by Gary Patterson |
Last Updated: May 21, 2021 Table of Contents
About Sunny Health & Fitness Rowing Machines
Sunny Health & Fitness is a wellness company that sells fitness equipment and provides nutritional and general health information through their blog. Treadmills, rowers, ellipticals, and a variety of weights for home use make up their product catalog.
Sunny is a hybrid US and Chinese country, with headquarters in both LA and Xiamen. Due to their international production line, their products come at a lower cost than most of their competitors in the fitness market. They have no qualms about sharing the fact that their product catalog is manufactured in Taiwan and China, and in fact compliment the quality of their offerings with low prices.
As an all-around fitness brand, Sunny wishes to provide their customers with whatever they need to achieve their at-home fitness goals. Their goal is making fitness equipment as convenient and affordable for you as possible, and they are hungry to become an industry leader.
SF-RW5983 Carbon Premium Rowing Machine Review
The Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium Air Magnetic SF-RW5983 Rower is one of many rowing machines in the Sunny catalog. As a rower that uses air resistance, it is surprisingly on the higher pricing end at $599, compared to its magnetic and water rower counterparts, which are usually cheaper and more in demand.
Even without a discount, the Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower quickly sells out–at the time of this Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower Review, it is not in stock. Customers love how well it functions as a simple rower, in combination with its incredibly low price.
This Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower Review will go over the technical specifications of this product, including warranty, shipping, and returns information, the pros and cons, and the fine details that will help you decide whether or not it’s a good purchase. While the rower is cheap, there are a couple design features that make it less appealing than some of its competition.
Pros
● Low price
● Combination of air and magnetic resistance
● Low noise level
● Fast shipping
Cons
● Only 180-day warranty for parts and components
● Warrant does not cover shipping, labor, or any other consequential costs
● No folding capability for easy storage
● Shipping limited to the main 48 US states
● Cannot ship to PO boxes
● Does not fold for easy storage (tilts into a vertical position instead)
Technical Specifications
The Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower comes in a shipping container 47.1 inches long, 11.4 inches wide, and 34.4 inches high. When fully assembled, the size changes considerably to 87.4 inches long, 19.29 inches wide, and 41.25 inches high, where it will weigh 74.6lb.
If that’s already too much information, buckle up, because this Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower Review has more numbers heading your way. The rower’s cushioned seat is 12.6 inches long, 10.28 inches wide, and 2.17 inches high, and it can be elevated to 16.5 inches high. But you probably care more about the display, which is 5 inches long and 2 inches wide–not the largest pixel canvas ever created.
While the display is small, it comes packed with 22 pre-made workout programs, and it has a swivel, allowing you to adjust it for optimal viewing while you row. Another rowing aid comes with the feet on the bottom of the rower, which can easily be turned and adjusted so that the entire machine is steady and stable on any surface.
The rower is made of steel and features anti-slip handles, as well as straps over the foot pedals to keep your feet balanced and secure. Track your heart rate with another featured part of this rower: the Wireless Pulse Receiver, which feeds your heart rate data to the display while you row.
And speaking of rowing, there are 16 levels of resistance managed by a metallic fan and magnets. Sunny claims that the combination of two resistance types (although it’s primarily air resistance) makes the machine quiet and the resistance smooth, no matter which level you choose for your workout.
This Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower Review found a 3-year warranty for the rower’s frame and a 180-day warranty for all the fiddly bits (display, fan, etc.) And if you are finished with a workout and need to put the machine somewhere else, you only have to lift the light end, then roll it to wherever you want it to go.
Resistance Type
When examined, it becomes clear that this Sunny rower mainly uses air resistance with some magnetic resistance additions. The metallic fan blades give a passive resistance while you are rowing, while the magnets add another form of resistance that can be set to levels 1 through 16 and, presumably, add a drag factor that makes the fan more difficult to turn.
How the two forms of resistance work in tandem is not explained in detail, but Sunny assures us that it results in background noise much quieter than regular air resistance technology. Additionally, it is probably the unique combination of air and magnetic resistance that makes this rower slightly more expensive than Sunny’s other rower options.
Price
The rower is out of stock at the time of this Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower Review–probably because it is also on sale for $100 off the regular listing price. Ordinarily the RW5983 Rower costs $699, but if you’re lucky, you can snap one up when they come back in stock for $599 (if the sale is still on at that time).
The price of this rower is very competitive and lower than what is offered by other brands. However, Sunny offers different rowers for even lower prices, which you may also consider. This Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower Review speculates that the cost of the RW5983 Rower is higher than other air resistance rowers because of its unique addition of magnetic resistance, enabling more sophisticated resistance settings.
Ordering the RW5983 Premium Air Magnetic Rowing Machine is not possible at the moment, because it is only sold through the official sunnyhealthfitness.com website, where it is currently out of stock.
Shipping & Assembly
This Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower Review is happy to report that shipping is free for this rower (and all Sunny orders of at least $99). Every Sunny product ships from LA, California.
Processing your order takes about 1-2 business days. From there, expect another 5 business days for your rower to arrive curbside–but only if you live in the main 48 US states. Unfortunately, Sunny does not ship to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or PO boxes in general. Everyone else can expect a fast delivery time.
Assembling this rowing machine is super simple. This Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower Review went through the user manual and found there are only 6 steps to complete. After that, the rower will be ready to use!
Most of the assembly is achieved with an Allen key (provided by Sunny), but a small screwdriver also comes into play. Essentially, you attach the wheels to the front of the rower, then the sliding rail to the seat, add in the foot pedals, and tighten it all to the frame.
According to verified customer reviews, assembling this rower is an easy process. That said, this Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower Review did find one comment that said a washer was missing and another claiming one piece was too long, but they made it work by cutting it.
One customer says, “The assembly of the rowers was very clear. Many times during the assembly it would have been helpful to have another person to help, but I was able to do it mostly by myself.”
Setup
This Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower Review did not find any special set up instructions. Once assembled and put into motion, the rower’s digital display will activate and be available for tracking your workout or determining your exercise with the pre-programmed workout options.
Design and Features
In a nutshell, the Carbon Premium rower is a sturdy and high-quality workout machine with stability that lasts over time. Its basic display system gives you the option of tracking your heart rate and using pre-made workout programs, in addition to real time metrics. It has a high weight capacity and only weighs 74.6lb, making it easy to tilt and transport.
Build Quality
The Carbon Premium rower is made of steel, and, due to the unique fan and magnetic resistance system, the entire machine weighs only 74.6lb. At the same time, it holds up to 265lb in weight. It can easily be tilted, moved on its wheels, and stored upright. Customers report that the rower is well made.
Comfort
There are few comfort features, which is to be expected on a rower so reasonably priced. The foot pedals are basic plastic, with a strap to secure you in place, and the seat is cushioned. There is not much else to say about comfort, because the Carbon Premium is, at its heart, a cheap and highly functional rower that gives you the basics and little else.
Capacity
This Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower Review found that nearly anyone can use this rower. Man or woman, thin or curvy, you will enjoy this workout machine in the privacy of your home.
The only limitation is the Carbon Premium’s weight capacity, which is 265lb. There is also a slide rail inseam of 46.5 inches.
Display/LCD
The digital display on this rower is a bit small at 5 inches long by 2 inches high. However, the technology inside has everything you need to track your workout in real time, as well as save your progress with up to 4 simple profiles. It also works with the pulse receiver to track your heart rate and display it on screen.
You will also use the display to adjust the magnetic resistance level of your rower in levels 1 through 16. And if you are not in the mood to create your own workout routine–no problem. You can always use the 22 pre-made workout programs, accessed with the display interface.
Membership
Sunny does not have a membership program at this time, generally or in connection to the Carbon Premium rower. However, this Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower Review expects the brand will build a membership program in the next couple of years, in order to better compete in the market, so keep an eye out on their social media.
Storage
Unfortunately, the stored version of this rower has the exact same dimensions as when it’s in full use: 87.4 inches long, 19.29 inches wide, and 41.25 inches high. This is because the rower does not compact or fold. Storing it is a little bit too simple, because all you have to do is tilt it up on the light, back end, so the full machine is resting on its wheels, then move it to an area where you want to stand it upright.
This Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower Review does not expect you to have a closet that can easily be used for storage. In this case, your best bet is to place the rower against a wall, maybe next to your dresser or in your garage.
Warranty
The Carbon Premium rower comes with a 3-year warranty on the “structural frame” and 180-day warranty on the “other parts and components.” The warranty cannot be transferred to someone else, even in the case of the rower being sold.
To give you fair warning, this Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower Review put together a list of activities that will void your warranty:
1. Use in a “share facilities” including apartments, common areas, gyms, or anywhere with public foot traffic
2. Do not alter, decorate, or in any way refurbish your rower
3. To successfully engage with your warranty, you must also have the original receipt of purchase
4. Improper assembly (minor details included)
Finally, there are costs associated with a repair or replacement process. Read this passage carefully: “Any repair or replacement EXCLUDES shipping, labor, assembly or re-assembly and any other consequential or special costs or damages associated with return, replacement and assembly of your product.”
Final Thoughts
After thousands of words of analysis, this Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower Review can go ahead and recommend the rower without reservation. It is a rower built for anyone to experience a smooth, low-impact workout that targets the whole body. The price for this rower can only be beat by other Sunny rowers, and the wild part is that the quality of construction is high.
A verified customer writes, “Easy to assemble and easy to use. It seems to be very sturdy. I am 245 pounds and have not experienced any wobbling with this machine. We use it everyday and really enjoy working out now.”
But you might experience a missing washer during the assembly, and you can only buy it in the mainland US. Another downside is its limited storage ability–while Sunny says it’s a “foldable” machine, all you actually do is tip it into a vertical standing position. If you can live with the above, then you should absolutely buy this rower.
FAQ
Where can I purchase the Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower?
This Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower Review did some sleuthing and found that Sunny has an Amazon store page with the RW5983 listed. However, it is unavailable on the Amazon store as well as the official Sunny store. You should also check Walmart, Target, Lowe’s, Staples, Bed Bath & Beyond, and many other retailers.
Is there a Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower discount?
So there’s good and bad news. The good news is that the Carbon Premium rower is on sale from $699 to $599. That’s $100 off this rower, or a 14% discount. The bad news is that, at the time of this Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower Review, the combination of price and quality is so good that this piece of equipment is out of stock.
Does the Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower fold?
Unfortunately, this Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower Review must say the rower does not fold. Sunny says it is “foldable design” but it simply is now. On the same page, Sunny recommends tilting the machine into a vertical position and storing it that way. Just be sure to move the seat to the front of the rail before you.
Can you lose belly fat on a rowing machine?
Of course! Rowing is an excellent way to low belly fat. It will even help you build abs, provided you consistently workout and use a challenging resistance setting. Overall, rowing is one of the best workouts possible, because it covers so many muscles in your body. With proper form and dedication, you will get a slim and toned rower’s body.
Is rowing better for you than running?
This Sunny Health & Fitness Carbon Premium SF-RW5983 Rower Review is confident that rowing is objectively better for you than running. Rowing is universally regarded by athletes and physicians as the best all-around workout. Each row exercises nearly 90% of the muscles in your body and provides great cardio, while also having low impact on your joints. Running simply cannot compete.
How to contact Sunny Health & Fitness?
Sunny Healthy & Fitness is available to help you through their official website contact forms. Here are the different contact form options:
· Order status, cancellations, returns & refunds
· Product inquiry
· Warranty, parts & technical assistance
· Become a wholesaler
If you would rather speak to a customer service representative immediately over the phone, call 626-968-1000. Sunny’s customer service hours are Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 5:30pm PST. They also accept faxes at 626-968-1007.