I have been using sit-stand desks for the last 5 years and most recently I have been using a large L-Shaped UpLift desk. This has served me will and I really like it but I no longer need as much space as it provides. My stepson however does need more space in our shared office as he works from home and has 2 computers, an IP phone, 3 monitors and more. So, after consultation with the CFO (aka wife) I started looking for an alternative.
I hate looking at wires. Wire management is a huge thing with me. That is why I love rack-mounting my radio equipment, it automatically includes great wire management. With wire management in mind, I did research and came up with the SecretLabs Magnus Pro XL desk. This is meant mostly for gamers and comes with design elements that reflect that. As I am not a gamer I opted for the most plain-Jane designs, just strait black with no trim colors.
So a few words about the desk here. The Magnus Pro is a sit-stand desk with a large wire tray at the rear under a hinged cover. This extends over the entire rear edge of the desk and provides a slit for wires to come up to the desk from the tray so that you don't need to just use a hole or two. It comes in two sizes, the standard (60 inches wide) and XL that I have (70 inches wide). The desk is 32 inches deep but the last 5 inches are taken up by the tray and its cover so it results in 27 inches usable.
The wire tray is deep enough to hold inline power bricks, AC power strips and accessories that do not need to be up front and center. The tray does restrict some clamp-on accessories due to the size and layout but the monitor arm I have worked just fine. SecretLabs sells 1 and 2 monitor gas arms, but I prefer the pole-mount as it allows me to mount up to 4 in a 2x2 grid. I use 3 monitors now and it gives me the flexibility to use any configuration I want.
The desktop is MDF wood sheathed in heavy gauge steel. This makes the whole desktop magnetic, that in turn provides for a host of accessories such as wire guides for sync cables etc. They sell leatherette magnetic desk covers in a variety of designs and colors, mine is straight black. The legs and supports are all steel as well and other accessories like wire sheaths are available.
The desk again is a sit-stand one. The controller is imbedded into the front edge of the desktop, so it keeps the bottom edge clean. The controller moves the desk up and down quickly and smoothly. A common complaint with sit-stand desks is stability, especially at the higher levels. This desk is more stable than others I have used in the past, so I am happy for that. Due to its heavy weight (all that steel of course) I was worried about moving it around the office but it slides well on the ceramic tile floor.
On the right side is a new AudioRack 10u single-bay cabinet. This holds my radios, if you are interested in these please see my posts at RadioReference.com
On the desk are the two computers, one a MacBook Pro (M1Max) operated in clamshell mode and connected to the two bottom monitors and other accessories by a CalDigit TS4 dock. This is behind the left monitor on an Omoton vertical laptop stand. The other is an Intel Hades Canyon NUC, connected to the two monitors on the right. The lower right monitor is shared between the two computers as needed. The Logitech MX keyboard and mouse are likewise shared between the two computers.
So here are my thoughts on the SecretLabs Magnus ProXL desk. First off there are a lot of things I like and a few I don't. Overall, it is a great value in my opinion. It starts at $950 for the XL, $800 for the smaller one. As configured with the mat, magnetic wire management kit I added about $100, you will need to add tax and shipping was only $9. That surprised me to no end. The desk is big and heavy, so I have no idea why they only charge $9 for shipping.
Comparable desks from Lander, Uplift and others are often up to twice this price and are not nearly as sturdy. I paid almost 3 times this for my UpLift L-shaped a few years back, while larger it is only laminate for the desktop and the mechanics were not as good. The Lander I almost bought back then was even more expensive.
Assembly was pretty easy and the instructions easy to understand. It comes with the tools needed and pretty much consists of bolting the legs to the desktop and flipping it over.
The MagnusPro, being steel all around, is sturdy. Even at the maximum height it is much sturdier than the others I have used. The desktop itself is MDF, (basically compressed wood chips and epoxy) encased in a heavy steel sheath. This makes it strong and magnetic. This ties into the accessories. The first is the leatherette desk mat. This mat is a large, flat magnet that adheres it to the desktop. This means it will not slip around, even if you try. The surface makes a great mousing surface and looks great. You can replace it in the future if needed. It covers the entire desktop except for the wire tray cover.
The wire tray cover takes up the back 5 inches of the desktop. It is hinged so you can pop in power strips, excess cable and power bricks. Since it extends across the entire width there is plenty of room for your junk that does not need to be on the desktop. The hinged cover has beveled edges that almost overlap. This allows wires to come out of the tray at any place on the desktop instead of the one or two holes on most other desks. The tray is several inches deep and tall, leaving plenty of room for power strips and those power bricks that are used with some computers and docks (like those with my NUC and CalDigit TS4 dock). Excess wire and cables can be stashed here, eliminating the need for wire trays slung under the desk. This hides the wires and looks great even from underneath.
The other big feature on this desk is the power leg. Basically, there is a heavy-duty power socket on the bottom of the left leg to connect the included power cord to the wall. This powers the desk motor as well as an accessory outlet in the cable tray. If you are using Wi-Fi you may not need any other wires at all coming from the desk. If you need to have a network, audio or other cable SecretLabs sells a magnetic wire sheath so you can run the cables down the leg out of sight.
The desk controller is built-in to the desktop, so it does not hang down under the desk. This cleans up the desktop's bottom edge, so you don't knock it with your chair.
They sell other accessories like CPU holders, headphone clips and more. I didn't need or buy any of those, but I have seen others with them, and they seem to work well.
The desk moves up and down quickly and smoothly. There is a lockout switch to prevent accidental movement.
There are a couple things I would do differently. I would have liked to be able to choose which leg the power cable connects to, sometimes the left side is not as good as the right depending on what your home layout is. I would also provide power outlets on both the right and left sides of the wire tray. There is only one outlet (on the left side) provided, and I hate plugging a power strip into another.
While I like the embedded controller, I suspect that it might be an issue if it fails down the road. Due to the integrated nature, one will likely need to replace the entire desktop if the controller fails. Hopefully that won't happen.
I would like to have seen an optional ball-caster kit. This desk is heavy and that would make it easier to move it around the office. While it slides well on my ceramic tile floor, it would be more difficult for those with carpet, wood or vinyl flooring without casters.
All in all, the SecretLabs MagnusPro is a great deal. It is less expensive than I would have thought (or would have paid), sturdy and the wire-management scheme is awesome. The nitpicks I have are minor personal preferences so you might not have an issue with it. For under $1000 it is a great deal for a desk of this caliber.
