Eureka Ergonomic Z1-S Gaming Desk Review

Here at WorkWhileWalking, we’re commonly asked about which desk we’d recommend not for working, but for gaming. So we’ve begun to branch out with tests and reviews for some of the best gaming desks on the market today. While we’re going to focus primarily on ergonomic and/or standing gaming desks—it’s what we do!—we are also going to take a look at a few fixed-height desks intended for gamers. We are partial to standing desks, even for gaming, but we wanted to be thorough, and show gaming readers the breadth of desks and desktop products made for them. To that end, we recently acquired the Eureka Ergonomic Z1-S Gaming Desk and put it to the test in our independent lab. Here’s what we found.

Eureka Ergonomic Gaming

Eureka Ergonomic manufactures a number of gaming desks and a handful of other gaming accessories and peripherals as well. The Z1-S desk is not the cheapest desk in their gaming line, but it’s close—only the I1 Black Curve is less expensive. Despite that, the Z1-S benefits from all the qualities that are common to Eureka Ergonomic desks that we’ve reviewed.

Eureka Ergonomic consistently offers their customers a great value. Though based in China, Eureka’s manufacturing process is robotic, allowing for tight tolerances and consistent quality. And because all their major components are manufactured in-house, rather than purchased from third-parties, they can produce their products more economically than other companies, and their prices reflect that.

This is especially apparent in the standing desks from Eureka that we’ve seen, which usually beat other Chinese-manufactured desks in their price range, in terms of quality. In the fixed-height gaming desk market, however, there’s a lot more competition, and without precision components like motors and electronic controllers, fixed-height desks have less to distinguish them from each other at each price point than standing desks. So the Z1-S is a well-made desk, but is it better than other desks in a head-to-head comparison?

Generally speaking, you will be getting your money’s worth from the Z1-S Gaming Desk. What you have to ask yourself, however, is what you really want in a gaming desk and does the Z1-S check all those boxes?

The Gaming Aesthetic

Eureka Ergonomic’s gaming desk line practically screams GAMER. Every design decision has been made to improve the cool-factor. The Z1-S, specifically, boasts a lightly textured carbon-fiber laminated surface on both the top and underside of the desk and a color scheme dominated by black, with red accents. Both the desktop and the feet are clad in plastic “armor” that gives the desk even more flair.

The highlight of the desk, though, is undeniably the blue LED lights built into the desktop side armor. They don’t do anything except look cool, but that’s the modus operandi for the entire desk. It’s a stable desktop surface made to look as cool as possible. A slight point against the desk’s lights, however, is the color. Many gaming peripherals, including most of Eureka Ergonomic’s other gaming desks, have RGB lighting, which can be set to tons of colors, or even rotate among different colors. Limiting the Z1-S to just blue is disappointing to some users, and it doesn’t really match the rest of the desk’s black/red coloring.

The desk includes other accessories that are designed with gamers in mind. Two attach directly to the desk: a headset hanger on the left, and a cup holder on the right. Just about anyone could benefit from these accessories; headphones are fairly universal, and VOIP clients have made headsets more common as well. But gamers need to chat with their teammates during matches, so for them, a dedicated headset is a necessity, and having a place to hang it when you’re done is a solid benefit. As for the cupholder, its wireframe construction might look a little shaky, but when we tested it, we found that it held multiple drink sizes stably, including a coffee mug, an energy drink can, and a 32 oz. water bottle. Gamers that enjoy fueling up, whether it’s with Mountain Dew or Monster, will find the Z1-S keeps their drink at hand, but not in the way. And since moisture can penetrate a desktop’s seams and shorten its lifespan, the placement of the cupholder is a twofold boon. First, it reduces the likelihood of spills by being out of the way, and second, because it’s not over the desktop, any unlikely spills that do occur won’t get into the seams in the laminate.

One disappointing aspect of the headset hanger and cup holder is that, because of the way they are shaped, they can’t be swapped. When assembling the desk, you have to put them on the side predetermined by their configuration. This is a bit disappointing, especially since Eureka Ergonomic sells an accessory pack that includes these same parts in a way that allows them to be installed wherever you want. But on the Z1-S, you’ll be keeping your headset on the left and your drink on the right.

The other included accessories are the oversized gaming mousepad and the controller rack. The mousepad is big enough to rest both your keyboard and mouse on it, but your keyboard can’t be centered if you want enough space for your mouse. Thus, how useful you find the mousepad will depend on how you work and game at your PC.

The controller rack supports 2 wireless gaming controllers. PlayStation controllers, and those modeled after them, have a slim profile and rest easily on the rack, but XBox controllers are a bit bulkier, and getting the controller to fit into the second slot on the rack requires a bit of jiggling, which is a minor annoyance. If there were more space between the first and second racks, it would be nicer. Under the controllers there are slots for four game discs. If you have a few favorites that you’re switching between often, keeping them close to your PC or console could be useful. If your library is primarily digital these days, then those slots will probably remain empty.

Ease of Assembly

Putting the Z1-S Gaming Desk together was a straightforward, if not quick, process. The instructions included with the desk used pictures only, with clear diagrams that were pretty easy to follow. If you’ve ever assembled furniture (or anything, really) before, you know that clear diagrams go a lot further than poorly translated instructions from an overseas manufacturer. We posted our unboxing and assembly of the Z1-S a few days ago, and encourage you to take a look at it to get a sense of the process.

There are a lot of parts, and nothing is pre-assembled. On the other hand, everything you need is included in the box, including a Phillips-head screwdriver. You need to give yourself about an hour for assembly, and will need a fairly large space to work in, preferably with a rug or carpet to avoid damage to the floor or the desk. There was a bit of a hiccup when we assembled our desk, when it came to attaching the cup holder, one which we saw echoed in a few other user reviews, but eventually we did get the desk completely assembled.

Functionality

The Eureka Z1-S Gaming Desk is small, but solid. The red leg braces that supplement the Z-shaped legs add stability to the design without the risk of banged knees. As it is a fixed-height desk, the ergonomics of the desk are sub-par. There is no way to adjust the desk to specific user needs. Still, even tall users can sit comfortably at the desk.

Gamers are stereotyped for their bad posture. They slouch, and over time this can lead to postural syndrome, characterized by “rounded shoulders, a hyper-extended neck, and a hunched back.” To improve your ergonomic situation, and break this mold, a good chair will be important, and a monitor arm could be called for. If you can adjust your body and screen to the right heights, you can avoid postural syndrome due to your gaming hobby. (Regular exercise helps too.) Still, this is one reason that we advocate using a standing desk for gaming.

One other place that could be improved upon in the Z1-S Gaming Desk is in cable management. Gaming computers are among the most sophisticated setups, and the hobby often calls for a large number of peripheral devices. There are grommet holes in the back of the desk for wires to pass through, but after that, they just dangle free. Other gaming desks, like the Arozzi Arena, come with a cable management solution built in, as do some of Eureka’s higher-end gaming options. With the Z1-S, you don’t.

Finally, the Z1-S has a fairly small desktop, at only 44.5 inches wide. This is entirely sufficient for your computer and peripherals, and it comfortably supports two monitors. If that’s all you need, or if space is at a premium, then you’ll be happy with the Z1-S. However, if you need to use your gaming desk for more than just computing, you’re not going to have a whole lot of space to do it, and might be served better with a larger desk with room for books or papers, in addition to your keyboard and mouse. The Z1-S beautifully performs its function as a gaming battlestation, but is not a flexible workstation.

Durability

The Z1-S has a metal frame that offers a stable experience for the user and should hold up indefinitely. The tabletop is standard laminated MDF. Where one might worry about the desk’s durability is in the side armor pieces, which are made of lightweight plastic. It’s stronger than it looks, though, and once it’s correctly attached to the desktop and the feet of the desk, day-to-day bumps and jostling aren’t an issue. Barring deliberate abuse or catastrophic impact, it will be fine.

Note that even casual contact with the desktop can leave behind clearly visible fingerprints. The reflective nature of the carbon fiber pattern helps them to stand out, and even just assembling the desk left ours with a number of smudges. However, the desktop can be wiped clean with a damp cloth. (Be careful that it is just damp, not wet—you don’t want excess moisture to get into the seams of the desk’s laminate).

Value

At under $200, the Z1-S Gaming Desk is one of the least expensive desks we’ve ever reviewed. This makes sense, as it doesn’t have any of the componentry, such as linear actuators, that goes into a standing desk. Still, some less-informed users mentioned in reviews that they thought this desk was on the expensive side. This can only be true if you compare it to the cheapest Ikea and Amazon options, which rarely have a build quality that rivals products from Eureka Ergonomics and have none of the features that make them purpose-built gaming desks.

A lot of the value of a gaming desk is in its style. If you are in the market for a desk that is specifically for gaming, you’re probably interested in having it match or complement the style of your gaming PC and your peripherals. That’s what the Z1-S delivers. A solid desk with a clear aesthetic, not for blending in among other home décor, but for standing out. Coupled with the accessories that come with it, the Z1-S seems to be priced well for what it offers.

Bottom Line

The Eureka Ergonomic Z1-S is a very satisfactory desk at a good price. It’s not as simple to assemble as some desks, but it’s not really difficult either, and can be done by one person. It’s a single-purpose desk with a strong gaming aesthetic. The included accessories have the potential to be useful, but if you’re a longtime gamer, you probably already have a place to rack your controllers and a mousepad that you’re comfortable with. Our biggest complaint with this desk is its lack of ergo features, which we knew going in, of course, but given our understanding of ergonomics and their importance to longterm health, we can’t just ignore. Still, if you’ve already decided to get a fixed-height desk, and don’t mind a small desktop, then the Z1-S could be a good choice for you.

This desk does come with a grommet design. Check out our article on grommet holes, with everything you need to know about the different ways to use them to enhance your workstation, what to look for in your grommet holes, and where to find the desks with the best ones.

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