SecretLab is well-known for its gaming chairs, and if you’ve ever watched YouTube or Twitch, chances are you’ve spotted one of their chairs in action.
In 2021, SecretLab ventured into the world of gaming desks with the launch of the Magnus Metal Desk. The following year, in 2022, they introduced the Magnus Pro, which added a standing desk function to the desk. There are two versions of the desk, the Magnus Pro and the Magnus Pro XL with the only difference being size.
| Magnus Pro: 150cm x 70cm | Magnus Pro XL: 177cm x 80cm |
Assembly
The Magnus Pro XL comes in two boxes. One which has the leg columns and the other with the actual desk. First thing to mention about the assembly is that you’ll need a helping hand with moving the boxes as they are quite heavy. Once you have everything in place, ready to build, it can be built by one person. Once completed though, you’ll need a helping hand again to help lift it in to place as it is a heavy desk.
With that out of the way, I found the assembly straightforward and the instructions provided by SecretLab are clear and easy to follow. The legs are labeled left and right so you can’t mix that up. You also get this nifty little tool to help you put it together:
If you prefer to follow a video than read instructions, SecretLab have an assembly video which shows you how to put the desk together too. You can watch that here: https://youtu.be/w7mRrpf8Zhk?si=AtW2oTam3RiQjAJg
As previously said, once you’ve finished building the desk, you’ll need a helping hand to move it in to your desired spot as it’s heavy.
Cable Management
I’m going to get straight to the best thing about this desk, the cable management system. It’s fantastic. I have owned IKEA sit/stand desks in the past and their cable management has been a net under the desk where you hide your plugs and cables and it’s not as visually pleasing as SecretLabs option. With the Magnus Pro, there’s a dedicated cable management tray for all your wires, cables and extension plugs. It’s all hid behind a sturdy hinge so everything is hidden and tidy.
The Magnus Pro has the world’s first integrated power supply column that powers your desk and devices with a single cable. This also powers the plug that is built in to the magnetic tray for any extension chords you want to add to power your devices. A brilliant design from SecretLab. The power supply is built in to the left leg of the desk so consider this when planning your set up.
Accessories
The Magnus Pro has a number of add on accessories. Including monitor arms, lighting, desk pads and a headphone/headset hanger. I was provided with the lighting and headphone hanger for this review and both are great. The headphone hanger is magnetic so it sticks to the bottom of the desk. The magnet is so strong so I have no worries about my headphones falling off or getting damaged. The RGB lights are a collaboration with the popular lighting brand Nanoleaf and they are designed to magnetically stick to the inside of the cable management tray so they are hidden along with the wires. The lighting can then be customised through the Nanoleaf app to add your own touch to the desk.
Speaking of adding your own touch, secret lab have a number of different desk mats that can be added to the desk. Including their signature stealth design or even a Batman Dark Knight version. The desk mats have magnetic bottom anchors so you will never have to worry about them moving or curling up at the ends. If you are wondering, a mouse works great on it and glides perfectly. I am using the MX Master 3s and have no issues.
One thing I would love to see SecretLab make is a magnetic microphone arm. I think this would be a great option as I find it sometimes hard to add my current Rode one to the side of the desk with the side columns coming through to the front of the desk. That and a small cup holder/magnetic desk coaster would be cool.
Control Panel
The beauty of the Magnus Pro is that the control panel is seamlessly built in to the design and its beautiful. The great this about this is that it doesn’t stick out like most other control panels on sit/stand desks. The control panel has a digital display to show the current height of the desk. It also has 3 buttons on the panel to help you store 3 of your most used heights on the desk, which is super handy. You also have a little lock switch which can be used to lock the desk so that you don’t accidentally knock it or move it when you have it set at your desired height.
Height
The desk can go from 65cm to 125cm so you can find the perfect height for your set up and make sure your chair of choice fits perfectly underneath the desk. This is a great range of adjustment and there’s certainly enough movement here to please everyone. One thing I want to point out, you may notice a grease or oily residue on the bottom of your legs after moving them up and down a few times. This is perfectly normal as the desks legs have been lubricated to maintain smooth operations. I’d recommend not wiping it or removing it as this is helping with the movement of your legs.
Verdict
So is the SecretLab Magnus XL worth it? In my eyes, 100% yes. Starting at £729 depending on what size you go for. It’s a big investment. So it’s something to carefully consider. The cable management system for me, really makes it stand out and makes it worth the investment for a clean, sturdy and visually pleasing desk.
If you are after the best sit/stand desk, this is the one. It’s definitely my favourite desk that I have ever used.
If you do decide to pull the trigger on one, you won’t be disappointed.
Great job SecretLab!
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