Rogue Echo Rower confirmed as official CrossFit Games rower
Rogue's air-resistance rowing machine has dethroned Concept2 as the go-to rower at the CrossFit Games — and UK buyers can order one now.
By James Oduya · Staff Writer & Home Gym Columnist · Updated August 12, 2026What you need to know
- The Rogue Echo Rower was used as the official rower at the CrossFit Games in late July 2026, displacing Concept2 from competition for the first time in years.
- Rogue worked with third-party engineering firm S-E-A to verify that Echo Rower data outputs are consistent enough to be used alongside the Concept2 RowErg in competition.
- The Echo Rower is available on Rogue's UK storefront now; UK GBP pricing has not been confirmed, but the US price is $895 — $104 less than the Concept2 RowErg.
The Rogue Echo Rower has been confirmed as the official rowing machine of the CrossFit Games, with athletes using it in competition at the 2026 Games in late July — a moment that marks the first serious challenge to Concept2's long-standing grip on competitive rowing. Rogue Fitness announced the machine's official status via a Facebook post approximately three weeks ago, describing it as "the Official Rower of CrossFit & The CrossFit Games," and the machine's competition-approved standing has since been formalised in the 2026 CrossFit Age Group Quarterfinals ruleset, which permits athletes to use either "a Rogue Echo Rower or Concept2 rower (no other brands are permitted)."
How it happened
The partnership between Rogue Fitness and CrossFit was first reported as far back as November 2024, according to nonstopcrossfit.com, suggesting the deal had been in the works well ahead of the 2025–26 competitive season. The Echo Rower initially shipped in very limited quantities; Garage Gym Reviews founder Cooper "Coop" Mitchell was among the first to get hands on one, with GGR's full review published on 1 June 2026. Rogue's own product page carries a firmware changelog dated 5 August 2026, confirming the machine is under active development and ongoing support.
Shop Rogue Echo Rower confirmed as official CrossFit Games rower on Amazon UK
When Rogue first signalled it was building a rower, observers were sceptical — the company already sells the Concept2 RowErg, arguably the most popular rower ever made. Building a direct competitor to a product on your own shelves is an unusual move, and it raised immediate questions about whether Rogue could genuinely match Concept2's output consistency, which is the bedrock of the RowErg's competition credibility.
How Rogue made it competition-legitimate
According to Rogue Fitness, the company worked closely with third-party engineering firm S-E-A to verify that all data outputs from the Echo Rower would be consistent enough to use alongside the Concept2 RowErg in competition. The stated design principle, per Rogue, was straightforward: whether used at the CrossFit Games, the Rogue Invitational, or in a garage for a Rogue Challenge, the numbers had to stack up. The 2026 Quarterfinals ruleset — permitting the Echo Rower alongside the Concept2 and no other machines — suggests CrossFit's own officials are satisfied that the benchmark has been met.
What you're actually buying
The Echo Rower is an air-resistance machine with a ten-level damper, a heavy-duty aluminium frame with matte black finish, and a reinforced aluminium rail with precision bearings. Key specs include:
- Resistance: Air flywheel with adjustable damper, ten levels
- Console: 4.7" backlit LCD with Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity
- Max user weight: 227 kg (500 lbs)
- Machine weight: 33 kg
- Full dimensions: 251.46 × 66.04 × 119.38 cm
- Folded dimensions: 96.52 × 66.04 × 119.38 cm
- Warranty: 5 years (frame), 2 years (parts and monitor)
The machine is compatible with fitness apps including ErgZone, Regatta, and Peloton, and pairs with Garmin, Suunto, and any ANT+/Bluetooth heart rate monitor. It also folds in half — a meaningful practical advantage over the Concept2, which must be disassembled into two separate pieces for storage. When stored vertically against a wall, the Echo Rower requires just 38 by 26 inches of floor space.
One area of criticism has emerged from UK buyers, however. Reviewers on Rogue's UK storefront have described the display and logic as "woefully outdated," with complaints that the console does not pair seamlessly with modern devices or Apple Watch — a frustration some feel is hard to justify on a machine at this price point in 2026.
On the positive side, one verified UK buyer on roguefitness.com/gb described the machine in straightforward terms:
"The Rogue Echo Rower is top quality, built like a tank, and has equal mechanics with the C2 machine. I have many hours on the C2 at my gym and I would say the rowing experience is the same and damper settings very similar. The Echo feels heavier and more sturdy and the build quality is top notch."
Price and UK availability
The Echo Rower is listed on Rogue's dedicated UK storefront at roguefitness.com/gb. No GBP price has been confirmed in available sources, so UK buyers should check the site directly for current pricing. The US price is $895, compared to $999 for the Concept2 RowErg — a saving of $104 at current US retail. If that proportional difference holds in sterling, UK buyers could be looking at a meaningfully lower entry point than the RowErg, though that cannot be confirmed without a published GBP price.
The Echo Rower is also available as part of a complete conditioning package alongside the Rogue Echo Bike and Echo SKI, and the machine is increasingly cited in the context of Hyrox training — one of the UK's fastest-growing competitive formats — broadening its relevance well beyond the CrossFit community.
What this means for the market
Concept2 has dominated competitive rowing for decades, and its RowErg has been the default machine for CrossFit events since the sport's early years. The Echo Rower's elevation to official Games status represents the first credible, competition-sanctioned alternative to arrive at scale. For UK athletes training at home, the key practical upshot is straightforward: metres logged on the Echo Rower now count in the same breath as metres logged on a Concept2. That level of parity — previously the exclusive preserve of one brand — has just become a two-horse race.
Why it matters
For UK CrossFit athletes and home gym owners, the Echo Rower's competition-approved status is significant: scores logged on the machine at home are directly comparable to those recorded at sanctioned events, which has historically been Concept2's most powerful selling point. The fact that it folds in half — rather than splitting into two separate pieces like the Concept2 — makes it a more practical proposition for the compact homes and garage gyms common across the UK. Its growing recognition in Hyrox competition circles only broadens its appeal beyond the CrossFit community.