BH Fitness LK580 Rowing Machine Review
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BH Fitness is a Spanish brand that has yet to really make a name for itself in the US. So is the LK580 rower going to help? Here's out thoughts.
Our first thought is that it's long, very long in fact. And we think has one of the longest beams on an indoor rowing machine. This is great if you're tall, even at 6' 8" you could still get a decent workout, but check the dimensions below to check it will fit on your home before you consider getting one. BH Fitness market this as a light-commercial rower meaning this is suitable for use in a gymnasium for up to six hours a day. For the home user who has the budget this is good news - it's built to last and the generous warranty is proof of the manufacturer's faith in the build quality (see below). Next up, the rowing position. The high seat (20 inches from the ground) makes it easy to get on and off, and along with other top-end models, makes it feel more like a rowing machine you may have used at the gym. However, the seat itself is a big disappointment as it's padding isn't sufficient in our view for long sessions. This is a shame, because the rowing position feels great and the foot rests are among the best we've come across in all our tests. You can buy seat covers made of foam or gell that would make a difference, but when you're spending over $1,500 on a piece of fitness equipment you'd don't expect to have to do this. The angled beam make for a good rowing experience as you return quickly to the start position (the catch). And because it's a magnetic resistance model it's very quiet. The handle feels good in the hands and has a pull of around 87" - plenty for any one :0) This is a folding model but due to it's length really needs two people to fold up and move. But if space is limited, not it still requires quite a bit of space to store even when vertical. Display/ Console
Our first impression is that the display (see right) looks like a hand-held games console - and just as easy to use. The multi-colored LCD screen is easy to read and wll show you all you need to know. One big positive is that it has 17 pre-set programs including the useful heart rate programs that keep you in the fat-burning zone, and a race boat function that lets you compete against the computer or your previous personal best. Great for motivation. Because this is a light commercial model it also has 5 user profiles to record the performances of each individual - useful if you have more than one person in your household who will be using it. And because it's a magnetic model you can select from 16 resistance levels with a touch of a button - no need to adjust levels or twirl collars on pistons.
Summary: The LK580 rower is a very commendable machine. It has a rock-solid feel when going at high stroke rates, it's very quiet, it has a great select of pre-set programs that will keep you motivated. However, what happened with the seat? On a machine costing this much we expected more. It probably won't be a reason not to buy it, but it just looks a little miserly not to put a better seat on an otherwise great rowing machine. The price puts this model in competition with some excellent machines (see recommendations below) and in our opinion we feel it would be better if it was priced a few hundred dollars less.
BH Fitness LK580:
Best Price:
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Click image to enlarge 
The light commercial LK580 from BH Fitness
The flat and disappointing seat
The 'games console' display
Folds vertically
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Also worth a look:
The price puts this right in the middle of some excellent competitors. For around $700 less you can get almost the same rower from Sole Fitness with just a slightly lower spec monitor. For $400 less you can get the equally impressive LifeCore R100. If you can afford a few hundred more, the far superior First Degree Vortex-3 is one hell of a machine. Of course you can always consider the well-established Concept2 Model E for much less.
The price puts this right in the middle of some excellent competitors. For around $700 less you can get almost the same rower from Sole Fitness with just a slightly lower spec monitor. For $400 less you can get the equally impressive LifeCore R100. If you can afford a few hundred more, the far superior First Degree Vortex-3 is one hell of a machine. Of course you can always consider the well-established Concept2 Model E for much less.
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