You’re welcome to pick up just about any desk for your gaming PC setup. You can even pop by your local surplus store and get a cheap wooden table. But bear in mind, your gaming desk of choice isn’t just going to house that gaming rig you’ve spent good money on, as it’s also where you’ll spend lots of hours. So, by getting a less-than-ideal one, you’re risking your gear and your well-being. That’s why finding a capable gaming desk that works for your budget and needs is essential.
Beyond the quality of materials, durability, dimensions, and desk surface area of great gaming desks, there are details most people, even gamers, probably don’t think about. Things like ergonomics, weight limit, height adjustability, tabletop material, and modularity are all of varying importance depending on the type of setup you’re looking for. And that’s without mentioning extra frills like RGB lighting, a cable management system, and charging ports.
We’ve taken all that into consideration to bring you a selection of gaming desks that’ll take your battle station to the next level. Here are our top picks – and click here to find find them in the UK.
TL;DR – These are the Best Gaming Desks:
- FlexiSpot Height Adjustable Gaming Desk
- Ikea Utespelare
- Mojo Standing Desk Gamer Pro
- Thermaltake ToughDesk 500L RGB Battlestation
- Uplift V2 4-Leg Standing Desk
- Thermaltake ToughDesk 300 RGB
- Secretlab Magnus Pro
- Cougar E-Mars
- Lian Li DK-05F
- FlexiSpot EC1 Adjustable Standing Desk
FlexiSpot Height Adjustable Gaming Desk
Best Gaming Desk
Classy and convenient yet affordable and robust: that’s what you’re getting with FlexiSpot’s desk offerings, and its gaming solution doesn’t fall far from the tree. The FlexiSpot Height Adjustable Gaming Desk costs under $350, taking on a simple, no-frills approach, but that just means you’ll have extra cash for customizations and accessories. Don’t worry, though, as the desk is made of double steel tubing, making it sturdy and stable even when you get overly excited during a game.
Flexispot’s gaming option is height-adjustable up to almost 50 inches, like many gaming desks, but it’s motorized, so you can simply press the up/down touch controls to find your ideal height. The motor is whisper-quiet and quick, so you can go from sitting to standing in a few seconds. Naturally, it’s ready to accommodate a sizable gaming setup holding up to 110 pounds with a desk surface that’s 47.2 inches wide and 23.6 inches deep to put everything you could possibly want on top of it.
Ikea Utespelare
Best Budget Gaming Desk
Ikea probably isn’t the first name you think of when gaming desks come to mind. But, the Swedish retailer has thrown its hat into the ring designing the Utespelare in collaboration with ROG (Republic of Gamers). It may not come with a motor or any electrical component, but for well under $300, it doesn’t need to.
Don’t underestimate the Utespelare, as it’s a sturdy desk that’s more than capable of supporting a gaming PC and a few gaming monitors. Metal mesh at the back provides ventilation for your electronics, and to keep things nice and tidy, there’s a cable management net. For an ideal seated position, you can manually adjust its height between 27 and 30 inches. And the tabletop, though made of particle board, is ergonomically shaped on one side and can be reversed according to your preference.
Mojo Standing Desk Gamer Pro
Best Modular Gaming Desk
What’s not to love about the Mojo Standing Desk Gamer Pro? This bundle includes Mojo’s signature standing desk and vital accessories (a cable management system, monitor arm, and a CPU tower hanger) that are all so brilliant it’s hard to find fault. This desk would probably have been the top contender had it not been for its $1,000 price.
The Mojo Standing Desk is full of thoughtful details like a water- and scratch-proof surface with a matte lux finish for smooth mouse gliding and precision tracking, a control panel that’s a pleasure to use, and an extremely robust frame with zero wobble. It uses quiet dual motors to raise or lower the desk efficiently. And when it comes to accessories, you get an easy-to-install magnetic cable management system, which includes a spacious cable tray, a cable chain, and a power bar, along with a c-clamp monitor arm and CPU hanger (that can also hold consoles).
Thermaltake ToughDesk 500L RGB Battlestation
Best L-Shaped PC Gaming Desk
Built like a tank, the L-shaped ToughDesk 500L truly is a battle station, as it can hold up a full-sized adult thanks to its steel frame and massive desktop surface. This desk is made with gamers in mind, from more useful features like cable management to fun ones like built-in RGB lighting (which can sync with Razer Chroma and TT RGB Plus). And it incorporates a gaming accessory that most users typically need to purchase separately—a mouse pad for both the main and side desks.
The most important feature of the ToughDesk 500L is adjustability, and it’s controlled by three motors strategically placed in the corners to go from sitting to standing with the press of a button. The controller can also store up to four height memory settings, and if you happen to be a klutz, know that the ToughDesk comes with an anti-collision safety sensor for you and your knees. Just be prepared to shell out about $1,500 for all this capability.
Uplift V2 4-Leg Standing Desk
Best High-Performance PC Gaming Desk
Uplift desks are extremely customizable from the start, and we’re not just talking about add-ons here. More specifically, you’ll have a wealth of choices for desktop material, color, size and style, frame color and type, keypad, and even grommet covers, meaning you can really make it your own before you hit buy. However, if you’re looking for something specifically for gaming, you need Uplift’s V2 4-Leg Standing Desk, offering all those customizations and additions while bringing a few other features crucial to gamers.
For starters, the V2 4-Leg Standing Desk includes a whopping 535-pound maximum load for the most robust setup. And it’ll never break a sweat thanks to its 4-leg system with a motor for each leg, providing stability and speedy height adjustments. Uplift even offers three free items of your choice as well as a free cable management tray, so even if you want to save money and limit customizations, you’re still getting some accessories at no extra cost.
Thermaltake ToughDesk 300 RGB
Best Standing Desk for Gaming
The Thermaltake ToughDesk 300 RGB offers loads of fun features, with one in particular that we really love, its standing functionality. With the gentle tap of a switch, you can quietly adjust the desk’s height anywhere from 27.5 to 43.3 inches, so it’s at the level perfect for your comfort. It even holds up to 330 pounds of equipment and can save up to four height settings on the smart display panel, making it simple for your whole setup to go from standing to sitting when your legs need a break.
There’s plenty more to the ToughDesk, starting with a tabletop featuring a massive gaming mousepad to help your mouse glide with ease and tracking precision. That mousepad’s edge is wrapped in customizable RGB lighting and can sync with other Thermaltake peripherals. It’s not lacking in surface space either, with a 63 x 31.5-inch area to load with multiple monitors and tons of accessories, while a cable management system helps keep clutter to a minimum.
Secretlab Magnus Pro
Best RGB Gaming Desk
Secretlab’s Magnus Pro gaming desk is undeniably unique thanks to its use of a magnetic ecosystem in its design for the easy addition of extras like cable management solutions, desk mats, and RGB lighting. That RGB lighting, though it does cost extra, is easy to install and attaches right onto a dedicated spot at the top of the desk, right before the cable tray. From there, this Nanoleaf-powered strip offers tons of custom lighting effects, and it can be synced up with other Nanoleaf accessories and controlled using several smart home systems.
Beyond flashy RGB lighting, the metal desk surface is ultra-durable, while a steel chassis ensures it can hold even the heftiest gaming setups—we’re talking up 265 pounds. It’s also height adjustable, so you just tap buttons on the built-in control panel at the edge of the desk, letting a motor do the work to find your ideal position, whether sitting or standing. And surprisingly, this innovative option, sans the flourishes, is only $799.
Cougar E-Mars
Best Connected Gaming Desk
The Cougar E-Mars gaming desk is more than just a sturdy surface to rest your battle station, as it packs ample connectivity options to make hooking up components a breeze. You even get a USB-C and a Type-C cable for monitor extension, along with two USB-A ports and audio jacks to help keep cable clutter in check, though you do get a cable management tray as well.
Amping up the ergonomics of this setup are curved edges and rounded corners on the desktop, as well as dual electric motors for height adjustments from sitting to standing. It’s possible to store four different desk height settings in memory, while an automatic safety brake ensures you don't accidentally crush objects around your desk, including yourself. Also, onboard is dual-sided customizable RGB lighting for a more immersive gaming experience.
Lian Li DK-05F
Best Gaming PC Desk
Did you know it’s possible to get a desk and PC in one? The Lian Li DK-05 looks like a traditional desk with a tempered glass tabletop, but tucked inside are essentially two computer cases capable of storing two E-ATX-sized motherboards, along with all the components you need for a worthy battle station. You get four removable drive trays, a removable fan/radiator bracket, and water-cooling support, while trays housing the motherboards are also removable for easy swapping of components.
It’s not limited to just being your basic desk housing a PC, as you can adjust its height from 27 to 46 inches for a comfortable position sitting or standing using a handy control panel. Beyond changing its height, that control panel offers physical buttons on the desk for power, fan settings, and RGB settings—with seven modes to cycle through—along with all the ports you could want on a computer. The cherry on top of the Lian Li DK-05 is its glass tabletop, which goes from opaque to transparent with the push of a button, letting you show off your PC's epic internals.
FlexiSpot EC1 Adjustable Height Desk
Best Compact Gaming Desk
If you’re low on space, consider the FlexiSpot Standard Standing Desk. While you can get this desk in different sizes, the 40-inch model minimizes its footprint but still provides ample desk surface area for work and play. It’s even surprisingly durable and stable for such a petite size, thanks to its steel frame and solid chipboard desktop that support up to 154 pounds.
The FlexiSpot Standard Standing Desk may be a more stripped-down option than others on this list, but considering that it will set you back just $250, it offers quite a lot for what you’re paying. You even get adjustability, as using a basic controller, motors will raise and lower the desk between 48 inches to 28 inches. So, you can find an ergonomic position whether you’re sitting in your gaming chair or standing.
Where to Get the Best Gaming Desks in the UK
There's nothing better than sitting at a nice desk and feeling comfortable while you game. A dedicated gaming desk is perfect for anyone who's looking to find the right space to kick back, relax, and play some amazing video games. Unfortunately, not all of the desks available in the US can also be purchased in the UK, but there are still a few to choose from.
What to Look For in a Gaming Desk
If you haven’t owned a gaming desk before and this is your first time buying, don’t worry. It shouldn’t be hard to find the ideal one for you. There are a lot of options out there, starting with our recommendations above, and choosing one should be easy as long as you know what you want out of yours.
That’s the first step here. Know what it is you want to get out of your gaming desk. After all, different models tend to offer different features. A handful of them are built to carry heavy loads, a few come with ports and cable organization solutions, and others go for the back-to-basics approach. So, once you know what it is you need, that will narrow down your choices considerably. After all, a 150-pound-max-load desk with RGB lighting and extra ports won’t do you any good if you have an intricate setup that altogether weighs more than 300 pounds.
Just bear in mind that even then, there are still things to consider. How much surface area do you need and how much room do you have? Do you want something with an adjustable height or are you happy with a one-height-fits-all setup? Are you hoping to expand your setup and need a modular desk with accessories on offer that you can purchase later on.
Think about the quality of materials as well. If you’re buying a glass top one, make sure that it won’t collapse under the weight of your rig after a one- or two-year stint. If you want to minimize your carbon footprint, you should be able to find one that is carbon neutral.
Overall, you’re not just looking for build, price, and features here. You want to pay close attention to the size, height, materials, ergonomics, and expandability as well. When you do, you’re guaranteed to take home the perfect desk for you.
Michelle Rae Uy is a freelance tech and travel writer, part-time production editor, and a full-time traveler from Los Angeles, California. She currently splits her time between Los Angeles, London and the rest of the world. Follow her on Instagram @straywithRae.
Danielle Abraham is a freelance writer and unpaid music historian.
Image Credit: Annalee Tsujino is a multi disciplinary designer and illustrator. Check them out on Instagram @antsu_illustrations.
