Summary
TheSecretlab Magnus Prois, without a doubt, the best desk I’ve ever used. While a good part of my career in games has been spent in less than optimal setups - a recliner with a laptop, for instance, or a makeshift desk that doubled as a dining room table - I’ve recently been able to form an opinion on electronic standing desks, having tried out a few different brands. The Magnus Pro stands out as apremiumoption in a way that luxury products often fail to deliver on, offering what I believe to be the best value.
The Secretlab Magnus Pro is the marquee desk offering from Secretlab, with an XL version that offers more desk space at a predictably higher price point. I went with the $799 USD base model, which is still quite an ask for a desk when there’s so many cheaper options readily available at retailers like Amazon. The tradeoff in quality, however, has never been more obvious than with the Magnus Pro, which genuinely feels like it will last decades without missing a beat. The construction quality and build material sturdiness is obvious from the first time you handle a part, and is even more clear once it’s finished.
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Easy to Build, Easy to Customize
The Secretlab Magnus Pro Is A Breeze To Set Up
One of the first things you’ll notice about the Secretlab Magnus Pro is how easy it is to assemble. The main desk arrives in two separate boxes, though there will be plenty more should you dive into the vast array of accessory options available within the Secretlab product ecosystem. Upon opening the boxes you’ll be greeted with a smart, simple-to-understand layout that helps quickly identify all the moving parts that go into constructing furniture. That, and presentation that once again screams “top shelf,” which instilled a sort of confidence in me while building the desk that I’ve never felt with Ikea.
I had the benefit of a partner helping me, so mileage may vary depending on how many people you have handy to assist, but the entire building process tookmaybeone hour. There’s clear direction at every step and all of the parts were nestled carefully in packing foam and plastic to help prevent a single scratch.The Secretlab Magnus Pro is extremely heavy, though, and that’s worth considering for those who might not be comfortable lifting weighty parts or who might need to move the desk around to multiple locations.
A back tray that closes up neatly to hide wires is one of the smartest features for a desk I’ve ever seen, and the fully integrated power column helps conceal cabling while also smoothly adjusting the height of the desk when called upon.
During the build, all of the necessary tools are also provided, with swappable hex keys and identifiable screws a selling point for someone used to less clear instructions. This isn’t the type of build that needs a drill, or even wants one - everything works as intended out of the box, and nothing is lacking to make the process faster or less strenuous.
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Another reason to strongly consider the Secretlab Magnus Pro is the wide variety of accessories available to those who commit to its hefty price tag. I went with a PC Tower mount and a monitor arm that both were easily installed thanks to naturally being madeforthe desk, and even without accessories, the desk comes with perhaps the most important element of all: cable management. A back tray that closes up neatly to hide wires is one of the smartest features for a desk I’ve ever seen, and the fully integrated power column helps conceal cabling while also smoothly adjusting the height of the desk when called upon.
The sit/stand adjustment area is built directly into the Secretlab Magnus Pro deskframe and looks beautiful, with a touchscreen response able to quickly, securely, and easily adjust height. It’s almost noiseless, and isn’t accompanied by any of the shaking or chugging that other, perhaps cheaper brands might have; there’s even a lock function that ensures accidentally brushing the menu while getting up or moving around the desk won’t send it in an unwanted direction. you’re able to also easily set the default height setting, which is important with the tower mount especially, helping prevent the disaster scenario of the desk crunching too far down onto the tower and doing damage.
A Build Quality That Is The Envy Of Any Other Desk
The Secretlab Magnus Pro Is Simply The Best
The desk size of the Magnus Pro perfectly suited my needs, but the XL adds even more if you’re interested in that amount of real estate. I was easily able to set up a desk riser and monitor with an absurd amount of additional room for other hardware if required, though, so this is more than enough for most. The leather, magnetic deskmat that helps smooth the entire desk out and provide a mousepad that doesn’t need to break up the aesthetic symmetry of the Magnus Pro was a bit of a pain to set up - it has strong magnets that are unforgiving of poor placement - but also a great addition and I wouldn’t want to go without it now that I’ve used it for several weeks.
There’s a level of attention to detail in every aspect of the Secretlab Magnus Pro, whether it be its nods to cable management, its slew of accessories that prioritize pain points for the most common work and home setups, or the clean setup process that resulted in exactly zero arguments amongst those tasked with building it. That’s on top of the fact that the desk itself is just an excellent, heavy behemoth of a product that will immediately remove the need for anything you may imagine needing for a desk, provided you’re willing to shell out for some of the accessories that can, admittedly, quickly increase the cost of this endeavor.
Final Verdict: Is The Secretlab Magnus Pro Worth It
A Desk That Justifies Its Hefty Price Point
Ultimately, it’s worth it, whether you spring for the accessories or simply commit to the Secretlab Magnus Pro on its own.This is the best standing desk on the market just on performance and quality alone, let alone its gorgeous aesthetic. If you want the very best in an electronic standing desk, I don’t think there’s any other competitor that’s reasonably well-equipped enough to compete with the Secretlab Magnus Pro.
Screen Rant was provided with a Magnus Pro desk and accessories for the purpose of this review. Those interested in purchasing one can do so on theofficial Secretlab website.
