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Bladez Cascade Rowing Machine Review


CASCADE BACKGROUND

Bladez is a brand from BH Fitness, a company with it's origins in Spain who've been around in the fitness world for almost 100 years. They also make spinning bikes, exercise bikes, elliptical cross-trainers, treadmills and, more recently. vibration (power) plates. During this time they've earned quite a reputation for bringing hi-tech and hi-spec fitness equipment into the price range of the masses.

And we think the Cascade keeps up this tradition - and then some!

As with all our reviews, we'll start with the assembly and instructions. First of all, the manual is good with clear instructions to fit the components together - it also has advice on warm-ups and workouts, which is more than many in this price range.

BLADEZ CASCADE

7.5 7.5 Stars
bladez cascade rowing machine
The Bladez Cascade Rower
The seat is not the most comfortable we've sat on, but it's a good height (around 18") and the long rail provides a good length slide (36") from the Catch to Finish, making it suitable for the taller person of well over 6'. (see my tips on improving the comfort of the seat). The footrests are a vital part of any rowing machine. Poor design lets down many otherwise good rowing machines because if your feet slip it's difficult to row. The rests on the Cascade do the job fine and all-in-all, the rowing position and action are very good. 

The quiet magnetic resistance mechanism has 16 levels that can be selected using a manual program, or adjusted automatically by one of the many pre-set programs (see below).
​The one big disappointment is the short warranty on the frame - it's just one year. Many rowers sold for a similar price have at least three years! The build quality doesn't seem to be a big issue, so we wonder why it's so short?
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bladez cascade display
A very informative display

DISPLAY/MONITOR

​In a word - cool! The back-lit, color LCD is very well laid out and displays all the relevant workout data that can be read at a glance. The on-touch buttons help to quickly select one of the many pre-set programs (17 in total). These include heart rate training programs - an excellent way to maximize the time on the rower - and note, the Cascade is supplied with a chest strap that transmits your heart rate to a receiver in the monitor.

This is very welcome as many higher-priced models don't include a strap.
Other pre-sets include a race boat that lets you set the stroke rate and then race over a set distance or time. The clever graphics will show your progress and the other boat - great motivation and one of our favorite programs. The recovery program measures you heart rate as you complete the workout and lets you know your fitness level.

The only negative is that you cannot store your performance over time, as it doesn't have a USB socket or any PC compatibility. You can of course record your workouts on a spreadsheet, but many rowers in the next price-bracket of around $750 have a PC-compatible function.

The screen height can be adjusted on its bracket to suit your height.

REVIEW SUMMARY

The Cascade is a great rowing machine in the mid-price range. It has a great range of programs that will prevent boredom as you can vary your workouts. The few minor moans we have are easily outweighed by the high specification and functionality that you'd usually have to pay around $1,000 for. Good job! It's not quite up to the standard set by Concept2, but the relatively low price makes it great value for money and therefore pushes up our star rating.​

​Note: This website is an associate of Amazon and a number of other retailers. We earn a commission from sales generated via these links, ​but this does not influence how we rate the rowing machines we review.
CATEGORY
SCORE
Build Quality
7.0 / 10
Display Console
7.0 / 10
Features
7.5 / 10
Value for Money
7.5 / 10

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PROS

Heart rate strap including in price
Good range of pre-set programs
Long beam makes it suitable for users up to 6' 6"
16 magnetic resistance levels
Smooth action
Quiet magnetic resistance
Easy-to-use display/console
Large color LCD display
It's a folding model

CONS

The 1 year warranty on the frame seems too short
No facility to store workout performance
Not the best seat
Looks a little out-dated

BLADEZ CASCADE: SPECIFICATION
Resistance Type MAGNETIC
Max User Weight 265 lbs
Machine Weight 95 lbs
Length 78 in
Height 32 in
Width 13 in
Warranty 1 year on frame and parts

ALSO WORTH A LOOK

Similar models in this price range include the Velocity CHR-2001. Although we feel the Cascade is marginally better than both! If you have an extra couple of hundred dollars to spend, you can't go wrong with the Concept2 Model D.
​
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  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Brands
  • Buyers Guide
    • Compare
    • Types
    • used
    • Dropshippers
    • terminology
    • retailer strategies
    • Buy from store or web
    • Help
  • Benefits
    • weightloss
    • Rowing Machine Technique
    • rower verses exercise bike
    • rower verses treadmill
    • rower verses elliptical cross trainer
    • Injuries
    • Setting Goals
  • UK Rowers
  • Workouts
    • Example Workouts
    • Tabata Rowing Workouts
    • Time Trial Workouts
    • Duration Workout
    • Heart Rate Training Programs
    • Rowing Machine Workout Program
    • Bad Workout Habits
  • Concept2
  • WaterRower
  • Blog
  • Fitness Tests
    • Cardio Vascular Fitness Test
    • Balance Test
    • Coordination Test
  • Maintenance
    • mats
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
    • Your Privacy
    • Disclaimer
  • About Us