Cons
- Nylon rowing strap
- Noisy for its class
Overall
With air resistance technology you can expect a dynamic workout but which needs constant attention. For the best cardiovascular benefits you need to keep the rowing pace at a reasonable or even high level as the resistance will start to drop with the pace.
Alternating rowing can be a good way to recover but you need to maintain a certain level which can take time to get used to for new users. This being said, you can take your time with your workouts as the X Air Rowing Machine comes with padded seating and textured rowing handle which facilitates longer workouts.
Design
Very similar to the 35-1405 ATS, the design of the X Air manages to improve some areas while lacking a solid overall identity. The machine has a foldable design with the built-in wheels which has become the standard with Stamina.
The padded seating is a welcomed feature for longer sessions although some users might report durability issues with it, especially compared to a foam molded design. The pivoting footplate straps are a good addition for longer workouts. People who train for more than 20 minutes will appreciate this feature the most as it will reduce the fatigue of the feet. The issue with this product that seems to be geared towards longer workouts is the lack of a metal chain instead of the nylon rowing strap.
Performance
In terms of performance the machine feels better equipped when compared to the 35-1405 ATS. Stamina has improved the monitor which seemed to bother some users together with the footplates. Average and advanced users will welcome the improved monitor.
But it even this model doesn`t allow for data saving. The screen now displays the number of strokes per minute, the covered distance, the speed, the total stroke count and the burned calories.
Conclusion
The X Air looks and performs better that some entry-level machines. It is just a few features away from being the complete package but if you don`t mind the lack of a metal chain and the increased noise, you might want to consider this machine. With pivoting footplates and padded seating this machine will certainly appeal to the home user looking to lose weight.
The monitor is also better than with some Stamina models but still doesn`t allow you to save your results. And in the end, the red color will make sure your machine stands out from a quite bland array of options that mainly stay around black or grey.