Hydrow announces lower cost Hydrow Wave rowing machine: More competition for Peloton Rower?

It was two months ago, during Peloton’s virtual Homecoming event, that it was officially announced that a Peloton Rower would be coming soon. However, many members still have a lot of unanswered questions: When will the rower be available? What will the rower cost? Who will be teaching classes? (We assume Adrian Williams will be since he was shown in the rowing teaser – but who else?) And many members are also eager to learn the size of the rower and the space requirements and whether or not it will have vertical storage capability. The answers to all of these questions would help members determine whether purchasing the equipment is even feasible for them.

(Keep in mind our information has indicated the Peloton rower would be for sale around the September/October time frame, and ship around October/November – though these dates have yet to be officially announced by Peloton).

Peloton already faces a lot of competition in the rower market, with companies like NordicTrack, Ergatta, CityRow, and Hydrow all already on the market, and all offering coach led classes, with some also offering strength and yoga classes, as well as scenic content. Some companies even offer coach led classes on scenic waterways around the world. On top of that many are happy with traditional rowers like the Concept2.

To add to the ample competition, just yesterday Hydrow launched their new Hydrow Wave (affiliate link), a lower cost rower starting at just $1,495, making it accessible to a wider customer base. While Peloton has not made any announcement as to the price of their own rower, many people have speculated the cost would be around the $2,000 dollar price point, to ensure it was competitive on the market with the already established rowers, most of which cost between $1,800 – $2,500. 

The Hydrow Wave has a 30% smaller footprint than many rowers including the original Hydrow, making it more practical for those living in smaller spaces. It also weighs around 40lbs less than the original Hydrow, making it easier to move around as needed. The dimensions of the Hydrow Wave are 80”L x 19”W x 43”H, however with the purchase of the vertical anchor for an additional $190, the rower can be stored vertically against the wall, with the stored dimensions of 26.5”W x 30”D x 82”H. The Hydrow Wave has a 16” screen (down from 22″ of the original Hydrow), with full HD and bluetooth compatibility.

With the announcement of the low cost Hydrow Wave, will Peloton try to match the price point? Or will Peloton count on its members’ desire to stay within one connected fitness ecosystem (and only having one monthly subscription cost), with coaches they already know and love, resulting in no change on their course of launch?

There has been no mention of the Peloton Rower in nearly two months, and members who are eagerly awaiting the launch are becoming understandably frustrated with the lack of information available. 


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Tatiana Sokolik
Tatiana Sokolik is a writer for Pelo Buddy. She purchased her Bike and Tread in 2020 and has been smitten with Peloton ever since.

3 Comments

  • Paul Cairns says:

    Hydrow is making a smart move to grab as many customers as possible before Peloton rower is GA

  • Kevin B says:

    Honestly have now given up waiting and had a concept 2 delivered over the weekend.

  • Theodore C Boosalis says:

    I own a Concept2 – I can take the Peloton App riding classes and transpose them easily to Concept2 – so I’ve actually been taking classes already. I can even do the bootcamps – it’s an easy way to workout without Peloton even having rowing classes. Personally – the company is going to be acquired – but at salvage value – compared to their valuation over a year ago. Not sure if it survives.

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