a Secretlab Magnus Pro review

or the quest for the perfect standing desk

I just started a new job, in a new city, and I was in need for a new desk. After years of just getting by with the cheapest IKEA desk I was sick of it. Cables everywhere, wobbling, sagging (not my desk, but the same happened to me). Time to get something nice.

I really liked the idea of a standing desk, so I wouldn't feel guilty about spending 10h (or more) in front of my desk every single day. I work from home 3-4 days a week, and I've been trying to take better care of my body and not sit around all day, and a standing desk seemed like a good solution to be a little bit more active during my work hours.

After a lot of research, I settled on the Secretlab Magnus Pro, a fullmetal black standing desk. That company is known for "gaming" chairs, but the desk had great reviews, good stability when raised, and the most important thing for me, it had a huge focus on cable management. I finally could win the cable war in my desk.

It is not a budget friendly desk, my order came up to around 1400 $ CAD (1000 USD or 930 EUR), with the pc mount and a single monitor arm, but you get what you pay for. If you buy the desk only, it is 999 CAD for the standard size, and 1139 for the XL size.
The desk comes in 2 packages, and unless you are a bodybuilder, you will need help to move the packages upstairs (or downstairs, or anywhere).

The building experience is nice, everything comes neatly packaged, although be prepared for a trip to the recycling centre afterwards, there is a ton of protection for everything. The instructions are straightforward and it is an easy build. There are a ton of videos and reviews that go in depth on the assembly, if you are curious.
One point to note: if you plan on using the PC mount, make sure your PC will fit; my small form factor (SFF) PC was 3 cm too short, requiring some jank improvisation and 3d printed stuff.

Important note
This review is for the Secretlab Magnus Pro, not for the XL size, I don't know how stability and noise is for the big version; everything else should essentially be the same.

Now that I’ve had the desk for about three months, I’m overall pretty happy with it, but there are definitely some things I don’t love.

Let's start with the cons:

• Slight wobble at maximum heights. The desk does wobble slightly when raised beyond 110 cm. While it's not overly distracting—especially since I usually set it at 120 cm (I'm 190 cm or 6'3")—it may not feel as sturdy as when sitting. But on normal typing or playing chill videogames it is not noticeable.
• It is a dusty boi. You will need to dust it at least once a week, otherwise dust becomes very noticeable. Other than that, the default black desk mat is easy cleanable and very high quality.
• Not budget friendly. The Magnus is indeed expensive, although on par with similar quality desks. While I understand that this reflects its metal construction and cable management system, it remains a significant investment of $. The XL version costs CAD 1,139 plus taxes (around USD 850 before taxes), and you'll likely want additional accessories like the PC mount, the monitor arms, or the headphone holder.

Now for the good stuff:

• It just works. The desk operates smoothly; setting preset heights is simple—just press a button, and it adjusts quietly. This has encouraged me to move more while working from home. I've even played ranked games of League while standing, and the desk remained stable throughout, unlike my lp's.
• No cables in sight. The cable management system is amazing, and with the pc mount, there will be just the included power cable in sight. Most of the cables are hidden in the tray, and my only issue was with the monitor arm, it has a channel to put your cables in, but if you need more than 2 or 3 cables routed there you won't be able to do it (photo of the back).
• I like magnets. The entire desk is magnetic, so you can use the magnetic cable management accessories to neatly route cables, secure items underneath, or just play around with them.
• Looks awesome. I’m not a fan of anything that screams "gaming" with flashy colors, bright RGB lights, or gaudy graphics and logos. You have the option to include an RGB strip and a more "gamer" desk pad when you purchase the desk, or you can buy them separately later if you decide to change up your look. For me, though, an all-black aesthetic is all I need (and I am allowed).

All in all, I’d buy this desk again. Unless the motors give out, I can see this desk lasting for years. It has really improved my desk setup. Sure, it has a couple of minor downsides, mostly the price, but the benefits far outweigh those, so if you are looking for a standing desk, I would check it out.

If you have gotten here, thanks for reading. Until next week :)

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