Stamina Body Trac Glider 1050 Rowing Machine Review

It can be both challenging and expensive to be a fitness freak.

Especially, staying within the budget and time constraints.

If you are one like me, I am sure you will find this review useful to make a viable decision of whether you should go with Stamina Body Trac Glider 1050 or not.

The 1050 model of Stamina is an affordable yet complete solution for those who want to achieve their fitness goals while staying at home.

There is a range of other rowing machines under the Stamina brand, but if you are looking for something basic yet useful, then you’ve considered the right model.

Glider 1050 rowing machine is meant for beginner to intermediate users.

• designed with a lightweight body,
• support for multilevel resistance,
• comes with dual handles to emulate the actual rowing
• and a multi-function electronic monitor to keep an eye on your readings.

Though, this model is not meant for advanced rowers or athletes.

I would recommend them to look for some advanced machines with top-of-the-line features.

You can check out my review of the Concept2 Model D, which is considered the gold standard in rowing machines. 

The Body Trac 1050 is designed for those who are seeking basic features.

Here is a detailed list of features you are going to experience with this machine, and what you should expect:

Features of Stamina Body Trac Glider 1050 Rowing Machine

• Resistance adjustment is one of the salient features that this rowing machine is offering. It has up to 12 levels of resistance beneath the seat, powered by a hydraulic piston.
• Beginners can start from lower levels, and as you get used to the machine, you can increase the resistance level to make your exercise level harder.

Caution: If you plan to change resistance level during an exercise, make sure to wait until the shocks cool down, as they get extremely hot during usage.

• The machine is made of a steel frame and the centre beam is composed of aluminum. The body is lightweight and almost noise-free. Some users may not agree with this as there is a slight hussy noise from the back of the seat. I believe this annoying sound is avoidable if you are watching TV or listening to music alongside the exercise. Despite the price you are paying for the machine, it will not make you feel bad about this minor issue.
• The seat of this rowing machine is made out of moulded plastic. It’s good enough for short or moderate intervals of exercise. Since it’s not padded, the rower may feel a little discomfort after a while. The solution is to have a small gym towel folded and placed on the seat. I would advise using a small cushion, and it will serve the purpose. The key is to do exercise in small intervals such as 15~20 minutes.
• The handles and footrest come next: handles come with a default standard padded grip which has intermediate softness. You might not find it super comfortable, but as I mentioned before – the overall package fits well together.

The little amount of harshness one might experience is avoidable by wearing a pair of rowing gloves that are easily available in the market. I always suggest and use the gloves myself no matter what machine I’m using. (You can check out my top picks of rowing gloves here.)

When it comes to the footrests, they come with foot straps and bigger sizes to fit all sizes. However, that’s something which as a user you might not like as you might feel they are too big to fit in and the foot straps are too high, which can make your shoes slip out of straps too often.

By the way, if you don’t have a pair of rowing shoes, I would highly suggest to have one. I reviewed them here as well 🙂 – Best rowing shoes for a cofortable rowing experience.

There is a quick fix that I will recommend: while assembling the machine, you can install the footrests upside down so that the foot straps can be used to adjust well with the smaller foot size as well.

• The machine also has a small digital monitor. You can keep an eye on time spent, strokes and estimated burned calories in the session. It could be a good motivation to keep you running when you see the output right upfront; however, expert rowers will need advanced metrics that this simple monitor is unable to show.
• The Stamina Body Trac Glider 1050 is storage-friendly as well because of its lightweight structure. You can easily unassemble and keep it stored in a corner when the machine is not in use, or when you need to use space temporarily for some other purpose. You will not require any additional help or space to manage it.

Overall this machine is a useful addition to your home exercise equipment. You no longer need to find time and go out rowing in a gym, because this machine will help you mimic similar exercise while staying at home.

While this machine is handy, easy to store, friendly on the budget and recommended for beginners, there are a few cons that one needs to keep in mind before investing in it:

✘ Cons:

This might be friendly on the budget, but this is not meant for professional athletes.

• You would still need to invest in additional cushion/towels for the non-padded seat, and rowing gloves to make it more exercise-friendly for longer sessions.
• This machine is not meant for overweight people aiming to reduce weight. The material is solid, but the weight limit and structure are not fit for people more than 113 kg weight and 6’2” height.
• The assembly of the machine is not very technical, just the footrest needs adjustment upside down to fit better.
• The knob gets hot, so be cautious in touching the equipment if you have been rowing on it for a while.
• I wouldn’t recommend it to professional athletes, as it is too simple.

🔗 Side Note: If you can stretch the budget a bit, and need a more robust rowing machine, do check out my review of Merax rowing machine.

The Glider 1050 would work for users who are intending to tone their muscles, build stamina for a more robust exercise routine as well as lose some weight.

I found it user-friendly; even older adults can use it while staying at home and keep themselves active with this machine.

A Tip:

I would recommend using this machine in smaller intervals such as 20 minutes in one go.

You can start with a 3 minutes warm-up and then continue for nearly 15 minutes.

It will be good enough to start and will help you increase your stamina over time. This tip applies to everyone regardless of age, gender or weight!

Good luck rowing, and let me know how you found this machine if you use it.

See current price on Amazon

Additional Resources

• User Manual of Body Trac 1050 – https://staminaproducts.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/35-1050E_MUUV_2020-11-24.pdf
• Featured image credits: Stamina Products