The 2023 Rowing Pad Holiday Gift Guide for Rowers

Welcome to our round-up of the best rowing pads for every type of rower on your list. For this latest edition of the Rowing Pad Holiday Gift Guide for Rowers, we’d like to get a little sentimental about our products and why a rowing pad is truly a top choice for the rower in your life.

Why Gift a Rowing Pad Boat or Erg Pad?

• Rowers LOVE our pads. Nothing warms our hearts like receiving positive feedback from athletes who have discovered our products. Visit our testimonials page or check out our Instagram to read how our pads improve a rower’s form and enjoyment of the sport.
• No two rowers are exactly alike! With differences in height, body proportion, strength, flexibility, preferences, seat cushions cannot be one-size-fits all. Our pads come in a range of thicknesses and densities to suit rowers of all sizes, ages, and experience levels.
• Construction matters! Our pads are made of the highest quality foam to withstand regular use and maintain their form much longer than other seat cushions on the market.
• Our pads were engineered with input from some of the sport’s most respected coaches and athletes—people who know from rowing. Trust that our pads are designed to cushion, protect against impact, and enhance rowing form.
• We now offer personalization on all pads! Add a special touch to your gift by adding a rower’s name, nickname, college, rowing club—anything goes. Just customize your engraving at checkout.
• “Experience” gifts are tops on our list, too. What better experience is there than rowing down a scenic river while the sunset blazes in the sky? Or feeling that rush of endorphins as you set a new personal best on the ergometer? Make a rower’s experience of rowing much comfier—and much more rewarding—with a Rowing Pad.
• Rowing Pad LLC is a small business run by lifelong rowers (with enormous heart) from our headquarters in New Hampshire. #shopsmall

Here we present, the RowingPad gift guide for rowers, indoor rowing fans, and fitness buffs of all types. We’ll kick things off with ideas from our newest line, the Extra Soft ErgPad collection.

FOR THE INDOOR ROWING PRO:
20MM Soft ErgPad with Non-Slip

No mistaking the indoor rowing pro: His or her tribe consists of their super-intense (but fun!) 6 a.m. class at the local rowing studio. They might even casually insert their current meter count into regular conversation. A gift relating to the erg is 100% guaranteed to delight. Take it from Rowhouse coach Jen Bauer, who teaches at studios in California, “What I love about Rowing Pads is that they not only provide extra comfort, but the ‘lift’ they offer is unique. Most other cushions compress over time. Rowing Pad is made of a dense material that does not seem to collapse.”

The 20MM Soft ErgPad with Non-Slip is the ultimate erg training tool, featuring Rowing Pad’s new soft-soft density design along with a layer of proprietary non-slip technology. Textured rubber grips the rowing machine seat for improved slip resistance—even when things get sweaty in the rowing studio. Want to add an extra special touch? Personalize the pad with your recipient’s name or personal best—they’ll cherish the engraving and it will make their pad easier to spot in the dark studio.

THE ULTIMATE COMFORT SEEKER:
20MM Soft ErgPad Solid

Does the rower on your list tinker endlessly with their rowing equipment, trying to find the setting at which rowing 2,000 meters feels like heaven? If they’re still searching for a cloud-like erg experience, the missing ingredient just might be Rowing Pad’s new solid 20MM Soft ErgPad. This soft-soft twist on our classic dual-density design provides that extra comfort factor many rowers crave during rowing machine workouts. In fact, this ergometer seat pad is so soft, their sitz bones will feel total relief (no comfort cutouts necessary)!

FOR THE LONG-HAUL ERG LOVER:
20MM ErgPad with Comfort Cutouts

For some people, there is no “erg season”—the ergometer is a year-round passion. In fact, they’re probably on the erg, racking up those meters for Concept2 Inc.’s 2022 Holiday Challenge right now. Rowing Pad’s 20MM ErgPad with Comfort Cutouts is specially designed to fit the ergometer seat and features relief holes to accommodate the sitz bones—a game-changer for long endurances pieces. (Note: The pad comes with plugs for the holes in place, so you can actually choose to use it with or without the cutouts, depending on the workout.)

With Rowing Pad’s classic dual-density layer construction, this pad gives your recipient the flexibility to flip it soft or firm side up, depending on the workout or how much give they like in the seat. 

Alternate product: 20MM ErgPad

Fairly sure your rower prefers a solid cushion? Shop our 20MM ErgPad, which comes without cutouts for a solid ride on the erg. 

FOR THE JUNIOR ROWER: 
10MM Boat Pad with Non-Slip

Congratulations! You have a future Olympic rower in your crew. (Right? Dream big, Mom and Dad!) If your young rower frequently complains about a sore rear from all that carbon fiber contact, a new boat pad is just the solution. With firm-density foam, comfort cutouts, and protective non-slip technology to keep the seat pad in place, practice will be a breeze come spring training time. Inflexibility is also very common in junior rowers, who are growing fast and furiously. A RowingPad 10MM Boat Pad can help increase their range of motion so they can overcome tightness in the hips, hamstrings, and lower back and row a longer, more complete stroke. Give them the competitive edge and a little TLC—a winning combo!

Alternate product: 20MM ErgPad

Many young rowers are still spending a lot more time on the erg due to Covid precautions and seasonal illnesses, which can spell major back pain. Why? Our bodies absorb some of the pressure from the hard ground when we work out on a rowing machine. Protect their spine with a technical-level foam seat cushion, like the 20MM ErgPad.

FOR THE GRAND MASTERS ROWER:
30MM Triple Decker ErgPad

For those in the know, “Grand Masters” is code for super tough rower of a certain, elevated age. Showing up daily at your local Rowhouse studio or barreling down the Charles River at the annual HOCR, these veteran rowers push things to the max. But the inescapable realities of aging can make workouts extra tough on the joints, back, and sitz bones.

As we age, our range of motion can decrease, and rhythms that were once second nature can suddenly start to feel out of whack. But that shouldn’t keep career athletes from enjoying their preferred form of exercise. Rowing Pad’s 30MM Triple-Decker ErgPad—featuring our exclusive soft/medium/soft three-layer polymer foam construction—can help restore a rower’s range of motion, thereby maintaining the most effective body angle. The extra benefit is the additional comfort on the rear. This best-selling ErgPad is available as a solid pad or with comfort cutouts.

FOR THE ROWING CLUB ENTHUSIAST:
A Personalized Boat Pad

Does your rowing friend or family member wear club colors at all times…and carry a coordinating keychain, tumbler, and duffle bag? Take their rowing pride one level further with a personalized boat or erg pad! That’s right, you can order a custom Rowing Pad seat cushion with the name, nickname, or inspirational motto of your choice emblazoned on the front. It’s a special touch, and it also helps keep track of gear on the crowded boathouse dock or in the dark training studio. Ordering gifts for a group? Contact us for a quote on logo engraving.

FOR THE DISPROPORTIONATE ROWER:
30MM Triple Decker Boat Pad

If your distinguishing family trait is long legs, short torso, chances are the rower in your life could use some assistance getting their body weight in front of their hips. Why is this important? A powerful drive depends on a rower’s ability to get their shoulders in front of the hips during the recovery, and for rowers with long legs, that can be a struggle. A RowingPad 30MM Triple Decker Boat Pad gives just the right amount of boost to help perfect that geometry, with three layers of soft/firm/soft density foam for comfort and preferred level of firmness. The non-slip add-on protects against slipping and skidding, even in wet conditions.  

Take it from national champion masters rowers Laura Nowacki and Ann Panagulias, who are affectionately called “munchkins” by their New Haven Rowing Club mates: “[RowingPad’s] rowing pads not only boost our stature in the boat, they boost our confidence, too! In a sport of technical detail and proficiency, a RowingPad gives us an undeniable edge on the competition. And every millimeter counts! We LOVE them!”

Alternate product: 30MM Triple Decker ErgPad

Where the #Hydrowshorties at? Shopping for an indoor rowing enthusiast who could use a few extra millimeters in the seat of their preferred rowing machine? Give them the ultimate boost in the form of the 30MM Triple Decker ErgPad. It’s compatible with almost all rowing machine brands on the market (Concept2, Hydrow, Water Rower, Ergatta, NordicTrack, and more) and will make a world of difference in their ability to row with proper form.

THE UNIVERSAL STOCKING STUFFER:
Non-Slip ErgPad Add-On

If the rower on your list has already discovered the joy of Rowing Pad, you might still be able to surprise them! We recently introduced a new version of our boat pad non-slip add-on for the ergometer. With the the Non-Slip ErgPad Add-On, your lucky rower can add an extra layer of slip resistance to their trusty Rowing Pad ErgPad. The peel-and-stick application will improve a pad’s slip resistance, gripping the seat and protecting against skidding, even in sweaty conditions. Just maybe don’t actually “stuff” it…treat this baby with care.

Alternate product: Non-Slip Boat Pad Add-On

Shopping for a rower who is rarely off the water? The original Non-Slip Boat Pad Add-On is an excellent choice for Rowing Pad users to upgrade their pad.