My Favorite Tools for Managing Cords and Cables
Cable management is an important part of life in the technological world. They should be grouped, labeled, and organized so they don’t get tangled, but that doesn’t mean your organizers have to look industrial or boring. Here are some options for any room and situation.
The Best Cord Organizers for Big Tech
Until recently, the area behind my TV was something of a no man’s land. The cords from the TV, games console, streaming plug-in and nearby lights, peloton and fan all merged into a chaotic mess. I connected them all into one long extension cord and hoped for the best, but eventually realized I needed to do something more organized. First, I bought a nicer power strip that matched my decor, had USB and Lightning ports, and was round so there was less cord overlap. I removed the network adapter from everything that could be plugged directly into the ports and it immediately made a huge difference.
I really, really love this thing. I love it so much that I have two more. One went to my kitchen and the other went to another outlet in my living room, powering my lighted mirror and hair tools that I keep on my organization wall . It has holes in the back so you can even hang it with screws to keep it from moving.
However, it does pack a lot of cords, so to keep them organized and not tangled, I wanted to purchase a few cord organizers. I used to think there was only one kind of cable manager – a long strip that you can thread different cords through, but I was glad to find out that there are much better options. Since all the cords in this area come from different places on this side of the room, it didn’t make sense to stuff them all into one long organizer; The best choice was to attach individual organizers to the wall or shelf next to each wired item, as it meant I didn’t have to rearrange anything.
Of course, there are times when these longer strips come in handy, like when you ‘re cleaning up your computer desk . In this case, most of the cords come from roughly the same place, since everything you’re dealing with is on the table. You can use a strip-shaped cable organizer to keep them separated and untangled at your desk.
I don’t mind my cables being visible as long as they’re organized, but if you want yours to disappear a little more, try an extension cord storage box. These are simple-looking containers that contain secret power strips with inlets along the edges. You can run the cables and wires, connect them and put all the excess in the box. One of these on a table or entertainment center will quickly brighten up the place, and you can buy a plain white one for $19.78 or a stylish one with a wood top for $12.90 .
Best Cable Organizers for Small Tech
Large cords are one thing, but smaller ones, such as chargers, are another. When I go to bed at night I plug all my devices into charging and, again, this used to be a nightmare. Adding an outlet extender that turned one outlet into three and also gave me two USB ports and one Lightning port made a big difference.
This keeps the two separate and eliminates the need for a bunch of clunky wall adapters by allowing you to plug USB and Lightning cables directly into the device.
On top of that, I got smarter by replacing my bedside desk lamp with one that has a wireless phone charger and another USB port. Minimizing the number of single-wall adapters needed to charge each device went a long way toward cable management and space savings.
(Yes, you can use Velcro straps to tie cables and cords together, but it’s not pretty. The lamp and mini extension cord were a little more expensive, but it made my cables more manageable while still maintaining some semblance of cuteness amid the tech overload. )
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my other favorite charging cord organizer, the Smartish Cord Holder. It’s essentially a magnetic mound that can be placed on your desk, side table, or anywhere else and holds your charging cables so you always know where they are. I find this very useful at my work place, where I usually charge at least one or two devices near me.