Secretlab MAGNUS Pro vs IKEA IDÅSEN
Secretlab
Secretlab MAGNUS Pro
Fits 5′4″ to 6′7″ (est.)
The MAGNUS Pro is a cable-management system that happens to raise and lower. The entire top is magnetic steel, so accessories, cable channels and a headphone hanger clip on anywhere without adhesive; a full-length tray runs under the surface and is reachable from above; and mains power is routed up through one leg to a socket built into the desk, so a single cord leaves the desk. Nothing else here does that. The engineering underneath is less remarkable — two-stage legs, 265 lb, 23.6 inches of travel — and the control panel and control box are covered for two years against up to five on the rest. Stability is the thing to check: a few owners and video reviewers showed earlier production, with cutouts in the legs, rocking visibly on a hard floor, and Secretlab revised the legs to a solid reinforced design without announcing it or changing the product name. If you buy secondhand, that is the thing to inspect.
IKEA
IKEA IDÅSEN
Fits 5′2″ to 6′9″ (est.)
The IDÅSEN is the one IKEA desk in this catalog that competes on engineering rather than price. Two-stage legs give it a 25-inch travel span from a low 24.75 inches, the collision sensor reverses an inch or two rather than just stopping, and the build is closer to an office product than a flat-pack one: IKEA rates it contract grade, to ANSI/BIFMA. Two things pull it back. The 154 lb capacity is very low: a heavy monitor arm, a large panel and a laptop dock gets you uncomfortably close to it, and it rules out mounting a tower. And it is a genuine hour and a half of assembly, sometimes with a second person, on particle board with a veneer over it. The 10-year frame cover and 2-year electronics cover is the usual IKEA split. Note the controller is proprietary, so third-party keypads and desk-automation hardware do not work with it.
Where they actually differ
- The IKEA IDÅSEN gets 0.9″ lower, which matters if anyone using the desk is short — it reaches a sitting height for people down to about 5′2″, against 5′4″ for the Secretlab MAGNUS Pro.
- The IKEA IDÅSEN reaches 0.8″ higher, suiting standing users to about 6′9″ against 6′7″.
- The Secretlab MAGNUS Pro is rated for 111 lb more lift, though most home setups stay well under either figure.
- The IKEA IDÅSEN is about $100 cheaper as configured — note what each price actually includes, since one may be a bare frame.
- Frame cover runs longer on the IKEA IDÅSEN (10 yr frame / 2 yr electronics / 10 yr top). The electronics figure is the one worth reading twice — it is usually the part that fails.
Every line above is generated from the two spec sheets, not from an opinion. Height ranges are quoted on each maker's own basis — check both desk pages before comparing the figures directly.
| Spec | Secretlab MAGNUS Pro | IKEA IDÅSEN |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$899 | ~$799 |
| Height range | 25.6″–49.2″ | 24.75″–50″ |
| Travel | 23.6″ | 25.3″ |
| Fits users | 5′4″ to 6′7″ | 5′2″ to 6′9″ |
| Lift capacity | 265 lb | 154 lb |
| Leg stages | 2-stage | 2-stage |
| Motors | 2 motors | 2 motors |
| Speed | 1.2 in/s | not published |
| Noise | 50 dB | not published |
| Memory presets | 3 | 2 |
| Anti-collision | Motor current | Motor current |
| Crossbar | No | No |
| Leg shape | Rectangular | Square |
| Warranty | 5 yr frame / 2 yr electronics / 5 yr top | 10 yr frame / 2 yr electronics / 10 yr top |
| Assembly | Preassembled top | Full DIY |
| Cable management | Included | Optional |
| Desktop sizes | 59×27.5 | 63×31.5 |
| Desktop materials | Powder-coated steel | Wood veneer |
| Type | Electric 2-stage | Electric 2-stage |
Tinted rows are the specs on which these two desks differ.