AndaSeat Mask 2 review: "Sturdy and stylish, with all the desk space you need"

The AndaSeat Mask 2 is the brand's latest attempt to create the best gaming desk on the market right now. The company has been responsible for some of the best gaming chairs that money can buy, and now it seeks to complete your battle station in style with full RGB flair. 

It's far from cheap with its $450 / £300 MSRP, pricing it alongside similar competition from Secretlab and Arozzi, but does the AndaSeat Mask 2 do enough to justify that high cost of entry?

AndaSeat Mask 2 review: assembly 

The AndaSeat Mask 2 went together fairly painlessly, at least as far as the actual desk construction is concerned. Fortunately, you are provided with not only a set of Allen keys but also a screwdriver in the box, so you've got all the tools you need to make quick work of things. For better or worse, I assembled the desk alone, though I ran into relatively few issues save for a few fiddly screws needed to bolt one of the legs to the tabletop. 

A major source of my frustration, however, came in the form of the LED light strips that needed to be threaded through the metal support beam and attached to either side of the legs. In theory, it should have taken mere moments, but the way the rigid cable was folded upon itself made it almost impossible to feed through the steel easily; reluctantly, this was the one moment that I asked for assistance, and together, we made sure that the RGB light cable was tucked away neatly. 

If you're someone that relies upon detailed diagrams and clear instructions then this desk may not be for you. Despite this, while the guidance left a lot to be desired, the components are all numbered (both in the pictures and on the bags themselves) so it isn't too mentally taxing to put two and two together. 

It should be noted that this desk could be on the heavier side for some, and I would generally advise a two-person assembly to avoid any incidents or accidents when flipping the desk over or holding certain parts of it up while screwing down parts onto it. In total, the AndaSeat Mask 2 weighs around 27kgs / 59lbs in this state, so it's worth being careful and getting help if it's available. 

All told, with the exception of threading that LED light strip through, assembly time totaled at just over an hour. If you have prior experience building these kinds of computer desks or aren't doing so alone, then it's likely that you could knock a good 10 - 15 minutes off that. 

AndaSeat Mask 2 review: design and features 

There's no mistaking the AndaSeat Mask 2 for any other gaming desk on the market right now. The tabletop is adorned in a carbon fiber wrap around which not only looks great but provides a non-slip surface for my monitor, mouse mat, keyboard, and other peripherals which was a nice change of pace from the varnished wood and tempered glass I've used in the past.

It's the lighting in the legs where the aesthetics of the AndaSeat Mask 2 really shine - quite literally. It may have been a little frustrating to thread those cables through, but the results really do speak for themselves. The RGB is bright and blends in well with the other bright colors emanating from the gaming PC below and the rest of the items on my desk, though don't expect to use an RGB controller to change the speeds or colors on offer, as the one I use for the ARG on the front of my CiT Raider PC case, didn't make a difference. There's no control method to change how the lighting looks (the power button on the right merely turns them on and off) which slowly fades between colors such as red, green, and blue as well as purple, and cyan.

Looks aside, it's a fairly straightforward affair that you would expect from a computer desk. There's an emphasis on practicality above everything else; two holes for running cables through sit on either side exactly where you would need them. In terms of what it's like to use, however, I found that I had more than enough space for a large Razer keyboard (complete with a wrist rest) as well as a mega-sized RGB mouse mat with stereo speakers on either side of my monitor. I never felt cramped or boxed in, and could have had a multi-monitor setup, and even my Razer Blade laptop ready for use as well.

The cupholder can be secured into either the left or right side with no wobbling to speak of, though I wouldn't trust it with any hot drinks or anything heavier than a standard water bottle. The cable management box underneath, however,  made out of cheap black plastic with a company logo sticker on the front of it, not only took away from the understated visuals but didn't prove itself to be as useful at keeping wires from amassing under the desk itself as I would have hoped, especially as I had to thread the cables on the right-hand side of the desk down the leg anyway. The Secretlab Magnus gaming desk remains the champ at cable management.

AndaSeat Mask 2 review: should you buy it? 

AndaSeat Mask 2 is a sturdy and stylish gaming desk that provides all the space and support that you would need for a gaming setup. However, it lives in the shadow of its high asking price, and the plastic accessories cheapen its looks and functionality, especially when it retails for $450 / £300. For the money, you would expect a far more elegant solution. 

However, given that the AndaSeat Mask 2 is commonly on sale from AndaSeat's own website, and has hovered around the $200 mark during some events held by the brand, if you can find it for that price, it's a more than fair proposition given all it offers.