Secretlab MAGNUS Evo Electric Standing Desk
design
I’ve built enough desks and chairs by now to generally know what’s coming, and even so, putting together the Secretlab MAGNUS Evo was far from a five-minute job. That’s not to say it’s difficult, and it didn’t take that long either in the grand scheme, but it’s a noticeably heavy desk once every panel and leg is put together and a fair lump to navigate. I managed the whole thing alone in around an hour, start to finish, though I’d suggest having a second person on hand if you can, if only for the final flip to reveal your finished product.
One of the more unique aspects of the original MAGNUS Pro was its semi-integrated, semi-replaceable MAGPAD top. That’s gone on the Evo. Instead, you’re greeted with a soft-touch laminate finish paired with a metal rear edge. It feels wonderful to run your hand across and under your forearms, somehow feeling almost cushioned despite being a hard surface. The panel that runs the length of the desk looks like a design touch at first glance with a slightly different colour and finish to the rest of the surface, but it’s aggressively magnetic, making it compatible with Secretlab’s range of cable management add-ons. There are a couple of additional hidden magnetic strips on the front corners, too, meaning things like the headphone holder can happily be snapped on.
As much as I thought it was love at first touch with that new surface, as nice as it is, it shows up every single smudge, mark, and imperfection. I’m not precious about my gear, but I found myself wiping this thing down more than any desk I’ve tested. More concerning are three separate durability issues that turned up over a month of fairly normal use. There’s a speck of dust trapped under the finished surface, dead centre of the desk, that you can both see and feel when you run a hand over it. Secretlab has built a rod for its own back with a surface this smooth because a manufacturing flaw like this is almost understandable and on any kind of textured surface would go unnoticed, but the smoothness of the material only makes it more obvious.
In the first few days of testing I spun around in my chair and the plastic back frame bumped into the edge of the desktop. It’s perfectly normal daily wear and tear for a desk but it left a visible dent in the front face that picks up the light and stands out more than it should. Perhaps worst of all however, is a durability concern. I placed a plastic food container down in front of me to have lunch while working, and noticed it left noticeable microscratching on the surface. It’s not ruined the desk but this is a sample size of just a couple of weeks for a purchase that you’d expect to stay with you for a few years. If this is showing up this early, I worry what the future might hold.
performance
Day to day, the Secretlab MAGNUS Evo is perfectly reliable. I’ve been using the smaller of the two variants and the desk surface still feels generous, with plenty of depth meaning my keyboard wasn’t bumping into the base of the monitor arm. The height adjustment does its job without drama. The control panel is intuitive and responsive, and I particularly enjoy the physical lock switch to prevent accidental adjustments. It’s integrated into the thickness of the desktop surface, rather than jutting out underneath, and my knees are thankful for it being so well tucked out of the way. Movement is quick enough that you’re not left waiting around, but I found it’s noticeably louder than the MAGNUS Pro and sounds like it’s working that bit harder to get the same result. The collision detection is also the best I’ve seen on any desk. I positioned my chair arm in the way and attempted to lower the desk using both a preset and manual moves, each time the desk immediately stopped and lifted again when contacting the arm, not even pressing down on the cushioning. Very impressive.
Stability is a non-issue, even at its highest setting. I’ve been testing the MAGNUS Evo with the optional-extra castors fitted rather than the included fixed feet, and even with the 34” ultrawide Philips 34B2U3600CH mounted on the Heavy Duty Monitor Arm everything felt solid with no bouncing or wobble. Admittedly a lot of that is likely thanks to the arm itself, which does a wonderful job of handling the near 8kg of monitor. Cable management along the arm is clean with clever magnetic panels, and Secretlab’s top-mounted hex key approach for the clamp is a small but appreciated touch, no contorting yourself trying to reach a bottom-mounted twist screw underneath the desk.
Alongside it is the standard Secretlab MAGNUS Single Monitor Arm which is doing lighter duty, holding my MacBook Air via the Laptop Mount Attachment rather than a monitor. It looks just as smart and is just as easy to position as its heavier sibling, with the same cable channels on offer too. The Laptop Mount Attachment itself has been very good overall, with plenty of open channels underneath for ventilation and no concerns about the MacBook Air bouncing or working loose, though I’d like to see some form of left and right tilt adjustment added. Currently my laptop sits at a slight angle, sloping from right to left, and there’s no way to correct it. It isn’t a positioning issue on my part either, I’ve tried it in all manner of extensions and positions, the mount just seems to hold at a faint tilt regardless. I’ve got used to it over time, but it still catches my eye next to a monitor sat perfectly level beside it.
The Secretlab MAGNUS Lockable Casters (Heavy Duty Edition) are the newest addition to the range, and while they won’t be useful for everyone, they’re easy to recommend if you even briefly consider a need for them. They swap in for the desk’s existing feet in minutes, and once fitted they’re completely stable while still making the whole desk far easier to reposition. I’ve tested them on carpet rather than a hard floor, so your mileage may vary there, but I noticed no additional wobble when unlocked versus the desk’s usual planted feel.
Cable management is the largest difference between the Secretlab MAGNUS Evo and its Pro sibling. This solution isn’t quite as clever as the latter’s top-accessed, full-width channel, sticking closer to a traditional under-mounted tray. Secretlab has done a good job of elevating this experience though, and while it’s very much still a stuff it all in and forget about it solution, the drop-down design takes a lot of the strain out of getting cables where they need to be. The tray is also generously open at the top, letting you feed cables in and out at multiple points along the desk’s length rather than one fixed gap which has been a downfall I’ve found with other desks. It’s a metal tray, too, so Secretlab’s metal cable management accessories work both on the inside and outside of the tray if you’re willing to spend longer keeping everything neat and tidy.
summed up
The Secretlab MAGNUS Evo isn’t going to trouble the MAGNUS Pro for the top spot in Secretlab’s own range, but it’s a clear step up from entry-level options like the AndaSeat Novis, and a sensible everyday choice for anyone who doesn’t need the Pro’s more sophisticated cable management. If you’re doing heavy cable runs, like streaming setups with multiple capture devices and audio interfaces, the Pro’s system is still the better tool for the job, but the MAGNUS Evo handles a simpler office work setup nicely.
The accessory ecosystem is where the MAGNUS Evo’s appeal really compounds. The magnetic clips, the monitor arms, the new castors, they all work together well, and I’ve got several cable clips dotted both above and below the desktop at this point. The in-leg power delivery remains a feature I can’t go back from now that I’ve had it and the control panel is both the slickest and safest I’ve tested. My one lingering wish is a USB charging port built into the desk itself, something cheaper standing desks have managed to include near their control panels, and its absence here feels like a real oversight for a desk that’s otherwise so feature rich.
The only real concern I have is the durability of that otherwise excellent, soft-touch worktop. It’s deliciously smooth and feels wonderful to run your hands over, but it’ll show up every little smudge and fingerprint as a result. A single bump from a plastic chairframe has left a permanent dent, and something as simple as a plastic lunchbox has scratched up the surface too. If this is what’s showing after a month, you can imagine how it might look after a year without some proper care and attention. Secretlab doesn’t currently sell a deskmat that’s compatible with the MAGNUS Evo, so you’ll need to bring your own if the time comes.
