The RowingPad Holiday Gift Guide for Rowers

The 2021 RowingPad Holiday Gift Guide for Rowers

If you are searching for that perfect present for the rower in your life, you’ve come to the right place. When it comes to gift giving, we are all-in on the “experiences” versus “stuff” trend. And what better experience is there than rowing down a beautiful waterway during peak fall? Or mastering your technique in the single? Or feeling that rush of endorphins as you set a new personal best on the ergometer? 

But experience can always be improved, and by that we mean: Made much comfier. More rewarding. And, in turn, more likely to evolve from a onetime thing to a way of life (#rowinglife). That’s what you’re giving when you gift a RowingPad boat or erg pad. Our pads are made of the highest quality foam and engineered specifically for rowers with input from some rowing’s most accomplished athletes and coaches.

Here we present the RowingPad gift guide for rowers, indoor rowing fans, and fitness buffs of all types. And since you’re being so thoughtful…why not treat yourself to a new pad of your own?

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 2021 Holiday Challenge right now. RowingPad’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 dual-density layers, your recipient can flip it soft or firm side up, depending on 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, AHEM, VETERAN ROWER:
30MM Triple Decker ErgPad

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. Take it from the late, great rowing coach Larry Gluckman, a dear friend to RowingPad, who once told us, “At some point, I noticed that my range of motion on the ergometer (seat-to-heel compression and effective body angle) was less than it had been in recent months. I began to experiment with trying different pad thicknesses, since my heels were in the lowest setting. The 30MM Triple-Decker ErgPad from RowingPad helped me restore that range of motion. The extra benefit was that it provided a little additional comfort on my bottom.”

Help the lifelong rower (or recent erg adopter) in your crew stay confident in his or her form and comfortable during workouts with our exclusive three layer—soft/medium/soft—laminated polymer foam 30MM Triple Decker ERGPad. There’s nothing else like it!

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, 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 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 Boat Pad Add-On

If the rower on your list has already discovered the joy of RowingPad, you might still be able to surprise them! Our Non-Slip Collection features an upgrade for any RowingPad boat pad—the Non-Slip Boat Pad Add-On. This peel-and-stick application will improve a pad’s slip resistance, gripping the seat and protecting against skidding, even in wet conditions. Just maybe don’t actually “stuff” it…treat this baby with care.