A home office desk may be suitable for regular work but may not be enough if you want something more than a traditional work desk.
Instead, a gaming desk with surprising features would be appropriate for a work desk.
Why a gaming desk, you may ask?
Installing a gaming desk can be surprisingly effective because it offers an ample desk surface with adjustable height, monitor stands and arms, dedicated storage spaces, and a durable surface mat doubling as a mouse pad.
You can also switch it to a gaming platform whenever you wish. However, gaming desks could be slightly more expensive than your regular desks.
Therefore, before buying one, you should assess whether a gaming desk will help elevate your work experience.
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Differences Between a Gaming Desk and Office Desk
While you can use both regular and gaming desks for various purposes, the latter may offer a few surprising advantages over a traditional desk.
Here are some fundamental differences between a gaming desk and a regular office desk.
1. Height Adjustability
Gaming desks often come with built-in height adjustability that suits users with different heights.
A work desk is less convenient for different heights unless you buy a height-adjustable sit-stand desk.
A work desk makes a perfect office table, but they do not offer much height adjustability.
Therefore, adjustable desks are an unavoidable part of any work because they allow you to switch between different body postures smoothly.
Most regular office desk heights are around 28-30 inches which works for users with 170 cm to 180 cm in height.
Similarly, the sitting gaming desk may range from 28 to 30 inches, while standing the same desk could measure 44 inches.
Quick Tip: A suitable desk should encourage a sound body and arm position while offsetting the risks of work-related ailments.
2. Comfort Appeal
A gaming desk ensures users’ comfort in several ways that a regular work desk may fail to offer.
In addition to being height-adjustable, gaming desks boast a smoother desk edge so the user can rest or even grease their arm without worrying about injuries.
Most gaming desks are covered in a smooth microfiber mat that doubles as a desk carpet and a mouse pad, so you can quickly move your mouse around without worrying about space.
A gaming desk is designed to fit many items in a limited space without compromising comfort.
Also Read: What is the Best Mouse Pad Material?
3. Strength and Durability
Gaming desks are designed to be sturdier than regular desks because they get insurmountable abuse.
Although it does not mean work desks are structurally weak, they are not made to resist significant abuse.
Gaming desks are more durable and can withstand quite a bit of abuse, as they are made of rigid materials like PVC, hardwood, tempered glass, and steel.
Most of these units have a maximum weight capacity ranging from 200 pounds to over 400 pounds, so you can add multiple screens, CPUs, filing boards, storage items, etc.
Your average desk would not stand a chance under such stress.
Most cheap office desks may last only a couple of years, while desks made from hardwood could last anywhere from 7-10 years.
Conversely, gaming desks would last 5-7 years despite significant usage.
Standing desks are often built with a 150+ lb weight capacity, while gaming desks could easily support up to 220 lb.
Hardwood or metal desks carrying 110-770 lb can be used.
4. Desk Aesthetics
No wonder gaming desks are aesthetically more appealing than work desks.
Gaming desk manufacturers ensure their product becomes the best-looking gaming station for aesthetics.
They take it to another level by adding RGB lighting and a smooth appearance to the desk that makes it look like a spaceship’s dashboard.
Therefore, your regular work desk would not stand a chance against the gaming desk in home office aesthetics.
5. Space and Storage
The work desk’s space is often minimal compared to a gaming desk when you add multiple computer screens, storage items, and office items.
Gaming desks are designed to store more oversized hardware, multiple screens, peripherals, and controllers in dedicated compartments.
You can also use desk add-ons to install custom shelves and drawers to store additional items like CPUs, headphones, cables, and wires.
Storage space is vital to home offices, check out our article on the importance of having a home office desk with drawers.
The gaming desks are often designed with a cable management system, so you can store all your wires and fibers in a single place and converge them into a single outlet.
Similarly, you can use a single outlet to pick appropriate wires for charging or powering devices.
6. Cost of the Desk
Gaming desks are often more expensive than regular desks because of their durable material, additional storage space, and fancy decorations.
Most go for as low as $100 to $800 and upwards.
However, you can still find gaming desks that cost slightly less than high-end office desks without compromising durability.
Purchasing a high-end Executive office desk can quickly run into hundreds of dollars, and cheaper office desks are not durable.
If you choose between a $200 gaming desk and a $200 work desk, you should select the gaming desk because the gaming desk will be more durable and have features.
However, if money is not an issue, you can pick $1000 solid wood desks or rare hardwood desks ranging from $6000 to over 100,000.
| Quality | Desks | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming Desk | ||
| Thin metal construction yet durable. | MOTPK Gaming Desk | $159 |
| Made from durable MDF board with waterproof surface for extended use | Arrozi Arena Gaming Desk | $499 |
| Office Desk | ||
| Made from pine wood for affordable yet durable usage. | Mckinlee Taupe 2-Drawer Computer Table Office Desk | $196 |
| Made from solid wood with perfect finishing for a stylish look. | PERIGOLD Four hand office Desk | $649 |
Things to Consider While Buying a Gaming Desk
There are a variety of gaming desks in different sizes, designs, and materials. Therefore, do not just settle for the first gaming desk you find at the store.
Moreover, we advise you to consider different aspects before buying a gaming desk.
| Things to Consider | Reason |
|---|---|
| Desk size | Pick a gaming desk with size, surface, and height appropriate for your home office. |
| Desk Shape | Choose from multiple desk shapes: Standard, L-shaped, U-shaped, and Corner. |
| Height-adjustability | Consider gaming desk with adjustable height to switch between sit and stand posture. |
| Storage | Choose a gaming desk with multiple storage options to keep workspace clutter-free. |
| Desk Material | Use durable desk material like MDF wood, hardened plastic, stainless steel, or solid wood |
1. Gaming Desk Sizes
First, determine the size of your allotted desk area to prevent it from becoming an awkward addition to your home office.
Consider comparing the desk height and size with your home office space to find the best match.
A work desk should not take over 1/8 or 1/10 of your office room’s size.
Once you determine the desk size against your home office; the next step is to choose the ideal desk dimension,
Surface Area
Gaming desks offer a larger surface area, more significant in length than depth, making it accessible to reach the desk’s end without difficulty.
The ideal dimension for a sitting or standing gaming desk is 48 “, 60″, and 72″ in width and 30” in depth, which allows for setting up a proper workstation.
A 60×30-inch desk that would fit at least two monitors should be appropriate for a home office.
It will offer a spacious work surface without taking up significant floor space.
Desk Heights
Choose a desk height that is most appropriate for sitting.
If you are 6 feet tall, you would need a sitting desk with 29″ in desk height to maintain a proper posture. For a standing desk, consider the size of about 44 “-47”.
The desk height will depend on your elbow posture; hence, the desk height allows keeping your wrist at a 90-degrees.
Check out this workspace planner tool to determine the right gaming desk height.
2. Gaming Desk Shapes
Desk shape is another consideration because a gaming desk should qualify as a work desk without taking up a significant workspace.
The best thing about gaming desks is that they come in various shapes and sizes to fit all home offices.
While a classic rectangle-shaped desk is quite popular with users, you can also choose from L-shaped, U-shaped, and corner gaming desks as per your need.
- L-shaped desks offer ample work surfaces to install multiple computer screens.
- A U-shaped desk also offers ample work surface, but it takes up a lot of floors, while the corner desk sits at the corner without any additional space.
Gaming desks have lesser depth than length, so the user can reach the end of the desk without overstretching.
Estimate how far you want your monitor and office items to sit on a desk.
You also want enough space to maneuver in the zone and reach end-to-end while sitting on the chair.
Care to check out our guide about finding out an appropriate desk size for multiple screen setup?
3. Height-Adjustability
Today, office desks are not only meant for sitting. With countless hours spent on work, you would also need a desk that can stand.
The office desks should be appropriate for the chair to maintain a good body posture.
A height-adjustable desk allows alternating between sitting and standing to suit different body postures to offset health risks.
Luckily, most gaming desks have a height-adjustable feature so you can seamlessly raise or lower your desk whenever needed.
Although you can find an appropriate setting gaming desk, spending on a sit-stand gaming desk would be a better investment.
Now, you would not want to let go of such a fantastic feature for a few bucks?
4. Gaming Desk Storage
Storage feature is a vital aspect to check before buying a gaming desk. However, ample storage should not take away your comfort.
Choose gaming desks with intelligent storage features, so you need not keep everything over the desk surface.
Consider getting an all-in-one gaming desk with multiple shelves, compartments, and drawers so everything can go to their respective places.
- Cup holder to hold a hot cup of coffee
- CPU stand with ventilators for the CPU
- Monitor stands for multiple screens
- Open shelves for files, folders, and more oversized items
- Built-in multi-plug port for powering all the devices without needing multiple ports and cables.
- Drawers for office accessories.
Most gaming desks have built-in monitor stands that allow you to set up your monitor about 5″ above the desk surface.
The built-in cable management, like cable trays, holes, and grommets, is also complimentary with most gaming desks.
It not only saves up space but ensures to makes your workstation looks organized and neat.
Otherwise, you can also choose a computer built into a desk to free up worksurface and add style to your conventional office desk.
5. Gaming Desk Material
Hardwood was a popular choice for work desks before, but not now. Instead, you can find a lot of durable materials at a very affordable price for your desk.
Popular gaming desk materials include tempered glass, natural bamboo, MDF wood, hardened plastic, and stainless steel.
The great thing about these materials is that they are way lighter than hardwood and equally durable, so you can carry them around the House.
Also, check how the furniture feels to the touch, as you would spend hours every day working on it.
Most gaming desks have an anti-static surface that creates a protective layer between your computer and desk, which you can double as a mouse pad.
Care to read our guide about What materials are best for home office desk?
Should you Get a Gaming Desk for your Home Office?
If you are considering getting a gaming desk for your home office, you are making the right choice!
There is no second thought about it because a gaming desk will offer you all the benefits of a work desk, plus additional features, ergonomics, accessibility, and freedom to move around.
Accessibility is another critical aspect of an everyday work desk because work desks are often home to much clutter.
If you work in a busy workstation, you will know how important it is to organize all the items in their respective place without compromising the workspace.
With proper desk space, you can keep and locate the items in their respective places, saving you precious time.
Moreover, when kept in a separate cup holder, you could avoid accidentally pushing the coffee mug over.
Getting a gaming desk could be a Win-Win because you can use it for work during the day and turn it into a gaming platform or reading desk in the evening!
Anyone working on a desk will benefit from a gaming desk because you can work sitting or standing.
Research done by the professor of the University of Waterloo shows that people should be standing for at least 30 minutes per hour to get health benefits.
Anyone needing an office desk can benefit from a gaming desk because it is affordable, durable, comes with additional features, and offers more storage space.
However, a sturdy desk with minimal storage space will suffice if you prefer working on a single laptop or monitor with only a few office items.
Best Gaming Desks in 2024
A gaming desk comes in different shapes, sizes, and styles, so you need not settle for a single design.
Here is a list of gaming desk types you can easily find on the market.
| Gaming Desks | Features | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Standing gaming desk (27.56"D x 65.35"W x 48.03"H) | Standing gaming desk usually comes with a double electric motor that allows for height adjustment. You can also opt for an under-the-work-surface CPU stand and filing shelves. |  |
| Foldable gaming desk (20.5"D x 41.5"W x 29.5"H) | Excellent choice for home offices with limited space or users who keep switching workspace. It requires no assembly, and most foldable desks also come with adjustable height. It may lack under-the-surface storage space. |  |
| L-shaped straight corner gaming desk (51.2"D x 51.2"W x 29.5"H) | It offers a spacious work area to fit multiple computer screens, laptops, computers, and other office items. The L-shape of the desk makes it a perfect corner desk as well. |  |
| L-shaped curved corner gaming desk (43.7"D x 60"W x 48.4"H) | You can easily fit multiple devices, screens, and storage facilities on the work surface. The curved gaming desk boasts curved edges to give it a more pleasant look. |  |
FAQs About Gaming Desks
Is Sit-Stand Gaming Desks Good?
Indeed, a sit-stand desk is excellent for work as well as gaming.
Working for extended periods can harm your body’s posture and health.
Adjusting your desk from sitting to standing will help change your body at different times of the day.
Make sure not to spend significant time sitting or standing but alternating between.
What Type of Gaming Desk is Inappropriate for Small Home Offices?
Although all gaming desks are appropriate for small home offices, you should be wary about the L-shaped and U-shaped gaming desks.
The ample work surface provided by these desks ample space allows for setting up multiple screens and devices.
However, the desks’ awkward L and U shapes may take up significant floor space that could be used for other purposes.
Read more on how to arrange furniture in a small home office
Why are Gaming Desks so Expensive?
The cost of a gaming desk will entirely depend on the ergonomics, manufacturer, material used, desk style, and peripherals.
Gaming desks are expensive because they are meant to be comfortable and durable.
A gaming desk covered in a durable surface mat with monitor and CPU stands, cup holders, a keyboard and mouse tray, and storage usually costs over $400.
However, you can still find a gaming desk worth $100 or $200, but it will not be as durable.
Final Verdict
To give a definitive answer, you should choose a gaming desk over a regular desk at any time.
The gaming desk is undoubtedly better for work in every aspect than a regular desk, but it can be slightly costly.
Therefore, if paying a few more bucks does not bother you, you should choose a gaming desk nine out of ten times.
Just use them for work and gaming to make the most from a gaming desk.
Related Article: A Complete Guide to Triple Monitor Setup on a Small Desk
