screen. If you plan to watch workout videos or your favorite TV show while using this, you'll have to find a way to stand your device up independent from this machine. 2. The LED monitor picked up a pulse reading from somewhere even though I don't use a heart monitor. I imagine this is an issue with the heart monitor radio standard itself - interference from something else in my house. And it isn't consistent, just something clocking in at 70-ish beats per minute every now and then. No idea what it is, but not an issue for me. If you plan to use a heart monitor band that connects wirelessly to the machine, you might run into a similar issue, but I can't say that for certain. Overall I'd recommend this for anyone looking to establish/maintain a general level of fitness with an indoor machine. It's quiet, it's an efficient workout, and the price is almost unbelievable for the quality of machine that you get.
Top critical review
2 people found this helpful
Low Quality Pull Straps and Customer Service and Shipping Costs Disappoint
By Alby on Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2024
I initially found this rower's price point reasonable, and upon receiving it, the build quality seemed solid, meeting my expectations for a rowing machine. However, within six months of use, I encountered issues with the handle and the belt breaking, frustratingly just outside the warranty period. While Sunny H&F provided a replacement for free, the machine's downtime lasted around a week, with no expedited options available. Communication with the company was sluggish, with responses averaging 24 to 48 hours for each email exchange, which didn't quite meet my expectations for prompt customer support. After receiving the replacement belt, which was relatively easy to install, another issue cropped up with the sensor malfunctioning. It took approximately two weeks of back-and-forth, involving sending pictures and videos of the machine, before they agreed to send me a new sensor, albeit at $12. While the sensor replacement was relatively inexpensive, the $15 shipping fee for such a small item seemed excessive. This became more apparent when I purchased a spare bar and strap for future use, which cost $20 but incurred an additional $25 in shipping fees. Sunny H&F justified this as their "discounted shipping rate," but it felt like an attempt to inflate costs for essential parts. The shipping charges seemed disproportionate, especially considering the packaging size of the items, and it appeared as if the company was leveraging these fees to extract more money from customers for replacement parts. Furthermore, the process of placing the order itself was drawn out, requiring almost two weeks of emails, and it's likely to be another week or longer before the part arrives, resulting in nearly a month of downtime for the machine. Overall, while the initial build quality seemed promising, the recurring issues and the sluggish customer service response, combined with what feels like inflated shipping costs, detract from the overall experience of owning this rower from Sunny H&F. ADDITION - 29 May 2024: Since receiving the replacement strap in March, it has already started to fray and is now halfway torn. Despite two weeks of back-and-forth emails, with typical replies from Sunny taking 5-7 business days, they finally contacted their warehouse to check for replacement parts. They confirmed the availability of replacement pieces, with the pull strap and bar costing $20 each, as before. However, shipping has increased by $10, now totaling $35 for "business shipping," which seems like an unjustified markup since shipping this box should not exceed $10. I requested to purchase multiple pulleys to save on future shipping costs, given the poor quality of the parts. Sunny refused to ship more than one part per order, insisting on shipping each part separately and charging an additional $35 per part. This policy seems designed to extract more money from customers. Upon further investigation in the community, it is clear that Sunny has a reputation for low-quality products and subpar customer service. Avoid this brand! Invest in a C2 rower now, as Sunny's poor quality and relentless nickel-and-diming will ultimately cost you more in the long run. Save yourself the headache!
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