Let’s get the bad stuff out of the way. I have to admit I question some of ChopValue’s sustainability claims. You see, it comes down to materials. Manufacturers make disposable chopsticks out of one of two materials: wood or bamboo. If you’re thinking, “bamboo is wood,” you are mistaken. Bamboo is actually a grass. And that matters for sustainability.

Unlike trees, new bamboo grows very quickly and is easily replaced. While it takes trees decades to grow, you can get useable bamboo in just a season. And because it’s a grass, it also biodegrades very well. It puts more oxygen into the air than wood, so while avoiding putting anything into the ground is best, if you have to choose, bamboo is better. The same can be said for sustainably growing materials for making cutting boards, utensils, and desktops. Bamboo is more environmentally friendly than wood.

Preventing wood chopsticks from going into a landfill has arguable environmental benefits. Bamboo, not quite as much. I asked ChopValue if the chopsticks it upcycles are wood or bamboo but never got an answer. Now that I have one in person, I can tell just by looking at the edges. The fibers reveal that these chopsticks are bamboo.

So that lessens the benefits, but one could argue that it still exists. But alas, part of the process of turning the chopsticks into the desk calls for covering them in resin. This means these desks won’t biodegrade well if you ever do throw them out. Still, one could argue a desk made of recycled bamboo is still better than a desk made of newly cut wood.

Environmental sustainability aside, though, let’s talk about the product. I have to admit; I’m very picky about my desk surfaces. I’d usually rather build my own, and to be honest, I don’t like the look of bamboo usually. At least not the side profile. I expected to appreciate but not love the ChopValue desk if it came in bamboo. Boy, was I wrong.

This desktop is stunningly beautiful. Chopvalue could have chosen to do an edge treatment to hide the nature of its materials, much like you would hide plywood. But the company left the edges exposed. I’m honestly glad—I think it adds to the overall look and reinforces the source of the materials. And the way ChopValue makes these desks creates a better look than most bamboo desks.

Typically a “thick” bamboo desk is an alternative layered pattern of grass planks. So the edge profile gives you a strangely striped look. With ChopValue’s method of “smashing bricks,” you get something closer to a wood look. The finish also means the desk arrives darker than I expected, and I really like it.

What you get is a solid, beautiful, and durable product. One benefit to a bamboo, chopstick or otherwise, is it’s tough and durable stuff. I’ve worn out brand-new blades cutting through the stuff. And it tends to stand up to water better than traditional wood. It’s honestly great desktop material. And ChopValue’s desktop may be the most beautiful version of a bamboo desktop I have ever seen.

I also appreciate the grommet precut into the desk for snaking your cords through. I think I would have preferred two, especially since this is marked as a “gaming desk,” but anytime I don’t have to cut my own holes, I appreciate it. Depending on your choices and how soon you order, you’ll also get a set of logos for ChopValue, optionally Fnatic, and a limited edition number series. Only the first 1,000 desks get the number engraved.

Of course, a standing “gaming” desk wouldn’t be much good if the standing half isn’t up to the task. Fnatic, a well-known gaming gear company, provided that half of the package. Overall, it’s a pretty good standing desk unit.

Building it was somewhat of a chore. I’ve built a few standing desks now, and to be frank, none are a pleasure to build. The instructions that came with this unit were mostly clear, with the exception of one particular page where the angle of the illustrations could have been better. I ended up attaching a piece incorrectly and only realized many steps later. But as it turned out, what I did wrong didn’t actually matter, and I never bothered to fix it.

But while I can’t find another instance of Fnatic making a standing desk, it doesn’t feel like these legs were made specifically for ChapValue’s desktop. I say that for two reasons. First, you can resize the legs to hold a desktop much wider than ChopValue offers. And two, the setup kit came with two sets of fasteners. One for a desktop with pre-drilled holes and another for a “bring your own desktop” scenario. The ChopValue desktop does have pre-drilled holes. But the “pre-drilled fasteners” didn’t fit. Thankfully the “BYOD” fasteners worked fine.

That pricing is a bit hard to gauge. Right now, the website lists a much cheaper version of the largest desk option if you choose to skip the FNATIC branding, to the tune of a $400 difference. I’ve reached out to clarify why that difference in price exists and will update this review when I hear back. But if there isn’t a difference, I’d go without the FNATIC branding and save the money. At just under $1,000, it’s still more expensive than equivalent desks from Jarvis and Uplift, but not by a ton. Add another $400, and the math gets harder.

Even if you don’t care about standing desks, the ChopValue might still be worth a look. You can buy it with standard legs that don’t lift. Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to save you any money, which I find odd. But at least the option is there. I didn’t test that version of the desk, but from the pictures, it appears to use the same basic legs without the lift motors.

If you can afford it and want a functional standing desk that also looks beautiful, then I can recommend the Revive Gaming Desk. It’s incredibly beautiful, and works well too.