Whether you’re at home or in an office space, keeping your workspace tidy and organised is essential to your productivity. And cable management is an important part of that. Cables and wires are an unavoidable part of work as almost every device and tool you use is likely to have some kind of charging cable.
There’s nothing worse than fighting the wire spaghetti to reach your charger just as you’re about to hop into an online meeting with your laptop shouting at you to charge it. So read on to learn more about desk cable management.
Why is cable management important?
Why is it important to keep your cables well organised? There are a few reasons – more than just the cosmetic benefits.
No one likes looking at a cluttered space. Whether it’s just you in your office or you host regular meetings, making sure your workspace is tidy and organised gives a more professional feel and makes your office just look that much nicer.
Reducing clutter aso has the added benefit of boosting productivity as it has been proven that those who work in a cluttered space are more likely to be distracted or procrastinate in their work.
Cable management safety
Safety is another concern when it comes to untidy desk cables. Messy wires can become a trip hazard in both busy offices and your home. Unorganised wires might even get an abnormal amount of wear and tear which can damage your devices and create a fire risk.
Planning and organising cables
Reorganising all of your cables can feel like an unachievable task but with the right planning, it doesn’t need to be.
Plan out the route that your wires are going to be taking. Are they going against a wall or will they be tracked across your office desks? Working out where they are going will help you choose the best cable tidying method or tools. Group together cables of similar lengths so they all reach their destinations neatly.
Separating out the cables by type can also help you work out the best way to organise them. Consider whether they need access to a mains plug or the ethernet port. USB cables can probably be organised differently to other types because they can be removed and stored away between uses.
Power cable management
Wrangling cables is a daunting task but if you know where they’re going, and how they’re getting there, it’s a breeze. And once it’s done, you only need to do basic maintenance to keep them neat. Here are some tips and tricks to keeping your cables organised.
Tips for under desk cable management
Running your cables under your desk can keep them out of sight and out of the way if you accidentally spill your coffee. There are all kinds of tools available to help you keep your wires organised beneath the desk such as cable clips and management trays which keep them together and out of the way.
Management trays
Management trays are great for when you don’t have a nearby plug. You can use these trays to store an extension cord to plug in your devices and the trays keep all cables away from the floor.
Cable clips and ties
Cable clips are either rubber clips or cable tie-type strips that stick to the underside of your desk. They’re more suited to keeping just a few cables tidy but are an affordable solution to messy wires.
How to hide computer cables on top of desk
If your cables have to run along the top of the desk, think about investing in cable raceways or clips. Raceways encase your wires and hold them all together to keep them out of the way. They are also used on the floor sometimes to prevent the cables creating a trip hazard. These are ideal for keeping multiple different cables tidy, especially on shared desks.
Clips are a less obvious way of organising your cables. They usually stick onto the desk and you press the cables into the slots to hold them into place. They’re an affordable and space-saving option for smaller desks and ideal for when you only have a couple of cables you need to organise.
Tips for standing desk cable management
Standing desks present a unique challenge. Cables can’t be tightly fixed because they need to flex and lengthen as the desk rises. You’ll need to use longer cables as well so that they don’t get damaged or pulled out of the wall when the desk rises.
You might find that flexible cable tidy is the best option here. These are flexible tubes that fit around your wires, keeping them together but still allow them to move with the height of your table.
Make sure you’re regularly checking the wires to make sure that they aren’t wearing out or becoming damaged with the frequent movement.
Wireless tech
If you can, go wireless. Get rid of the pesky cables altogether and opt for a wireless keyboard and mouse. Of course you’ll still need to charge your devices at some point, but these can then be hidden away.
There’s some debate over whether wireless devices have an input delay so aren’t ideal for gaming, but for work they are the ideal alternative for keeping your desk tidy.
When thinking about office desk cable management, look no further than Officeology’s innovative range of desks and office furniture. Featuring built-in organisation solutions for cables and wires, and thoughtful details to help keep your office looking tidy, they’re the obvious choice for a well-designed office.