A WaterRower machine on a white background.
Courtesy WaterRower/MoMA Design Store

The Analog, MoMA-Approved Rowing Machine Giving Us a Full-Body Workout

By Aileen Kwun
August 15, 2020
1 minute read

Finding a new exercise routine that provides total-body training can be a challenge, especially as we spend more time indoors. Though there’s no shortage of techy apps and products that exemplify the brave new world of home fitness, we’re intrigued by a machine that’s blissfully analog. The stationary WaterRower rowing machine, designed in 1987 by John Duke and carried exclusively by the MoMA Design Store, is built around a patented fly wheel that’s filled with water to authentically simulate the experience of rowing. Unlike most gym equipment, it’s also made with ethically sourced cherrywood that ages beautifully with time and acts as a natural sound insulator. We’d opt for an old-fashioned row in the lake any day—but if you’ve got the space and the wanderlust, this offers an efficient and escapist workout. (And for those seeking the Peloton of rowing machines, look to the high-tech Hydrow.)