TOP 10 MUST-HAVE Accessories for the Rower in 2020 

I first sat in a shell in 1959. C2 entered my life about a decade ago. I am approaching 10 million lifetime meters and am now in possession of two machines so that at either house I have no excuse for missing a workout. I am still learning how to optimize the use of this amazing machine. My latest machine is PM5, so more to learn. No need for earbuds. My iPhone plays 60s music directly to my hearing aids. Still wearing sweatpants because nobody wants to see an 80 year old wearing compression shorts. I may go back to the shorts I wore for turnouts in college. Sweatband not only for the eyes, but to keep hearing aids dry. Very helpful video, especially on maintenance. I need to up my game. I think I can use the Dyson cordless as my vacuum. Now I understand why my older machine is developing a rough ride. Appreciate Dark Horse. Nice videos.

Mr. FARMER, we're so grateful for all the knowledge you share with us!! Tremendous help in staying healthy in these strange times!!👍🏻💪🙏

Excellent video, Shane! Already have the silicon holder, seat pad and oil (b/c of you). Will add the heart monitor and maybe the shorts soon. Much appreciate your contribution to indoor rowing.

Thank you for this great information. After spending an hour rowing to your video this morning I could not wait to order the Hornet Watersports Seat Cushion! You’ve made it a hot item so it will take a couple of weeks to arrive. In the meantime I will get pretty imaginative for bum cushion so I can join your hour long live workouts! I do hope everyone is ordering from the links below. Let’s do our part to help Shane. I so enjoy being a part of your Dark Horse community!

Great tips. Just returned back to the gym. It was invigorating to get back on the concept2 at my gym. I wish I owed one myself. Not enough room in my NYC apt. Plus I ordered a T-shirt looking forward to rock it at the gym.

Thank you for keep feed us with your awesome content. Can't wait for my Concept2 to arrive!

Thumbs up. Very clear and to the point.

Just got the phone holder and seat pad. I had the ear pods and compression shorts. As I am older (68), I think the heart rate monitor is a must have. Thanks for the info in your video.

Just got my Concept2 rower yesterday and I LOVE it! These tips in your video are extremely helpful. Thank you!!

Using a camera/GoPro, great advice! I always forget to do this for form improvement

Wow, I never thought about wearing my squat shoes on the rower! What a great idea!

This is a fantastic channel , it’s like having a personal trainer in the room ! Keep it up man !

Great vid. And successful. I just ordered the seat cushion and phone holder, based on this vid. Already use the garmin, polar bottle, airpod pros. I found the pros were worth it for the noise canceling options which I do use on phone calls, and for the greater sweat resistance. About the Garmin -- you're right about the HR inconsistencies, and I like more HR info, but not enough to buy a dedicated HR watch and strap.

Great vlog - The Apple Watch has a great rowing mode in fitness mode. Tracks strokes with in 2% of the machine.

Just started doing your work outs and I’m loving them. I’ve own a rower for a while, but I’m new to rowing and your beginners videos are awesome. Any tips for female clothing

Thanks for the info.

Thank you so much for sharing useful information indeed.

Shane! You're the man! I love your videos and I also am impressed you just added a new word to the English language! Talking about seat pads, I like how you combined the words alleviate and relieve to come up with relieviate! (Right around minute 3 of the video) Love it! lol Can't wait to meet you in person! --Robbie Kay

Amazing accessories

I use the Polar H10. It's the best HR monitor I've ever had.

Amen to the seat pad/cushion. I'm a beginner at indoor rowing and I don't have the top of the line concept 2 rowing machine ( I have the fitness reality rowing machine) but I'm guessing pretty much every rowing machine standard seats are hard on the rear end if you're doing endurance. I'm basically using it just for the winter and as another option to add to my winter hiking. I started out doing I think an hour at a time and then I increased it to 90 minutes but man I'm telling you sometimes that 60 minutes was hard on my rear end. I don't have a lot of cushion back there and these seats can be pretty unforgiving. I just got the 2K fit seat cushion and it seems to be helping out a lot so far. Now I can get back to my indoor rowing. So far I've really enjoyed using it because it's a total body workout and I can do it at any time.

Great video. I just started following your channel. Question, have you done a video on long term, and daily maintenance?

I have the "hornet" seat pad and it is amazing. This is from someone who has an inoperable fractured L1 and L2, in my lower spine.

Hi, late to the indoor rowing community as I’m now in to cross training instead of just running ( I’m 64) but thanks for all your thoughts and equipment choices. Best wishes Mark

I think uni’s and wipes are great things to have

I just bought a used concept 2 E Model with PM5, and I was pretty sick (still am) when we got it home, so I'm on the couch soaking in all the videos and doing short stints of catch work. I ordered the hornet seat, some ear pods and a phone holder. I'm so sorry I didn't see the links for you to get paid. I felt really bad/irritated about that. Good job with everything and thank you! Can't wait to get started for real.

One of the best ways to keep the Concept 2 clean from dust is to purchase the Concept 2 cover...

Good one!

Thanks @shane - I have been looking for a good seat pad and your video and recommendation made me hit the "Buy Now" button :-) Hope your recovery is going smoothy!

You forgot one thing: Oakleys + bucket hat= free speed

Thank you for your video, any recommendations for best gloves..?

Lots of great ideas, thanks. These were from 2020. Is there an updated 2023 version? thanks again.

I'd be interested in some orthotic-friendly rowing shoe recommendations for those of us who have foot problems like flat feet, Morton's neuroma and/or Morton's toe. I've arrived at simply using my orthotic-compatible (Tread Labs insoles) street shoes (Timberland Altamont fisherman sandals) on the Concept 2 rower which works fine for me. Is there a better solution available? I should say that I do not row competitively, just a daily 6K or so for overall health and well-being.

How you use deadlifting shoes, they're perfect.

Hey DH, I just got into rowing and have already found thee need to add a seat pad/cushion. I am wearing cycling shorts but may just switch to my jiu-jitsu compression shorts because of the new cushion I got. I find that when I am doing mostly 60-990 minutes at a time my hands/fingers get really sore and tight. Is this just a beginners thing that I'll have to work through or could cycling gloves help alleviate some of the discomfort? Thanks so much for everything. I'm new to your channel but love the tips and general content overall. Thanks again. Be well! ✌🙏

Hei man, thanks for these videos. What did you reach already in your rowing carrier?

Have you thought about leasing out your rowers if your gym is closed? Prices here in England run about £100~ a month, I see a lot of companies/gyms able to keep business this way. I hope DH stays strong, thanks for the regular exercises.

A Concept 2 rowing machine to start. That and a heart rate monitor, a tv with roku, a towel, purified water for cleaning, a phone with ErgData or ErgZone, oil for the chain, comfortable light flexible fitness shoes... hmm I think that's it.

for headphones, the PowerBeats Pro are sick and better for active people. It also has buttons to control sound from headset.

I just got my first rower three days ago. Bodycraft vr500 I couldn’t stay on for longer than 20-25 minutes.

Shawn- what is your opinion of the Row Pro software as an accessory to use with the Concept2. Their ad says it's the #1 Indoor rowing software, implying that there must be others.

Please update your affiliate links, don’t want you to miss out on income since your putting allot of effort in bringing this awesome content to us. Keep up the good work and stay safe!!

Thanks as always for the amazing content, do you ever have sore biceps after rowing? My bicep is kinda tender during and after rowing.

I use a Garmin VivoActive HR watch that I am very happy with. However, for monitoring the HR while rowing, you really need a HR strap, since gripping the handle on the machine constricts the blood flow in the wrist, so the watch can't measure HR on its own. An ANT+ chest strap can be bluetoothed to the phone, and to the Concept 2, and works perfectly.

Shane hey, I see that it has been 3 years since you shot this video. I am curious whether your watch Garmin still is not very precise with heart rate on your dark horse or has it changed with upgraded watch options already? Is still polar the best option for the rowing machine? Thank you for all the details and shares!

Recently got the phone mount and it’s great!

This is great! Where is the best site for the gel seat ?

My first rower (Concept 2) is arriving tomorrow, and one of the only things I need is a heart rate monitor. Just noticed the H10 has LOTS of negative reviews on Amazon, mostly people complaining of connection issues. Thinking about just saving up for an Apple watch - anyone think that will be reliable enough? I also wonder if it can connect to the concept 2 platform.

Is it possible to get an accessory to elevate the Model D off the floor a bit? I've had 2 knee replacements and would like better accessibility for getting on and off the rower.

Great video . I am a big guy and squat wide. Big legs. Is there a platform replacement for your feet ?

OMG i row since 8 years on my concept2 without all this equipment. But thank god its just the must have for 2020. So i can continue without it in 2021. :-)

Hi - surprised to see you didn`t include a C-breeze. Excellent device to push some air at you whilst rowing and evaporate some of the sweat and cool you down.

Great info. Would suggest some things to keep in mind though. Tl;Dr: Buying a high-end Garmin watch? Rather buy a high end Garmin HR strap that supports both Bluetooth and ANT+. If you insist on the Polar HRM, buy a Polar watch. Long version: In the fitness tech space, a lot of equipment manufacturers have created their own ecosystems that support industry standards like ANT+ and Bluetooth, so for the most part it doesn't matter which you buy. HOWEVER. They then add proprietary metrics on top of this that only work in their ecosystem. So in this instance combining a high end watch like the GARMIN Fenix 6x with a high end HRM like the POLAR H10 could leave a lot of functionality on the table since you would lose out on gathering e.g. running metrics like vertical oscillation and running power (watts) etc. on the watch. Also important to consider their software platforms. Some people like Garmin, some like Polar, some ignore both and go Trainingpeaks. All this data is worthless if you can't look at it and take measurable action based on what you see. Remember to look at this too before dropping serious money on a watch. P.s. The video shows you pairing a SUUNTO HRM. Also a good brand but they have been playing catch up with Garmin and Polar for a while now and their software has been a bit of a dumpster fire the last few years. (arguably).

My number 1 accesorie Is a fan, bigger the better! Ventilation Is super importand in tropical weather

Hey! I really love your videos! Any suggestions on gloves?

Love the content! My only commentary to HR when it comes to Polar H10 vs Apple Watch. I used both and they are either the same for the majority of the workout or off by 1 or 2 beats. Key with Apple Watch users is to ensure it’s snug on your wrist and not positioned at the base of your palm.

If you have a Pm3 and want to synch with the phone app. Connect via USB cable. But remember to remove the memmory card from the Pm3 or USB will not work

Quick question, what about wearing padded cycling shorts? Is there a reason why cycling shorts are not recommended? You have padding and compression in one. Thanks.

I’m a masters rower. We train with a heart rate monitor. IMHO the best heart rate monitor is the Ticket Fit. It fits around your bicep or forearm as opposed to your chest. It easily interfaces with the Concept 2 PM 5 and more apps than Polar. Most of the guys on the team use the Ticker Fit or X

Any of you guys have a phone mount or holder for an Xebex Air Rower V2 Smart Connect?

How often do you recommend vacuuming the rower? The manual reads every 250 hours, but I wonder if that is enough

What about apparel for women? I'm an avid runner, but very new to rowing. Learning before I buy my own rowing machine. Thanks

How do I maintain magnetic tower?

11. Men: a proper fitting jock strap - especially for beginners (trust me on this one).

The Hornet Seat pad has a few options - any of them is a good option? Do you need the straps to keep it in place?

Thank you for your videos! I'm new to it all and I just got a WaterRower to use during this quarantine. The Concept2 was impossible to get right now. Shoes: In general do you think cycling shoes work well for rowing? That stiff sole seems like it could have the same benefit for rowing.

Possibly/Probably a stupid question but, if a heart rate monitor is connected to the P5, can a phone also be connected to the P5 so the Ergdata app may still be used? Thanks in advance for anyone's time and response!

I connected my Polar HRM to my PM5, no problem. However when i use the rower the next day, i have to reconnect it again manually. Even after the PM5 shuts down during a break, it has to be reconnected. Any idea why?

I'm just starting to grow, but I was waiting for a gloves suggestion, or isn't that a thing with rowing?

What app do you recommend for community support? I use the Erg to upload to Strava, but the data on there seems limited.

Airpods are problematic for anyone with smaller ear canals. That shape in hard plastic (no silicone cover), just doesn't fit and falls right out. For those with small ear canals I highly recommend Bose Buds. Great sound, and they stay put. You can pause and adjust volume with a touch to the right side.

Does rowing burn fat or build muscle?

Did you stop selling the hat? Got a couple of headbands recently, but I think I would like a hat as well.

Concept needs to update their computer screen it’s like from the 1980s they could do so much more with it.

i also like a couple of fans

Shane, in the past you mentioned an Ipad/Tablet holder...what was the product called...? Or if you can point me to the video...Thanks for your videos...

Can you connect the Polar HR sensor directly to that watch? Or you need to do it through the phone?

Any recommendations for a mount for an iPad?

Some corrections / advice: 1. Towel, either a very small or small one folded, can be used instead of buying a seat pad. Also recommending one for everyone is not wise, as if you check reviews online, seat pads fit people differently. One brand might be great for one person, but cause another person pain. Worth investigating further, and trying the towel first before spending money. 2. Smart watch not needed for erg, especially if you have a chest strap HRM and connect that to your phone and the erg's head unit. As you said, the heart rate they measure from your wrist is inaccurate when rowing. 3. DJI Action Cam? A £329 action cam for sitting on a chair next to you, recording you erg? My 2016 iPhone SE shoots 4K, and something like a Manfrotto Pixi mini tripod is £20, paired with a £10 phone clamp - That is all you need to record yourself. All new phones have optically stabilised lenses and 4K video too - No need to get an action cam. Also, why on earth would anyone waste storage capacity recording training in 4K? 1080p is more than adequate for studying technique. 4. "Compression" shorts are quite different to normal rowing trou shorts / rowing uni suit. They will fit tighter, hence "compression". Depends what you are going for, but should be mentioned. 5. $68 shorts? Erm ok. I'm sure they're very comfy, but any £10-15 pair will do as long as they're not baggy. 6. The original Buff is the probably the best sweat band for your head. No need to have a cap / peak unless you are outdoors in the sun or rain, or under some very bright gym lights. 7. If you're indoors and can't get good ventilation / air flow to cool you down, some sort of industrial style floor fan, or one on a stand with a large head, might also be useful. 8. Some kind of floor covering / thick mat / gym style interlocking floor guards, are also essential on most surfaces. 9. Some people prefer speakers, as sweaty headphones are not much fun, and the sound quality from any in-ear headphones is not great. It's nice to be able to hear the rowing machine too. A good Bluetooth speaker, a laptop connected to any decent wired speakers, or an old Hi-Fi system, can all be great erg accessories. My Bluetooth speaker, a little Anker Soundcore that I use sometimes with the erg and has great sound and super long battery life, cost about £30, compared with the circa £130 AirPods. The AirPods Pro are a waste of cash. A Bluetooth speaker can also be a nice social accessory if erging with others, as long as you don't fight over the music. Bonus tip (important): Get a good USB battery charger. When your phone is connected to wi-fi, Bluetooth, your headphones, and heart rate strap, and if you're doing a long session with a rowing app and Spotify running at the same time, and the screen on for an hour, your battery is going to take a hit. Maybe not such a problem at home, and more an essential bit of kit for the gym. However, if you are in an area without electrical outlets, or just don't want to run an extension lead right beside the rower for you to trip over, a portable battery charger is very useful. Again, the Anker stuff is generally very reliable. I have an "Anker PowerCore Speed 10000" that is good for about 4 or 5 full phone charges and is still small and light enough. Cost me about £20 on sale, normally about £28. As far as the "must have" rowing accessories: 1. Good shorts / rowing trou. Anything close fitting is fine. 2. Shoes that are in good condition, with a nice flat sole or slightly raised heel like the weight lifting ones. But generally any normal cross-training or running shoes will be fine. Avoid very soft soles / heels though. 3. Water and water bottle. If you want to get serious: 4. Heart rate monitor (HRM) chest strap, connected to the rower's head unit, or an app on your phone, or both. 5. Your phone either propped up, or on a little tripod, filming you from the side to check your technique later. Nice but not essential: 6. Headband to catch sweat - Original Buff probably the best (avoid their merino wool or cold-weather versions, unless rowing outside in very cold weather). 7. Headphones, earphones, or Bluetooth speaker. 8. Small towel to wipe sweat off yourself or the machine, or to use as a seat cushion, or both. 9. Portable USB battery charger. Oh also: 3-in-1 chain oil, some microfibre cloths, a duster / vacuum, and some window / glass cleaner spray. All pretty essential. So, helpful advice in general, but some major points missed IMO. I just saved your viewers around £700 - £1000 compared with your recommendations (smart watch and action cam especially are both just not needed, unless you will use the for other things). I like expensive toys as much as the next person, but many of your suggestions are just massive overkill / total waste of cash. Hope this info helps everyone. Think before you buy :)

What is the shirt you are wearing in the video?

Separating out the specific parts and tools for each of the seven step assembly process steps was brilliant on the part of the manufacturer. For the price, I am impressed at how sturdy this ru-vid.comUgkxvObaTzoHoHQLL4lHbJQmExHqsrZQm-f7 unit is and it does go together easily. Well, I was puzzled at first at Step 5 and maybe the instructions should mention that rail #62 needs to be tilted upwards a little to get the rail to fit into the main part #44. I like it that the rower can be stored vertically in a really small amount of space, but be forewarned that this rower is top heavy and for safety you'll need at least two bungee cords to keep the unit upright, attaching them to something; in my case to a third garage door. I have had this unit only a short time, and I will post an update once I've had it for a year. As for working your legs, I have to admit that I'm mainly rowing for upper body strength and I use other forms of exercise for leg strength (like walking fast, biking, or using a trampoline. But if you pull as far forward as possible, then you can give preference to your legs for the first 4 feet or so of travel. I also admit to not taking the two electronic connectors apart at Step 7. I simply inserted the two batteries while the other parts remained connected. By the way, there is plenty of resistance here, even in the lowest resistance settings. Kudos to Sunny Health & Fitness !

Does he actually row?

the hornet pad you linked is not gel. its foam

What about gloves?

11: Not packing a toothbrush.

Crap now he's gonna make me buy more shit. I don't wanna go broke. I just dropped 900 bucks for this fucking thing brah.

Thank god I have a home gym because I can row in crocs and sweatpants and no one cares.

A little disappointed.. I thought you were going to have a list of things for actual rowing in a real scull...

Seems like this whole vid is just a sales advert, I get your trying to make money and all but it couldn’t be more obvious 😂

u suggest airpods ? hell NO, ugly things terrible audio for the price