I recently moved house and rather than drag my old desk to my new property, I decided to buy a new desk entirely.
I work from home every day so I needed a desk that would allow me to comfortably fit two computer monitors, a wireless keyboard, a mouse, and allow for some room to take written notes occasionally.
I didn’t need a huge amount of storage but at least one or more drawers would be useful.
I really hate the feeling of a desk moving around or making a noise when I’m typing or writing, so I needed a desk that’s rock solid and unlikely to wobble during use.
After looking at some higher-end models, I decided to take the risk and go for the cheapest option that I could find – a B&M Michigan Desk that cost just £50.
I have purchased cheap desks in the past and ended up with a rickety thing that was no good.
But what swayed me in this instance was that I saw it in-store and after measuring up the outer box I realised that I could fit it in my small car (Toyota Aygo) and set it up in my house that very day – instead of waiting for an online delivery to turn up.
This B&M Michigan Desk review covers my experience setting the desk up, how I think the desk performs in key areas, the pros and cons, and who I think should buy this desk (if anyone).
Before we jump into the review, here’s a picture of my sales receipt to prove that I’ve actually bought this B&M Michigan Desk:
B&M Michigan Desk Review
Overall, I would say that the B&M Michigan Desk offers a solid and sturdy work surface at a very reasonable price and should fit most medium and large rooms (take measurements prior to purchase and compare them with the dimensions below if your room is small or you’re working with limited space).
See my full B&M Michigan Desk review below for more detailed insights.
B&M Michigan Desk Video Review
Below is my B&M Michigan Desk video review that I posted on our Bedroom Style Reviews YouTube channel:
Product Details
Below is a tabular overview of the key features of the B&M Michigan Desk:
| Brand: | B&M |
| Place of manufacture: | China |
| Price: | £50 – £60 |
| Colour options: | White or black drawer fronts. |
| Dimensions (inches): | L:46 x D:19 x H:30 |
| Working surface area: | 874 inches^2 |
| Chair clearance: | 24″ H x 32″ W |
| Weight capacity: | 70 kg (11 stone) |
| Wheels? | No |
| Storage features: | Drawer x2, under-desk shelf storage |
| Availability: | Online, in-store |
How to Assemble the B&M Michigan Desk Step-by-Step
To assemble the B&M Michigan Desk, you first have to assemble the two drawers, followed by the top unit of the desk, and then the base.
You then attach the base to the top unit before adding the drawer stops that prevent the drawers from sliding all the way out.
The assembly process is broken down into 8 steps in the instruction booklet.
Below are my thoughts and experiences with the 3 main construction phases of the B&M Michigan Desk assembly process.
1: Drawers
Assembling the two drawer components requires you to align the grooves of the three drawer panels so that you can slide the bottom drawer support panel in and secure it in place with the front drawer panel.
Make sure that you use the 35mm P3 screws (Phillips head) to attach the back panel to the side panels and NOT the 40mm P11 screws (hex head) because they are easily confused at first glance because the P11s seem to fit but are slightly wider and could split the wood if you angle them incorrectly.
Plus, you will need the P11 screws to attach the bottom panel of the desk to the support panels.
The final step in the instructions requires you to attach the P9 screws to the inner panels to stop the drawers from falling out when you pull them to full extension.
2: Top of the Desk
To assemble the top unit of the desk, you should use the P11 hex screws to attach the side and support panels to the bottom panel using the provided Allen key.
The instructions indicate that the holes on the (3) and (4) vertical support panels should face INWARD (against the sides of the drawers).
When I first attached the vertical support panels to the base I put them the wrong way around – make sure that that the laminated edge of the vertical support panel matches the laminated edge of the front of the bottom panel (as opposed to the raw wood showing).
To complete the assembly of the top unit of the desk, attach the P1 male camlocks to the top panel of the desk and then slide the camlocks into the holes in the bottom panel – the completed top unit is shown in the picture below:
3: Base
To assemble the base, you need to connect the left and right metal legs together using the metal support tube and the two cross bars.
Once the frame is secure, you can attach it to the top unit of the desk using the P5 and P7 screws.
Performance Analysis
Here are my thoughts on the B&M Michigan Desk in terms of the pre-assembly, mid-assembly, and post-assembly performance based on my own personal experience.
1: Transportability of Package
Overall, I found the boxed, flat-packed version of the B&M Michigan Desk quite easy to transport from the store to my house.
The package weighed around 20kg (I think) and I was able to carry it out of the store without a trolley using just my hands – but it was a little awkward since the width of the box was slightly too long to allow me to comfortably carry it under my arm like a rolled-up carpet.
I recommend that you use a trolley to avoid injury.
The length of the box was 4ft, meaning that I could get it into the back of my small Toyota Aygo by lowering the back seats and angling the box slightly upwards.
If you own a normal-sized car then I think that you should have little problem getting it into the back.
2: Ease of Assembly
The instructions say that the B&M Michigan Desk should take 1 hour to assemble with two people present.
This is about right in my opinion since it took me 2.5 hours to assemble the desk with very low DIY skills.
The extra 30 minutes was due to correcting two mistakes that I made: using the wrong screws to attach the back of the drawers to the sides, and attaching the vertical support panels the wrong way around.
The main point of confusion was getting the screws mixed up in the bag – they are labelled on the outside of the bag in the vacuum-packed state but can easily become mixed up once you open the packet.
Overall, I would say that the B&M Michigan Desk is quite easy to assemble for a single person with little to no DIY skills as long as you follow the instructions carefully.
3: Tools Required
The instructions state that you will need 1x rubber mallet (not provided), 1x drill (not provided), 1x slotted screwdriver (not provided), 1x pozi screwdriver (not provided), and a measuring tape to assemble the B&M Michigan Desk – however, I was able to complete the assembly using just the Allen key provided and my own electric screwdriver.
4: Assembly Time
The B&M Michigan Desk took me 2.5 hours to assemble (including the correction of mistakes) – whilst the instructions state that it should take around 1 hour for two people to assemble the desk.
5: Clarity of Instructions
I found the instructions for the assembly of the B&M Michigan Desk fairly easy to follow – just make sure that you are using the right screw types and that you attach the support panels to the bottom panel the correct way around.
6: Quality of Parts
The parts included in my individual version of the B&M Michigan Desk were not defective and assembled as they should – the wood is solid and everything connected together cohesively.
7: Quality of the Finished Product
I am very impressed with the quality of the fully assembled version of the B&M Michigan Desk – it’s very strong, sturdy, and doesn’t exhibit a noticeable degree of wobble, rocking, creaking, or squeaking.
8: Working Surface Area
The working area of the assembled B&M Michigan Desk is 874 inches^2 (46″ x 19″) – which is just enough space to fit two computer monitors (24″ width and 20″ width – angled diagonally), 1x lamp, 1x keyboard, 1x wrist support pad, 1x mouse pad, and a small area for documents/note-taking), but not enough to include my 17″ x 7″ PC tower:
9: Storage Capacity
The two drawers each provide 120.75 inches^2 (11.5″ x 10.5″) of storage space whilst the under-desk storage shelf provides 260 inches^2 (13″ x 20″) of storage space.
I find this sufficient for storing the few stationery items that I need but would be largely unsuitable for holding large amounts of books.
10: Chair Clearance
You should be able to get a chair with arm rests that are below 24″ in height to slide under the leg space area of the B&M Michigan Desk.
11: Cleaning and Maintenance
The laminated surface of the B&M Michigan Desk makes it easy to wipe clean and maintain, and is sufficiently dense enough to withstand slight knocks without denting.
12: Décor Suitability
I personally think that the B&M Michigan Desk has a sleek finish with a contemporary feel that complements a wide range of home working spaces – choose from the white or black accent drawers to blend or contrast with your current décor.
13: Warranty
The B&M Michigan Desk comes with a 12-month guarantee that allows you to receive a replacement or refund at the discretion of the manufacturer if a defect is confirmed as arising due to faulty materials or workmanship.
14: Returns
You can return your B&M Michigan Desk in its original condition with proof of purchase within 30 days to a B&M store to avail of a refund or replacement according to the terms of B&M’s Return Policy at the time of writing.
15: Related Items
I also bought a Fast Traxx Pro Performance Executive Chair and a small table lamp from the same B&M store to go with my B&M Michigan Desk.
The arm-rests of the Fast Traxx Pro Performance Executive Chair are around 0.5 inches too tall to allow the chair to slide into the leg space area when the chair is fully depressed but otherwise, the chair allows me to work comfortably at the desk.
Pros
Based on my own experience with the B&M Michigan Desk that I bought, it’s my personal opinion that the benefits of this desk are as follows:
- Strong and sturdy – very little wobble or rocking evident during typing, writing, or resting on the desk.
- Can be assembled with one person – whilst two people make for an approximate assembly time of 1 hour, set up can be executed with 1 person with average strength and dexterity.
- Limited tools required – an electric screwdriver is the only additional tool required not included with the desk (the recommended rubber mallet, drill, and tape measure were not required in my instance).
- Fits with a wide range of decors – sleek wood finish with a choice of white or black accent drawers to go with an array of bedroom, study, or home office decors.
- Well priced – priced at between £50 and £60 (it was cheaper to buy in-store vs online in my case) this is the cheapest Michigan Desk that I could find anywhere and the quality is still very good.
Cons
Here are some of the considerations based on my own thoughts and experience of setting up and using the B&M Michigan Desk:
- Easy to get the screws mixed up – make sure that you take note (or take a picture on your phone) of where the screws are placed in the vacuum-packed bag because the Px numbers are stuck on the outside of the bag and the screws can end up getting mixed up when you open the package.
- Some confusion of the angle of attachment for the vertical support panels – pay close attention to the instructions to ensure that you attach the vertical support panels (parts 3 and 4) to the bottom panel (part 5) with the holes facing inwards.
- Chair clearance – make sure that the arm rests of the chair that you are going to use with this desk are below 24″ in height.
- Possibly too big for very small rooms – whilst the 46″ length and 19″ width of the desk are nothing exceptional, make sure to check that you have enough room for the assembled product if your room is very small or if you’re working with limited space.
Who Should Buy this Desk?
I think that the B&M Michigan Desk is suitable for children, students, and adults with a medium to large room and require a basic workstation that can accommodate a screen/laptop plus accessories and space to write/draw.
Conclusion: Affordable Quality
I was initially concerned that the low price of this desk would mean an inferior finished product but I needn’t have worried.
Because (at least in my case) the fully assembled B&M Michigan Desk provides me with a solid and dependable work station so that I can work from home every day at a very reasonable price.
Highly recommended.
Image Attribution and Licencing
Custom product images created by Bedroom Style Reviews – all rights reserved.
Dan is the founder and head content creator at Bedroom Style Reviews.
He has been working as a professional online product reviewer since 2015 and was inspired to start this website when he ended up sleeping on a memory foam mattress that was too soft and gave him backache.
Through in-depth research and analysis, Dan’s goal with this website is to help others avoid such pitfalls by creating the best online resource for helping you find your ideal mattress, bedding, and bedroom furniture.
Dan is a qualified NVQ Level 2 Fitness Instructor with 6 years’ experience helping clients improve their health through diet, exercise, and proper sleep hygiene.
He also holds several college and university-level qualifications in health sciences, psychology, mathematics, art, and digital media creation – which helps him to publish well researched and informative product reviews as well as articles on sleep, health, wellbeing, and home decor.
Dan also has direct personal experience with insomnia, anxiety, misophonia (hypersensitivity to sounds), and pain from both acute and long-standing sporting injuries – he enjoys writing insightful articles around these subjects to help fellow sufferers of such conditions.
Learn more about Dan here.