Design Choices Mar a Fine Desk

There’s a significant downfall to joining a market fairly late in the game. You’re always going to be compared to those that came first. It’s a lesson AndaSeat may learn with the FlyQuest Edition Gaming Standing Desk, a middle-of-the-road adjustable desk that lags a little behind the competition.

AndaSeat FlyQuest Edition Gaming Standing Desk

AndaSeat FlyQuest Edition Gaming Standing Desk is built for gamers, complete with optional RGB lighting, a headset hook, and a height adjustment range of 29 to 47 inches. 

Pros

• Steel frame is sturdy and stable
• Makes adjustments fast without stalling
• Good size to hold everything gamers need
• Includes mat to protect top surface

Cons

• Desktop feels thin and cheap
• Gaming add-ons are basic at best
• Awkward and small wire management well
• Assembly shouldn’t have been as difficult

Price and Availability

AndaSeat’s FlyQuest Edition adjustable gaming desk is available now through AndaSeat’s online store. It retails for $499.99 and is available in only one configuration.

Unpacking and Assembly: Slightly Frustrating Out of the Box

Over the past two years, before getting my hands on AndaSeat’s gaming standing desk, I’ve unpacked and assembled half a dozen adjustable desks across three different brands. The easiest was FlexiSpot’s Pro Plus desk. The most difficult was this FlyQuest Edition gaming workspace.

It arrived in two boxes, as expected. However, unlike with FlexiSpot’s desks, the frame the legs attach to wasn’t pre-installed, the desktop came in two pieces, and this model had a somewhat more confusing configuration. Unfortunately, the instructions weren’t all that helpful; the print was very light, and the diagrams were unclear.

Had I not put together so many desks prior, it may have been more of a chore, though the weird bar running the table’s length did throw me for a loop. I’m not 100% sure why it’s there. It’s kind of flimsy and doesn’t seem to offer the desk any support, and it only muddied the assembly process.

Sturdy Frame, Middling Desktop

The steel frame is thick and sturdy, with a maximum weight capacity of 220lbs. I’ve reviewed desks that range from 200 to 350lbs, so AndaSeat’s limit does fall on the lower end, not that I’d expect to load the desk up to even close to 200lbs.

The biggest disappointment all around is the desktop. The carbon fiber-style design looks great but feels like a thin and cheap particle board desktop. That may be why it comes with a full-length FlyQuest-branded mat, which helps cover the unsightly seam running down the middle where the two desktop pieces are screwed together. It’s a decent-quality mat that negates the need for a mousepad and adds a little cushioning for your wrists.

While the carbon fiber detailing hasn’t faded, chipped, or separated from the desktop yet, I do wonder how months of gaming would wear it down. The mat will curb wear and tear, but if you need the mat to keep the desk looking new, then why bother with the sleek design?

A Noisy Motor, But Good Height Range

The star of this desk isn’t even visible unless you look for it. Being adjustable, the FlyQuest Edition gaming desk has a built-in motor, and you’ll know it’s there. Not just because your desk will move when prompted, either. It’s one of the noisier motors I’ve heard on a standing desk, though it adjusts to your chosen height quickly. It’s not unbearable by any means, just a little surprising as the motor sometimes sounded like it would struggle to raise the desk from its starting position of 29 inches to its maximum height of 47 inches.

The height adjustment range itself is good. Most desks seem to fall somewhere in there, so this should work for gamers of most heights. The FlexiSpot Pro Plus desk did go down to 22 inches, and that seemed very low. Maybe you’ll need a lower minimum if you have children using it, but 29 inches is definitely a good starting point.

Manually raising or lowering the desk is simple with the included control panel, but you’re best to use the three programmable heights. It’s irritating to find the perfect height only to have someone move it on you. It’s a problem with sharing any adjustable desk, so those programmable options are always nice to see.

Fitting the Gamer Stereotype

While the desk can be used universally by anyone, some of its components are definitely for gamers. There’s a headset hook and cupholder to install, though I have very little faith that either lasts long. They jut awkwardly out from the desk, and while they swivel left and right to give you some leeway, the likelihood that you’ll walk into them is high. I know because it happened to me enough times that I removed them the first night I used the desk before I could break them.

AndaSeat also has a very stereotypical approach to making this a “gamer” desk. You can install two LED lightbars on both ends of the desk, though they feel like afterthoughts. It’s as if AndaSeat realized it needed to “gamify” the desk more, and what says “gaming” better than RGB lights? Making the setup even more awkward is the control module for the LED strips. It’s not attached to the desk and sits in one of the two wire feeds. You’ll also need to find a place to plug in the USB cable that powers the lights because AndaSeat didn’t include a built-in option.

The lights look nice, but the hassle of including them isn’t worth it in the end when you can buy a Govee strip for your monitor that requires less wiring and casts an ambient glow on your wall in front of you rather than to the sides of the desk.

Maybe Secretlab has spoiled me with its desk-length cable well and customizable magnetic desktop, which has allowed me to easily attach two monitor arms, an under-mounted PC tower holder, a headset hook that’s out of the way, and wire management accessories, but those types of options are what I think of when I hear “gaming standing desk.”

Should You Buy the AndaSeat FlyQuest Edition Gaming Standing Desk

If you’re just looking to get into standing desks, it’s really difficult to recommend AndaSeat’s FlyQuest Edition Gaming Standing Desk when there are alternatives at comparable prices. However, if you like the aesthetics of this gaming desk, I think this model has some merits.

I do like the overall look of the desk. Even if you don’t follow FlyQuest’s progress as an esports organization, the logo pops against the all-black, soft mat. Most importantly, though, the desk handles its adjustability quite well. The sound of the motor is easy to overlook, especially since you only hear it when raising or lowering the desktop, and I didn’t experience any hiccups or stalling in either leg. Overall, it’s a smooth experience with a fairly average maximum and minimum height.

The length and depth do work well for gamers, and you can easily fit two monitors, a microphone, a Stream Deck, and a few other components if needed. While I think the headset hook could have been placed better, and the screws were small and easy to pull out, it’s a convenient feature to have.

I would call this a good entry-level adjustable desk for gamers. It’s definitely built better than some $150 to $200 stationary gaming desks I’ve ordered off Amazon. Plus, many of its more questionable aspects, like the RGB light bars, are optional if they don’t work with your setup.

AndaSeat FlyQuest Edition Gaming Standing Desk

AndaSeat FlyQuest Edition Gaming Standing Desk is built for gamers, complete with optional RGB lighting, a headset hook, and a height adjustment range of 29 to 47 inches.