I Replaced Running With The WaterRower S4 — But Is It Worth $1,599?

My workout routine started to feel stagnant last year, and I knew my body and mind needed a new challenge. As a regular runner and lifter, I wanted to expand my horizon to explore new types of exercise—which led me to the Johnson Fitness & Wellness WaterRower S4.

Once deemed the "ultimate challenge to the human body," rowing stands out as a low-impact workout that engages your full-body. Eager to see the effect it could have on both my strength and cardiovascular health, I ditched running outdoors for four 20-minute sessions per week on the WaterRower.

The brand describes itself as the "home of fitness"—and I'd be hard-pressed to argue otherwise. Founded in 1995, the fitness manufacturing company develops a range of fitness products, including cardio equipment, weights, smart fitness mirrors, and even weight storage solutions.

While you might be less familiar with the name Johnson Fitness, the brand is responsible for quite a few sub-brands with notable recognition, including Horizon treadmills, Matrix club cardio equipment, and Synca massage chairs.

Johnson Fitness & Wellness offers a handful of different water resistance rowers, which all work with the same water tank mechanism. Pulling on the handlebar moves pedals in the tank, which meet resistance against the water. This creates the smooth glide down and back along the steel track—along with a audible wooshing sound.

The water rowers have either a powder coated aluminum or wood frame. I was given a sample of the latter, which comes in a variety of different woods and finishes, including ash, cherrywood, and maple.

Beyond aesthetic, wood frames also have one major perk over metal frames; the material absorbs sounds and vibration. This means your machine should be relatively quiet; I actually found the person next door couldn't even tell I was working out with the WaterRower.

The rower also comes with a digital screen that displays duration of workout, intensity, strokerate, and total distance traveled. The smart screen can also be connected to the WATERROWER app via Bluetooth.

The WaterRower arrived on my doorstep in two boxes. The 82-inch legs were together in one long rectangular box, and the rest of the components were in one large cubic box.

Assembly was pretty straightforward; I was able to build it following along with the instructions, and I didn't need to look up any videos. The whole process took about 45 minutes and only required the tools included with the shipment: two Allen wrenches.

The disassembled rower included six large pieces—the handle assembly and the tank, the footrest, two legs, and the main base frame—and 20 pieces of hardware. The rower also come with two adjustable plastic components to attach to the footrest to keep you feet on the board, along with a siphon to add or remove water.

Before receiving the WaterRower, my workout split included running two times per week and lifting weights two times per week. Initially I thought a rower might be able to replace both aspects of my routine, as it's often touted as a one-stop-shop for a full-body workout.

I replaced my entire fitness routine with the rower, completing four 20-minute sessions per week. I stuck with this breakdown for at least three weeks to get a full idea of how the rower impacted my overall fitness levels.

Although I definitely felt the burn in my quads, upper back, and traps, I felt the body strain was much more cardio heavy and less hypertrophic. Knowing the importance of strength training for my longevity, I ultimately felt that rowing better fit into my workout split as cardio rather than cardio and strength.

Prior to testing out the WaterRower, I'd probably used a regular rower about a dozen times. Typically, these rowers uses magnetic resistance, and I felt the stroke was never as smooth as I wanted. I also lacked the motivation to just keep rowing—the movements felt monotonous.

When I got on the WaterRower the first time, I immediately latched on to the soothing rhythm of the water spinning around the tank. It added a sensory element that elevated my workout, and I could easily get lost in a meditative state.

What's more, I loved the Bluetooth connectivity and WATERROWER app. If you're not opting for a smart rowing machine, then you often lose out on the perks of programmed workouts and data tracking. While there are no live classes, I felt this small addition make the WaterRower feel more modern and connected than a standard design.

As much as I love the WaterRower, I can also acknowledge its limitations. Instead of adjusting resistance by adding weight, the water tank requires you to slow down or speed up. This means you can't adjust the rower to focus more on strength over cardio. While this isn't a huge issue for me, it's one of the main complaints about a WaterRower.

Additionally, both the foot rest and the bench are also slightly smaller than those on a traditional rower. This means you need to be extra careful about form, which was a huge concern for me as a beginner. (And it doesn't help that the monitor is located near the base of the water tank.)

I also think the seat could benefit from more padding; I only use the rower a few times a week, but I would definitely seek out a solution with more regular training, such as padded shorts.