V-Fit AR1 Artemis 2 Air Rowing Machine : Nice piece of kit.

Perfect vfm bit of equipment. Easy to build, solid, user friendly for a 6ft plus person. This machine gives you a good workout on your arms and legs and you’ll be out of breath at a steady pace by 10-15 mins. Ideal for indoors if you want to avoid the cold weather like me. I don’t think you need to look further unless you are a fitness geek.

I was going to buy this rower from amazon but at that time it wasn’t in stock. Luckily i found a secondhand one on the gumtree website, so i didn’t have to assemble it myself. The previous owner said that he had found it easy enough to assemble although care was needed to use the correct bolts in the correct places. I was a little concerned that the resistance in the rowing action was dependant on my effort – there being no means of mechanically increasing the resistance but i have not found this to be a problem. The machine monitors the normal functions: stroke, distance, time etc. I use a chest monitor (ebay purchase) with the watch part strapped to the handle of the rower. I am 6’4′ and do not have any problem with the length of the chain on this machine (unlike the previous reviewer). I think that the machine is well made.

I have used concept 2 rowers at the gym and this is just as good at a much lower price. Well mine is in the garage and gets knocked about and used as a step to high shelves all the time. Yes, it doesn’t have a resistance adjustment. . But you don’t need it as the harder you row the harder the wind resistance gets. As the for the foot pads being in a strange position, i’m 5’10’ and sitting in it is really comfortable for me. The only thing i found uncomfortable was the back of the seat rubbed against the bas of my spine , maybe i sit funny, but i just cut a v shape in the foam and now it’s perfect. Here are the specifications for the V-Fit AR1 Artemis 2 Air Rowing Machine:

  • Club style, chain drive rower with speed proportionate air resistance
  • Contoured PU padded seat with bearing mounted upper and lower seat guide rollers
  • Pivoting, oversize PVC footplates with two-position mount and adjustable Velcro-style footstraps
  • Three-screen, six-function exercise monitor
  • Assembled dimensions: flat – 212 cm x 44 cm x 74 cm, folded – 120 cm x 44 cm x 75 cm, weight: 19.5 kg

Good rower and value for money. Good rower and value for money, but i am 6′ 4′ with 35′ inside leg and at the limit. I wouldn’t recommend if you are taller or have a longer inside leg.

Never had a problem with it although it does still look a bit thrown together like some of the other reviewers have said and the. I’ve had one of these for 10 years now. Never had a problem with it although it does still look a bit thrown together like some of the other reviewers have said and the wiring always looks like it should have broken. Anyway at 6tt 1inches i happily row away with no problems at all.

Reviews from purchasers :

  • Good for the price.
  • Too Easy? PULL HARDER!
  • Perfect Product, once Initial niggles were sorted

Easy enough to put together. It does the job, and got me hooked in training every morning before breakfast. Easy enough to put together, instructions were clear. The only disappointing thing is that the meter counter is utterly useless. If you are used to row in the gym on a concept 2 machine, you will see that straight away. I’m just under 8 minutes for 2km on a concept 2, where with this machine, it gave me a 3km in 9mins on my first row – so i gave up looking at the counter, which is not good if you are trying to monitor your performances as it’s so unreliable – good i’m not interested in that and my days to register to the olympics are gone, so i just use it as a normal morning fitness routine which gives enough resistance for amateurs, although i can see that i will get bored relatively quickly and outperform the capacities of this rowing machine. As the price is not toooooo bad, i guess it’s a nice piece of equipment to get back on track.

Otherwise known as the ‘innsbruck’, this decent little rowing machine has got a lot going for it. On the plus side, it is sturdy, easy to assemble, and suitable for bigger folks (6’6′. ) which is not the case for some of the nearest competitors. It will give a decent aerobic workout for those who are not looking for what exactly they use in the gym, which will cost around 4 times the price. The main problem is the lack of adjustable resistance, which may put some people off. It does create a bit more resistance if you go faster, but this might not be enough for those who are serious rowers-in-training rather than simply wanting to improve their level of fitness and convert some excess fat into more useful muscle. If you are relatively tall, the pivoting foot-rests referred to in other reviews won’t be a problem – you just rest your heels against the front feet of the machine as you row. The foot-rests themselves have velcro straps for your feet and no enclosure at the top so even the largest feet should be able to get comfortable.

Summary
Review Date
Reviewed Item
V-fit AR1 Artemis 2 Air Rowing Machine
Rating
4.0 of 5 stars, based on 88 reviews
Price
£229.99

One comment

  1. For the price a very good alternative to the much more expensive versions. The resistance changes the harder you row, which is fine as opposed to adjusting a ‘vent’ as with the more professional units. Overall very pleased with this.
    1. For the price a very good alternative to the much more expensive versions. The resistance changes the harder you row, which is fine as opposed to adjusting a ‘vent’ as with the more professional units. Overall very pleased with this.

  2. This review is from : V-fit AR1 Artemis 2 Air Rowing Machine

    Good piece of kit, you even get a work out putting it together.

  3. This review is from : V-fit AR1 Artemis 2 Air Rowing Machine

    Good piece of kit, you even get a work out putting it together.

  4. This review is from : V-fit AR1 Artemis 2 Air Rowing Machine

    Terrific machine, excellent price and would certainly recomend for home use. Terrific machine, excellent price and would certainly recomend for home use. The build quality is very good and frame feels extremely solid when in use. Had it almost two years and it’s still going strong.

  5. This review is from : V-fit AR1 Artemis 2 Air Rowing Machine

    Terrific machine, excellent price and would certainly recomend for home use. Terrific machine, excellent price and would certainly recomend for home use. The build quality is very good and frame feels extremely solid when in use. Had it almost two years and it’s still going strong.

  6. This review is from : V-fit AR1 Artemis 2 Air Rowing Machine

    Good rower and value for money. Good rower and value for money, but i am 6′ 4″ with 35″ inside leg and at the limit. I wouldn’t recommend if you are taller or have a longer inside leg.
    1. Good rower and value for money. Good rower and value for money, but i am 6′ 4″ with 35″ inside leg and at the limit. I wouldn’t recommend if you are taller or have a longer inside leg.

  7. This review is from : V-fit AR1 Artemis 2 Air Rowing Machine

    Its like swimming without the pool. The best bit of fitness kit i’ve ever bought.

  8. This review is from : V-fit AR1 Artemis 2 Air Rowing Machine

    Its like swimming without the pool. The best bit of fitness kit i’ve ever bought.
    1. Would have got 5 stars if not for the lack of resistance, there’s no way you can alter it. After reading some reviews which mentioned missing parts, here’s a tip – check inside the empty boxes, i found several bits loose in them.

  9. This review is from : V-fit AR1 Artemis 2 Air Rowing Machine

    Would have got 5 stars if not for the lack of resistance, there’s no way you can alter it. After reading some reviews which mentioned missing parts, here’s a tip – check inside the empty boxes, i found several bits loose in them.
    1. Perfect, good resistance, solid frame. I’m very short and my husband is very tall, but we both use it without any issues.

  10. This review is from : V-fit AR1 Artemis 2 Air Rowing Machine

    Perfect, good resistance, solid frame. I’m very short and my husband is very tall, but we both use it without any issues.
    1. Does what it says on the box. The only problem was a faulty display unit but a new one has been sent to us immediately upon request.
      1. Does what it says on the box. The only problem was a faulty display unit but a new one has been sent to us immediately upon request.
  11. Good rower, noisy the faster you go. This rower is easy to assemble and nice to use. I’m 6’2 and 115kg which is the max user weight but it feels fine with me on it, i would say you could be heavier and use it but it might just wear the seat rollers quicker. One downside to it is how noisy it is but that should be expected of an air rower. Another problem is that the rower chain could do with being a bit longer because when i fully row it does hit the end of the chain but only just so it’s not that much of a problem.
    1. Good rower, noisy the faster you go. This rower is easy to assemble and nice to use. I’m 6’2 and 115kg which is the max user weight but it feels fine with me on it, i would say you could be heavier and use it but it might just wear the seat rollers quicker. One downside to it is how noisy it is but that should be expected of an air rower. Another problem is that the rower chain could do with being a bit longer because when i fully row it does hit the end of the chain but only just so it’s not that much of a problem.

  12. This review is from : V-fit AR1 Artemis 2 Air Rowing Machine

    Great machine for light exercise its very good ok for what i want.

  13. This review is from : V-fit AR1 Artemis 2 Air Rowing Machine

    One thing i’ve noticed with the new version, which seems to be an important improvement, is the position of the foot straps. On the older machine, they wrapped around the front of the foot. On this one, its closer to the back which means they will hold the feet much better. My feet slip out after a few hundred strokes on the old machine. This is a well designed machine which elevates the heart rate at a slower pace than more rigorous exercise, which i like. People seem to complain that the machine has an easy pull. One person even says that he was ‘rowing’ for an hour before he gave up. My job is very physically demanding and after 200 good solid strokes on the machine, i’ve pretty much had it. Legs, stomach and arms are weary. If people cannot raise their heart rate then they are not pulling hard enough.
    1. One thing i’ve noticed with the new version, which seems to be an important improvement, is the position of the foot straps. On the older machine, they wrapped around the front of the foot. On this one, its closer to the back which means they will hold the feet much better. My feet slip out after a few hundred strokes on the old machine. This is a well designed machine which elevates the heart rate at a slower pace than more rigorous exercise, which i like. People seem to complain that the machine has an easy pull. One person even says that he was ‘rowing’ for an hour before he gave up. My job is very physically demanding and after 200 good solid strokes on the machine, i’ve pretty much had it. Legs, stomach and arms are weary. If people cannot raise their heart rate then they are not pulling hard enough.

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