Ikea Utespelare desk review

Our VerdictA clean and solid design with excellent cable and heat management options at a very reasonable price.

Our Verdict

A clean and solid design with excellent cable and heat management options at a very reasonable price.

ForSpaciousCable managementMetal grate sectionAgainstDifficult to adjust height

ForSpaciousCable managementMetal grate section

AgainstDifficult to adjust height

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The day gaming desks were renamed to battle stations, I knew marketing targeted to my demographic was always going to be just a touch batshit. Now you can get desks complete with RGB lighting, standing desks, desks that are actually a bed and much more. While undeniably cool, that’s not always what a fair chunk of gamer people are looking for in a desk. In fact, I’d argue a lot of us just want something that does the job of holding up our stuff while looking smart and not being uncomfortable to sit at at a reasonable price.

IKEA’s Utespelare gaming desk absolutely nails that brief, but adds a few extra features that I’d argue are more battle worthy than an inbuilt rave experience.

The Utespelare comes in two colour options, an all black which feels very gamer chic, or a breezier grey with light wood look top. Both are otherwise identical so i grabbed the lighter colour way to match my setup. Unsurprisingly it arrived as a flat packed box ready to end relationships in its assembly.

Because the table top is largely one piece, it’s quite a large unwieldy box and you need a bit of room to set it up. This includes flipping the desk after installing the table top which was a mighty effort, but that’s to be expected for a desk this size.

Utespelare desk specs(Image credit: Future)Max load:50 kgsWidth:160 cmDepth:80 cmHeight:68-78 cmFeatures:Cable management hammock, metal mesh portionPrice:$270|£129|AUD$199

Utespelare desk specs

(Image credit: Future)Max load:50 kgsWidth:160 cmDepth:80 cmHeight:68-78 cmFeatures:Cable management hammock, metal mesh portionPrice:$270|£129|AUD$199

(Image credit: Future)

IKEA Utespelare desk lit up at night

Max load:50 kgsWidth:160 cmDepth:80 cmHeight:68-78 cmFeatures:Cable management hammock, metal mesh portionPrice:$270|£129|AUD$199

The official site says it has a 50 kg max tolerance but I’m a mystery number over that and have sat on it for science while feeling pretty safe. I can even lay on it if I’m a bit curled up. I could probably put curtains around the bottom and rent it in this dystopia.

There is just so much room for activities on this flat surface of opportunity.

(Image credit: Future)

IKEA Utespelare desk three quarter view

You’ll want to choose your height fast though, because it’s not so easy to adjust once everything is all set up. It’s a little weird if you’ve come from the flexibility of a sit stand setup, but with all the space on this desk it would be perfect for one of those desktop raisers added later down the line.

(Image credit: Future)

IKEA Utespelare desk front hammock

The other choice is where to place the metal mesh portion of the desktop and how that relates to the cut out in the wooden piece. After consulting the ancient Swedish hieroglyphics, I went with having the cut out backing onto the metal, giving me a really tidy way to hide my cables when pared with the hammock solution included.

It’s one of the easier cable management options to actually use I’ve seen built into a desk as I can keep a power board there, that’s easily accessible for swapping things while still hiding all of my mess.

Buy if…✅You’re on a budget:The favourable price tag makes the sturdiness and practicality even more impressive.✅You want a good, big desk:With a tabletop space of 160x80 cm, dedicated cable management, and plenty of space underneath, this desk has a lot of room.✅You’ve got lights:I know a cool RGB lit battle station is where it’s at but you might be better off attaching your own aurora to this one.

Buy if…

✅You’re on a budget:The favourable price tag makes the sturdiness and practicality even more impressive.✅You want a good, big desk:With a tabletop space of 160x80 cm, dedicated cable management, and plenty of space underneath, this desk has a lot of room.✅You’ve got lights:I know a cool RGB lit battle station is where it’s at but you might be better off attaching your own aurora to this one.

✅You’re on a budget:The favourable price tag makes the sturdiness and practicality even more impressive.

✅You want a good, big desk:With a tabletop space of 160x80 cm, dedicated cable management, and plenty of space underneath, this desk has a lot of room.

✅You’ve got lights:I know a cool RGB lit battle station is where it’s at but you might be better off attaching your own aurora to this one.

Don’t buy if…

While being a helpful cable tidy, the metal portion of the desktop is also perfect for all my hot running gamer stuff. It’s a great place to put your PC knowing it’ll have all the airflow it could possibly want accessible to it. I’ve also used it as a place to stick things like routers and other hot-running electronics. It’s great because they’re out of the way at the back of my deep desk but I don’t worry about them overheating or being covered in dust.

While the Utespelare is billed as a gaming desk it feels like a much more sensible product made with gamers in mind than the usual affair. It’s simple, smart, sturdy, and clean. When I walk past it sometimes I just look at it and smile, thinking to myself what a decent desk that is for AUD$199 and how useful it is while still looking quite good in my home.

I know that means I’m getting old, but it’s also a pretty clear sign that IKEA has delivered with this stealth battle station.

The Verdict88Read our review policyIKEA Utespelare deskA clean and solid design with excellent cable and heat management options at a very reasonable price.

The Verdict

88Read our review policyIKEA Utespelare deskA clean and solid design with excellent cable and heat management options at a very reasonable price.

88Read our review policy

IKEA Utespelare deskA clean and solid design with excellent cable and heat management options at a very reasonable price.

IKEA Utespelare desk

A clean and solid design with excellent cable and heat management options at a very reasonable price.

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Our Verdict#

Our Verdict