Drawers vs. a Shelf and LED Light
Drawers hide things out of sight but sit in the space under the desktop, reducing the knee clearance a drawer-free desk of the same size would leave open. A raised shelf sits above the desktop instead, adding surface without touching legroom at all - two different answers to the same storage problem.
Two different places to put the storage
This range solves the storage question two ways. Three listings add drawers built into the frame underneath the desktop. One adds a raised shelf above the desktop instead, with a built-in LED light. Both are storage; neither is a strictly better version of the other.
What drawers cost you
A drawer box occupies real space under the desktop, in the same area a chair and a pair of knees would otherwise use. The manufacturer does not publish the exact clearance lost in inches, but a fair general expectation is some reduction in legroom compared with the same desktop size without drawers - worth checking against your own chair height and how you sit before ordering, particularly if you already sit close to the desk.
What a raised shelf gives up instead
A shelf above the desktop does not touch legroom at all, but it is open storage, not enclosed - papers, cables and smaller items sit in view rather than out of sight. It also adds height above the desktop itself, which is worth considering if a monitor or shelf items would end up at an awkward eye level.
Choosing between them
Drawers suit anyone who wants closed storage and can spare the legroom. A shelf suits anyone who wants the desktop kept clear without losing any knee space, and does not mind open storage. See the two 48 x 24 inch storage desks compared directly.
Questions
Do the drawer desks lose usable legroom compared to a plain desk?
Some, though the manufacturer does not state an exact figure - the drawer boxes sit in the same space a chair and knees would otherwise use.
Does the shelf desk reduce knee clearance the same way?
No - the shelf sits above the desktop rather than underneath it, so legroom is unaffected.
Is the LED light on a separate switch from the desk's motor?
Not stated separately by the manufacturer - treat it as part of the same electrical connection unless the listing says otherwise.
Can drawers and a shelf both be had on the same desk?
Not in this range - each storage desk here has one storage type, not both.