The Best Desk Under $200 Is a Dead-Simple Ikea Hack

When shopping for a cheap desk, your options number in the tens of thousands, but I wager none are better than a dead-simple Ikea hack.

There isn't an official name for this hack; indeed, the idea — popularized on Reddit(the subreddits /r/battlestations and /r/ikea, specifically) as well as the PC gaming community on TikTok — it might be too simple to earn the "hack" title. At its most basic, all you need are a pair of Ikea's Alex Drawers, a tabletop of any kind and a couple optional add-ons.

The Alex units — which were selling out all over the U.S. for a time — are the legs and foundation of your new desk. You then pick your table top, stick some furniture grip on the Alex units and place the table on top of that. It is literally that simple, and the result is a good-looking, customizable desk that beats out anything in the price range. Here's exactly why it works, how to do it and everything you need.

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What You Need for the Ikea Hack Desk Setup

The Alex drawers pull double duty as the desk's legs and storage. The units are 27.5 inches tall, which is just about in the standard desk height range (most studies suggest the sweet spot for most people is 28 to 30 inches). They come in white, gray, blue, black-brown and gray-turquoise.

Ikea's Linmon table, which also comes in a variety of colors, is far from the only option for the desk top. Go to your local Lumber Liquidators for an affordable and sturdy wood top or throw a marble table top you picked up at an antique sale on it; the desk top is up to you.

If you're on the taller side, consider furniture risers. Because the Alex drawers are on the low-end of standard desk height, users above, say, 6 " 2 may find be cramped. These risers are slightly adjustable, almost any will do.

If you get an especially heavy table top, stick these on top of the Alex units to ensure the desk top you choose doesn't move, slide or wobble. The Alex units come with smaller no-slip stickers, but excessive weight can flatten them quickly.

Low price: The best argument (and the only one necessary, for some) is the total cost. Depending on what desktop you go with, you could pull together this desk for well under $200. Feel free to trawl Wayfair, Overstock and other budget-minded sites to prove the contrary, but there aren't many sub-$200 desks that offer what this one does.

Huge flexibility: You may be able to buy a desk that comes close to your preferred color scheme or the size you want on a budget, but you may have to sacrifice elsewhere. This hacky Ikea setup puts the ball back in your court, allowing you to pick from a few colors for the "legs" and go with whatever desktop look (and size) you want.

Move-friendly: Less of a priority for some prospective builders, but a traditional desk is a pain to move with or just move around the house. Because the Ikea setup here is essentially just a few things stacked on top of each other, any kind of moving is simplified.

It just looks good: While this is purely opinion, there aren't many ultra-cheap desks that look as clean as this setup can with the right color combos. Find a good example below and Google "Ikea Alex desk setup" for more.