Secretlab is a brand that’s very respected in the gaming/office chair business, and recently they’ve been trying to convert that success to another section of the office: desks. The Magnus Gaming Desk was a product that perhaps was a little overlooked in a rather saturated market, but this Magnus Pro has all of the bells and whistles you could possibly want out of a gaming/office desk. In our in-depth Secretlab Magnus Pro review we go over all of the features to decide whether or not this desk is worth your hard-earned cash.
At A Glance
Secretlab Magnus Pro
Used by 1 player ()-
roxie
If you’re a power user and/or you’re looking for a top tier desk, I can wholeheartedly recommend the Secretlab MAGNUS Pro.
Pros
- Very smooth and reliable operation of the motorized legs
- Fantastic cable management options
- Sleek looks
- Easy to assemble, with great packaging and clear instructions
- Magnetic ecosystem is a fantastic idea
- Robust materials and great build quality
Cons
- Expensive, especially if you add a couple of add-ons
- Both the leather and the metal desk tops get smudged easily
- Touch controls are a bit too sensitive
- A bit of wobble at higher height settings
- Heavy
Unboxing and Assembly
Packaging
There’s a lot of packaging. The boxes that the desk comes in are pretty huge by themselves, and there’s also a ton of cardboard and filler material in these boxes. That’s great news, since it means that the desk is unlikely to get damaged in transit, but it’s good to know up front: clean out your bins or make sure that you have a place to temporarily store all of the packaging until you can properly throw it out.
Despite the fact that transit looked to have been pretty rough for the desk (there were a ton of bruises and dents in the exterior cardboard boxes) all elements inside were completely fine due to the fantastic packaging. It’s always good to check for damage after receiving a product in the mail, but the odds of this desk getting damaged during transit are rather small if you ask me.
Something important to note is that these boxes are heavy, especially the box with the top section of the desk in it. If you have to carry it up some stairs I would definitely recommend getting someone to help you out, even if it’s just for added security so that the box doesn’t slide all the way down the stairs should you happen to lose grip. It’s better to be safe than sorry with these things.
Assembly
As per usual with Secretlab, the assembly process is extremely easy. Every single nut and bolt is clearly marked and you get every tool that you need in the box itself, so you don’t even need to have a dedicated toolbox in order to put the Magnus Pro together.
Something that you will probably need is an extra pair of hands. This is an extremely heavy desk and you have to turn it a couple of times during the assembly process so it’s a good idea to ask your roommate or a friend to be ready to help out when necessary. If you can’t find anyone, it is possible to do it yourself (I did so, and I wouldn’t say I’m a very strong person) but in that case I would recommend you to build the desk in the room it’s supposed to sit in right off the bat. Once it’s built you’ll really need someone to help you move it any further than a couple of centimeters, so take this into account.
As long as you take your time to figure out what you need to do it’s virtually impossible to go wrong when assembling the Magnus Pro. The instructions are clear, detailed, and explained in a way so that you always know exactly what to do.
The Desk Itself
Style and Finish
The Secretlab Magnus Pro is available in two different sizes: regular (1.5m x 0.7m) and XL (1.77m x 0.8m) but there’s only one style available: the full black, two-legged desk that’s made out of metal.
The entire top portion of the desk is magnetic and you can purchase separate desk mats (called MAGPADs) with different finishes on them that’ll cling on to the desk surface for personalization, but as far as I can see these are all leather-like, so you’re either getting a full metal desk or a full metal desk with a leather top section. There’s no way to get a wood (or wood-looking) top.
I got the Signature Stealth MAGPAD with my desk, and despite the fact that aligning it properly was a bit tricky I can’t say that I even notice that it’s technically a separate element now that it’s been installed. It’s been stuck to the desk as if it was glued on for weeks now, and removing it is a breeze.
It’s a clever way of allowing people to customize or change their desk, but I do wish Secretlab would have some ‘classier’ (for lack of a better term) options available. I like the muted and subdued look of the Signature Stealth pad, but if I’m taking a look at some of the other options out there I must say that there’s not much that really tickles my fancy. A simple, dark brown or dark grey MAGPAD would be a welcome addition to the existing lineup of game-related and eye-catching designs if you ask me.
The desk top itself is thin, but extremely sturdy. It’s not prone to bending or sagging and feels very reliable and consistent.
Height Adjustment
One of the main selling features of the Magnus Pro is the fact that it’s height-adjustable. Adjusting the height can be done by using the console on the right of the desk. This console is built-in and doesn’t add any bulk, which is something that I personally love. It gives the Magnus Pro an even sleeker look, and it truly elevates the overall design.
On the adjustment console there are three preset buttons, a preset save button, two buttons for raising and lowering the desk, a power button, and a digital display to indicate the current height. Important to note is that, when turned off, the desk will remain in its current position, so if you’re satisfied with the height you can just turn the adjustment console off.
You can choose a height between 650mm and 1250mm, and the motor operates smoothly and rather quietly. Once the desk is in position, it remains at the correct height without any sagging.
For me, three presets are more than enough. I have one for sitting, one for standing, and one ‘in between’ preset that I sometimes use to take product photos, but other than that I can’t really imagine needing many more preset buttons unless you’re sharing the desk with a ton of people who all want a specific height.
Something I will note is that the buttons (which are touch buttons) can be a bit sensitive. I’ve had it happen once or twice that I tried to move the desk without really looking at the console, only to find out that I had accidentally saved over an existing preset without noticing. That’s arguably more of a user error thing rather than a product error, but some feedback or a little ‘grace period’ when using the buttons would’ve been nice.
Build Quality
The Secretlab Magnus Pro is built like a tank. It’s extremely heavy, but also extremely rugged. The only section of the desk that feels a little less robust is the cable tray, which is made out of noticeably thinner materials than the other portions of the desk, but given the fact that this tray is just meant to hold some cables and power boxes I don’t see this as a negative.
Overall, the Magnus Pro is quite simply an extremely high quality product. I have no doubts in my mind that this will continue feeling robust and reliable for many years to come, and with a top section that can handle weights of up to 120 kilograms there’s no need to be afraid when you’re putting stuff on your desk or leaning on it.
Important to know is that there’ll be some grease on the legs. That’s normal, and it’s there to assure that the desk continues operating with that satisfying smoothness that you get out of the box, so don’t clean the legs off.
Cable Management
Aside from the height adjustable portion, another selling point of the Magnus Pro is its cable management system. As someone who absolutely hates clutter and cables, this was one of the most interesting features for me, and boy did it deliver.
It starts with the power system: this is fully integrated into the (left) leg of the desk, meaning that there’s a power cable coming out of the bottom of the left leg, and a power connector at the top near the cable management tray. Everything else is hidden from sight, which (again) adds to the extremely sleek look of the Magnus Pro.
It’s as simple as it is genius: due to this innovation you not only hide the power cable for the desk motor but you also provide power for all of your accessories and peripherals without ever having to worry about accidentally pulling out a cable when raising the desk.
The cable management tray is also amazing. This is a very spacious tray for you to put your cables, power strips, and what have you, and once you’re done you can close it off, leaving only a thin strip at the edge of the desk. This, again, is genius. You don’t need cable ties, velcro tape, or any other shenanigans: dump your cables in the tray, close it off, and you won’t ever see a wire again. I’ve seen similar systems on other desks, but the spaciousness and ease of use of the tray on the Magnus Pro really puts it in the top category when it comes to cable management. The fact that it also has cable management channels on the sides is just the cherry on top of an already delicious cake.
Combine this cable management system with the PC mount and the cable anchors (I’ll speak about the optional accessories later on in the review) and you have a desk setup that looks effortlessly clean without any wires anywhere. Secretlab did an absolutely fantastic job here.
Everyday Usage
Comfort
A desk that you can fully adjust will always be a lot more comfortable than a desk with a set height. The ability to set it at exactly the right height for you and your body makes the Magnus Pro a supremely comfortable desk (but this goes for any sit-stand desk to be fair) and having the ability to stand up while working also goes a long way.
Being someone who has never used a sit-stand desk for long periods of time, I’m pleasantly surprised by how often I find myself standing up while working. Sitting around all day can make you feel sluggish real quick and it’s also not great for your overall health, so having the ability to ‘refresh’ your spine and body at all times has been a great extra for me. I wouldn’t say that I need a sit-stand desk, but it’s definitely extremely nice to have if you’re someone who works from home like myself, and I would find myself missing the stand functionality if I had to give it up.
Desk Surface
I am a bit of a clean freak, so for me it’s important that all of my equipment looks (somewhat; a few specs of dust here and there don’t bother me) pristine. Sadly, a black leather desk top doesn’t exactly help in that regard, and I found myself getting annoyed at how easily it shows smudges. It’s easy to clean, sure, but black leather is absolutely not my favorite material for a desk, though I must admit that it feels and looks luxurious.
It’s a minor complaint, and the fact that you can purchase a new MAGPAD top for around 50 USD right now means that you can just swap out the top if you ever get it too dirty, but I would love it if Secretlab would also explore some other options when it comes to surfaces, if that’s even possible with their magnetic ecosystem.
The leather top also makes some mousepads more slippery. Not to the extent where I found them sliding around a few inches with every flick, but some pads that felt rock solid on my old wooden desk definitely needed some adjusting after a couple of intense matches.
I also tried the desk without the MAGPAD, but I wouldn’t recommend that. It turns the Magnus Pro into a cold, steel desk, and the bare top shows fingerprints and smudges really easily, so for me that’s a no-go.
Magnetic Ecosystem
Magnets. Magnets everywhere. The entire top portion of the desk is magnetic, which makes adding official Secretlab addons (more on those later) a breeze. It’s a cool idea, and one that also works in practice. The ability to snap a little cable anchor into place exactly where you want it is neat, and adding stuff such as a headphone hanger becomes extremely easy. The whole magnetic top thing really adds to the customization aspect, so for me it’s a hit.
Wobble
The laws of physics dictate that pretty much any standing desk that’s only using two legs will have some wobble to it, and it’s the same with the Magnus Pro. At higher elevation levels, you’ll feel the desk wobble. Whether that bothers you or not will come down to your personal tolerance for these things, but for me it’s certainly within tolerable margins.
Having any wobble when using a desk at regular sitting heights (~78cm for me) would definitely annoy me, but luckily that’s not the case here, even on my old, slightly uneven wooden floors. Should you use the desk on very uneven floors you can always adjust it: underneath each end of the desk leg there’s an adjustable foot portion. Twist it to lower the height, twist it the other way to raise it. This way you can achieve a perfectly stable fit in pretty much any room.
Optional Add-ons
The Secretlab MAGNUS Pro has an entire ecosystem with a ton of optional add-ons that you can purchase. When ordering my review unit I also picked up a couple of add-ons, which I will briefly discuss in this section.
Before I move on, a little note: the MAGNUS Pro is going to be a hard desk to fit third-party add-ons on. The cable management tray at the back fits Secretlab accessories perfectly, but it’s rather thin once closed so certain clamp-style accessories might be difficult to get in there. The sides also don’t have a lot of overhang, so fitting any clamps for mic arms or what have you might prove difficult.
Secretlab MAGNUS Monitor Arm
The dual monitor arm that I got with my desk works perfectly. It has built-in cable management trays so you can keep your MAGNUS Pro looking sleek, and assembling the arms is rather easy and straightforward.
Once I properly configured the tension of both arms, they’ve stayed in place exactly where I left them. I’m not someone who moves their screens so I can’t really comment on how these monitor arms feel for people who are always moving their panels but for me, as a once-and-done type of guy, the arms work perfectly.
They’re on the pricier side, but their adjustability and stability really does give them a leg up over some of the more affordable monitor arms that I’ve tried in the past, so if you’re thinking of purchasing this desk and you want to add monitor arms at some point in the future I would definitely recommend you to just go with these ones. They’re made for this desk and do exactly what they need to do.
For reference: I am using a ZOWIE XL2566K (24.5″) monitor along with other 24-25″ monitors that sometimes get swapped out.
Secretlab MAGRGB
The best thing about the MAGRGB strip is that it easily attaches to your desk with magnets, meaning that you don’t need to mess around with tape or other sticky stuff. That’s about it though. The MAGRGB strip is powered by Nanoleaf, and I don’t have a lot of good things to say about those lights.
They look good due to the fact that they can display gradients and multiple colors, I’ll give them that, but connecting to and operating the lights was such a hassle for me that I chucked them out after a day or three and reapplied the Elgato Light Strip (Elgato Light Strip Review) that I had been using for months.
I know that I might sound harsh, but I’ve owned Nanoleaf light panels (the triangular ones that were extremely popular with streamers at some point) in the past and I had the same issues with those: slow to connect, losing connection at times, and a lot of coil whine when operating. I didn’t feel like dealing with those issues again with the MAGRGB strip, so off it went.
I own a ton of smart-style devices that connect to my phone and PC in various ways and I’ve never had any issues with those other devices, so as far as I’m concerned it’s not a problem with my equipment or environment but a problem with Nanoleaf.
Secretlab Magnetic Cable Anchors
These are great. They can be placed anywhere on your desk and stay in place due to the magnetic desk top, and if you’re even somewhat of a fan of clean designs, you have to get these. They’re inexpensive but can make a world of difference in how clean your setup looks. They’re also great for holding a bunch of cables that would otherwise slide out the back of the desk, such as USB-C cables (+ dongle) for connecting wireless mice.
If you get the Secretlab MAGNUS Pro, do yourself a favor and order a pack of these along with it.
Secretlab Premium PC Mount
This is a device that mounts your PC to the bottom of the desk, and it has a number of advantages. Firstly, it gets your PC out of the way without you having to put it on the floor where it’ll attract more dust. Secondly, the fact that your PC is now connected to your desk means that you’ll never have to worry about any cable snag, even if you’re raising the desk all the way to the highest position. Thirdly, it makes your setup look a lot cleaner.
I initially had some doubts as to just how secure this system actually is but I’ve been using it for almost my entire testing period and my PC is still as tight and secure as it was on the first day. There are multiple fail-safes as well, so the odds of your PC ending up on the floor are very small.
There is a bit of a learning curve here, though. During my first couple of days using this PC mount I bumped into my PC quite regularly, as I was simply not used to having such a bulky (and very pricy) attachment having off the bottom of my desk surface. If you decide to get this accessory (I would say it’s a nice extra, but not necessary to have) it’s worth being a bit more considerate of the fact that your PC is now hanging near your knees, especially if you have a case with tempered glass.
Secretlab Magnetic Headphone Hanger
This can be attached anywhere on the front of your desk and holds your headset or headphones. It does the job perfectly well, but there are a number of aftermarket headphone hangers that do the exact same. One major advantage of this one is that it’s magnetic, so there’s no clamp visible on the top of the desk. It’s -again- a nice extra, but not something that you should buy without thinking.
Secretlab MAGNUS Pro Review – Conclusion
I am not a desk expert by any means, but the MAGNUS Pro has made my life a lot comfier. It’s a sit-stand desk with a very smooth and reliable motor that’ll allow you to set the desk at your perfect height, but it’s also so much more than that.
The integrated power column is a genius idea and, combined with the cable management tray, makes for a desk that looks sleek, modern, and very premium. The magnetic desk top makes adding attachments to customize your experience easy, and with the MAGPAD system you can make your desk look completely different in just a minute or two, though I do have to say that I find the current lineup of MAGPADs a little limited.
The MAGNUS Pro is extremely sturdy, consistent, and reliable, and as far as I’m concerned it’s a near-perfect desk for gaming and productivity. It can get quite expensive (especially if you add a bunch of add-ons) so it’s not for people who just spend an hour or two behind their PC every couple of days, but if you’re a power user and/or you’re looking for a top tier desk and cable management is one of your priorities, I can wholeheartedly recommend the Secretlab MAGNUS Pro.
This product was received for free from the manufacturer and given to our reviewer to test and review. Brands and manufacturers have no editorial control over our reviews. For more information, check out our review FAQ.
But I didn’t see it on Amazon bro???
Nice review !!!
Wich mousepad are you using ??
Because my endgame gear E-emc slips a lot on the desk.
I aldo used the regular saturn but it was a tad too fast for me an haf not good feedback when it comes to a complete stop.
Right now I’m using the Lethal Gaming Gear Saturn Pro. Slippage is pretty good with this one; it doesn’t move a ton when I game and I only have to adjust it every once in a while. Some other pads had worse issues during my testing though.
Thanks for the kind words by the way! Glad you like the review!