The Summit Mountain Writing Desk is a classic with a super large writing surface and hand-finished wood veneers in Oak. At $149, it’s not the cheapest desk in the lot, but there have been great reviews as the desk works well in almost any setting. My personal impression is i like how wide open the desk is. The legs are thin and there is no back wall behind the leg area. There’s a decent sized drawer that opens in the center but you will find no support to lean books against on top of the desk. Still, this is a great casual writing desk.

The Sauder White Writing Desk of the Harbor View Collection falls into the antique writing desk category. Even though it’s an old style desk colored antique white, it still features a pull-out tray/drawer for a keyboard and mouse. The good aspect of this piece is it can actually function and look like a table if you need it to complete your room. The unfortunate part is it is reported to take several hours to put together and can frustrate even those handy with their hands and putting things together. This is price at $228 and cannot be found in-store – only online.

I also took a look at the quaint little Sauder Mainstays Writing Desk, Hazelwood. There is a keyboard/laptop drawer with flip-down front along with an open storage shelf and cubbyhole storage. At $99, it’s a nice value but you need to make sure to assemble it properly or it won’t give you the sturdy feel you look for in pen desks.

antique writing desk

The last elegant desk I researched was the Winsome Liso Writing Desk with Drawer. This is a very simple, “dark expresso” colored writer’s desk with a long, straight knob on the single pull-out drawer. Made of solid wood, I really enjoy the presence on this piece. The coloring could actually classify as a black writing desk. The online price is $189.99.

Finally, the Wildon Home Redondo Beach Writing Desk in Cappuccino has a large, rich surface that will go well as a serious home office furniture complement. This probably should be reserved to someone with a home because it is so substantial and has more of a centerpiece feel rather than a part of a collection.