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The best desks in 2023 | Tom's Guide

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The best desks make it easy to work and learn from home Rustic Home Office Desk

The best desks in 2023 | Tom

The best desks are essential for working from home, studying, reading or even gaming. Not only does it have to be functional, sturdy and suitable for your needs, but it should also be the centrepiece in any home office.

1. The quick list 2. Best cooler overall 3. Best under $200 4. Best under $100 5. Best standing 6. Best gaming 7. Best L-shape 8. Best designer 9. Best small 10. Best floating 11. Best corner 12. Best lap 13. How to choose

But with so many different designs on the market, it can be tricky to know which one is right for you. Nowadays, the best desks are more than just a practical piece of furniture. And there are a few things to consider before you buy. First, measure up your space properly to determine the size, height and assembly of a desk. Other things to think about are design, type of material and what storage it has to offer. You can also find desks with handy cable management systems, designed to hide unsightly cables or chargers. 

Plus, if you have a compact office, there are L-shaped or small desks available that might be more suited. Plus, you can find folding desks or ones with pull-out drawers. To help you decide, we’ve selected the best desks to suit every lifestyle, office and budget right now. 

Here’s the best desks you can buy right now based on our comprehensive online research. Scroll on for our full in-depth reviews. 

If you’re after a durable desk that is practical, the Topsky Computer Desk is a great option overall. With its sturdy design, it has a large surface with a reinforced steel frame. It also has a handy shelf that can hold books and office supplies, while a metal cable hole cover keeps computer wires out of sight. 

For those after a functional, attractive desk under $200, this Coavas is sturdy yet stylish. It’s easy to set up as there is no assembly required — simply snap the particle board surface onto the black metal frame and you’re all set. It may not be as strong as other materials, but you’ll definitely get your money’s worth.

If you’re after a sturdy yet inexpensive desk, this IKEA Pahl is ideal. With its simple design, it has a large workspace and comes with stow away cords with the two cable holders between the front and back legs. You would need to purchase in IKEA only, however, the Pahl desk can be paired with other IKEA units like a desktop shelf or cabinet add-on.

For those who prefer standing while working, the Flexispot is the ideal choice. Easy to assemble, it goes between a height of 28 to 47.6 inches, at a rate of 1 inch per second. Plus, the large, sturdy surface area could hold any number of monitor and laptop set-ups. Bear in mind, there are no memory settings. 

If you’re a regular gamer, this L-shaped desk has plenty of space for multiple screens and consoles. Designed well, it has sturdy, steel legs, while the thick tempered glass gives the desk a modern, attractive look. One side of the desk has a sliding keyboard tray which is always handy. 

If you want to space-save with an L-shape desk, the Red Barrel is a great choice. The back of each part of the “L” is spacious, five feet long, and one side is a frosted-panel computer tower cabinet. It also comes with two sliding drawers, a four-port USB station and a cubby shelf to reduce desktop clutter. Bear in mind this will take a little longer to assemble.

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The Topsky Computer Desk is our choice for best desk overall due to its combination of design, durability and affordability. The large surface area is made of thick, sturdy particle board and the frame is made of reinforced steel. The feet are adjustable in case your floors are uneven. A handy shelf can hold books and other supplies, while a metal cable grommet hole cover keeps computer wires organized and out of sight. 

Amazon reviewers give the Topsky Computer Desk an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars. One wrote, “I absolutely love this desk. It's huge and can easily fit my two monitors, a keyboard, my printer, my huge mousepad, my Nintendo Switch, and there's still plenty of room for drinks/various other objects on the desk.” Another noted, “It was very easy to put together. Surprisingly it’s very sturdy and the materials are very nice. Oftentimes when buying furniture or you get cheap particle board that breaks when you’re putting it together, not the case with this.”

If you’re looking for a simple, functional workspace that requires little assembly and costs under $200, then the Coavas Industrial Folding Desk is the perfect solution. Yes, almost no assembly required – just snap the particle board surface onto the black metal frame and you’re all set. The desk is even portable — it’s that easy to put together. 

The best desks in 2023 | Tom

Modern White Office Desk The Coavas desk has over 8,000 reviews with an average of 4.7 out of 5 stars. One Amazon reviewer raved, “I love this desk! It is just the right size, sturdy, and extremely easy to assemble.” Another also praised the ease of putting the desk together: “It is extremely easy to assemble; I was done in five minutes and it required no tools or glue. The desk is surprisingly stable and the top, while thin, does not feel flimsy.”