Office & WFH · Head-to-head
Branch Office Desk vs IKEA MITTZON Desk
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Home Office Desks: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The Branch Office Desk gets material, edge, depth, and cable routing right at the same time, and puts a ten year warranty behind it. The IKEA MITTZON Desk is the value answer and actually beats it on depth and on fitting the desk to your body, for meaningfully less money.
Branch Office Desk
Buy itA contract-grade laminate over MDF top with a beveled edge, a grommet already cut, and a ten year warranty behind it.
- MDF core with an impact and stain resistant laminate, and a beveled front edge instead of a peel-prone banding strip
- Brushed grommet is standard, with an optional in-desk power module rather than a strip taped underneath
- The 60 by 30 inch configuration gives genuine monitor distance, which many desks in any tier do not
- Ten year warranty and contract-grade construction, with steel legs in powder white, charcoal or mirror polished finishes and leveling feet
- Only two sizes, and the smaller 48 by 24 inch version gives up the depth that makes the big one worth buying
- Laminate cannot be refinished, so a deep gouge is permanent
IKEA MITTZON Desk
Buy itIKEA's office range, not its home range: real walnut veneer, a designed-in cable tray, the deepest top here, and the same ten year warranty for less money.
- Particleboard core with a real walnut veneer and clear lacquer, not a printed foil
- Deepest configuration in this group at 31 1/2 inches, which is where monitor distance stops being a problem
- Cable management tray with access from above and the sides, a lidded compartment, and an included plug-in module sized for a power socket sold separately
- Leg height is set during assembly anywhere from 25 5/8 to 33 1/2 inches, so the desk fits your body rather than the industry average
- Changing the height later means unbolting and repositioning the legs, so treat it as a decision rather than a setting
- Veneer over particleboard is still particleboard, so a chip in the lacquer that stays wet will eventually swell
- Looks like office furniture, which is fine in a work room and less fine in a living space
Side by side
The 7 criteria below are the ones our full comparison judged every product on, narrowed to these two.
| Branch Office Desk Our pick | IKEA MITTZON Desk | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Anyone buying one desk to keep for a decade who wants cable routing solved out of the box. | Dedicated work spaces, and anyone noticeably taller or shorter than average who wants the height dialed in without paying for a motor. |
| Price tier | $$$ · premium | $$ · mid-range |
| Surface material | MDF core, impact and stain resistant laminate | Particleboard core, real walnut veneer and clear lacquer |
| Edge treatment | Beveled laminate front edge | Lacquered veneer edge |
| Deepest size offered | 30 inches (60 by 30 configuration) | 31 1/2 inches (63 by 31 1/2 configuration) |
| Cable and power provision | Brushed grommet standard, optional in-desk power module | Cable tray with lid, plug-in module for an optional power socket |
| Height | Fixed | Set at assembly, 25 5/8 to 33 1/2 inches |
| Stated warranty | 10 years | 10 years limited |
| Assembly | Short single-person job, leveling feet included | Heavier and fiddlier, height chosen during build |
Which one is right for you?
Pick the Branch Office Desk if
anyone buying one desk to keep for a decade who wants cable routing solved out of the box.
Know before buying: only two sizes, and the smaller 48 by 24 inch version gives up the depth that makes the big one worth buying.
Pick the IKEA MITTZON Desk if
dedicated work spaces, and anyone noticeably taller or shorter than average who wants the height dialed in without paying for a motor.
Know before buying: changing the height later means unbolting and repositioning the legs, so treat it as a decision rather than a setting.
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Branch Office Desk - A contract-grade laminate over MDF top with a beveled edge, a grommet already cut, and a ten year warranty behind it. Choose the IKEA MITTZON Desk instead if dedicated work spaces, and anyone noticeably taller or shorter than average who wants the height dialed in without paying for a motor.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Home Office Desks: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).