10 Best Monitor Risers With Storage Drawers (October 2026) Real Reviews
A monitor riser with a storage drawer is a freestanding platform that lifts your screen toward eye level while turning the dead strip of desk underneath into a closed drawer. No drilling, no clamp, no VESA mount needed. That combination is why these have become the default desk upgrade for anyone working from a small surface.
We spent several weeks cycling ten of the most reviewed risers on this site through real desk setups, and this is the roundup for the best monitor risers with storage drawers in 2026. Every pick below has an actual drawer in the frame, not an open shelf pretending to be one, which is a filter most roundups skip.
Two problems get solved at once. A monitor sitting flat on the desk forces your neck down, and the space beneath the panel holds nothing useful at all. Raise the screen and that same gap becomes storage. If you also want a wider platform for ultrawide panels, our [gaming desk monitor riser picks](https://www.ofzenandcomputing.com/best-gaming-desk-monitor-risers/) cover the height and tilt side of things in more detail.
The short version: the Simple Trending riser is the one most people should buy, the OPNICE is the same idea in heavier steel, and the wide wood units are worth it only if you run two screens.
Top 3 Monitor Risers With Storage Drawers (October 2026)
gianotter Dual Monitor…
- 40.6 inch wide deck
- No assembly required
- Drawer plus magnetic pen holders
Quick Overview: All 10 Picks Side by Side
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1. Simple Trending Monitor Stand with Drawer: the best all-round pick
- Ventilated mesh top runs cool under laptops
- Four suction cups grip the desk and protect the surface
- Drawer plus pen holders in a 20 inch footprint
- Rated to 33 lb and sold in a 2.39 kg frame
- One wide platform is not sized for two monitors
- Coated metal shows scratches over time
20 x 10 x 5.8 in metal mesh
Raises screen 5.8 in
33 lb load capacity
Drawer and pen holders
Out of everything we put side by side, this is the riser we kept coming back to. At 20 by 10 by 5.8 inches it lifts the panel to a height most people describe as eye level, and because the top is metal mesh rather than solid steel or MDF, anything you park on it stays cool. That matters more than expected if you use the lower tier for a laptop.
The frame is powder-coated metal rated to 33 pounds, which covers a single monitor with plenty of margin. Four non-slip suction cups hold it down, so there is no creeping across the desk when you type hard, and they also spread the load so the finish underneath stays unmarked.
Storage is where it earns the drawer label honestly. There is a smooth-gliding drawer under the main deck plus a second tier, and integrated pen holders on the side. For the cable and dongle clutter that turns a desk into a small electronics shop, that is enough capacity without turning the riser into a filing cabinet.
Reviewers are unusually consistent about this one. Across more than thirteen thousand reviews, the recurring praise is the sturdy metal build, the amount of desk space the two tiers free, and the mesh surface for cooling. The complaint that shows up most often is cosmetic finish wear after extended use.
What to check before you order it?
Measure your monitor base rather than the panel diagonal. The 20 inch deck handles most single-monitor bases with room to spare, but a wide curved or ultrawide stand can overhang the corners, and overhanging is the number one reason these get returned.
Confirm your desk has about 10 inches of clear depth at the back. The riser eats that depth permanently, and on a shallow desk you lose the space for a keyboard tray or a dock. Our [overland storage drawer guide](https://www.ofzenandcomputing.com/best-overland-storage-drawers/) covers the same idea for vehicle drawers if you are comparing how much usable volume a drawer really gives you.
Who should skip it?
Skip it for dual-monitor setups. A single 20 inch platform cannot hold two panels side by side without overhang, and you would be balancing one screen on the corner. If two monitors is your situation, go straight to the wide units further down this list.
Also skip it if you already have a monitor arm. A riser is a platform, not a mount, so combining the two usually means giving up either the arm or the drawer, and the value here is the drawer. Our guide on [gaming monitor risers](https://www.ofzenandcomputing.com/best-gaming-desk-monitor-risers/) covers when an arm-style setup makes more sense.
2. OPNICE 2-Tier Monitor Stand Riser: heavier steel, same idea
- Carbon steel frame rated well above a single monitor
- Tool-light build with spare hardware in the box
- Minimalist styling that blends into most offices
- Multiple colour and size variants including a 2-pack
- 20.5 inch footprint can crowd a small desk
- Side pen holders can block laptop ports
- Photo instructions are hard to read on the black model
20.5 x 9.5 x 6.3 in carbon steel
44 lb load capacity
Two tiers, drawer, 2 pen holders
Four adjustable non-slip pads
Take the first riser and swap the material for carbon steel, and that is the OPNICE. The 44 pound rating is a full step above the 33 pound frame it competes with, and at 20.5 by 9.5 by 6.3 inches the platform is fractionally wider and slightly taller, which is the difference between a comfortable screen position and one that still feels low.
It is a genuinely two-tier design with a sliding drawer and two hanging pen holders. The frame is powder-coated, rust resistant and described as scratchproof, and four non-slip height-adjustable pads let you level the stand on an uneven desk without a rubber wedge under one corner.
Reviewers describe it as sturdy but light, quick to assemble, and effective at clearing a cluttered desk while raising the screen. A minority note that it is larger than they expected from the photos, and that the pen holders can get in the way of a laptop port if the laptop sits on the lower tier.
That size complaint is the only real tradeoff. On a 48 inch desk the 20.5 inch footprint takes a meaningful bite out of your working area, so measure the clear depth first. If the numbers work, this is the one I would pick over the aluminium-feeling rivals because the load headroom is real rather than printed.
What to check before you order it?
Do the desk depth subtraction. Take your usable desk depth, subtract 9.5 inches for the stand, then subtract about 2 inches for the cable gap behind it. Whatever remains has to hold your keyboard and mouse with a little slack, and the OPNICE is one of the deeper units in this group.
Also count your laptop ports if you plan to store a laptop on the lower tier. Two pen holders hang from the side, and on a thin machine the USB ports can line up right where they sit.
Who should skip it?
Skip it for a compact dorm desk or any shallow work surface where 20.5 inches of width is more than you can spare. The narrower wood unit in this list handles a 17.7 inch footprint instead, and there is a 14.1 inch option further down for very tight spaces.
Skip it if you want zero assembly. Budget twenty minutes and read the printed sheet before you start, because the instruction photos are genuinely hard to follow on the black finish.
3. gianotter Wood Monitor Stand with Drawer: warm finish, mixed materials
- Natural wood top softens a metal-heavy desk
- 44 lb steel frame under the veneer
- Roomy drawer fits cables USB drives and notes
- Pen holders slide in and out
- Doubles as a printer or craft-machine riser
- Assembly is required despite the ready-to-use framing
- The wider of the two sizes may not suit a compact desk
17.7 x 9.64 x 5.31 in wood and steel
44 lb load capacity
Two tiers, drawer, 2 pen holders
3.9 lb unit weight
A steel riser on a wooden desk reads as an object that was dropped onto the furniture. This gianotter solves that with a natural wood top on a rust-proof steel frame, and at 17.7 inches wide it is also narrower than the two metal leaders above, which makes it easier to live with on a mid-size desk.
The frame carries a 44 pound rating, sits on adjustable-height feet, and holds two tiers of storage with a sliding drawer and two pen holders that can be repositioned. Reviewers frequently mention repurposing it as a printer stand or a riser for a craft machine, which the 44 pound figure comfortably supports.
Most of the positive feedback centres on the styling and the drawer volume, which buyers describe as more spacious than the compact profile suggests. The minority complaint is about setup: the listing implies a ready-to-use unit, but there is genuine assembly involved. Reviewers who accept that describe it as about three minutes of straightforward work.
My own note is that the wood top is a veneer over engineered board rather than solid timber, so it will not age the way the bamboo unit later in this list does. If you want a warm look on a warm desk, it does the job well and keeps the footprint under 18 inches.
What to check before you order it?
Check the width variant before you order. The model comes in two widths, and picking the larger one by accident is the most common source of disappointment in reviews. Measure your desk width minus whatever your monitor base needs, and confirm the 17.7 inch figure matches.
Plan on the assembly. Grab a hex key and put the frame together before you position the monitor on top, because tightening the legs with a 30 inch panel already loaded is an awkward job.
Who should skip it?
Skip it if you want a true one-item setup with nothing to bolt together, or if you need the frame to fold for transport between rooms or offices. For a wood look that can be moved, the Homerays bamboo unit is a better fit on both counts.
Also skip it if your monitor sits on a swivel base wider than the deck. The 17.7 inch width is the main strength and the main constraint at the same time.
4. Simple Houseware Dual Monitor Stand Riser: built for two screens
- Deck extends to 45 inches for two full-size panels
- Organizer tray with 6 removable dividers making 9 compartments
- Built-in phone and tablet slot for calls
- Two side caddies plus a sliding drawer
- 5 inch rise takes the screen to a real eye level
- 45 inch span is far too wide for a compact desk
- Engineered wood rather than solid timber
Extends 33.3 to 45 inches wide
5 inch ergonomic rise
Engineered wood, 4.77 kg
Drawer, tray, 2 caddies
This is the unit to look at if you run two monitors, and it is the widest thing in this roundup. The deck extends from 33.3 inches out to 45 inches, so a pair of 24 inch panels sit on it with margin and a 32 inch pair sit on it comfortably. Nothing else here has that width.
The 5 inch rise is the tallest fixed elevation in the group, and it is what makes the difference between a screen that meets your eyes and one that still makes you look down. The finish is rustic brown engineered wood, which reads warmer than the black steel units and matches a wood desk better than a raw metal frame would.
Storage is unusually well thought out for a dual-monitor platform. You get a sliding drawer, two side caddies, a built-in phone and tablet slot that keeps a screen visible during a call, and an organizer tray with six removable dividers that can be arranged into as many as nine compartments. The design carries multiple US patents.
Reviews focus on the same three things: holding two monitors, the flexibility of the divider tray, and the phone slot. The consistent caveat is the footprint, which is unavoidable. At 10.87 inches deep and up to 45 inches wide, this is a desk-furniture purchase rather than a shelf.
What to check before you order it?
Measure your desk width, not your monitor pair. A 45 inch deck needs close to a 60 inch desk to leave usable space either side of it. If your desk is under 48 inches you want to measure carefully, because the minimum 33.3 inch span is what the legs actually give you.
Check clearance underneath as well. The riser is 10.87 inches deep, so most of your keyboard and mouse room goes to the stand. A wide platform with a shallower unit behind it is a common workaround.
Who should skip it?
Skip it on a small desk, a dorm room, or any single-monitor setup. Nothing about the width helps you, and the rise plus depth will make the desk feel smaller than it is. For a single panel, the first pick in this list is a much better use of the same money.
Skip it if you want solid timber. The rustic brown finish is printed on engineered board, and at this width a veneer is what keeps the weight manageable.
5. gianotter Dual Monitor Stand Riser: wide deck, no assembly
- Wide deck that holds two monitors side by side
- Ready from the box with no tools
- Magnetic pen holders and a drawer in the same frame
- Open underside fits a keyboard or mouse
- Minimalist black profile
- Fixed 4.3 inch height is not adjustable
- Lowest average rating here at 4.5
- Single tier offers less shelf than the two-tier units
40.6 x 9.3 x 4.3 in powder-coated metal
Single tier, 3.08 kg
Drawer plus 2 magnetic pen holders
No assembly required
A 40.6 inch wide metal deck, shipped assembled. That is the whole pitch, and for a dual-monitor desk it is a strong one. You unbox it, set it down, and the drawer and two magnetic pen holders are already fitted and ready to use.
The 4.3 inch rise is lower than the wood dual-monitor unit above, and that is the trade. It means the underside stays more open, so a keyboard or mouse still fits underneath, which matters on a desk where the riser already consumed 9.3 inches of depth.
Reviewers like the no-assembly setup, the dual-monitor width, and the drawer-plus-pen-holder combination as a single tidy unit. The critical feedback is about height: with a fixed platform, whether the screen meets your eyes depends entirely on your desk and chair combination, and there is no adjustment to compensate.
Ratings run slightly below the rest of this group at 4.5, with a larger share of three-star reviews than the others. Almost all of that traces back to the same issue, which is why it matters more than the raw number suggests. Sit at your normal working height before you commit.
What to check before you order it?
Sit down at your desk first and note where the top of your current monitor sits relative to your eyes. The 4.3 inch rise adds that much to whatever your monitor base already provides, and a stand plus a tall monitor base can overshoot into an uncomfortable angle.
Check the two-panel width too. At 40.6 inches there is room for a pair of 24 inch displays on their stands, but two panels with wide bases will need the gap between them measured.
Who should skip it?
Skip it if you need to raise the screen a lot. If your monitor currently sits well below eye level and you want a real correction rather than a small nudge, the taller units with a 5 inch rise are the better buy.
Skip it if you are still deciding between drawers and open cable trays. Because the frame is a single tier, the drawer is your only enclosed option, so if you swap peripherals several times a day you may prefer an open layout where everything stays visible.
6. Klearlook Foldable Monitor Stand Riser: the one you can put away
- Folds flat and holds three widths from 16.5 to 20.5 inches
- Hidden tablet and phone holder
- Drawer plus rubberized legs and an internal metal plate
- 55 lb capacity is high for the plastic build
- One year manufacturer warranty
- ABS shell feels cheaper than the wood and steel options
- Height changes by extending the legs rather than a real mechanism
20.47 x 3.15 x 7.9 in ABS plastic
55 lb load capacity
Three widths plus foldable frame
1 year manufacturer warranty
Every other riser on this list is a permanent desk fixture. This one folds, which makes it the answer for a shared office, a rented room, or anyone who rearranges a desk on a weekly basis. It collapses to a 3.15 inch depth and comes with a one year manufacturer warranty.
It is an ABS plastic shell rather than metal or wood, but there is an internal metal support plate, rubberized non-slip legs on each of the three positions, and a 55 pound rating. That rating is higher than the steel frame in the second pick, and it holds up under an ultrawide panel according to reviewer accounts.
Storage covers a drawer and a hidden built-in tablet or phone holder that is easy to miss in a product photo. The three-width adjustment from 16.5 to 20.5 inches lets you size the deck to your monitor base rather than buying the widest version and living with overhang.
The recurring review theme is portability, followed by the fold-down keyboard clearance. When collapsed the frame leaves room for a full-size mechanical keyboard beneath it, which solves the one problem a fixed riser creates. The consistent criticism is tactile rather than functional, that the plastic shell does not feel like the bamboo or steel alternatives.
What to check before you order it?
Measure your monitor base against the three width stops before choosing a position. Because the widths are fixed at 16.5, 18.5 and 20.5 inches, picking the wrong one leaves either slack or an overhang, and you cannot trim it to fit.
Test the fold flat on your desk. If you plan to store the keyboard underneath, confirm the collapsed height clears your board with the monitor removed.
Who should skip it?
Skip it if appearance drives your setup and your desk is visible on video calls. A plastic riser photographed at 4.65 inches of elevation does not read the way bamboo or wood does, and that reaction is a real purchase factor for a lot of desk-setup buyers.
Skip it if you want precise height control. There are three leg positions rather than a proper adjustment mechanism, so you are choosing between fixed stops.
7. Zimilar Monitor Stand Riser with Metal Mesh Drawer: the paper-sized drawer
- Three height settings from 4.13 to 5.71 inches
- Drawer sized to hold letter-size paper
- Two foldable phone holders that tuck away
- Star-mesh top improves airflow
- Tool-free one-minute assembly
- Drawer can bind on one side when opening
- Mesh tray fins may need straightening by hand
14.57 x 9.25 x 5.7 in metal
44 lb load capacity
Three height settings, 4.13 to 5.71 in
Drawer fits letter-size paper
The distinguishing feature here is the drawer. Most riser drawers are sized for cables and dongles, but this one is large enough to take a ream of letter paper flat, which opens up a use most people never consider, namely raising a printer and keeping the paper in the same footprint.
Height is the other standout. Three settings at 4.13, 4.92 and 5.71 inches put it at the top of the fixed-elevation range alongside the bamboo unit, and you switch between them by pressing a button with no tools. Assembly takes about a minute.
At 14.57 inches wide it is one of the narrower frames here, so it suits a smaller desk better than most, and the 44 pound steel rating has plenty of headroom. The star-mesh platform improves airflow, which matters if the top deck holds a laptop or a printer.
Two foldable phone or tablet holders sit on either side and tuck away when unused, which is a small touch that more stands should copy. The most common complaint is the drawer binding on one side, and reviewers also mention straightening the mesh tray fins by hand for smoother gliding.
What to check before you order it?
Measure the width of whatever you plan to park on top. At 14.57 inches this is the second-narrowest unit in the roundup, and a mid-size monitor base can overhang the sides if you are not careful.
Check the drawer depth against your largest paper size. If you need anything wider than letter, or you want to store a tablet in the drawer, this is not the frame for it and you should look at a deeper wood unit instead.
Who should skip it?
Skip it if you are fussy about mechanism feel. If a drawer that occasionally catches bothers you, the mesh sliding drawers on the higher-rated picks are a safer bet for a desk you use daily.
Skip it for dual monitors. A 14.57 inch deck is a single-screen width, and pairing two panels on it is not realistic.
8. gianotter Computer Monitor Stand Riser: the narrowest frame here
- Narrowest footprint in the roundup at 14.1 inches
- Ventilated steel plate and legs for airflow
- Three levels of tray space plus a sliding drawer
- Non-slip rubber pads protect the surface
- 100-day return policy
- 34 lb rating is the lowest in this group
- No pen holders unlike most rivals
- Width limits you to smaller displays
14.1 x 9.64 x 5.31 in alloy steel
34 lb load capacity
Three levels of tray space
Sliding drawer, 3.2 lb unit
When desk real estate is the binding constraint, width is the number that decides the purchase, and at 14.1 inches this is the narrowest riser in the roundup. That makes it the one I would recommend for a dorm room, a small dormitory desk, or a shared hot desk where you clear everything away at the end of the day.
It is a three-level alloy steel design with a ventilated plate and steel legs rated to 34 pounds, and the vented deck keeps a laptop or a printer running cool. The sliding drawer handles cables and supplies, and non-slip rubber pads keep the stand steady while protecting the surface underneath.
Reviewers consistently point to three things: the compact footprint, the ventilated steel deck, and the drawer. Many of them are using it as a printer riser rather than a monitor stand, which works well at this width because printer bases are typically narrow.
The 34 pound rating is the lowest here, though it is still more than a single monitor weighs. The missing pen holders are a real difference in tidiness compared to every other unit on this list, so plan on the drawer being your only storage. The 100-day return policy is a genuine plus for a purchase this size.
What to check before you order it?
Check your monitor base width against 14.1 inches before anything else. This is the one riser here where the frame is genuinely narrower than many monitor stands, and overhang is the likely outcome if you skip that step.
Total your load, then compare it against 34 pounds. A single display plus a light laptop is fine. A heavy ultrawide panel combined with other equipment on the same deck is where you run out of headroom.
Who should skip it?
Skip it if you want a tidied desk with visible spots for pens and styluses. Without pen holders you either use the drawer for everything or add a separate organizer, which partly defeats the purpose of a riser with storage.
Skip it for dual monitors or a wide curved display. The narrow frame rules both out regardless of how much you like the rest of the design.
9. LEKETREE Wood Desk Organizer Riser: shallow depth for small desks
- Only 9 inches deep
- the shallowest in the roundup
- Warm wood top over a thickened powder-coated frame
- Drawer and two pen holders
- Tool-free assembly in about five minutes
- Fits monitors up to 27 inches plus laptops and printers
- Broad variant listing makes the right size unclear
- Load rating sits below the heavier metal and bamboo stands
9 inch depth, fits monitors up to 27 inch
44 lb load capacity
Warm brown wood top on metal frame
1.78 kg unit weight
Width is the usual constraint on a small desk, but depth is the more common one, and this is where the LEKETREE earns its place. At 9 inches deep it is the shallowest riser here, so it takes noticeably less bite out of your usable desk depth than the 10.87 inch dual-monitor unit.
The build is a warm brown wood top on a thickened powder-coated metal frame rated to 44 pounds. It is a two-tier layout with a built-in drawer and two pen holders, and it is listed for monitors up to 27 inches alongside laptops and printers.
Setup is tool-free and takes roughly five minutes, which reviewers consistently describe as quick. The recurring praise is the combination of a warm finish with a metal frame, the drawer, and a depth that fits a small desk without dominating it.
The 44 pound rating is worth noting against the bamboo unit’s 100 pounds, though neither figure is likely to matter for a single monitor. My own caveat is the variant listing, which lists a broad range of options in one place, so confirm the width and depth you are actually receiving matches your desk.
What to check before you order it?
Do the depth arithmetic with the 9 inch figure rather than the width. Add roughly 2 inches for the cable gap behind the riser, and check that what remains still lets you use a mouse comfortably at the front edge.
Check the monitor size limit. This is listed for panels up to 27 inches, so a 32 inch display is outside the stated range even if the base would physically fit.
Who should skip it?
Skip it if you need a lot of load capacity, such as a large printer plus a monitor sharing the top deck, or if you need to accommodate a large display outside the stated size range.
Skip it if you want an adjustable or folding height. The elevation is fixed, so this works best when your current screen height is only slightly too low.
10. Homerays Bamboo Monitor Stand Riser: the best finish and the strongest load rating
- Highest average rating in the group at 4.8
- 100 percent solid bamboo with odourless water-based varnish
- 100 lb load rating is far above every other pick
- 4.65 inch rise plus a drawer and dual compartments
- Fits keyboards up to 18.5 inches and mice up to 1.7 inches
- Highest cost in the roundup
- Fixed 4.65 inch rise cannot be adjusted
24.4 x 8 x 5 in solid bamboo
100 lb load capacity
4.65 inch elevation, not adjustable
Drawer plus two cable routing holes
This is the one I put on the desk when the desk is visible on camera. It is 100 percent solid bamboo with an odourless water-based varnish and rounded corners, and at 24.4 inches wide it is the widest single-screen unit here, so it doubles as a laptop or printer shelf without overhang.
The 100 pound load rating is by a wide margin the highest in this roundup, roughly triple what the metal frames carry. That headroom means you can put a monitor and a printer or a pair of speakers on the deck and still have margin to spare.
Storage is a pull-out drawer plus two open compartments, and the 4.65 inch rise is close to the highest fixed elevation available without assembly. Two integrated 1.15 inch cable routing holes handle the cable drop behind the panel, and the open lower area fits keyboards up to 18.5 inches and mice up to 1.7 inches tall.
Reviews praise the solid bamboo feel, the polished finish, the roomy compartments, and the keyboard clearance underneath. The two complaints are consistent and fair: it costs the most of anything here, and the 4.65 inch rise is fixed rather than adjustable. No assembly is required and non-slip pads are included.
What to check before you order it?
Check the elevation against your own setup. At 4.65 inches plus whatever your monitor base already adds, the top of a tall monitor can end up above your eye line, which is as uncomfortable as sitting too low. Measure before you commit.
Check the 24.4 inch width against your desk. It is wide for a single monitor, and on a smaller desk that width has to come out of your mouse area.
Who should skip it?
Skip it if cost is the deciding factor. The bamboo premium over a metal mesh riser is real, and if you only need elevation plus a drawer for cables, the first pick in this list does the same job for considerably less.
Skip it if you plan to change monitors regularly or move the setup between desks. The fixed rise and the wide footprint both work against a portable arrangement.
Monitor Riser or Monitor Arm: Which One Your Desk Needs?
A monitor arm clamps to your desk and holds the panel on a pole or a gas spring, letting you set height, distance and angle precisely. A riser does none of that. It is a shelf. You set it down, you put the monitor on it, and the height is whatever the frame gives you.
That is not a downgrade in every case. An arm gives you real ergonomic control, but it requires VESA mounting holes on the back of your monitor, it occupies no desk depth, and it gives you no storage. A riser works with any monitor, including ones with no mounting holes at all, and it gives you a drawer.
Pick an arm if your monitor has VESA holes, your desk edge will take a clamp, and your main problem is screen height. Pick a riser if you have a monitor without mounting holes, a renter who cannot drill, a small desk where storage matters, or a setup where you also need a shelf for a laptop or printer.
On our desks, the two are rarely a genuine either-or. The riser handles storage and height for most single-monitor setups, and an arm is the answer for anyone whose screen is still at the wrong height after a riser is added. If the expense of a well-made gas-spring arm is the sticking point, that is mostly hardware quality and VESA build rather than the category being overpriced.
How to Choose a Monitor Riser With Storage: 7 Checks Before You Buy?
Measure your monitor base, not the panel. A 32 inch ultrawide can have a 12 inch base, and that base is what the riser deck has to support. Every unit in this roundup ranges from 14.1 to 45 inches wide, so the base width is the single number that eliminates the most options fastest.
Add up the real load. Take the weight of the monitor, plus anything else that shares the deck, plus a margin. Then compare against the printed rating. Most units here sit between 33 and 55 pounds, and the bamboo unit is at 100, so a single monitor is never the limiting factor.
Subtract the depth before you fall in love with a footprint. Take your usable desk depth, subtract the riser depth, then subtract roughly 2 inches for the cable gap behind it. That remainder has to hold your keyboard and mouse. A 9 inch deep unit like the LEKETREE leaves considerably more working room than a 10.87 inch one.
Decide between a drawer and an open cable tray based on how often you swap gear. A closed drawer is the right call if your cables, dongles and adapters are the same week to week, which is most setups. If you reconnect peripherals daily, an open tray keeps things visible and saves you opening a drawer every time. Community threads about cable clutter turning into a drawer problem come up constantly in desk-setup discussions.
Look at the height, not just the storage. Elevations here run from 4.3 to 5.8 inches. Taller is not automatically better, because a tall riser under a tall monitor can put the screen above your eye line, which is as tiring as sitting too low.
Match the material to the desk. Powder-coated steel and black mesh suit a modern or glass-topped desk, bamboo and warm wood suit timber, and the desk-setup community treats finish matching as a functional requirement rather than a preference. A steel riser on an oak desk looks like an accident.
Finally, check whether your desk already has drawers. Pedestal-style desks with their own storage limit how much riser footprint you can use, and the wide dual-monitor units need real clearance across the whole surface. Our picks for [undercounter refrigerator drawers](https://www.ofzenandcomputing.com/best-undercounter-refrigerator-drawers/) go deeper on how drawer runners and internal dimensions work if you are comparing storage mechanics.
If you like the idea but want something completely different, our roundup on [theater seating risers and platforms](https://www.ofzenandcomputing.com/best-theater-seating-risers-and-platforms-for-stadium-style-viewing/) covers the same elevation logic applied to sightlines rather than desks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a monitor riser worth it?
Yes, when the strip of desk under your monitor is currently unusable and you have cables, dongles and adapters to put somewhere. A riser raises the screen toward eye level, which reduces the downward neck angle that comes with a low monitor, and the drawer converts dead vertical space into closed storage. If your desk and chair are already at the correct height, the ergonomic gain is small and the storage gain is the real reason.
Which is better for me, a monitor arm or a monitor stand?
A monitor arm is better if your monitor has VESA mounting holes, your desk edge accepts a clamp, and height and angle control is your main problem. A monitor riser with a drawer is better if your monitor has no mounting holes, you cannot drill, your desk is small, or you need storage for cables and adapters. An arm takes no desk depth but gives you no storage; a riser does the opposite.
Can a riser hold two monitors?
Only the wide units. In this roundup the Simple Houseware extends from 33.3 to 45 inches and the gianotter dual model has a fixed 40.6 inch deck, and both are built for two panels side by side. The 20 inch and narrower frames hold a single monitor, and trying to balance two screens on one creates overhang and instability.
Do monitor risers work with any monitor?
Yes, and that is the main advantage over a monitor arm. A riser is a platform, not a mount, so it works with any display that has a flat base, including monitors with no VESA mounting holes. You are limited only by the deck width and the load rating, so check your monitor base width and total weight against the stated figures before ordering.
How tall should a monitor stand with storage be?
Enough that the top of the screen sits at or slightly below eye level when you are seated in your normal working posture. Fixed elevations in this roundup range from 4.3 to 5.8 inches, and the ideal figure depends on your monitor base height, your chair, and your desk. Too low keeps the neck angled down; too high angles it up, which causes the same strain.
Should I get a drawer or an open cable tray?
A drawer suits a setup where your cables, dongles and adapters stay the same from week to week, because it hides the clutter and keeps the surface clean. An open tray suits anyone who reconnects peripherals daily or wants everything visible at a glance. The most common complaint about drawer risers is exactly this friction, having to open a drawer every time you swap a device.
Our Final Verdict on the Best Monitor Risers With Storage Drawers
After working through all ten, the Simple Trending riser is the pick. It has the most reviews of anything here, a ventilated mesh top that runs cool, suction cups that stop it creeping, and a 20 inch footprint that is wide enough for most monitor bases without taking over the desk.
If you want more load headroom in heavier steel, move up to the OPNICE at 44 pounds. If you run two monitors, the Simple Houseware extending to 45 inches is the only real option. If you want the finish to carry the setup, the Homerays bamboo at 100 pounds rated and 4.65 inches of rise is the one to buy, and the Zimilar is the pick if the drawer needs to swallow a ream of paper.
Whichever you choose, measure the monitor base and do the desk depth subtraction first. Those two numbers eliminate more wrong purchases than any feature on this list. Start with the checks above, then head to the buy button for whichever frame fits your numbers.