Boston, Massachusetts, USA
To improve at-home fitness through full-body workouts, Hydrow Wave made the Hydrow rower even more accessible with a lightweight, portable model at a lower price point.
Hydrow Wave has been awarded a 2023 Good Design Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
By introducing an injection-molded glass-filled unibody construction, our team made the Wave lighter, smaller, and cheaper without sacrificing the user experience of the Classic rower.
To do this, we delivered on several key goals:
Reducing the size and weight of the device for standard shipping
Lowering cost through injection-molded glass-filled unibody construction and DIY assembly
Optional stand accessory for vertical storage
Rowing strengthens the arms, legs, and core.
However, it’s inaccessible to many as it requires being near water and having the necessary equipment.
Rowing machines fill the gap but are often cumbersome and intimidating, making them best suited for public gyms.
Hydrow Classic brought an elevated connected rowing experience to homes, however it captured just a fraction of the market.
For consumers who are on a budget or live in small spaces, the Wave design brings rowing to more people through lower costs, easy shipping, DIY assembly, and the same premium-connected outdoor rowing experience as the Classic.
The Wave is Hydrow’s second product in the connected rowing category, building brand equity and balancing its product portfolio with high-end and entry-level offerings.
The Wave captures a new audience at the introductory end of the market and reaches those with less space to devote to at-home fitness.
As rowing is a full-body workout, it improves the fitness levels and well-being of people who row.
By making rowing accessible to more people through a lower-cost, at-home-connected rowing experience, Hydrow opens up the benefits to the masses.
In addition, this lighter model reduces the carbon footprint of shipping heavy fitness equipment to its destination.
Aesthetics Our team took inspiration from analogous architecture like bridges, construction materials, and other products with similar attributes like bikes and furniture.
The designers have chosen to embrace the functional glass-filled material aesthetic throughout the product.
This approach resulted in a design that celebrates structural functionality as a core aesthetic principle for Wave.
Lightweight translucent plastic covers protect from sweat, dirt, and user interference while being easy to clean and allowing users to view every functional aspect of the Wave, including the eddy current brake system that controls the resistance.
Project: Hydrow | Wave Rowing Machine
Designers: PA Consulting Team, PA Consulting
Designer Team: Scott Stropkay, Jason Cooper, Taehak Kwon, Mark Matthews, Dennis Rogers, Peter McNulty, Jonathan Wenderoth, Gerhard Pawelka, and Chris Evans
Manufacturer: Hydrow Inc.
