Best gaming desk in 2020

The best gaming desk isn’t simply an investment in aesthetics, it’s also one of the best ways to take your ergonomics game to the next level. Literally. They can be as integral to creating the ultimate gaming experience as a quality chair, with adjustable sit/stand desks also helping to keep your posture in check, too. Sure, you can jam the best graphics card into your machine, perch the whole system atop a beer keg, and your frame rate is going to be the same, but we’re spending more and more time in front of our PCs, so it’s in your best interests to create an environment that works for you.And the best gaming desk is an important part of that. Maintaining the right body position at your machine will ensure those many hours spent staring at your monitor aren’t going to result in actual pain. Paired with one of the best gaming chairs in these working from home times of ours, such a setup will keep you happy, healthy, and on top of your game. Whether or not you’re actually gaming.There are many different options on offer when it comes to picking the best gaming desk for you. The first thing to consider is your body position—do you want to be sitting, standing, or having flexibility for both? Sitting for hours on end can negatively affect your body, as can standing in one position, so if you are going to be stationed at your machine for a long time, it’s worth going for a flexible option. You also don’t have to ditch your current desk either, if it already has the storage you need, for example. You can pick up a desk converter that will allow you to go from sitting to standing easily.Then you need to think about space, price, and cable management. Like it or not, our gaming PCs come with a whole lot of wires to manage. We’ve picked some different gaming desk options and tested them on our own setups at home.  (Image credit: Flexispot)1. Flexispot EN1B The best value electric height adjustable desk.Height: 28 – 48 inches | Weight support: 154 lbs | Desktop dimensions: 39 x 20 inches min | 63 x 31 inches max | Warranty: 3 yr motor, 5 yr frameSmooth, quiet operationEasy-to-use height presetsSimple and clean designGreat value for moneyThe Flexispot EN1B may not have the catchiest name here, but it makes for an impressively sturdy, motorized adjustable desk for anyone looking to upgrade their home/gaming/office setup. And it will do it all at a reasonable price. The Flexispot supports heights from 71cm (27.8in) up to 121cm (47.6in), which should have you covered for all comfortable sitting and standing setups. The control panel can hold three different height profiles in its memory banks and moves smoothly between them. Or you can set your own height manually, with the current level shown on the three-digit display.Of course, the main thing you want from any desk is stability. If everything is bouncing along as you type, it doesn’t matter if you’re sitting or standing; you’re going to want to break it up. The good news is that the Flexipost is rock solid—even though I have an old screen with a flimsy stand, it doesn’t move even with my most aggressive emails. When you raise and lower the desk, the smooth action instills confidence too, and it’s just as sturdy at its highest position.Construction is a straightforward task as well, taking just over an hour to turn the two boxes into a working, versatile desk. A few more pre-drilled holes for the control box and the central beam would have been nice, but the surface is easy enough to screw into with a little elbow grease. The only downside to the whole desk is that there are no sensors to stop the motor if it hits an obstacle when it’s going down, which could be expensive if your chair gets caught under it. Or upsetting if it’s your cat. Overall, an impressive desk for sitting and standing, for really not much cash.(Image credit: Flexispot)2. Flexispot Sanodesk E9 The best anti-collision, electric adjustable standing desk.Height: 28.8 – 48.4-inches | Weight support: 110 lbs | Desktop dimensions: 47.2 x 23.6-inches | Warranty: 5 yr frame and motor, 2 year electronicsSmooth, quiet and sturdyEasy-to-use height presetsAnti-collision techChild lockThis one is not actually marketed as a gaming desk, but it does the job tenfold. Having taken just over an hour to put together, with no hiccups, the first thing we noted was its exceptional sturdiness, even when weighed down significantly with hardware. We managed to fit a full-size PC tower, surround sound system with a subwoofer, and a double 24-inch monitor setup on there, without fear of the desk toppling. Even in the highest standing position, there’s only a bit of giving, and that’s only if you press down really hard on it.Really, though, the main thing that sets this Flexispot apart from the other motorized, height-adjustable desk on this list (the EN1B) is collision detection. Not only are you safe from accidentally crushing your chair—or worse, your children—you can even change the sensitivity, depending on how much these things mean to you. There’s even a child lock so no one can fiddle about with your settings or your saved height modes—of which you can program four.Although there are no options to mix and match desktops colors, with only full black or white options in the US, Flexispot really has thought of everything else, it seems. There are options for loads of accessories to choose from, including (but not limited to) lockable drawers, a desk-sized mouse pad, and single or double monitor mounts.With the wealth of features, coupled with rugged stability and smooth operation, this desk comes in at the great value asking price of $379.99 (£439.98 for the UK E7 version that we tested), only a little more than the EN1B. It only seems to be available on the Flexispot store, so check it out there if you’re interested. (Image credit: Arozzi)3. Arozzi Arena The best gaming desk for twitch gamers and hydrophobics.Height: 28 – 32 inches | Weight support: 176 lbs | Desktop dimensions: 32 x 63 inches | Warranty: Limited 2 yearAll mouse mat, all the timeHydrophobic surfaceWhole lotta spaceFirst things first, this thing is excruciatingly heavy; I had to get help rolling the two separate boxes into the living room for unpacking. Once there, however, it took me around two hours to get it all together. After one minor cockup, a dash of assistance, and a pinch of spice, we finally got there. Now in my living room stands this beautifully rounded monstrosity, with enough desktop real estate to take on the state of Alaska. The manual’s adorable illustrations made the process streamlined, but I will say the machining quality was a little off, with some misaligned holes and parts not sitting as flush as I would’ve expected. The legs are sturdy, but consider the surface you’re going to place the thing on carefully. It actually recommends rug or carpet placement, as opposed to a hard surface floor. It has settled nicely into my thick carpet, after some anxiety over precarious wobbles, but there’s still a fair amount of travel when I push up to get out of my chair.The built-in mesh hammock for cable management, however, is awesome. And I’m no longer vexed by constantly falling off the edge of my mouse mat because the desktop’s whole surface is a mouse mat. I was mesmerized by the hydrophobic surface and had to resist deliberately spilling drinks to watch the liquid ball up. And, perhaps most of all, I love having so much desktop space. So, while the engineers in my family would have been a little distressed by the setup, I am pretty enamored with the final beast. I can fit my gaming tower up top comfortably, alongside my two monitors and peripherals, with loads of space for coffee cups, open notebooks, and even a lamp. I’d say that’s a win.(Image credit: Lian Li)4. Lian Li DK-04F The best complete gaming desk… that’s also a PC.Height: 27 – 46 inches | Weight support: 176 lbs | Desktop dimensions: 30 x 39 inches | Warranty: Limited 1 yearTempered glass top is super blingCan house a serious gaming PCAdjustable height with presets and sensorThe Lian Li DK-04F is the ultimate gaming desk, simply because it will essentially also be your PC and its security device too. It’s going to be incredibly hard for any would-be thief to make off with your rig should it be housed inside this weighty beast. With a 1 meter width, this beast is actually the smaller sibling, too; Lian Li also makes the DK-05F, in which you can fit two discrete gaming PCs. At its heart, it’s a motorized standing/sitting desk with telescopic legs that can adjust at the press of a button. It’s endlessly tunable to hit the perfect height and has four programmable height profiles, as well as manual adjustment buttons. Then it’s also a space-saving gaming chassis, as inside you can fit practically any PC components you could wish for, and it’s surprisingly easy to build into as well. The desk itself is not that easy to actually build itself, however. The individual legs are super heavy, and the metal ‘chassis’ isn’t much better. You’re definitely going to need a hand building it, or maybe an engine winch. It’s classic Lian Li, too, by which I mean my fingers were striped with bloody slices once the chassis-on-legs was built. There were also some misaligned screw holes on my review sample, though that has not impacted its impressive solidity. In the end, even with a couple of monitors mounted directly on the desktop, it’s a robust desktop, even at its full height.Then there’s that tempered glass top. It’s frosted, which makes the included RGB strips look great when your system’s fully built, but at a single button press, it can be made crystal clear so you can gaze adoringly down into your PC’s insides. It’s completely unnecessary, and I love it. However, it’s a blessing and a curse because even the best gaming mouse will need a good mouse mat with that glass surface beneath it.But, at $1,500, it’s insanely expensive, and with just a one year warranty, that feels a little stingy too. And that’s also without any of the components needed actually to build a PC into it. All told, that’s a hell of a lot for a gaming desk and a lot for a PC chassis. But it absolutely is a lovely, lovely thing for the serious enthusiast.(Image credit: VariDesk)5. VariDesk Pro Plus The best convertible standing desk.Height: 4.5 – 17.5 inches | Weight support: 35 lbs | Desktop dimensions: 30 x 30 – 48 inches | Warranty: Limited 5 yearComes pre-built Fits on existing deskBoth sitting and standing useYou may not want to replace your office furniture completely—or even be able to if it’s not actually yours—which makes a converter, such as VariDesk’s Pro Plus range, a great option. The Pro Plus is available in different sizes and can sit atop most desktops, and immediately gives you the ability to switch from sitting to standing. It’s also one of the simplest ways to get yourself a standing desk; it requires no setup and doesn’t impact the desktop you place it on. The VariDesk Pro Plus comes ready to roll straight out of the box. All you need to do is place it on top of your current desk, and you’re good to go. You’ll need some strength to get it there as this thing is not light.Though, once it’s set up, that’s not an issue and means it’s an impressively sturdy solution at each of its 11 height settings. We’ve been able to run a pair of monitors on the top section with the extended lower section ideal for mouse and keyboard. Okay, it’s not ideal for a mouse because the surface does not play nice with most sensors. We actually had to jury rig our own shaped mouse mat to get a decent experience, but the two-tier stepping still makes for a great desktop.The VariDesk isn’t motorized, but it uses a spring-loaded mechanism with twin handles to make it easy to move from sitting to standing quickly. The action is smooth and doesn’t require a huge amount of force to shift, even when multiple monitors and peripherals sat on top of it.(Image credit: BDI)6. BDI Stance The best luxury standing desk.Height: 24 – 49 inches | Weight support: 150 lbs | Desktop dimensions: 24 x 48 inches | Warranty: Limited 3 yearGorgeousSuper sturdySmooth motorised actionThe first thing you’ll notice is that the BDI Stance is gorgeous. The satin-etched tempered glass surface and powder-coated steel legs put it leagues ahead of cheaper standing desks, which often use a laminate surface that’s easy to scratch. BDI claims its glass finish offers protection against scratches and fingerprints, and our experience mostly validates that claim.Assembly took a little over an hour, and we recommend having a second person around to help get it upright since it weighs over 100 pounds. The 48 x 24-inch desk was more than enough space for me, though if you need the extra room, these desks also come as large as 66 x 30-inches.The only big negative against the Stance as a gaming desk is a noticeable lack of storage. An optional keyboard drawer is a great place for hiding away a keyboard and mouse since there are little cut-outs to run the cable through. For day to day use, the keyboard drawer’s surface is an unflattering textured rubber that doesn’t make for a great gaming mouse surface. If you skip the drawer, invest in a giant mousepad to give you all the gaming surface you need without smudging the glass.Sure it’s super-pricey, but if you have about $1,400 burning a hole in your pocket and are looking to class up your work and play space, the BDI Stance electric lift desks are seriously well-crafted and stylish.Round up of today’s best dealsArozzi Arena Gaming Desk -…VariDesk Pro Plus 36 by Vari…

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