Sunny Health & Fitness Premium Water Rower
This Sunny SF-RW5713 rowing machine is the brand's Premium Water Rower, a 16-blade water resistance machine with a 17-inch elevated seat, a 300 lb capacity, and the R2 Fitness Meter tracking stroke rate, splits, and calories. It's built around water resistance rather than magnets, so the sound and feel come from paddles moving through a tank instead of a flywheel, and it stores upright against a wall rather than folding flat.
- Real water-rowing sound and feel from 16 hydro blades, with owners describing the 'woosh' as quiet enough to use near a sleeping baby's room
- 300 lb capacity confirmed in practice by an owner who used it at exactly that weight without issue
- R2 Fitness Meter adds stroke rate and 500m splits most budget magnetic rowers skip
- 3-year frame warranty on a rower built for a fraction of the cost of the wood water rowers in our catalog
- Sturdy alloy steel frame held up for a 6-foot, 300 lb owner with no flex or stability complaints
Where this Sunny water rowing machine lands against the rest of our catalog: Loses to the Sunny AquaStrive on storage, since the AquaStrive folds flat and this model stores upright only, Beats the JOROTO Foldable Water Rower on frame material with steel instead of wood, though JOROTO's 400 lb capacity and folding rail beat this model on flexibility, Beats every wood water rower in our catalog on price while keeping the same water-resistance feel, at the cost of the furniture-grade look.
Which rider are you?
From this page to your first ride
Read the tested review
Specs checked against this exact model, the foot rest complaint, and the tall-rider note, all in one place.
Check today's price
One click to Amazon. We check the listing regularly and note it here if anything changes.
Row within the week
Owners in our verified sample report solo assembly taking roughly 90 minutes to 2 hours, including filling the tank. Inspect the water tank for cracks before you finish assembling.
Why this Sunny SF-RW5713 rowing machine earns its spot
Water resistance at a fraction of wood-rower pricing
The furniture-grade wood water rowers in our catalog deliver a similar paddle-through-water feel but at a steep premium. This Sunny SF-RW5713 rowing machine uses the same water-resistance principle in an alloy steel frame, which is how it keeps the price down without giving up the 'woosh' owners specifically buy a water rower for.
A real stroke-rate monitor, not just a counter
The R2 Fitness Meter tracks 500m splits and strokes per minute alongside calories and heart rate, metrics that matter if you're following structured rowing workouts rather than just logging time on the machine.
What owners keep saying
This review draws on the 8 owner reports we could verify against this exact model out of 10 review excerpts collected. One excerpt was excluded because it explicitly named a different Sunny water rower by product name, and a second was excluded because it described a defect inconsistent with this unit's alloy steel frame. Amazon's own aggregate for this listing sits at 4.2 out of 5 across 2,908 ratings.
The honest cons
- Swiveling foot rests are the most repeated complaint in the verified review set. Three of the eight owners we could confirm mention the pivot action feeling loose, slippery, or unnecessary, and one modified his with wooden replacement plates
- One owner at 6 feet 7 inches found the seat rail shorter than he wanted and hit the end of the stroke on every pull; riders near that height should measure their own inseam against the 38-inch figure first
- One detailed account describes a broken pull strap and belt just outside the warranty window, plus slow email response times and high shipping charges on replacement parts from Sunny directly
- This model does not fold flat. It stores upright against a wall, so measure your ceiling height and floor space before you buy
Sunny Premium Water Rower vs Sunny AquaStrive vs JOROTO Water Rower vs WaterRower Ash
All four of these rowers use water resistance, but storage, capacity, and price separate them more than the rowing feel itself.
| Sunny Premium (SF-RW5713) | Sunny AquaStrive | JOROTO Water Rower | WaterRower Ash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resistance | Water, 16 hydro blades | Water, 16 hydro blades | Water, adjustable | Water, adjustable |
| Weight capacity | 300 lb | 300 lb | 400 lb | 300 lb |
| Storage | Upright, does not fold | Folds flat | Folds flat | Upright, does not fold |
| Frame | Alloy steel | Alloy steel | Oak wood | Oak (handcrafted, USA made) |
| Warranty | 3-yr frame, 180-day parts | 3-yr frame, 180-day parts | 1-yr | Not listed on this spec sheet |
| Our take | Lowest price for the water-rowing feel | Same price tier, folds for storage | Higher capacity, folds, wood frame | Furniture-grade, priced well above both Sunny models |
| Spec | Sunny Health & Fitness Premium Water Rower |
|---|---|
| Resistance | Water, 16 hydro blades, dynamic response to stroke speed |
| Weight capacity | 300 lb |
| Seat height | 17 in, elevated for easier on/off access |
| Inseam accommodation | 38 in |
| Frame | Alloy steel |
| Dimensions | 78.9 in L x 22.3 in W x 32.67 in H |
| Unit weight | 37.01 kg (about 81.6 lb) |
| Storage | Upright against a wall; this model does not fold flat |
| Monitor | R2 Fitness Meter: time, 500m split, SPM, strokes, calories, heart rate (with wireless strap), ambient temperature |
| Handlebar | Sweat-resistant, non-slip grip |
| Power | 2 AA batteries for the monitor |
| Warranty | 3-year structural frame, 180 days on other parts and components |
| App | Optional free SunnyFit app connection |
FAQ
How is this Sunny SF-RW5713 rowing machine different from the Sunny AquaStrive water rower?
Both use water resistance and a 300 lb capacity, but this SF-RW5713 model stores upright against a wall and does not fold, while the AquaStrive (model SF-RW5910) in our catalog folds flat for storage. If floor space is tight, that difference matters more than any other spec on this page.
How long does the Sunny water rower take to assemble?
Owners in our verified sample report solo assembly taking roughly 90 minutes to 2 hours, including filling the tank with water. That's longer than most magnetic rowers, mainly because of the water-filling step and inspecting the tank for shipping damage first.
Is the 300 lb weight capacity on this Sunny rowing machine accurate?
Yes, one owner in our verified sample used the machine at exactly 300 lb and reported no stability or frame issues, describing the build as sturdy despite being close to the top of his own weight.
Do the foot rests on this Sunny water rower work well?
This is the most repeated complaint in our verified sample. Three of the eight owners we could confirm describe the swiveling foot rests as loose, slippery, or an unnecessary design choice, and at least one owner replaced them with fixed wooden plates. It's a real weak point rather than an isolated complaint.
Is this Sunny rowing machine good for tall riders?
It depends on your inseam relative to the 38-inch figure Sunny publishes. One owner at 6 feet 7 inches found the rail shorter than he wanted and hit the end of the stroke on every pull, so riders near that height should measure carefully before buying.
What happens if a part breaks after the warranty period?
One detailed owner account describes a broken pull strap and belt shortly after the warranty window closed, along with slow email responses and shipping charges that felt high relative to the part cost. Sunny did eventually replace the parts, but budget extra time and a bit of frustration if you need a repair outside the coverage window.
The verdict
The short version: this Sunny SF-RW5713 rowing machine delivers a real water-rowing feel at a fraction of the price of the furniture-grade wood water rowers in our catalog. After checking every review excerpt against this exact model, we excluded one that named a different Sunny water rower by name and one that described a defect inconsistent with this unit's alloy steel frame. The 8 remaining reports are consistently positive on the water sound and smoothness, with a real recurring complaint about the swiveling foot rests and one serious account of slow customer service on a broken pull strap.
Buy it if you want an authentic water-rowing feel without the price of a wood-frame rower. Skip it if you're taller than about 6 feet 5 inches, since one owner at 6'7" found the rail shorter than he wanted, or if a folding frame matters more to you than upright storage.
If it’s close but wrong
Sunny Health & Fitness Premium Water Rower