Ikea MICKE Desk Impressions: The cabinet-leg one.

I took a look at the wider, 142 cm version of the Ikea MICKE desk recently, so now it's the less wide version's turn: the one with the cabinet, one narrow drawer, and one wide drawer. This version also appeared to have an open, U-shaped leg. It's starting to look like this leg is one of the MICKE line's signature elements.

Some random field.

Disclaimer: I had not had any firsthand experience with any Ikea MICKE desk products when I wrote this piece. Details were quoted from the Ikea United States website or Canada website in mid March 2017. Details on this page are NOT guaranteed for accuracy.

Ikea MICKE Desk First Impressions: The one with the cabinet for a leg.
When checked out in March 2017 on the Ikea.ca website, the Ikea MICKE desk (802.130.74 in white) with the cabinet was available in white and black-brown. Both colors were CA$ 99.00. Dimensions on the page were 105 cm x 50 cm x 75 cm (width x depth x height). Terms that got my attention under the "Product description" were "Particleboard," "Fiberboard," and "Steel." From the product photos, I got the impression that this was a modern yet simple looking, rectangular desk with two drawers, one cabinet, and an open U-shaped leg on one side. The cabinet looked like it had a door on the front but had an opening in the back. It also appeared to have a cutout on the desktop for routing cables.

Going through the "Assembly instruction" document on the product page didn't yield many surprises. The hardware, parts, and processes were generally consistent with other Ikea furniture I had bought in the previous few years. There appeared to be an option for which side of the desk the cabinet went on. Compared to the wider Ikea MICKE desk I looked at previously, this one felt more complicated to build to me. Instead of two similarly sized drawers for the other MICKE, this one had two drawers and a cabinet with a door. I also got the idea that the shelves inside the side cabinet were adjustable based on the instructions and photos -- product page also mentioned "adjustable shelves" under "Key features."

Putting together an Ikea chest of drawers. Because.

The main feature that had me puzzled was the open rear of the MICKE's cabinet. On the product page, they mentioned "an opening in the back panel" under "Key features" as an air ventilation thing. The section also noted that the "back is finished." Aside from the somewhat conflicting statements (they probably meant no fiberboard back panel), stuff falling out the back would be my main concern if the desk were placed against a wall. Otherwise, the opening would kind of make the door pointless if placed away from a wall.

My desk for years when I wrote this was 120 cm wide, so the MICKE desk at 105 cm was to my liking. Height at 75 cm was roughly where I set mine. Again, the depth was a bit shallow for my tastes at 50 cm -- same problem with the other MICKE desk at 50 cm deep and I prefer 60 cm to 80 cm. And the white version of the desk won me over. It just looked nicer in my opinion and I had concerns about dust with the darker colored version.

I have to admit that I wasn't really sold on the idea of the cabinet. With the other wider Ikea MICKE desk being the exact same price, my preference was for the wider version. Relatively narrow legs and the option to go with or without a cabinet to free up room when desired, that was my thing. However, this version of the MICKE would provide a matching cabinet if aesthetics were a major concern.

Final Thoughts
A nice, modern looking desk for what was a fairly reasonable price to me. I wasn't a huge fan of the cabinet and would have preferred the wider Ikea MICKE desk for the same price. But like the other MICKE, the depth of the desk was a bit shallow for my liking.