Proform Sport RL Rower Review (Costco Rower)

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The ProForm Sport RL, also known as the Costco Rower, has some interesting options. In this review, you will find out whether this rowing machine is worth it for your individual situation.

Proform Sport RL Rower review in short

Specifications

*Warranties can vary from seller to seller

**Price category difference at the time of writing

Resistance settings and adjustment

One of the main principles of exercise and more specifically rowing machines is challenging your body enough. Doing this can make you fitter and happier in the long term.

On the other hand, you also don’t want your workouts to be too challenging. This can reduce their quality and potentially lead to injuries.

To offer workouts at the right difficulty, the Proform Sport RL Rower comes with 24 digital resistance levels. For exercise beginners and intermediates this should be enough to get in many good rowing sessions.

Some more advanced rowers do note that even level 24 feels just a bit too easy for them. If you are very fit, you may need a more challenging rowing machine than the ProForm Sport RL since having enough resistance is so important.

A nice addition to this rowing machine is that there are premium IFIT workouts where the resistance adjusts automatically. This can be more convenient than tapping the buttons and can make scenic IFIT rows feel more real.

Screen and device holder

The ProForm Sport RL Rower stands out as a budget-friendly rowing machine that can connect to IFIT.

Two things to note are that you need your own smart device to connect to IFIIT and that you can also use the ProForm Sport RL Rower without IFIT.

First of all, the ProForm Sport RL Rower has a device holder for devices like phones or tablets. These can run the IFIT app if you want.

Additionally, you can also just follow workouts from places like Youtube. Do keep in mind that you don’t have any Bluetooth interaction between the rowing machine and the workout in these other options.

As you can conclude from this, you can definitely use the ProForm Sport RL Rower without IFIT. It has a 5” high-contrast display that shows measurements like strokes, time, distance, and an estimation of calories burned.

One downside of this screen is that while it can move up and down, it can not be tilted. This can make it somewhat harder for taller individuals to see their workout statistics.

Keep in mind that without IFIT there is no way to upload these measurements to any devices. This is not essential to get in a good rowing workout but does matter to many people.

Besides that, some users mention that the measurements from the display and IFIT seem incorrect. Even so, they do give you somewhat of an idea about how your workouts on the ProForm Sport RL Rower compare.

Workout programs

Basically any normal way of using the ProForm Sport RL Rower can offer health benefits. That being said, some sequences of intensities and time periods will be more effective for this goal.

Additionally, you may find certain workouts and simply changing these up more enjoyable than just rowing at the same pace for an extended period of time.

The first thing to note is that you create your own rowing workouts without apps or screens. These won’t have the same interaction as the IFIT workouts but can still make your exercise sessions more effective and enjoyable.

That being said, the main way the ProForm Sport RL Rower stands out in terms of workout programs is its included 30-Day IFIT Family Membership and the interaction with the app.

In this IFIT membership, you have access to rowing and other workout classes. Something else that stands out is the option to do scenic rows where you seemingly row in places around the world with instructors.

A nice addition is that some IFIT workouts can automatically adjust the resistance of the ProForm Sport RL Rower. This makes your workouts more convenient and immersive.

Something you do need to keep in mind is that the IFIT Membership App comes with a subscription cost after the free trial.

Additionally, the ProForm Sport RL Rower is not able to interact with other workout apps. You can still use these but your rowing workout stats will not be as visible.

Customer reviews

Features on paper can be a good way to get an idea about the quality of a rowing machine. Even so, sometimes customer reviews uncover unexpected downsides and trends in quality control issues.

The main thing people have to say about the ProForm Sport RL Rower is that it can be challenging to find out how to use it without an IFIT subscription.

Additionally, people often don’t like the obviousness of steering customers towards the premium subscription.

That being said, other individuals say that you can bypass the IFIT dance by pressing the IFIT button for 30 seconds or so.

Some people would also like more challenging resistance levels.

Besides these things, customers do find this a solid magnetic rowing machine. If you manage to bypass the IFIT and you are more of a beginner or intermediate when it comes to rowing, this can be a solid pick.

Is it worth it?

If you already have your own smart device to use the free (or paid) version of IFIT, weigh less than the somewhat low weight limit of 253 pounds (115 kg), and/or are more of a rowing beginner or intermediate, the ProForm Sport RL “Costco” Rower can be a good choice.

Something that stands out is the budget-friendly price for a rowing machine that can connect to IFIT and offers an automatic resistance adjustment in certain premium IFIT workouts.

You also want to check the prices and warranties of the ProForm 750R Rower since these are basically the same rowing machines.

If you don’t care about IFIT or a lot of resistance levels you can also consider cheaper magnetic rowers. Keep in mind that these are not always of the same quality and may not suit your workout needs.

On the other hand, fitter individuals may need something more challenging like a Concept 2 RowErg or Hydrow to be able to do rowing workouts that are challenging enough.

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