• Resistance Type - Level 1 provides air resistance; levels 2-6 provide air and magnetic resistance. Switch to silent magnetic helps keep noise level down!
• Resistance Adjustment – Level 1 provides air resistance; levels 2-6 provide air and magnetic resistance. Adjust resistance with a manual knob just below the handle.
• Seat – Sealed urethane seat for increased durability. Travels 44 in. from pedals!
• Handle – Lightweight, rubber-coated aluminum handle keeps hands comfortable

The Bodycraft VR100 rowing machine is a compact yet sturdy piece of home fitness equipment.

It has 44 inches of travel space from the pedals so it should accommodate even very tall users and last but not least, the contoured seat is comfortable enough to keep you rowing during long workouts Importantly, the operating motion is smooth and quiet.

Functions of a rowing computer

Training computer on BodyCraft VR100 rowing machine tracks your progress and display:

• Polar heart rate monitor receiver
• Current number of storkes per minute
• Total number of rows
• Time of rowing,
• Total distance covered,
• Current speed of rowing
• Calorie used when rowing

The VR100 offers 6 levels of resistance with level 1 offering air resistance and levels 2 to 6 offering air and magnetic resistance. The console displays important data such as time, distance traveled, number of strokes, calories burned and heart rate, although the heart monitor chest strap is an optional extra.

The VR100 folds for easy storage when not in use, but the test of any piece of home fitness equipment is how motivated you’ll be to regularly unfold it and use it to workout.

This is really a high quality rowing machine but not having preprogrammed workouts it is better suited to self-motivated exercisers.

The BodyCraft VR100 Rower features:

• Contoured ergonomic seat glides along precision bearing rollers.
• Compact design. Folds for storage into a 16”? X 24” space.
• 44 inches of travel from pedals will accommodate any size user.
• Adjustable (height and angle) Console has a built-in Polar (or compatible) Heart Rate Monitor receiver. Chest Strap optional.
• Lightweight, rubber coated aluminum handle.
• Level 1 – Air resistance Level 2 through 6 – Air and magnetic resistance
• Sealed urethane seat for increased durability.

Amazon buyers review

After having purchased an inexpensive piston rower (which was not so bad, by the way) I tried in a fitness shop some magnetic rowers and I found them much better. So I shopped around and I tried the Tunturi R30, The Kettler Coach, the Fitness Quest Integrity 3000, the Water Rower,the Lifecore R900, the Life Span and the Body Craft VR 100. I found that the Body Craft has the best value for money ratio. It is built very well, its ergonomics are handsome, the workout is fantastic, and the price is very acceptable.

I particularly like the position of the footpedals and of the handle-bar, which I think is perfect.

It also looks like it is very durable and it will last forever. I am very much satisfied, and would recommend it to everyone looking for a classy rower at a very honest price.

This rowing machine very authenticly imitates rowing on the water with special mechanism. Rowing intensity can be set with a knob on the top of every cylinder. This machine has 12 levels so it is convenient for all kinds of training.

The price of machine is around 600 USD which tells us that the machine is a solid piece of work and enables effective training. Maximum burden is somewhat higher than cheaper machines permit and is about 290 lbs / 120 kg.

Save 220 USD. Buy Kettler Rowing Machine on Amazon.com

Features of Kettler Kadett rowing machines

• Two hydraulic cylinders: setting of resistance force between 1 and 12.
• Comfortable smooth-running seat with rollers mounted on rails.
• Moving foot plates with straps, position adjustable to leg length.
• Anti-slip floor protectors.
• Dimensions: Width: 67″, Height: 18″

Functions of a rowing computer

Training computer on BodyCraft VR100 rowing machine tracks your progress and display:

• Current number of storkes per minute
• Total number of rows
• Time of rowing,
• Total distance covered,
• Current speed of rowing
• Calorie used when rowing

Amazon buyers reviews

I initially tried to order my Kettler Kadett from a company called Mercantila, a.k.a. Rowingmachines.com. It was a complete disaster and nightmare including some false advertising, trying to cover up some mistakes on their part which caused about a month of delays, some horrible customer service (or lack thereof), some false charges, and a lot of headaches. Eventually enough was enough and I wound up ordering it directly from Amazon, which cost me a few bucks more, but was well worth it.

The machine comes mostly disassembled and took about an hour and a half to put together. There were a few confusing moments as the instructions are only pictures and no text, so making sure you have the right part takes a little extra focus. It came with all the tools necessary except an allen wrench which was necessary for one small thing.

In terms of overall quality, it’s very high. I’m not concerned about this thing breaking, nor does it rattle or have ill-fitting parts. That said, the housing for the computer is a little wimpy and doesn’t attach very securely to the main body as I’ve knocked it off a couple times. A small piece of tape at the base has kept it firmly locked into place since.

Some people have complained about the location of the straps on the foot plates. I actually find their location ideal, although they do tend to loosen themselves during a workout. I made a trip down to the store and bought some velcro which I sewed onto the straps. It took 15 minutes to do and I now have the best foot straps in the world.

The best thing about this machine, and the reason I bought it, is that it REALLY DOES in fact mimic an actual rowing motion. When I close my eyes I can actually believe I’m on a boat on the water which makes my workouts much more pleasant. So for anyone with any doubts, you can in fact believe the hype, it IS like rowing a boat. Additionally, all the action is very smooth. The seat is very sturdy and comfortable and it doesn’t wobble. The arms are also smooth and the grips spin freely.

One other reason I bought this machine is that I’m very tall and the Kadett adjusts to accommodate my size. It does this by placing the footboards on a center beam that slides inside the central housing. This beam can be adjusted allowing my incredibly long logs to get a full complete extension without the seat hitting the end of it’s track.

Although it takes up a lot of space during use due to the outrigger style “oars”, it does fold up to the size of a traditional hydraulic rowing machine in about 30 seconds. I keep mine leaned up against a wall and out of the way in an adjacent room, and as it’s not very heavy it isn’t a big deal pulling it out every morning.

One problem I did discover, is that the numbers on one of my adjustable hydraulic pistons is misaligned. So it was a minor nuisance to set the resistance initially as I had to do it by feel.

In preview, the Kadette appears to be overpriced compared to virtually all other hydraulic rowing machines. But it really is a completely different kind of animal in terms of the rowing action that makes it worth the price tag. It still suffers from a slow start as the pistons come up to temperature like any other hydraulic rowing machine, but the rowing motion is like heaven.
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