Best Concept 2 Rowing Machine Accessories & Upgrades

Wanting to get the best Concept 2 accessories and upgrades for yourself (or a loved one)?

We’ve got you covered with our list of the top Concept 2 accessories.

We’ve compiled the best rower add-ons to help you accessorize your erg machine, and improve your comfort while you row.

1. Concept 2 Rowing Machine Chain Oil

One of the beauties of using a Concept 2 machine is that they require minimal maintenance (read about rower maintenance here). However, they do require some ongoing maintenance activity in that you have to oil the chain regularly.

Using chain lubricant helps to keep your indoor rower pulling smoothly. It will also help to increase the longevity of your rowing machine.

Concept 2’s maintenance guidelines recommends oiling your chain every 50 hours of use (or around ever 375,000 meters). They recommend using a teaspoon of special chain oil called “20 weight oil”.

You can buy 20 weight rowing machine chain oil online from a company called Tread Life. It’s inexpensive, effective, and should last you a long time.

There’s a few other options in addition to the Tread Life oil (Tread Life is the oil in the far right image below) that are available on Amazon.

When you’re done applying the oil, wipe off any excess.

This oil can also be used to lubricate your barbells at home. Simply add a little to the sleeves and “spin” the sleeve. This will help to keep them functioning optimally.

2. Concept 2 Smartphone Holder

If you spend a good amount of time on your rowing machine then you probably know how solitary the experience is. I personally think that’s a benefit of rowing as it builds mental resilience and toughness.

That being said, when you have to get in a long session, it’s nice to be able to attach your smartphone (either iPhone or Android) to your machine and catch up on your favorite TV shows while you workout.

There are two main companies that making smartphone holders that attach to the Concept 2 machine. My pick is the Smartphone Holder made by LiveRowing, it’s been used by thousands of happy customers and can fit most iPhones and Android models.

If you spend a good amount of time on a rowing machine, you’re going to want to get a smartphone attachment – you’ll be happy you did!

3. Concept 2 Seat Pad

One of the main complaints of indoor rowing machines is the hard plastic seat. Even though the Concept 2 has a nice molded seat with a contoured design, it still gets very uncomfortable over the course of a long rowing session.

I’ve had my glutes cramp up on a 10K row. Not fun.

To remedy this, various companies have created seat pads for the Concept 2. These provide a nice amount of cushion and make the rowing experience much more enjoyable.

My top pick is the Silicone Seat Cover by Vapor Fitness. This cover fits snugly over the existing cover and provides a small layer of extra padding. This is my personal preference, as I don’t need a lot of extra padding (I guess all of those squats paid off!).

If you’re looking for the most comfort possible, definitely check out the Seat Cushion by 2K Fit. This seat cover has a 3 inch tall memory foam pad – it’s super comfortable!

4. Concept 2 Rowing Mat

When you’re rowing you’ll tend to start sweating up a storm.

Having a mat on the ground will help to keep all of this contained. If you row indoors, getting a mat is a necessity.

I recommend the 3’x8.5′ mat by SuperMats. It fits the size of the Concept 2 rowing machine perfectly.

Concept 2 Rowing Machine Mat (link)

5. Heart Rate Monitor

If you’re a data nerd, or if you’re doing highly specialized training, you’re going to want a heart rate monitor. The beauty of the Concept 2 rowing machine is that it easily syncs with heart rate monitors.

There are a variety of different Concept 2 heart rate monitors. If you have a Concept 2 with a PM5, the best heart rate monitor for the Concept 2 is the Polar H10 Heart Rate Monitor. You can also use the Polar H7 Monitor, which is an older model (with a bit cheaper price).

6. Rowing Gloves

Rowing can be brutal on the hands. A great way to mitigate this is to use a pair of rowing (or sculling) gloves. These help to add some extra padding between your hands and the rower handle.

I recommend the Sculling gloves created by Sculling Gear Co. They’re gloves created by rowers, for rowers.

If you’re interested in finding the perfect gloves for your rowing type, check out our article on the best rowing gloves.

7. USB 2.0 Flash Drive

If you plan on keeping track of your rowing sessions, you want to get a USB flash drive. This will allow you to transfer your data from your Concept 2 rower to your computer.

You don’t need a big, expensive USB drive. A small 16 gigabyte should work fine. Make sure to get a USB 2.0 (and not a 3.0). This will allow you to plug directly into the PM5 monitor.

I recommend the Kingston SE9. It’s cheap, easy to use, and gets the job done.

Kingston Digital DataTraveler SE9 16GB USB 2.0 (link)

8. LiveRowing iPhone Connector

This special device connects your apple device to your Concept 2 rowing machine. This allows you to directly upload your data to the LiveRowing app.

LiveRowing is an online fitness community centered around rowing. It contains an entire online community with thousands of rowers who upload their rowing data and compete with each other.

If you want to participate in the LiveRowing online community, you’ll need the rowing connector. Keep in mind, this is for iPhones only.

LiveRowing iPhone Connector (link)

9. Concept 2 Cover

If you keep your rower out in your garage you’re going ot want to get a rowing cover. A cover will keep your fan from getting covered in dust (and other junk).

I recommend this Rowing Machine Cover by CoxnCrew. It easily fits over Concept 2 machines. If you want to get a high quality cover, with thicker fabric, I recommend the Hornet Waterports cover.

10. Rowing Books

Unless you’re an Olympic-level athlete, getting access to world class rowing coaches is difficult. The work around for this is to read books by rowing experts and to integrate the knowledge that they share.

There are three main books that I reccomend for rowers.

The first one is The Complete Guide to Indoor Rowing by Jim Flood and Charles Simpson. This guides tells you everything you need to know about rowing technique, basic workout programs, and everything in-between.

My second book recommendation is The Erg Book: 375+ of the Greatest Indoor Rowing Workouts of All Time. This book is filled with innovative rowing workouts + programs. If you’re looking for a structured program, or just want to add some variety, this is the book for you.

My third recommendation is Row Daily, Breathe Deeper, Live Better: A Guide to Moderate Exercise. This book is aimed at the rowing beginner. It’s more of a health-focused book and shows how rowing can improve your health and wellness. It also has some basic starter workouts.

11. Rowing Machine Poster/Chart

This is a great rowing machine accesory to hang in your home gym. This handy chart gives you all of the info you need on muscles worked, technique, as well as data points heart rate zones.

It’s a great rowing reference chart to have on hand.

Rowing Reference Chart (link)

12. Rowing Shoes

The idea of buying special shoes for rowing may sound funny, but when you’re really into the sport of rowing, getting even the smallest advantage is huge.

For intermediates looking to improve their row times, getting a flat soled shoe, similar to a pair of Converse All Stars will help to improve row times. Make sure to get a pair of low tops, you don’t want your ankle flexibility hampered by high tops.

If you’re really serious about your rowing, consider getting the ErgAdaptor by BAT Logic. This shoe system allows you to lock your feet to the Concept 2 foot pad. You can visit BAT Logic’s website to learn more.

13. Concept 2 Slides

If you’re looking to have more of a dynamic rowing session, you’re going to want to get a pair of rower slides.

When you add slides to your Concept 2 rower, it moves the rower as if you were on water.

Here’s GIF showing how rowing machine slides work:

You can pick up a pair of Concept 2 rowing machine slides on the Concept 2 website.

Concept 2 Slides (link)

14. Rowing Log Book

Getting a rowing log book is a great way to keep track of your progress.

While using a paper journal is “old school”, it’s nice to have a physical log of all of the work that you’ve done.

I recommend this rowing log book.

Rowing log book (link)

Final Thoughts: Best Concept 2 Accessories

I hope these product recommendations help to take your rowing to the next level. Whether your looking for ways to maintain your C2 rower (chain oil), or you’re looking to increased comfort (seat pad and gloves), I hope this list of the best Concept 2 add-ons helps to increase your meters rowed.

If you have any Concept 2 recommendations, leave a comment below.