The Stamina X AMRAP rowing machine is a solid rower. It was built with serious athletes in mind, for those looking to trainer harder and go farther.
In this article I’ll review the Stamina X AMRAP rower and give you the pro’s and cons of this machine.
Table of Contents
OVERVIEW:
The AMRAP rowing machine was built as a direct competitor to the well-regarded Concept 2 Model D.
You can see that it has a similar design, as well as price point.
Heck, even the name gives it away as AMRAP is a Crossfit term for “As Many Reps As Possible. This is a nod to the fact that Crossfit has helped to popularize rowing, especially rowing workouts with Concept 2 machines.
That said, in this review I’ll do fairly direct comparison between the AMRAP rower and the Model D. With similar price points and features, I know a lot of people will be interested to see which machine comes out on top.
Stamina X Features:
The big features on the AMRAP rower are it’s durable design, it’s multifunction monitor, it’s damper control settings, as well as a few bonus goodies that Stamina throws in (more on that later).
As I mentioned before, this machine was designed to go head-to-head with the Concept 2 models out there.
Thus, it has major upgrades over the standard rowers that Stamina has manufactured in the past, which tended to be lower quality, entry level style machines.
•Multi-Function Monitor
The major feature on this machine is the multifunction monitor. It tracks distance and interval, time, total strokes/strokes per minute, meters per stroke, watts, calories and heart rate.
This gives a well-rounded data set that will keep the data nerds (like me!) engaged.
This also allow you to do different styles of workouts, for instance, many Crossfit workouts require rowing for a certain number of “calories”. With this machine you can do that.
Being able to track your heart rate (with an included external monitor) and see it on the screen is very helpful.
•Molded Seat
The seat on this machine, while it’s made out of hard plastic, is very nice. It’s designed to set you into a perfect rowing position. This will help you to pull more efficiently and become a better rower.
Many of the lower cost rowers out there have cushy seats, but they aren’t designed to help your posture and row more consistently.
This seat strike the perfect balance between semi-comfortable, but also performance oriented.
•Durable Design
This Stamina machine is built much tougher than their other low-to-mid grade machines. It has a steel frame and a metal chain, two big upgrades!
In general, the less plastic on a rower, the better. Rowers take a beating, even for those just looking for a casual workouts. There are a lot of moving pieces – good design and high quality components are important.
While this design is near the top end for Stamina in regards to durability, the components could still be better. More on that later.
PRO’S:
•Build Quality
This rowing machine is built with Stamina’s best materials. It includes more metal pieces, and less of the easy to break plastic parts that many other rowers have.
The frame is made from steel, so it’s built to last. It also includes a metal chain, which is key for a consistent pull (and minimal maintenance).
•Damper Control
This is a nice feature. Basically, you can adjust the amount of resistance that you feel with each stroke.
Turn the damper up to make it harder, turn it down to make it easier. This allows you to find your efficiency sweetspot when rowing. It also lets you make small tweak to make workouts more effective.
As an example, I like to turn the damper up when I’m pulling a fast 250/500 meter sprint. For a longer 5-10K type workout, I’ll turn the damper down as I set in for a long haul.
•Bonus Goodies (includes heartrate monitor/phone mount)
These are nice little extras that Stamina throws in. This rower includes a heart-rate monitor strap and an iPhone/Android phone holder.
I really appreciate getting these extra value pieces of equipment, they’d retail for close to an extra $75-100 on there own. Well done Stamina!
CONS:
•Hardware Failure
There has been quite a few occurrences of part failures with this machine. While the build quality is high, and this machine does use nice components, it seems like Stamina still has been having some part issues.
I think part of the reason is because this is still a relatively new machine for Stamina, as they continue to produce this machine, they’ll be able to make small tweaks and improvements.
Here’s an Amazon review that’s shows some of the challenges with this product:
That said, this machine isn’t up to snuff against its main competitor, the Model D. The Concept2 2 machine is still unmatched when it comes to build quality.
•Limited Warranty Coverage
In-line with the previous bullet, the warranty on the AMRAP isn’t great. It has a 90-day part warranty, and a 2 year frame warranty. I can tell you already that the frame is fine, it’s steel and isn’t going to have issues.
The parts however, that’s what worries me.
With only 90 days, you’ll barely have broken in the machine. You’ll then be on your own.
I’d like to see a much stronger warranty on this rower. It’s going head-to-head against the Model D, which has Concept 2’s bulletproof 2 year warranty on parts (limited) and a 5 year warranty on major on frame (and frame parts).
It seems like people will be going on out on limb in purchasing the AMRAP over the industry leader in the Model D, the least Stamina could do is match the warranty to its competitor….
•Price
I debated whether to put price as a pro or a con, here’s why:
The AMRAP price point is both good, and bad. Its full retail price (MSRP) on its website is $1,200. That’s a lot of money for a new rower that still has a lot to prove. In fact, it’s more expensive than the Model D, which doesn’t make sense to me….
But, the actual price you’ll pay at Amazon or in-store is probably closer to $800 or so. That’s a much better deal.
That said, it’s only a $150 or so less than the Model D. To me, I’d take the proven machine for a bit more.
So the price could be better, I’d like to see this rower more in the $750 range (retail) with an improved warranty.
TECH SPECS:
- Material: Steel frame
- Resistance: Air resistance
- Comfort Elements: Molded seat
- Includes: Stamina X | AMRAP Rower, Owner’s Manual, Heart rate Monitor Strap, Phone Holder
- Assembly: Some assembly required
- Dimensions (unfolded): 94″L x 24.5″W x 42″H
- Product Weight: 99 lbs
- Weight Limit: 300 lbs.
SUMMARY:
This is a solid rower, but I don’t think it matches up to the other rowers in its class, especially not the Concept 2 Model D.
If you find a smoking deal on this, for under $600, I’d take it.
But if you’re looking at paying full retail, I’d say to hard pass on it.
The Concept 2 Model D is a much better machine, with better parts, better longevity, and a more robust warranty.
If you’re still interested in the AMRAP rower, you can find the best price here on Amazon.
Row on!
-Coach D