Balancefrom SKI MACHINE – Budget SkiErg in 2026

Last updated on February 5th, 2026 at 08:54 am

I’ve tried a lot of different cardio machines. Rowers, treadmills, various bikes, sleds, but the one I’ve never tinkered with was a SkiERG. The Concept2 model gets a LOT of positive feedback, and I’ve used battle ropes before, so I know what upper body dominant cardio feels like. But recently I tracked down a STUPID deal for a Balancefrom SKI MACHINE that I just couldn’t pass up. I’m not a fan of knock-offs, but for a science experiment, I just had to dive in.

Transparency Note

I purchased the Balancefrom SKI MACHINE from my own pocket from Wal-Mart while on sale for the 2025 Holiday Season. I am a Wal-Mart affiliate, so if you use my link I will get a small kick back that will help me maintain this site and buy future products to review. I appreciate your support.

Balancefrom SKI MACHINE Overview

The Balancefrom SKI MACHINE is a white labelled SkiERG style cardio device shipped from Wal-Mart. You can probably get a number of these from Amazon and other retailers as well. They are listed under different manufacturer names, might have slightly different color schemes, but are almost guaranteed to be the same thing.

How do I know this? Well mine was listed as Balancefrom and it came with a Signature Fitness sticker on it. The instructions and the box were the same. This is a dead giveaway that they are pulling this from a warehouse in China, slapping a name on it, and shipping it out.

Balancefrom SKI MACHINE Specs

• Brand: BalanceFrom
• Made In USA: No
• Power Required: Batteries
• Dimensions: 7ft tall, 4ft deep, 2ft wide
• Recommended Weight Capacity: 300lbs
• Weight: 83.6 lbs
• Warranty: None
• Return Window: None
• Assembly: Less than 1 hour

Balancefrom SKI MACHINE FAQ

I’ll build this out as questions come in.

Shipping & Assembly

The overall packaging was done well enough. I freaking hate styrofoam because it ALWAYS explodes and leaves fragments everywhere. It is like the glitter of packing materials. But it worked well enough for the machine to not get destroyed.

From there we ran into a number of problems. The instructions were INSANELY poorly written. Remember that my job is assembling and testing gym equipment. I struggled with these instructions. To the point where a few steps were flat out WRONG. Not just poorly worded or out of order, wrong.

On top of that, after assembly, I was left with the above extra parts. I’m pretty positive that several of these are concrete anchors. These are not mentioned in the instructions at all, and I’m not positive that this machine even supports this. The metal piece seems to be a duplicate part (I hope) that was already attached to the machine. And the rest… well, fingers crossed.

I actually don’t hate it when there is an extra nut, bolt, or screw (or two) for the sake of dropping one on the floor and being stuck forever. But this amount is concerning.

Balancefrom SKI MACHINE Features

The BalanceFrom Ski Machine works like any other ERG based machine. It has a fan that can be adjusted to make it easier, or more difficult. You pull on whatever handle you have at your disposal, and the fan drags against the air providing resistance.

This is the same model used in Concept2 Rowers, Merach Rowers, Rogue Rowers, and more. And it is the same model used here in the BalanceFrom Ski Machine. This flywheel has a dampener, which can adjust with 10 different settings, so smaller athletes and larger athletes can accommodate their strokes. In initial use I am sitting around a 4 or 5 for sprints with other athletes in my gym around 2 or 3.

The Monitor on my Merach NovaRow R50 was terrible. It was a perfectly fine rower, but the monitor was trash. The monitor on the BalanceFrom Ski Machine seems to be much better. I’m not sure it competes with the PM5, but it appears to be good enough out the gate.

A big difference between this and a rower, is that instead of sitting, you are standing. This means you need a nice platform with adequate grip, and a tall enough upright that even at full extension, we can do our thing. The handles are interesting. In first use, I’m not a huge fan. They feel small and uncomfortable. We’ll see what happens with a few months of use.

I have concerns that this will be too tall for my daughter and her teammates to use without help. And it MIGHT be too short for taller athletes much over 6ft.

That said, so far the stability has been adequate. Even at my 250ft frame, I haven’t noticed any issues. The machine is fairly small and compact, which is awesome. It easily sits on my back patio, and would fit on a single horse stall mat. This makes it one of the most space friendly cardio options, especially in use. And since there is absolutely no set up time, it is ready to rock right away.

Much like the rowers, the monitor runs off batteries. A plus for most gyms, because it means no power necessary.

What I’m Looking For In The Balancefrom SKI MACHINE

My biggest concern with the Balancefrom SKI MACHINE is longevity. In the picture above you can see that out of the box, parts were already covered in rust and oxidation. This is far from ideal. Considering the extra pieces left behind from assembly, I also have concerns that maybe something wasn’t assembled 100% perfectly.

Concept2 is a company that makes fantastic equipment, and stands behind it. Their machines get used in the most aggressive gyms by top level athletes around the world, and in the rare occasion that something gives up, they fix it. You can still find replacement parts for their original model rowers several decades later.

I reached out to Balancefrom and they never replied back. Straight from their website, nothing. So I’m not sure we are going to get any support here if anything happens. Even if they did reply, considering this is a white label unit, I don’t think there is anything they can do. At BEST they would send out a replacement machine. But most likely you’ll be ghosted and left to pony up more money.

So I’m going to give this thing a good 6 months of regular use, stored outside, by me and multiple athletes, to see what happens. If anything falls apart, goes weird, or otherwise scares me, I’ll let you know. I need to know that this budget option isn’t just trash, but a valid purchase.

Other Options On The Market

The Concept2 SkiERG is the obvious. There are other options, as mentioned, on Wal-Mart and other platforms. But you are playing a price game of trying to find the one on sale. They are ALL the same, with the Concept2 being the only standout.

Sign Up For More

The Balancefrom SKI MACHINE is not currently scheduled for a full review. If that changes, I will add it to the Review Pipeline.

Want to snag a Balancefrom SKI MACHINE? Check this link.