INTRODUCTION

   If you're into science fiction like I am then in all likelihood one of your favourite TV series is Star Trek and although I’m not old enough to have watched TOS (The Original Series) when aired some 50+ years ago I did watch the pilot of The Next Generation back in Christmas 1990 (that's when the series first aired in this country) and the rest as they say is history. Now I can't say that I was equally impressed with all the series and movies that came after TNG (for example I do like the special effects in the new Discovery series but the whole direction/air feels off) but for the most part Star Trek has always been special to me (unfortunately it's been many years since we last saw a good PC game based on it). Today’s review is directly linked to Star Trek since we'll be testing the very latest gaming desk by Arozzi and more specifically the Arena Leggero Star Trek Edition.

   Arozzi is a Swedish company founded in 2013. Arozzi gaming chairs are built in the spirit of Esports and feature ergonomic design with high levels of comfort. Our products have a refined aesthetic that draws inspiration from the world of motorsports. Each Arozzi chair can be finely adjusted to your needs to ensure you are in the best position achieve your next victory, whatever the game!

 The Arena Leggero is the smaller brother to the Arena Gaming Desk we reviewed a few years back and so basically it offers both a reduced total surface (0.82 vs 1.31 square meters) and a smaller load capacity (65kg vs 80Kg). The Arena Leggero Star Trek Edition consists of 2 medium-density 20mm thick fibreboard (MDF) pieces, 3mm thick and 1.5kg heavy full-surface water resistant mouse pad (machine washable microfiber anti-slip cloth surface), cloth mesh/net (used to hide cables routed beneath the desk), two steel bars, two steel legs and two long steel feet complete with 4 balance adjustment knobs. Once again, the entire steel frame is powder coated (they should last for many years) and as for the two MDF pieces each features one and one half cut-outs (which can either be used for cable management/routing or for monitor arms) at the front. Of course, the full-surface mouse pad used in the Star Trek Edition of the Arena Leggero has the United Federation of Planets communications badge printed on it along with a partial picture of a planet and a sun emerging from behind it.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Arozzi ships the Arena Leggero Star Trek Edition Gaming Desk inside a colourful box that has the Star Trek name at the front just over a few words about the product and of course copyright information on the name.

On both sides we see a few words about the product in 9 different languages.

The entire bundle is placed inside several pieces of cardboard and wrapped in plastic bags.

Contained inside the box are two steel legs, two steel bars, two steel feet, two MDF boards, full-surface mouse pad, mesh net, assembly instructions and 4 plastic bags with various screws.

ASSEMBLY - FINAL LOOKS

We recommend starting the assembly from the two steel legs which as you can see have the Arozzi logo on them (the coms badge however would be more suitable for this version of the Leggero).

The steel feet attach to the legs via 4 Allen screws each and as you can see on their ends they have balance adjustment knobs (rubberized).

After that you will need to attach the two steel bars onto the top end of the legs (4 Allen screws each).

The two MDF boards come next and as you can see, they attach to each other.

Of course, for this step we recommend placing the top on the ground so you can attach the steel frame to the MDF boards easier (8 Allen screws in total).

Next on the list is the mesh net which requires attaching 8 plastic screws/holders.

As you can see from the above picture attaching the mesh net is very easy.

Attaching the two MDF boards results in a total of 3 cut-outs which can be used both for cable routing and attaching monitor arms.

The full-surface mouse pad is naturally last on the list and although not what we were expecting to see it looks a lot better compared to that of the "regular" Arena Leggero version.

The Arena Leggero may not be nearly as large as the Arena model but you can still place two screens on it (up to two 27-inch ones slightly diagonally), two keyboards and two mice.

CONCLUSION

   When Arozzi told us, they were planning on releasing a Star Trek themed line of gaming peripherals we were very anxious to see what they'd do and although the full-surface mouse pad of the Arena Leggero Star Trek Edition does look better compared to that of the regular version it's not what I was expecting. You see leaving out all the characters and scenarios to me Star Trek is also about starships, it always was and always will be so I was actually expecting to see a huge Galaxy class printed on it (even a Constitution or an Excelsior class would be great). Unfortunately, Arozzi didn't take that route and so if they are reading these lines i do hope they will at least consider releasing full-surface mousepads with various starships on them (why not even characters). With that out of the way since we have kept the Arena gaming desk in our lab a comparison with the Arena Leggero was unavoidable and so if you really need as much space as possible the former should be on top of your to buy list. On the other hand, the Arena Leggero with its smaller size may fit in places its larger brother can't so in the end it all comes down to how much room you have and of course what you'd like to place on the desk. As for build quality the steel legs may not be height adjustable and the full-surface mouse pad is thinner compared to that of the Arena (3mm vs 5mm) but we really had no issues during testing.

   As I type these lines the Arena Leggero Star Trek Edition Gaming Desk retails for no less than USD329 inside the USA (Arozzi.com) and 259Euros inside the EU (Arozzi.se) a price tag which is just a tag over what we were hoping for. On top of that the much larger Arena model retails for just USD70/40Euros more and so it just seems like a better option if you have the room. Of course, Arozzi has yet to introduce an Arena Star Trek Edition and that to some people may matter but if not then we think it's a better choice overall. That being said if you don't have enough space, you don't need more desk space or if you're just a Trekkie looking for a new gaming desk the Arena Leggero Star Trek Edition by Arozzi will definitely cover your needs and that's why it comes highly recommended by us.

PROS

- Overall Build Quality (20mm thick MDF Boards / Powder Coating)
- 3mm Thick Water Resistant Full Surface Mouse Pad
- Cable Management / Monitor Arm Holes
- Cable Management Mesh Net
- Star Trek Edition

CONS

- Price (Compared To The Larger Arena)
- Tiny Alignment Issues
- Design (Too Basic?)