WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine vs Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower
WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine (#3) vs Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower (#5, best budget): in our Rowing Machines scoring the WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine totals 8.5/10 and the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower 6.6/10.
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Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower
$199Check price at AmazonRead full reviewTopsFive comparison scores
Side by side
| WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine | Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1260 | $199 |
| Resistance | Water | Magnetic (8 levels) |
| Material | Solid ash wood | — |
| Length | 84" | — |
| Storage | Stands upright | — |
| Water Tank | 17L max | — |
| Motion | — | Full arm sweep |
| Folded Size | — | 37" x 19" |
| Max User | — | 250 lbs |
| Monitor | — | LCD |
How they differ in real use
Built from our rowing machines scoring, each product's published specifications, and verified owner feedback — not hands-on testing.
Both the WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine and the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower made our Top 5 Rowing Machines, at #3 and #5 (best budget). Living room-worthy handcrafted ash wood with realistic water resistance. The soothing sound of actual water creates meditative rowing experience. Budget rower that actually rows—magnetic resistance with full arm motion at the lowest price point. Good for rowing beginners.
We score rowing machines on Row Feel (35%), Resistance Type (25%), Build Quality (20%), Features (10%) and Value (10%). On that basis the WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine totals 8.5 out of 10 and the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower 6.6. The widest gap is Row Feel, where the WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine scores 9 against 6 for the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower — stroke smoothness. Build Quality also separates them: 9 for the WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine versus 6 for the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower. The Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower claws back ground on Value.
On paper, the specifications that actually differ: Resistance — Water on the WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine versus Magnetic (8 levels) on the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower.
Pricing as of February 1, 2026: $1,260 for the WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine and $199 for the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower, a $1,061 difference in the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower's favor. Owners praise the WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine for beautiful wood construction and realistic water resistance; the most common complaint is expensive. Owners praise the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower for very affordable and magnetic resistance (quiet); the most common complaint is lighter flywheel.
WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine
- Beautiful wood construction
- Realistic water resistance
- Soothing water sound
- Stores upright
- Expensive
- Water tank maintenance
- Basic S4 monitor
Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower
- Very affordable
- Magnetic resistance (quiet)
- Full arm motion
- Folds for storage
- Lighter flywheel
- Basic build quality
- Limited resistance range
Which should you buy?
The WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine is the better fit for aesthetics-conscious users and living room placement — it is the higher-scoring pick here, chiefly for Row Feel and Build Quality. The Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower is the better fit for budget home gyms and apartment dwellers, and the stronger choice if Value matters more to you than the overall score. If the $1,061 saving matters more than Row Feel, the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower is the better value. The WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine is a poor fit for tech enthusiasts; the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower is a poor fit for serious rowers.
Choose the WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine if
- Aesthetics-conscious users
- Living room placement
- Realistic rowing feel
Skip it if
- Tech enthusiasts
- CrossFit-style training
Choose the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower if
- Budget home gyms
- Apartment dwellers
- Rowing beginners
Skip it if
- Serious rowers
- Users over 220 lbs
Common questions
Is the WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine better than the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower?
In our Rowing Machines ranking the WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine scores higher overall, 8.5 to 6.6, with the biggest advantage in Row Feel. The Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower is stronger on Value, so it is the better pick if that matters most to you.
How much more does the WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine cost than the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower?
$1,061 more as of February 1, 2026: $1,260 for the WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine against $199 for the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower. Prices move, so the merchant page shows the current figure. What the extra buys is mostly Row Feel — 9 versus 6 in our scoring.
What is the main difference between the WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine and the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower?
The headline spec difference is Resistance: Water on the WaterRower Natural Rowing Machine versus Magnetic (8 levels) on the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5639 Full Motion Rower. In use, the gap that matters most is Row Feel (9 vs 6 in our scoring): stroke smoothness.