Eureka Ergonomic Opal standing desk review: Beautiful, stylish, and solid — but I can't ignore the mediocre storage

The Eureka Ergonomic Opal is a premium design standing desk with solid construction, less-than-satisfactory cable management and cramped drawers, yet a beautiful design

Eureka Ergonomic | Opal
(Image credit: © Collin Probst // Future)

TechRadar Verdict

The Eureka Ergonomic is a striking design, and a generous desktop, surrounded by a sharp looking decorative base, but once you open up the cabinets you find legs that take up a good chunk of the space. And if you want to add gear on top of the desk, you'll find a lack of cable management all around. Overall, it’s a pretty desk to look at, but the functionality feels first-generation, or half-baked.

Pros

  • +

    Beautiful desktop

  • +

    Sharp Executive-storage style base

  • +

    Very stable

  • +

    Aesthetically beautiful

Cons

  • -

    No cable management in desktop surface

  • -

    Tiny pull-out drawer

  • -

    Cabinets are taken up by legs

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The Eureka Ergonomic Opal Executive Desk is the kind of desk you’d see in movies. It’s the desk that the professional whose life is put together has in their beautifully aesthetic office.

It’s got a great look. Rounded edges to make it feel like a design statement, not just another slab of wood in the center of an office. This standing desk isn’t just a height-adjustable surface to put things on, but it’s a statement. And, with that, there are some cons to match the pros. But, if your focus for your workspace is curvature and perhaps soft, inviting tones, then this may just be your dream desk. I know several people who would absolutely adore this desk.

Much like other Eureka Ergonomic products I have tested over the years, the Opal is designed first. Even if it weren’t for the design focus and sketched out diagram on their website, I’d be able to tell that this desk was designed by looking first, and that has a lot of positives with it.

Eureka Ergonomic Opal Executive Desk: Price and availability

Eureka Ergonomic | Opal

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)

The Opal Executive Office Desk is available from $1999 from the Eureka Ergonomic website.

The model I have is the height-adjustable variant, though for those who may not need or want the height adjustment, there is an option for a cheaper Opal model that lacks the standing desk functionality.

You can choose between three finish options: the Black Birth with Wood Veneer (reviewed here); the Cream with Sintered Stone and Birch Wood Veneer; and the Cream with Birch Wood Veneer.

All options ship in about 4 boxes and weigh nearly 300 lbs, so be prepared.

Eureka Ergonomic | Opal

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)

Eureka Ergonomic | Opal

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)

Eureka Ergonomic Opal Executive Desk: Unboxing and First Impressions

The Opal was delivered in four massive boxes, totaling a weight of nearly 300 lbs. It’s hefty, and it will take a bit to unbox, but it’s not terrible. The hardest part is the desktop box which weighs around 90 lbs on it’s own. I carried it on my own, and immediately regretted it, so if you can, or are just smarter than me, have a buddy help you out.

As most companies do, Eureka Ergonomic makes sure to send the assembly tools required, though I still prefer to use my Hoto Electric screwdriver to safely speed up the assembly process. But you can do as you prefer.

Right off the bat, I was blown away with the unique shape of the desktop. It has a very elegant and elevated design, making my studio space feel not good enough almost for this level of design.

The oval desktop is not something that I have had before, so that was new for me, but the rounded edges added to a level of sophistication that my square-edged desks cannot match. The fluted cabinet design with beautiful trim feel very exquisite as well, but once opening them, they were a bit smaller than I expected since they have the standing desk legs within them.

While this is still fine and functional, if these are your only storage solution, you may be a bit disappointed. But, if this is more for the looks than having robust storage capacity, then you’ll probably be okay.

One thing I noticed right away is that there is no real good way to manage cables. This desk is pretty clearly designed for a laptop, iPad, or an all-in-one, but not a multi-monitor setup or one with a lot of gadgets.

That’s probably on purpose, as this desk is pretty clearly designed for the looks and vibes, not robust productivity, but nevertheless, I thought it would be worth sharing.

Eureka Ergonomic Opal Executive Desk: Design & Build Quality

The desktop is made out of a manufactured wood core and a solid wood veneer, making it a bit cheaper and lighter yet still having a premium look. It’s not a solid wood desktop, so if you want to drill into it to mount something, I’d be careful. But, for pretty much anything else, it’s solid. The weight capacity is still around 220lbs, so enough to hold whatever you need, but not enough to climb on it.

The wood cabinets look better than I expected them to be, honestly. I expected them to be cheaply done, but in true Eureka Ergonomic fashion, they actually look quite sharp. They are manufactured wood cabinets that are painted, but the fluting, the molding trim, and the hardware all make this look elevated (no pun intended).

I do wish that the legs took up less of the cabinets, though I don’t exactly know how this would work in practice. At least, not without affecting the overall shape and design of the desk, which is clearly the focus of this particular desk.

Eureka Ergonomic Opal Executive Desk: In use

Eureka Ergonomic | Opal

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)

My team and I have had this in our fleet of desks for a little while now, and so far, this desk has performed quite well.

Yes, it’s not going to be our most built-out desk with all the bells and whistles, but it is a beautiful desk that can stand on its own, not needing accessories to make it look finished. And that’s saying something. It's designed to be paired with the Eureka Ergonomic Serene office chair, continuing the curved and elegant look.

I mentioned it briefly in an earlier section, but this desk is pretty clearly designed for simplistic beauty. It’s for a laptop, maybe a tablet, and that’s about it. Minimalist simplicity at its core, and that’s a beautiful thing to have.

If you need a few accessories to get your job done, you can tuck them in the small drawer under the desk or in the cabinets, but this desk isn’t supposed to hold everything you could ever need for any role; it’s meant to feel serene (again, no pun intended), it’s meant to feel refreshing.

Eureka Ergonomic Opal Executive Desk: Final verdict

Eureka Ergonomic | Opal

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)

It’s clear what the goal of the Eureka Ergonomic Opal Executive Standing Desk is, besides having a very clear and long name, it’s meant for simplicity.

For those looking for a more traditional standing desk, this won't fit the bill. While it's got all the core features you'd expect, it's a large, executive-style desk that's beautifully focused on form over functionality.

Ultimately, this is a showstopper desk. It’s meant for an executive workstation that has minimal gear, an open desk, and an open mind. Like the company's other office furniture, this is all about design. It’s meant to be in the center of a room, as a showcase piece.


For more office furniture essentials, see our guides to the best standing desks and the best office chairs we've tested.

Collin Probst

Former TechRadar Pro B2B Hardware Editor, Collin has been in journalism for years, with experience in small and large markets, including Gearadical, DailyBeast, FutureNet, and more.

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