I never thought I’d switch to an all-metal standing desk but this has completely won me over

It’s very rare that I come across a product that makes me completely rethink things but that’s just what happened this week while putting together a new standing desk.

Unlike most people that swap out their old desk with a new one and leave it at that, I build and test new desks all the time for work. It can be difficult assembling and moving them around the house on my own but there’s no better payoff than seeing one of my desk setups come to life after all that hard work.

Over the past six years, I’ve built and reviewed nearly 20 different desks and used them alongside the best office chairs to put together our guide on the best standing desks . Most of the desks I’ve looked at feature cheaper but more durable laminate desktops but I’ve also tried ones with glass and solid wood desktops. Up until now though, I’ve never used one that was completely made of metal.

That all changed last week when I finally unboxed and put together the Secretlab Magnus Pro. While I was familiar with the desk given its popularity, I had no idea how much I would appreciate its all-metal desktop and just how much thought went into its design.

Secretlab Magnus Pro: $799 @ Secretlab
The Magnus Pro gives you an ultra durable steel chassis, a seamless built-in control panel and a nice, large desktop — 59 x 27.5 inches to be exact. Plus, you get incredible cable management, a fully-integrated power supply column and optional magnetic pads to personalize your design. View Deal

Accessories that stick like glue

Unlike with wood, laminate or glass, the best thing about a metal desktop is that it’s magnetic and Secretlab has taken full advantage of this with the Magnus Pro.

Regardless of whether you’re using a traditional desk or a standing desk, I always recommend using a desk mat . Not only do they protect the surface of your desk but they also allow you to give your desk a unique look and can help muffle the sounds from the best mechanical keyboards .

Most desk mats feature textured rubber on their underside to prevent them from slipping around your desk. With its MAGPAD Desk Mats though, Secretlab uses a magnetic bottom instead. As the Magnus Pro has a metal desktop, these desk mats instantly attach to the desk. The standard ones are a bit more expensive than your typical desk mat but they're also special editions for games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Assassin’s Creed along with a few esports teams.

You can always use your own desk mat if you want something that doesn’t take up the full length of the desk or go without one entirely. As the Magnus Pro is by no means a budget desk though, Secretlab’s MAGPAD Desk Mats offer protection for your desktop and a bit of customization, just at a higher price.

Besides its desk mats though, Secretlab also sells a handful of other magnetic accessories for this desk. From a headphone hanger that attaches to the underside of the Magnus Pro to cable sheaths to help you route cables up the desk’s legs, there are quite a few extras to choose from.

My favorite though are the magnetic cable anchors. These small metal squares have a cable-size cutout on the bottom and you just drop them on top of a cable to hold it in place. At the moment, I’m using two of them but they come in a three-pack. I have one holding the cable from my wired mechanical keyboard in place while the other holds a USB-C cable from my monitor at the back of the desk. This way, when I want to connect one of the best laptops to it via USB-C instead of my desktop, the cable I need is easily reachable instead of being tucked away under my desk.

Secretlab’s magnetic accessories complement the Magnus Pro really well but you’re not limited to only using them. For instance, before I got a separate headphone stand for on top of my desk, I picked up the NZXT Puck ( $24, Amazon ) to store my headphones on the front of my PC’s metal case. It works perfectly on the Magnus Pro’s metal legs but I found I could also use it on the desktop itself. I still need to find a way to repurpose the NZXT Puck but it and other magnetic accessories will work just fine with this desk.

A true single cable solution

If you’re shopping for an electric standing desk, there’s one essential accessory that I think is an absolute must: a cable management tray . With one attached on the underside of your desk, you can put a power strip inside it and plug in a desktop, monitor, speakers, lights and everything else you need for your desk setup. This way, instead of having multiple wires running from the back of your desk to an outlet, you just have a single one for your power strip. This is the best way to do things with one of the best desks too, not just with a standing desk.

Secretlab has taken this whole idea to the next level with the Magnus Pro though. At the rear of the desk next to the included full-length cable management tray, there’s actually a power outlet. Since it’s so close, you can use a power strip with a much shorter cord. Up until now, I’ve exclusively used these Cable Matters surge protectors ( $32, Amazon ) with all of my desk setups since they have an 8ft long cord and come in a two-pack. However, with the Magnus Pro, I can finally use any power strip or surge protector I want.

At the bottom of the Magnus Pro’s left leg, there’s a port where the desk’s power cable plugs into. However, it also powers that outlet at the top of the leg too. One of the reasons I use power strips with longer cords with my standing desk setups is so that I have enough extra cable that I don’t have to worry about them coming unplugged.

As you can see in the picture above though, the Magnus Pro’s power cable remains stationary and doesn’t go up and down with the desk. This makes for a much cleaner setup overall and when the desk is raised up, you don’t see any cables at all. You also don’t have to worry about the cable getting snagged on something or accidentally coming unplugged.

Cable management made easy

Cable management is an art albeit an underappreciated one. It’s the kind of thing that can make or break a setup though which is why I’ve taken the time to master it with a few helpful tricks over the years. Many of the other desks I’ve tried in the past feature grommets or an optional cable management tray to make things easier but I’ve yet to see a standing desk simplify the process the way Secretlab has with the Magnus Pro.

Normally, you have to pull your desk out or get underneath it to manage all of your cables but not with this one. Instead, the Magnus Pro has a hinged cover that goes on top of its cable management tray. When you want to add a new device or run an extra cable, you just have to flip it open. Then when you’re done, you just flip it back and its offset gap leaves room for your cables to run up to the top of your desk while also concealing them. The whole thing is quite clever and the kind of feature I’d now like to see on every desk.

I still need to put the Magnus Pro through its paces for my full review but based on my experience so far, I’m thoroughly impressed and wish I hadn’t waited so long to check out this unique standing desk for myself.

More from Tom's Guide

• I'm done with laptop cameras after trying the world's smallest webcam
• This GaN charger let me finally ditch my bulky laptop charger
• I found the perfect display for under my main monitor and it even has a touchscreen