As important as it is to have a great desktop or laptop for work and play, you also need to consider the surface you work or play on. A great gaming desk can make a real difference if you're a gamer, but if you're an office worker or someone in between, just having an excellent desk is a significant upgrade for your day-to-day life.
Whether you're looking for a sit/stand desk to improve your posture, something affordable to tuck into a corner, or a big gaming desk with all the bells and whistles, here are some of the best computer desks you can buy.
The best adjustable computer desk
Uplift Desk
- Incredible build quality
- Range of enticing desk surface options
- Loads of extras and accessories
- Strong dual motors are quiet and effective
- Expensive, especially with real wood surfaces
The Uplift standing desk has evolved a lot over the years, and in 2024 has become the most impressive standing desk we've ever had the pleasure of trying out. It's been writer Jon Martindale's main standing desk for years, now, and beat out his original, more affordable option with its sheer build quality, and impressive sit/stand mechanism. The dual-motor design is quiet and smooth, with impact detection and strong lift ability that lets you mount a range of displays, electronics, and gadgets (or even climb on it if needed) without trouble.
It is expensive, especially if you opt for the real wood surface and add-on accessories, but if you want a customized desk to work and play at with the option of standing to save your posture and burn some calories, the Uplift is the best option out there.
Best cheap computer desk
Convenience Concepts Modern Student Desk
- Great, budget-friendly price
- No extra tools required for assembly
- Lots of dedicated storage space for accessories, but still maintains minmalist design
- Not a lot of surface/tabletop space, only big enough for a laptop
If you are looking for the most affordable desk you can find because you just spent every penny on an office chair, supplies, games, and so on, then this Convenience Concepts model is probably just what you need.
The Designs2Go No Tools Student Desk is very affordable, and because it comes lined with pre-made holes, it can be put together without any extra tools or strenuous labor. The desk also includes enough space for your accessories and books without being too cumbersome, though the surface is probably better suited for a laptop since it measures only 15 inches deep. The lack of space helps keep weight to a minimum, however, which makes it easy to move around should you need to transport it.
The best kids computer desk
Arozzi Arena Gaming Desk
- Height-adjustable legs
- Includes cable-management cutouts
- Water-resistant mouse-pad surface
- Lacks storage space and compartments
This svelte gaming desk is available in a variety of colors, making it easy to pick a scheme that will match your gaming rig. The shape is conducive to focused gaming and helps keep peripherals a little closer at hand (plus, it matches curved monitors quite nicely).
The Arozzi Arena Gaming Desk‘s surface is designed with a water-resistant material that serves as a mouse pad, so feel free to use your mouse anywhere on it. While the legs are simple, they are also height-adjustable, and three hidden cable management cutouts are included to help with organization. All of these features make it a solid entry-level gaming option — and a fun-looking computer desk for your child. It’s a minimalistic but effective computing desk that may be just what you’re looking for — just don’t go over 176 pounds.
The best budget corner desk
Furinno Go Green Home Computer Desk
- Space-saving design for smaller environments
- Partly made of recycled materials
- Has shelves for accessories storage
- Cramped work surface/tabletop, only enough room for a laptop
Here’s a great desk for when you don’t really want a computer desk at all but still need an occasional computer work area. This Furinno desk can easily serve as a table in the entryway, bedroom, dining room, or anywhere else.
The Furinno Go Green Home Computer Desk just happens to have the right space and proportions for plunking down your laptop or setting up your PC for a work session. It includes the use of recycled materials in its composition, so it can also meet a preference for environmentally friendly furniture if necessary.
The best traditional desk
Sauder Selection Collection Computer Desk
- Tons of storage space, including drawers, shelves, and a cabinet
- Classic, traditional design
- Grommet hole to help hide computer cords
- May be a bit too bulky for smaller offices
While the popularity behind standing desks makes total sense (the products do have their benefits), consumers shouldn’t discount the value of working at a traditional computer desk.
Consider the Sauder computer desk if you’re looking for a classic desk at a budget-friendly price. The desk features a brushed maple finish and ample storage space for your office space. Manufacturers built this furniture to stand the test of time and store your essential items.
This particular piece is durable and also multifunctional. You’ll find sliding drawers for sleek-looking storage and a desktop grommet hole to help hide your computer cords.
The Sauder computer desk also features a slide-out keyboard and mouse tray function. If you prefer to keep a tidy desk space or like the minimal look, you can simply slide the drawer out of sight to create a cleaner-looking desk area. On top of that, you can also easily slide a desktop in the side door or hold any additional items within its storage.
The best L-shaped computer desk
Welwick Designs 52-inch L-Shaped Dark Walnut Computer Desk with Keyboard Tray
- Tons of dedicated storage space, including cubbies
- Sleek, modern design
- Includes a keyboard tray
- Expensive at nearly $500
If you need more storage space out of your computer desk but want something more modern-looking, you should consider this L-shaped computer desk from Welwick Designs. It has a sleek, space-saving design that will fit perfectly into the corner of your office or bedroom.
This desk comes with six roomy cubbies for accessories or book storage, three adjustable shelves, a gliding keyboard tray, and organization options for your cords. It is on the expensive side (nearly $500), but if you need the storage space, the price seems worth it.
Best gaming desk
Secretlab Magnus
- Sturdy metal construction
- Built-in RGB lighting
- Fitted with desk-pad surface for comfort and gaming ability
- Magnetic system makes it easy to add accessories
- Built-in cable tidies
- Lacks sit/stand capabilities of Pro version
If you want a desk built for gaming, the SecretLab Magnus is hard to beat. Its strong metal design means it can handle a range of gaming hardware, with ease, and its magnetic accessory system is easy to use and makes customizing the desk more simple. It comes with RGB lighting and effective cable runs as standard, though, so you don't need to augment this desk to make the most of it.
It comes in a range of color and size options, and there are also a range of mousing surface designs you can opt for to customize your gaming desk for added personality. It's a very heavy desk, though, so this might be one you want to build with a friend.
If you want the ability to sit and stand while you play, there's an upgraded Secretlab Magnus Pro with built-in motors and adjustable legs.
Best desk converter
Vivo 32-inch Desk Converter
- Converts a standard desk into a standing desk
- Adjustable height
- Large enough for dual monitors
- Built-in keyboard and mouse tray
If you don't want to buy a whole new desk just to get the ability to sit and stand at it, you can always augment your existing desk with a desk converter, like this excellent model from Vivo. It has a large, 32-inch base that is big enough for multiple monitors — or just one large ultrawide — although it is also available in smaller and larger sizes, depending on your needs.
You get a range of vinyl finishes, from wood grain to metallic. It's sturdy and strong, able to take up to 33 pounds on its lifting mechanism — that's enough for even some of the larger monitors out there. There's also a built-in keyboard and mouse tray, to keep your arms at the right height for good posture. It's fully height adjustable, too, so you can make it the right height for your needs, rather than trying to fit yourself to the desk's demands.
Frequently Asked Questions
The easy answer is: wherever it will fit in your home. But for computer desks, you will for sure want a location with an easy-to-access electrical outlet and that’s not too far away from your home Wi-Fi setup. You may also want to consider how often you’ll be using this desk and what you’ll be using it for. A fully-involved desktop gaming battle station will more likely need more space and possibly its own room. If you just need a quick work-from-home setup, you may be able to fit a small computer desk into your bedroom or a section of your living room if either of those rooms has the space to spare.
It varies. It really depends on the type of desk and its overall design. Plus, certain sit/stand desks are adjustable, which can add to variations in desk height.
Based solely on the desks mentioned in this article, however, you can expect to see computer desks ranging in height from 27 inches to 50 inches.
You can buy them from big-box and online retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Office Depot, or Best Buy. You can also buy them directly from a manufacturer, like some of the vendors on our list, including Sauder, Secretlab, and Uplift.
