Why You Can Trust CNET The Best Desks, According to the CNET Staff Who Use Them
When you sit at your desk for at least 40 hours a week, you get to know everything about it. We show you our desks and why we love them.
- 6 years working professionally in the 3D printing space / 4 years testing consumer electronics for large websites.
Choosing the best desk for you can be difficult. If you haven't had a desk in your house for a while, you may find you don't have the space for something large, or the area you have won't fit an L-shape desk. Choosing the right desk is important.
Many of us had to squeeze "offices" into little nooks to make working from home a reality when the pandemic struck. Some of us here at CNET needed desks that could hold a laptop and be used to review devices like monitors, mice and keyboards. Others took the opportunity to try to be healthier with standing desks or hybrid desks.
We've taken a look at the various desks the CNET team acquired, and we've collected our favorites for you. Some members of the team chose poorly -- we're not infallible! -- so we've filtered out the ones that broke easily or were just too uncomfortable to use.
When I was looking to furnish a home office after years of working at the kitchen table, I wanted a simple standing desk that looked nice and was easy to use. This Fezibo model fits the bill -- it wasn't difficult to get set up, and includes buttons for three different programmable heights for your sitting and standing preferences.
This standing desk doesn't have as many bells and whistles as some of the more expensive models, but it's simple and clean-looking (I chose the all-white model), and feels sturdy. I'd recommend it for anyone looking for a simple standing desk option that gets the job done (and lets you work more comfortably).
-- Alison DeNisco Rayome
At first glance, the Branch standing desk looks pretty generic, but the level of craftsmanship is apparent on closer inspection. All of the materials feel premium with a weight that only comes from good engineering.
Putting it together was simple, and only took about 30 minutes, though I think having two people would reduce that significantly. It was also extremely well packaged -- something that Branch does with all its products -- so it was in top shape once I had it all together.
The Branch desk can remember four separate heights and has a handy cable door at the back to keep your desk clear and tidy. While the desk can feel a little too business-like -- I bought the white top and white legs -- if you choose one of the warmer woods and the grey legs, it will likely fit into your home office better.
If you are furnishing an office, the Branch desk and the Verve chair from our best office chairs list are a great combination.
-- James Bricknell
I spent a lot of time researching desks to figure out what works for the kind of office I needed in my life as a remote employee. With the convenience of the internet, I took to Amazon and searched for every desk you can think of: long ones, short ones, executive desks, everything. But once I came across CubiCubi's modern L- shaped desk, I knew it was for me. It has everything going for it.
At 59.1-inches, it has ample space for two monitors (and a desktop below) on one side and the other side is holding my work computer, portable monitor, charging station, Nintendo Switch and my Yeti mic. Because I game and work, it's important to have a lot of space in the ability to move back and forth between both sections of this desk, and I can do that easily.
For such a low cost, this desk is by far the best purchase I've had since I've become a remote worker and a YouTube gaming hobbyist. While I'm not a fan of the fabric drawer it comes with, if you get rid of it and buy an attachable one that works for you, then you'll find this desk is outstanding in both price and function.
-- Robin Mosley
I wanted a standing desk but wanted more room than most of them offered. Luckily, Autonomous allows you to pick between three different size tops for the desk, and I went with the largest one. It has dual motors, so it goes up and down without any issue and it's quiet enough that I can easily change positions even during a work call without bothering anyone.
Autonomous also makes a bunch of accessories for the desk, including a cable organizer that mounts under it to help keep things looking neat. I've been using the desk for almost four years at this point and (aside from when I scratched it moving houses last year) it still looks brand new. It has plenty of room so I can keep my large ultra-wide monitor on top of a riser at the back and have space on each side for speakers and more.
It was an investment, but it's held up well and I would absolutely buy another one if this one stopped functioning properly.
-- Jared DiPane
When I first started looking for a gaming desk I knew I was going to need something big to hold my gaming PC and the monitors I use on a daily basis. At 60 inches (5 feet), this desk from Eureka has room for everything I need, including the extra laptop I have now for work.
It also has cool RGB lights running along its edge and comes with a headphone hook, drinks holder, giant mouse mat and a stand for your controller. The drinks holder is a great touch as I tend to swipe my cup or can when I am playing. This way if I whack my drink, it won't spill all over my electronics.
-- James Bricknell
My wife and I bought these desks for when we moved into our home, and they've been great. I needed a large and comfortable space to hold my keyboard, mouse, ultrawide monitor and microphone, and this did the trick. My wife meanwhile got the smaller glass-top version of this desk and it's been working for her well too.
My only complaint is I've had to learn how to cable manage better in order for the desk to comfortably switch from sit to stand mode. I ended up buying some cable runs to manage under the desk and a monitor arm, which also made a big difference in clearing space on the desk.
-- Ian Sherr