Back in the before times — before the pandemic — a lot of the CNET team were housed in offices around the world. We all had a standard office desk from a standard office supply store in our little cubicles. Trust me when I say, they weren’t the best desks. When remote work became the norm rather than the exception though, we all got a chance to choose the desk that was right for us.
Choosing the best desk for you can be difficult. You may not have a lot of space, or the space you have is an odd shape. Many of us had to squeeze “offices” into little nooks and crevices to make working from home a reality. Some of us needed desks we could not only use with a laptop but work on reviewing devices too. Others took the opportunity to try and be healthier with standing desks or hybrid desks. What type of desk you need will be determined by the environment you live in.
We’ve taken a look at the different desks that the CNET team has and collected our favorites for you. Some of the team chose poorly — it happens, we’re experts but not infallible! — so we’ve filtered out the ones that broke easily or were just too uncomfortable to use.
Fezibo
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
CubiCubi
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 just $130, 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
Anonymous
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
Eureka
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 knock my drink over, it won’t spill over my electronics.
— James Bricknell
Seville Classics
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
