VASAGLE Computer Desk, 55.1-Inch Wide Home Office Desk for Study, Writing Desk with 2 Shelves on Left or Right, Steel Frame, Industrial, Greige and Black ULWD55MB

I love this desk! My prior desk was another "do-it-yourself" deal that was twice the price and half the value of this one (the other one was from a different manufacturer and was junk!). I ordered this one, a little skeptical, but maintaining a little hope since it has a metal frame and actual long screws for assembly (no cheap plastic cams and screws). I was not disappointed! It's surprisingly heavy and the metal is definitely sturdy. I don't know the "official" weight load it can hold, but it has my laptop and an extra monitor, and it holds it very well. There would be room for a 2nd laptop or monitor, if desired, and I believe it would have no problem carrying the weight. The shelves are sturdy as well, I have several work-related reference books stacked on them and they are well-supported as. If you're worried that there are no file drawers, a standard 2-drawer file cabinet that fits underneath it easily, and, if you put it opposite the shelves, there is plenty of leg room left (unless you're 7 feet tall, then I would say it might be a little cramped).Assembly was pretty easy. I did it myself in about 45 minutes. I would recommend a second person help to hold the pieces in place, though, because they are quite large and unwieldy. All the necessary tools come with the kit and, NO!! it's not the horrible allen wrench that everyone hates, it was a very nice miniature screwdriver! The instructions were a hoot. No actual written instructions, everything was pictures. The first one had me scratching my head a little until I looked more closely. Make sure to look at the dotted arrows on the pictures to see which side of the piece or which hole it's pointing to. The holes matched up nicely and they were snug, so I have no fear of them loosening over time.The instruction picture has you leave the desk upside down to attach the top and the shelves; trust me, it really is easier this way; with the top, it's easier to line up the holes (make sure you line them all up before you start tightening all the screws). With the shelves, leaving the desk upside down makes for a clumsy install because you have to hold the shelf up, then screw in from the top (this is where a second person would be helpful until you get all 4 screws in) BUT...if you try to do it right-side-up, the bottom shelf is too low to the ground to get underneath to properly tighten the screws.You can put the shelves on the left or right simply by swapping the bar on the bottom of the desk on the long side to the other side.This desk certainly exceeded my expectations.

This desk is nice. Configurable shelves, adjustable feet. Reasonably light and very sturdy. When I saw the construction up close I was wary - it really doesn't seem like there is much to it, but this thing doesn't budge! One feature I really liked about it is how the wooden panels all have nylon anchors on the underside that the machine screws bite cleanly into. This is exactly how a locknut works and provided the anchors are firmly seated in the panels, should prove quite resistant to lateral force and vibration loosening the screws.People spoke of badly chipped corners... mine came shipped with these hard plastic covers on the corners and still one corner had the laminate ever so lightly peeled up. I used contact cement and now you'd never know there was any damage. Some things just aren't worth fussing over. Though I would be mad if my $150 desk was actually missing material.That said, the panels are actually really nice! The quality of the printing on the laminate is quite rich and it has a wonderful, textured finish with what seems to be a fairly thick, durable semi-gloss sheen to it. It's probably about as high quality as laminated particleboard gets! I like it!The quality of the powder-coating is similarly fine and shows no obvious flaws. Some types of powder coating seem to chip off easily... maybe poor preparation of the metal beneath? I dunno, but any time I've seen this type of powder coat, it's held up well. It's not the thin type that chips easily. I have a little walmart laptop stand and the difference between the hardness of the powder-coat on that is night and day from this desk.Putting it together was easy. They do give you the tools you need. Every type of screw comes packed in a lettered bag and the instructions are clear which ones go where and how it all goes together. You get one extra of each type of screw.Though I had to laugh at how they wanted you to put the top on. They thought you should lay the top flat on the ground and attach the frame to it with everything upside down. Maybe there's a good reason for it, but all I could think was "I'm not flipping that thing over!" I guess it all comes down to which you prefer... squeezing underneath or attempting to pick the whole thing up and flip it a full 180 on it's end.All in all, a very nice, simple desk. I'm very happy with it. That said, for what it is, $155 is just a little steep. $20 less than that would make it really good value compared to similar offerings. But hey, if this has what you want, the size is good, and you like the look, I'd say it's still worth it!