Best desks of 2026: I’ve spent almost 4,000 hours testing desks. These are the ones you want

Why I like it:

I’ve used a lot of desks throughout my career, but I can honestly say I’ve never used a desk like the Magnus Pro XL. It’s both the most industrial table, while still exuding enormous player energy. It has a five-setting standing system and the motors are some of the quietest I’ve heard in testing. The movement is smooth and even though the desk weighs a lot, it stands up quickly and without problems. I’ve never thought about using a standing desk for gaming before, but it really helps break up hours of sitting.

If gaming is your job and you need a large desk to help you out, I can’t recommend the Magnus Pro XL enough.

Who is it for:

When gaming you tend to have a lot of extra cables and monitors, so you need a few extra features. If you can manage the cost of extras, I would recommend it. Cable management is already excellent with the integrated power supply, as well as the large trench in the back, but the optional magnetic conduit allows you to hide all your wiring. I particularly liked the PC stand that connects your gaming tower to the stand, bringing it up with the table so your cables aren’t stretched when the desk moves.

Who should not buy it:

Measuring 70 inches long and made almost exclusively of metal parts, this desk is not meant to be assembled by one person. Assembling this desk with just one person took two hours. If you don’t have a way for someone to help you, you may want to consider another office. Other than that, the cost of this desk is my only sticking point. Fully loaded, it’ll cost you $1,700, although you can reduce that with fewer optional extras.

Why I like it:

At first glance, the Branch Standing Desk seems quite generic, but the level of craftsmanship is evident upon closer inspection. All the materials feel premium with a weight that only comes from good engineering. Assembly was simple and only took me about 30 minutes, although I think having two people would cut this down considerably. It was also packaged extremely well – something Branch does with all of their products – so it was in perfect condition once I put everything together. The Branch desk can store four distinct heights and has a convenient cable door on the back to keep your desk clear and tidy.

Who is it for:

Those looking to replace their desk in an office or who regularly work from home will find this an excellent professional-style desk. It’s neat, professional and very easy to use. Even if you don’t like the desk look, warmer wood and gray leg options can also give it a little more personality. If you’re furnishing an office, the Branch desk and the Verve office chair from our best office chairs make a great combination.

Who should not buy it:

While the desk is well-built with quality materials and is a good fit for most people, if you’re looking for more features on your desk aside from lifting capacity or something more budget-friendly, this may not be the choice for you. Additionally, while there are options to make the desk look a little more unique, it tends to lean more toward a professional-looking desk, so if you want personality, there may be a better choice for you.

Not every office we test makes the best list. Some of them aren’t even good enough to mention. Some are close to being good enough that we’re willing to mention them here. These desktops had an issue that kept them from making the top of the list, but they’re OK if you can overlook the specific issue.

• Everest Desk: This was once one of our best desks, but the company has since closed and the desks are no longer available. Not all of the best desks are specifically designed as computer desks. This Everest worktable is a brilliant example. Not only is it easy on the eyes – the powder-coated legs and bamboo top match perfectly – but it can work in more spaces than just a desk. While it’s not technically a standing desk, it can be adjusted from desk height to bar height, giving you a wide variety of ways to sit or stand. I like that it is slightly taller than a normal desk so I can use it to take things apart while still sitting comfortably. Assembly was easily done by one person. The work table comes with nice cable management as a bonus.
• Homary Executive Desk: This Homary desk looks fantastic when assembled. The glossy white finish and antique gold accents give it the luxurious look a $1,500 desk should have. All the individual pieces have the weight you’d expect from an executive item, and once it’s all put together it looks absolutely stunning. The desk we received for testing had the wrong holes drilled for the hardware needed to build it, and it arrived damaged despite being strapped to a pallet. Homary replaced the broken part without issue or complaint, but was unable to repair the poorly drilled parts. This meant I had to go to Home Depot to get new parts to repair them myself. Now, do I think this happens all the time to all Homary products? No, otherwise the business would no longer operate. I wouldn’t be able to test it properly if I had to buy the parts myself.
• Monoprice Steel Frame Computer Desk: Gaming desks can be extremely expensive, especially when you add extras. This desk from Monoprice is simple, cheap, stable, and has some nice extras like a headphone hook, cable management tray, and off-desk cup holder. Having your drink on the side of the desk is a great idea. If you spill it, the contents will end up on the floor and not on the expensive electronics in your office. The work surface is grippy, with grommets on the back for routing cables. I wish they were a bit bigger, but they do the job as long as you don’t have too many cables. A cutout at the front allows you to get closer to the work surface while maintaining good posture. At the price, the Monoprice is a decent entry-level gaming desk, although I noted that any holes that should have been pre-drilled weren’t (as is the case with several desks I’ve reviewed). When the manual tells you to screw something in a specific location, there must be pre-drilled holes for this to happen, otherwise you could end up splitting the wood.

Testing desks is somewhat of a subjective game. Much like office chairs, testing is based on comfort, reliability and ease of installation rather than things you can test in electronics such as power and battery usage. I have tested each of them again rigorously and will continue to test their longevity in the months to come.

I tested these desks by having three people try each one. Each of them used the desk for at least 16 hours and then shared their impressions with me. All three people were 6 feet 1 inch tall; 5 feet 8 inches tall; and 5 feet 4 inches tall respectively, to give me a good cross-section of the average user’s height.

Installation time and package quality

Building offices can often be difficult and time-consuming. For each desk, I timed how long it took to unpack and assemble, and noted whether the manual was easy to follow. I followed the instructions as closely as possible so that each build came out as if I had never built one before. I also carefully checked the packaging to make sure it was not damaged and if it was secure enough to transport the desk inside. Any damage was noted and images sent to the manufacturers for review.

Structural integrity

Modern offices must be able to support significant weight. If you’re at a desk, you might only have a small laptop, but if you’re using a gaming desk, it probably also has dual monitors and a giant gaming PC. For each desk I checked the maximum load specification and tried to match it to the materials we actually use on our desks.

I used:

• A heavy gaming PC tower
• Two 27-inch gaming monitors on one arm for two monitors
• A MacBook Pro
• Two different keyboards and matching mice and trackpads
• My Oculus Quest 2
• My phone holder and USB hub
• A podcasting microphone and headphones

Depending on the length and weight capacity of the desk, I mix and match these items and then check for any curvature of the top or any inconsistencies in the feel of the desk as I work.

The wobbles

It’s a bit of a setback Our time goes back to when my father made furniture. Everything my father built was criticized by my mother, and if it didn’t pass, she would say, “It’s a bit shaky, isn’t it, darling?” Once I have built each desk and loaded it for normal use, I would check it for wobbles. This means rocking it side to side and back and forth to check that all the screws, bolts and fasteners are holding everything rigid.