Office cable management is not only neat, but also boosts your mood having a clutter-free desk. You’ll find small items faster and generally be more efficient with proper cable management. This also extends to include general desk etiquette and organization as they go hand in hand.
The cable management ideas you can easily implement include organizing your cables and wires on the desk, under the desk, on the floor, on the wall and other important areas. If possible, you can choose wireless options such as keyboards, mice and other items that don’t need cables wiggling around on your desk.
Best Cable Management Ideas for Your Desk
The best ideas you can put to use to reign in your cables include the following:
1. J Channel Raceways
A J Channel Raceway is a tubular piece of metal, plastic or other suitable material which can be stuck or mounted on the side of the desk to manage cables. With this solution, you only need to tie the cables together, stick or mount the Raceway to one side of the table then run the cables through it. You can mount the Raceways both vertically and horizontally as you please. They’re also great with standing desks.
Some of the best J Channel Raceways include the following:
- J Channel Desk Cable Organizer by SimpleCord
- Updated 94” J Channel Cable Raceway
- Cable Raceway Kit, Stageek Cable Management System Kit
2. Headphone Stands
You’re probably familiar with seeing headphones hanged on monitors in your office. This is both unsightly and can easily damage the headphones and monitor if the former are heavy enough to topple the monitor over.
Headphone stands are the best solution as they suspend your headphones safely in one corner of the desk where they don’t interrupt your work flow. They’re stable and thus won’t topple over and spoil your precious headphones at the slightest of knocks.
Besides these, there are under-desk headphone mounts. These are screwed or mounted under your desk such that, when you don’t need your headphones, you hang them there and there’re out of your way.
Some great headphone stands include the following:
- Headphone Stand Headset Holder New Bee Earphone Stand with Aluminum Supporting Bar
- PC Gaming Headset Headphone Hook Holder Hanger Mount
- The Anchor – The Original Under-Desk Headphone Stand Mount
3. Earphone holders
Wired earphones can also create a mess on your desk and in your pocket. Few are sold with a way to keep them together and to avoid tangling up with the rest of the cables on your desk. The problem with wired cables is that, besides messing up your desk and pockets, they can easily get damaged by other objects.
Earphone holders come to the rescue and they employ various methods including having earphones wrapped around them, using adhesive and clips to bind the earphones together and others. The best of them include the following:
- CAILLU cord organizer
- Digital Innovations The Nest – Tangle-Free Earphone/Earbud Case
- UGREEN Earbud Case Earphone Carrying Case Holder
4. Wire Clamps
Using wire clamps is on the permanent side of wire management ideas as they’ll be screwed unto your desk or wall. As such, you can use this method only for cables you rarely move around such as the telephone or LAN.
Some great wire clamps include the following:
- LOKMAN 20 Pack ½ Inch Stainless Steel Cable Clamp
- ISPINNER 52pcs Cable Clamps Assortment Kit
- DYWISHKEY Pack of 10, 1/8 Inch M3 Stainless Steel Wire Rope Cable Clip Clamp
5. Charging cable holders
Charging cables can also mess up your desk especially when you have more than one. With most devices going towards USB Type C, there will come a time when your laptop will use the same cable as your phone, your smartwatch and even your earphones. If you’re still not there yet, you can put cable holders to use.
Some good cable holders we’ve used include these:
- SOULWIT Cable Holder Clips, 3-Pack Cable Management Cord Organizer Clips
- Original Cable Clips – Cord Holder and Organizer
- AUSTOR 20 Pieces Cable Clips Black Cable Holder Cord Organizer Wire Holder for Cable, Wire and Cord Management System
6. Under desk cable organizer trays
Another under desk tool you can use to keep the cables under control is a cable organizer tray. It’s another solution leaning to the permanent side as it’s screwed unto the underside of your desk. They’re quite large and can thus carry large items including your laptop adaptors.
Some great under desk cable organizer trays include these:
- IKEA – SIGNUM Cable management, horizontal, silver color (FBA)
- Under Desk Cable Management Tray – Cable Organizer for Wire Management
- Under Desk Cable Tray – Super Sturdy Ce Organizer for Wire Management
7. Cable Sleeves and Tubing
Cable tubing and sleeves do a cleaner job when it comes hiding cables on your desk or wall. These are basically tubes and sleeves through which your many cables will run to keep them together. Some good ones include the following:
- Alex Tech 25ft – ¾ Inch Cord Protector Wire Loom Tubing Cable Sleeve Split Sleeving
- White Cable Sleeve Cover, AGPTEK Cord Management System for Desk
- Electriduct 1” Split Wire Loom Tubing Polyethylene Flexible Conduit – Black – 10 Feet
8. Cable Ties
Cable ties are among the most used cable management tools owing to their simplicity and ease of use. They’re also very reliable to the extent that they stay in place until you no longer need them. Some good cable ties include the following:
- VELCRO Brand ONE-WRAP Cable Ties
- Cable Zip Ties, 500 Packs Self-Locking 4+6+8+10+12-Inch Width 0.16-Inch Nylon Cable Ties
- TR Industrial Multi-Purpose UV Resistant Black Cable Ties, 8 Inches, 100 Pack
9. Adhesive Cable Clips
Adhesive cable clips can be attached to any surface and will do a great job at decluttering your desktop. You can stick them to the edges to hold just about any wires from LAN cables to earphones and even charging cables.
Some recommendable adhesive cable clips are as follows:
- eBoot 100 Pieces Adhesive Cable Clips
- Viaky 30 Pcs Black Clips Self Adhesive Backed Nylon Wire Adjustable Cable Clips
- Yocice Upgraded Cable Clips 40pcs with Strong Adhesive Tapes
10. Cable Management Boxes
Cable management boxes are easy yet highly effective solutions to the issue of unsightly cables as they don’t need clippings or screws. You simply place one on the desk or floor and stuff in all your wayward cables and other items. With these boxes, you can easily hide computer cables on top of desk.
Some good cable management boxes include the following:
- D-Line Cable Management Box
- Party Zealot 2 Sets Large Cable Management Box Black Color 16 Inches and Medium 13 Inches Sizes
- Cable Management Box, Cord Organizer and Cover with Cable Kit
11. Grommets and Holes
Most desks will come with holes and grommets where cables can run into and stay out of the way. You’ll only have a small part of the cable connecting to your device while the rest of it is hidden under your desk.
12. Mount Some Items
Mounts help clear out items you can still use from a distance. For example, monitors can be mounted on the wall or on movable arms on your desk. Other items you can mount include speakers and desk lights.
With the items on a wall or edge of the desk, you’ll have less cables to deal with as they’ll be running from the end of the desk and not on top of it.
13. Put Cables to Multiple Purposes
The advent of USB Type C means that lots of devices can use the same cable to power up. Your phone, laptop, headphones, smartwatch and just about everything else can now use one single cable to power up and transfer data. For this reason, simply carry one or two cables if your devices can share.
14. Buy the Right Cable Length
Buying a cable at the right length helps clean up your desk since the excess part wont coil itself around the desk. If you get one that’s too short, you’ll end up moving items on your desk to power and connect them.
15. Go wireless
A good number of the cables on your desk can be done away and not missed at all. For example, you can get a computer monitor with a wireless charger on its base where you simply place your phone and it powers up. You can also get wireless mice and keyboards effectively doing away with two cables. Bluetooth speakers with built-in batteries are another great option here.
These are great ways to keep your desk and office in general clean and productive. A lot of these items cost a few dollars and you can simply get one for yourself both at home or that the office without breaking the bank.
