Levenger Lap Desk, Dark Cherry (FA3045 DC)

So I thought I'd write a review in case someone was thinking of using it for the gaming niche I was going for, but wasn't sure if they should pull the trigger. In my case, I have a home PC with a long HDMI cable connected to 65" wall mounted TV, however, if you are using a Steam box or streaming games to your TV this would also work. The tricky part about gaming on your TV with a PC is that you either have to use an XBox controller (less than ideal) or a keyboard & mouse, but it's awkward. That where this lap desk comes in.A good couch gaming keyboard has three things:1. It's light. Composite or press wood shelves from Home Depot / Ikea are the cheapest, but they are heavy and tend to get dinged up, or ding things up, as you constantly shift them on and off your lap. The Levenger Lap Desk is relatively light for it's size, this is a major win. It's shape does make it a bit precious to set on it's side as you get up to go for a soda, but it's light weight really minimizes this any kind of serious problem, and if it falls over and hits your cat, it's not going to kill it ...which is a major win.2. It's long ...enough, but not too long. A good couch game board needs to be about 30 inches. This will fit a full sized keyboard and mouse. A lot of solutions either pretend you can game from your couch with sub-standard gaming controls, such as a watered down couch keyboard, or that boards for laptops at 23" are fine. They are not. I was able to set my back lit full sized mechanical keyboard and gaming mouse on this without an issue. Any smaller and it'd been too small, and larger and it would be too big. The bonus is the shape, that curve allows for it to sit round your torso a bit and brings your mouse hand in and closer, and in a much more comfortable position so the board isn't cutting into your wrist.3. The material grips the keyboard well enough, and isn't so reflective/transparent that it throws off an optical mouse. A bad couch board would be a sheet of tempered glass, for example. TI got the Dark Cherry, and in my experience it worked fine. I was thinking of getting something to grip my keyboard to put in it, but seems totally unnecessary. the mouse operates on it without any kind of mouse pad perfectly, as well.Overall, the size and shape of the Levenger Lap Desk is perfect for couch gaming. It can easily seat a full sized gaming keyboard and mouse comfortably. It's light enough not to be cumbersome as you move it on and off your lap, and it's strong enough to support your mouse hand without flexing. The one modification I made for it was to get some double sided velcro tape, and velcro a very thin cushion to the bottom of the board, such as you see in other smaller, laptop boards. This way it always sit comfortable in my lap without sliding. Great board, and very happy with the purchase.

This lap desk is pretty nice, it's wide enough to fit across the arms of my recliner so I can set my laptop on it and even a snack etc. It's light enough that it's not a real hassle to set up and take down. It's nice and thin, I fit it in the space between my recliner and sofa.I would have rated this lapdesk higher, except that the wood chipped off in one area from me putting it down on the floor. It's not very durable. I guess if you were more delicate with it, you wouldn't have any problems. The chipped underside has marked up the arm of my chair. I still use it, but I wish it were more durable. I've been using it for about 5 months now and waited to write the review to see if it stood the test of time.

If you don't mind the cost, this is a popular, well-regarded lap desk that provides ample work space wherever you bring it. I've known about the Levenger Lap Desk for several years, but balked at paying a premium price for a piece of wood veneer made in China. I've used a Lap Desk by WalterDrake for years, and I still highly recommend it for its great "bang for the buck," but the carry handle cut-outs were an issue for my purposes. I used mine primarily as an overlay for my straight keyboard shelf to create a more ergonomic environment. I keep my keyboard and mouse on the lap tray and simply slide the lap tray ends onto the arms of my office chair when computing, sliding the lap tray fully onto the keyboard shelf for storage when done. Between the cutouts not working well with my cloth gaming mouse pad and the light oak color (my desk is a Versa Center 72"x24" - Gray Frame, Cherry Surface, I decided to spring for the Levenger, and overall I'm happy with it.Pros vs. the Walter Drake Lap Desk:1. Choice of natural or dark cherry veneer. I got the dark, but it is *extremely* dark - moreso than it looked on my monitor. The Walter Drake model is a light oak (paperboard?) finish over particleboard.2. No carry handle cut-outs to interfere with using the complete surface (in my case, mousing on a cloth mouse pad). The Walter Drake model offers carry handles cut out of each end.3. The Levenger model is slightly bigger at 32"W x 16"H vs. Walter Drake's 30 1/2"W x 15"H.4. Thicker at 1/4" to the Walter Drake's 3/16", so presumably sturdier, although the Walter Drake has held up perfectly through several years of use, and is so cheap you could easily glue two or more together.5. The kidney shape offers more work space than the angled ends (and cut-outs) of the Walter Drake.4. The Levenger model offers smooth, finished edges, while the Walter Drake has rougher, unfinished edges5. The Levenger offers two black elastic bands, one with two pen holders, as opposed to the plain, large rubber bands that come with the Walter Drake model.Cons vs. the Walter Drake Lap Desk:1. PRICE. Levenger Lap Desk costs over five times more (discounting any shipping).2. No carry handle (some people actually wished for one on the Levenger site, so a con for them; a handle, at least in the form of a cut-out, was a negative in my case).The Levenger Lap Desk is generally superior in construction to the Walter Drake Lap Desk, although I don't personally think the difference is enough to warrant an additional $40+. If you have a limited budget, check out the Walter Drake model - buy two and glue them together if necessary. If you can easily afford the Levenger and it offers something you want/need that the Walter Drake model doesn't (even if it's just the more upscale appearance), then definitely spring for the Levenger. That said, if you have someone with any kind of woodworking skills in your life, consider having them make you one!I will also comment that my pricey Levenger Lap Desk had several small (size of a pen dot) flaws in the finish where there was no stain, presumably from air bubbles that developed in the finish. If I bought this locally I would have exchanged it, but when weighed against the hassle of shipping it back, it just wasn't worth it.As a final note, with either lap desk, if you plan to suspend it across the arms of a chair or recliner, I suggest placing a supporting cushion underneath - especially if you plan to use it with a heavy laptop.

Too expensive for what you get. It is a very thin piece of wood. It is a pretty color and smooth, but not worth the price!