ErgData Reviews

This latest app update does not work. Before the update ErgData would connect to my PM5 reliably and without issue. I have been using this rower connected to ErgData for nearly five years.... Then you update ErgData and the BT connection does not work. I have only been able to get it to connect TWICE in 50+ tries. I updated the firmware, ErgData , my phone all to the latest software releases. I have rebooted and reloaded everything and ErgData still does not connect. It just spins as if it is connecting or trying to connect. Yet the PM5 says it's "connected". Highly frustrating, please roll this release back until you get the bugs fixed.

I have used the former iteration of this app for years during both my indoor rowing classes and personal rows. It was without frills (similar to an erg workout!) and provided me with a succinct log of my workouts. I eventually was able to connect to my Whoop for heart rate, which made the old app even more perfect. Cut to a few weeks ago when this new version rolled out. The Sunday morning class I was in collectively groaned over the more complicated setup. My ability to use my Whoop has been eliminated - it’s Apple Health or nothing. I frequently am logged out of ErgData when I try to start my workout, and today ErgData simply disconnected after the warmup and did not save a meter after, despite claiming it was still linked to the erg. I appreciate that this app wanted to modernize its look but why strip off all the previously useful components to do so? I hate it.

Have to sign in way too frequently even when using ErgData 5 days a week. And I just completed a workout after connecting to the pm5 to find out that it didn’t record my workout. This is the second time in 2 weeks that has happened. Extremely frustrating.

New review: taking away a star… very frustrating app. Now it’s not breaking out the intervals in the interval table when programming a workout for constant intervals. For example, my 20 minute workout only shows as a 20 minute workout without breaking it down in the interval table with the 1 minute intervals and one minute rest for each interval which I had programmed it for in ErgData . It’s showing up as being programmed correctly when looking at the pm5 but not showing correctly in ErgData . And I can’t tell you how many times it doesn’t record the workout in ErgData at all.

With the Apple Watch integration to this app I have been pretty happy, but after a workout is completed I noticed my Move ring jump suddenly and thought there might be a duplication of calories. In fact, I was almost certain this was happening because I saw the watch collecting move data during the workout, and this app only posting calories to Apple Health (in 5 minute intervals) only AFTER the workout is completed.

However, I can confirm that there is no duplication of calories. It appears like there is but Apple prioritizes the calories and only adds in the more accurate total calories that this app provides. In fact, if you look at your move Calories before the workout starts, and then after, it closely matches the calories that this app calculated. PM5 calculates calories more accurately.

The problem that I have is that while Health knows that the calories shouldn't be double counted, this app only adds this calculation after the workout ends. I would prefer that this app added the Active Calories to Health during the workout so that you can look at your Move ring while working out and see how far you actually are to your goal.

I’ve updated everything and restarted everything, and still this app will not save my workout data. Everything shows properly at the end of my workout. When I press the “End Workout and View Logbook” button, the PM5 disconnects, and the this app app puts up the spinning thing. When that stops spinning, ErgData reappears, but none of the buttons work. I can swipe between screens, but that zeros all my data. Nothing gets saved to the log. I have to manually enter my workout data, which lacks all the graphed data my phone collected during the workout. ErgData has worked fine for months. Something between iOS 16 and whatever updates have been done to this app is broken when it comes to saving the workout data. It also used to save data to the Health App. That is also not working any longer despite all the boxes showing that it should be connected. Pleas fix this or tell me what I need to do to resolve it. I want my data saved.

ErgData ’s been reliable until this big update. I love it finally uses Watch heart rate but it doesn’t shut down when finished work out. The watch app comes on by itself and it’s not even installed. It’s wearing down my watch battery. Half the time it doesn’t record my heart rate.
ErgData is frequently asking me to sign into my account just to use it. It’s not recording my work outs sometimes. I never had error messages on the PM 5 but it’s happening now. Disappointed. Roll back the the update until you fix these bugs.

Old version from 2022 before all the fancy workout display changes was perfectly reliable for syncing workout data to logbook. New version is 50% reliable and will sit spinning and prompting for retries that also fail. Also old version used to automatically pull un-synced data from pm5.

Now when it fails I need to connect computer to usb and run the concept2 utility to sync missing entries.

Developer should focus on reliable record/sync first before fancy displays or provide the reliable “classic” version as an install option.

I like ErgData , but not sure why ErgData can’t be logged into using biometric/facial recognition like every other app. I waste time every single workout to open my browser, go to store passwords, find and copy the info, to then go back to ErgData to enter my password. Seems like very standard functionality in any modern day app.

Bluetooth connection was better in the previous version that didn’t require the above steps to login to connect and just row.

The reason I bough the machine vs the competition was the simple fact of get on, select a workout and just row. Now there’s the fumbling with ErgData to login, to the. Get connected to the rower and if all goes ok, I finally get the Just Row button.

I was excited to see the latest version of this app from Concept 2, I previously used Live Rowing until they stopped updating it. Also excited to else it would display on my Apple Watch and pull my HR, so I would have to wear a HR chest strap, the one thing I hated doing with Live Rowing. However, after six different workouts, still not able to get app to read HR. Checked all settings, I checked off every data point to be able to be read and written to/from watch to app, still noting. Until this is corrected, can only give two stars, as my HR is the main way I gauge my workouts.

Works, but not particularly user-friendly. ErgData doesn’t seem to recognize workout if started from the monitor rather. Heart rate connection is always manual for me even though I selected “yes” when ErgData asked me if I wanted automatic connection.

Would it not make sense to open ErgData to the Favorites tab rather than to the Create tab? Or at least remember where user left ErgData off for the next time.

ErgData could be improved.

TLDR: Reasonably unstable and getting better

The new look is great. Best part for me is being able to save favorites. A lot of minor functional improvements here and there that (ofc) have come at a cost of instability.
I lost the first three workouts I tried on ErgData due to crashes. Then I came back after the update and it seems to be saving them fine.
The other issue I had is it logged out by itself and can’t be used without logging in and that’s a big one for me since I frequently go without internet service for weeks. It hasn’t done it since the update.
The ultimate test comes in a couple of weeks when I’ll be on my ship with no internet access during 3 consecutive months. If I’m able to save all my workouts reliably (just like the old version used to do) I’ll rate it 5 stars as soon as I get back to port in the middle of October.

Dear Concept2,

ErgData is much better overall than the previous app. My favorite feature is the ability to create custom races and save them. Thank you for now letting me name them.

The Apple Watch heart rate sensor feature sometimes does not update while I’m rowing which is frustrating. I myself have written an app with your API that integrates with the Watch for heart rate information so I know that a lot of this is out of your hands and Apple doesn’t support this type of integration well. I don’t think customers appreciate how difficult it is to do.

I can’t give it 5 stars because I don’t have a good feeling about how much of my data is shared, with who, and for what purpose. I know that’s the way the industry is these days, but I’d love to see Concept 2 be a leader in dialing this back.

Overall though, bravo!

I really like the overall look and utility of the new update. But having a lot of trouble with saving and logging workouts. Dates messed up, menu to save workouts occasionally pulses and doesn’t let you save at all. When that happens you can’t return to the main menu so have to quit. But then the workout isn’t saved at all and isn’t visible in recents.

Would be useful to save more workouts in the ‘recent’ section immediately so that they could be synced to logbook later if there are connectivity issues.

I love ErgData. I’ve been rowing for years. Finally I don’t have to carry a paper logbook around. Little things like duplicating with the health app on the Apple Watch are no big deal (who cares anyway, wearable trackers are crap) and I really like it that the new version will update my rower’s firmware via bluetooth. Just don’t do it when you only have a short time window in which to work out- I had to delay this morning’s workout because the update took half of my available time. I’m looking forward to the rowing challenges being accessible within ErgData in a future version Good stuff

The PM5 gets a big boost when combined with ErgData…I pair my heart rate monitor and iPhone with the PM5, record workouts to C2 logbook, and also have them synced into Strava and Apple Health. After two years of use, ErgData has done a great job keeping everything on the same page. Also appreciate the ability to load workout of the day right from ErgData . Good work all around by devs — and grateful for no subscription fee!

Could add a pace calculator to ErgData , please? Like the one on the website. Thanks!

Nice job on the overhaul of ErgData . Took it for a spin this morning and did not have to skip a beat getting on the erg. It was very intuitive and had a lot of data right there that I wanted. And I could add data that I like easily. Heart rate monitor (Polar10) hooked up no problem. It’s been a long time coming, with the older version being very basic but very functional for a long time.

So not the most ideal solution, but it works. You just have to have an account with Garmin connect, and an account with this app logbook. Just download garmin connect, and setup your account. Next download the this app app, create your account in first startup of app, go into profile and add garmin app to list if sync’d applications. Once complete, use the this app app to connect to your concept2 rower. Once completed I made sure to lock down my privacy settings on both apps, and now Im able to track my rows with garmin connect.

I'm loving the new version of this app for the PM5! The fact that it now works seamlessly with my Apple Watch saves me the hassle of needing to use a heart rate strap, and the new display is cleaner and more modern looking.

I also appreciate being able to program the workout from ErgData , save and reuse workouts and so on. If you have a Mac with Apple Silicon, you can even run this app on your desktop for easier access to your logbook and for setting up workouts.

It's great to work with companies like Concept2 who continue to innovate and improve the software for their products. I've had my Model D for six years and still feel totally supported. Thanks guys!

For a company that makes probably the best piece of training equipment in the world, I think the reviews here are way too harsh. Yes, the old app was super simple and worked fine, but this update brings several useful features - I like being able to set the workout on ErgData directly, and the improved level of detailed info (and charts) on each workout. Yes, there are some bugs (drag factor isn’t recorded right now), but clearly these will be worked through over time.

All these haters need to quit crying and be thankful C2 provides a *free* app for a machine we all would be buying anyway! Go buy a Hydrow and pay $25 a month for a “perfect” app if you’re that aggrieved.

I’ve only been using it for a couple weeks but setup to my rower is extremely easy. Workout are very easy to set up and extremely customizable. I haven’t had to sign in more than once like a previous review says, I haven’t had any workouts be altered or deleted like other reviews say. ErgData is fantastic for what it’s supposed to do.