Join the Hydrow Community | Memberships

Whenever we talk to our community members about their experience with the Hydrow, they almost always say the same thing. Yes, whether you’re talking about the Hydrow or the Hydrow Wave, the hardware itself is phenomenal. But what our customers truly love is the membership, and how it makes them feel.

The purposeful, human-focused integration of our equipment with a vibrant, caring, connected community, as well as unparallelled live and on-demand programme options, is the real game-changer.

We created this guide for those of you who still may be considering a Hydrow membership. Our membership is where your experience begins.

What’s included in this guide

• An overview of Hydrow membership types

• How much Hydrow membership tiers cost

• Different types of Hydrow programmes and classes

• Get to know your Hydrow athlete instructors

• Real-world Hydrow testimonials from our community

Introduction / Hydrow is human

“I love the online community. Everyone is so positive and helpful!” – Cityman31

As a rowing machine, the Hydrow is a marvel. But the key to understanding the power of a Hydrow membership is this – before anything else, Hydrow is human. That’s because those who use Hydrow are also humans first. Humans who want to feel better in their bodies and live a better life, inclusive all of skill levels, abilities, ages, and goals. 

Through our membership, you will join a deeply connected community of people who genuinely care about you and want to see you succeed. Like the sport of rowing itself, with a Hydrow membership, you are stronger as a whole, as a community. 

No matter what your starting point is, know the Hydrow community is ready to meet you where you are. On your schedule, on your terms. 

Part I / Hydrow membership types and cost

“I gave up my gym membership. I'm getting a better workout on the Hydrow than I've ever gotten from anything else – and it's fun!! Absolutely love it.” – Hollie

There are two different types of Hydrow membership available – a standard membership to be used with one of our Hydrow rowing machines, and a Digital Basic membership, which provides on-demand content access independent of a Hydrow machine. 

About the standard Hydrow membership (€44 monthly + tax)

The standard Hydrow membership will provide you with complete access to our community, as well as all live and on-demand classes and programmes. 

You do not need an individual membership for each member of your household. A single membership can accommodate multiple individual profiles. For example, if you and your partner both wish to use the Hydrow, you will only need one membership. 

You also have the ability to “row for good,” as we make donations to water.org on your behalf as you cross certain milestones. On top of those donations, we’ll send you prises and exclusive Hydrow merchandise as you achieve those milestones. 

For Apple Health users, you can sync your Hydrow membership with Apple Health for exercise tracking. 

About the Digital Basic Hydrow membership (€19.77 monthly + tax)

The best defining feature of the Digital Basic Hydrow membership is that you do not need to have a Hydrow in order to use it. If you do own a Hydrow, this membership add-on is particularly convenient if you want to have a Hydrow-led workout when you’re not at home.

This subscription enables you to access on-demand programmes and classes as you workout on a different rowing machine. However, it does not include live rows, nor does it track your stats. The Digital Basic membership is available for both Android and iOS devices.

About “Just Row” mode for Hydrow (€0 monthly + tax)

One of the most common questions we receive for those considering the Hydrow is whether or not you can use it without a membership. The short answer is yes, you can with something we call “Just Row” mode.

This mode can seem like a feature but really, it’s more a lack of features. Yes, you can row, you can change resistance, you can see your live stats for your current row on-screen. But that is where your Hydrow experience ends. 

You will not have any access to content (live or on-demand), nor will any of your workout stats be stored. Additionally, you will not be able to connect with our community or earn any milestone awards as you progress on your fitness journey. 

In theory, you can get a nice little workout without a membership. But if you are looking to engage with a supportive community, experience world-class workout instruction, and transform your relationship with fitness and your health, our membership is a worth the investment. 

Part II / About Hydrow classes and instructors

“The Hydrow crew are such good fun … when you think you have nothing left they get that last bit of power out of you. Their commentary makes the time fly. I find myself laughing, shrieking, hooting, and hollering. I couldn’t row without them in all honesty!” – Lucy

Rowing classes and programmes

In addition to a dynamic history of your workouts and statistics, you can access four different types of rowing programmes with an all-access Hydrow membership 

• Daily live workouts where you can move in-sync with our athlete instructors in real-time out on the water.

• Thousands of on-demand rowing workouts at whatever pace, experience level, and schedule you need.

• Journey workouts, which are unguided workouts through scenic waterways that let you explore at your own pace. 

• Distance rows, which allow you to test your performance and hit new goals, with ranges between 250 and 10,000 metres.

Whether live or on-demand, you’re learning from true rowing athletes, not professional instructors. They include Olympians, Paraolympians, and National Team Members. 

For example, meet Aquil Abdullah:

Aquil is an Olympian, Hydrow athlete, and a Hydrow software engineer! In addition to being immensely talented – he was the first African-American male to win a national rowing championship – Aquil is known best for his humility, as well as his expertise. 

Laine Maher is another one of our beloved Hydrow athletes: 

Laine comes from a family of athletes, so it is no surprise that Laine has become an accomplished rower. Like many of us, Laine strives to achieve a balance between work and family, and rowing has offered her a focus on purpose and efficiency. She shares this focus with our members through her classes, making her a long-time favourite.

Non-rowing programmes and classes

Your health and fitness journey with Hydrow isn’t limited to rowing. Your membership also provides access to a wide range of non-rowing workouts, including strength training, mobility, pilates, yoga, and stretching. Each of these additional on-demand classes are filmed in stunning, scenic locations all around the world like Seville, Spain. 

Prenatal pilates is one of our popular non-rowing programmes for community members who are navigating a new chapter of their health journey, as pregnancy transforms the body.

Taught by Christie Wang, a certified pregnancy and postpartum corrective exercise specialist, this series will help you feel more at home in your body:

“Pilates focuses on breath, core work, the pelvic floor, and mobility.  When practised during pregnancy, it can reduce lower-back pain, prevent or mitigate loss in mobility, make the delivery process easier, and ease postpartum recovery.”

– Hydrow Athlete Christie Wang

Periodically, we also roll out specialised cross-training programmes. For example, we recently introduced the Hydrow Runner’s Program, a three-week programme covering nine workouts that combine rowing with pilates, mobility and strength:

“It is designed for those who enjoy getting out on the roads regularly and doing a 5k or 10k road race, and who’d like to see a way to improve their performance. Some of you will see improvements in your pace when you run, some will see improvements in road race times, and all who finish the programme will feel stronger, more efficient and a little quicker while running.”

– Hydrow Director of Fitness Pete Donohoe

And this is only the beginning. 

Part III / The Hydrow community

“Being part of the Hydrow community you are always being inspired or encouraged to take the next step on route to better fitness.” – Paul Brown

As we’ve mentioned, the power of Hydrow starts with the people, not the hardware. Specifically, one of the greatest features of the Hydrow membership is our community. You can connect with the community directly through the Hydrow with team-based competitions, the leaderboard, and more. 

However, your community experience with Hydrow doesn’t stop when your workout ends. In fact, it’s only beginning. We also have a very active, user-led Facebook group that is filled with inspiration, challenges, success stories, and new friendships blossoming every day:

Diversity is the strength of our community

One of the most treasured aspects of our community is that it’s as inclusive as the equipment itself, with all levels of fitness and ability embraced. That means there is no milestone too small to celebrate; a quicker 5K time and having an easier time getting up the stairs are both equal wins in the eyes of our community members.

This is rooted very much in the ethos of rowing – everyone in the boat gets a helping hand, we all work together. And we see this embodied by our community members every single day. Whether someone is asking for workout recommendations for recovering from an injury or is struggling to stay motivated, the moment they post in our community they are met with an outpouring of unconditional support you won’t find within other fitness brand communities. 

Part IV / Real-world Hydrow membership reviews

The words of our members matter more than our own, so we will let them speak for themselves.

“I absolutely love my Hydrow! I debated getting one for a while, I wasn’t sure I would enjoy rowing. The Hydrow community rowing experience is a game changer.” – Abby

“My wife and I have had our Hydrow for about three months and I wanted to wait to get a fuller experience before posting a review. I can say - without reservation - that this is the best (and most fun) exercise that I have had since my high school track and field days. I've never had any workout of any type where I looked forward to the exercise itself. 

Yes, the membership fee isn't trivial at around €40 a month - but, given the wide range of workout types (both on the rower and on a mat), it is worth the price and I feel like I am getting a real value. Yes, gym memberships can be comparable - but I always found myself looking for excuses not to go to the gym. I don't have that problem with Hydrow.” – Grant

“We love our rower. We tried it for two weeks without the membership and then it was added. The membership is worth every penny.” – Lisa

“I had a rowing machine several years ago and I enjoyed it, but this Hydro Rower is, in my opinion, the optimal piece of equipment! I absolutely love it! I have used it everyday since we received it. We bought the membership for the virtual workouts, and I love them! So motivating!” – Sarah

“Such a great implementation of a rowing machine. Not only is the kit of excellent quality, the streaming content is also excellent and the instructors are engaging and thoroughly supportive, which keeps you coming back to row day after day and really going for it. Ditch the gym membership and buy one of these instead.” – Jon

“I have competed for years in Outrigger paddling and really have never enjoyed recorded instructor led sessions. I decided to give Hydrow a try and I am so thankful I did. The machine is very well made and the 22" monitor makes a world of difference. I feel like I am actually rowing with the instructors. The scenery is amazing. The workouts are complete and I look forward daily to a new adventure ‘in the boat.’ One of the best purchases and commitments I have ever made.” – Kevin

“I recently tore up my knee and had to have surgery. Doc said no more jogging so I purchased a Hydrow. Best investment I have done for my health. The rowing is a fantastic workout and doesn't irritate the knee that I had surgery on 2 months ago. 

One of the greatest features, I wasn't sure about, was the membership for the trainers videos. The videos have been fantastic to row to. The trainers keep you motivated and it is also interesting to watch the scenery as they row around. 

It makes a workout actually very enjoyable to the point I look forward to it. So far, well worth every penny I have spent.” – Mike

“I LOVE Hydrow!! So interactive and engaging! So many personalities and varieties of workouts that you never get bored. At first, I was skeptical of the fact that the membership is almost required, but now I see it as the best part and I find myself so caught up in the moment with the coaches that my exercise time flies by! 

The music is awesome and mechanically it is such a smooth slide. I truly feel in the moment. You can choose your workout based on so many different categories!” – Zdenka