The 9 Very Best Cable Organizers

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Type:Velcro tie |Capacity:Multiple cables, adjustable |Portability: Portable |Reusability: Reusable

I tend to reorganize my setup a lot — especially when I’m testing new gadgets — so I need something impermanent and flexible. These Velcro ties fit the bill, and I’ve been using them in conjunction with a cable tray (more on that below) to keep things neat, tidy, and out of sight.

They’re adjustable and reusable, eight inches long and half an inch wide, and can fit a variety of different-size cables. One tie can easily hold three USB-C cables or a combination of a USB-C cable and an HDMI or an ethernet cable. They also have a sliding design, which allows you to tighten them very easily. This pack of 100 ties can be used in different spaces all around your home, from your home-theater setup to your nightstand.

Type:Steel-wire core with rubber coating |Capacity:Multiple cables, adjustable |Portability: Portable |Reusability: Reusable

Unlike our best overall pick, these ties, which come in a pack of 12, are made of rubber, which is less likely to wear over time than Velcro — if you’ve ever noticed the Velcro of your backpack or jacket gradually weakening with use or from collecting too much lint, you know the struggle.

Strategist writer Kitty Guo praises theNite Ize tiesfor their flexibility, thanks to a steel-wire interior and a grippy rubber exterior, as well as the various color and length options.

Type:Bag |Capacity:Multiple cables, adjustable |Portability: Portable |Reusability: Reusable

I loathe packing my cables into a bag when I’m traveling: They never seem to stay put, and I always have to wrap them too tightly to pack them into my bag’s pockets. Cable-organizing bags give you compartments for all your cords and charging bricks and keep cables from getting tangled with everything else you’ve packed and away from items that could damage the cables.

This Ruggard cable case was recommended to us by B&H senior technologist Mark Steinberg. One of the more interesting details he pointed out is the clear window that allows you to easily identify any cable you might need and minimize the amount of rooting around you’ll need to do. The case is weather resistant, and one side has 12 dedicated cable slots with elastic loops to hold cables securely. (You can store additional or larger cables in the pocket on the other side.) The Ruggard comes with six Velcro cable ties for keeping cables wrapped while in the case. And if you like the design but don’t need to carry as much, it comes in asmaller sizethat has six dedicated cable slots with three Velcro ties.

Type:Plastic zip ties |Capacity:Multiple cables, adjustable |Portability: Not portable |Reusability: Single use

My setup changes too frequently for using zip ties, which can only be placed once and have to be cut to be removed. But they can be especially great for larger cables that you might have in the living room or in a basic sound-system setup that you want to just set and forget.

All of the zip ties in this pack of 100 are eight inches long, and you can trim off any extra length as needed. They come in black or clear, so you can match them to your cables if you like.

Type:Adhesive base, magnetic clips |Capacity:Five slots for cables |Portability: Not portable |Reusability: Adhesive back can be repositioned

If you need to keep your cables handy for quick syncs at your desk or charging at your nightstand, get Anker’s magnetic cable organizer. It’s covered in soft rubber that comes in three colors (black, blue, and white) and has five cable slots. You get two of these organizers in a package, plus ten magnetic clips — which are about the size of a USB-C plug and barely add any weight — that snap onto the cables you want to store. The bottom has a reusable adhesive material that can stick to the surface of a desk, nightstand, or countertop.

I placed one on my desk and used it to wrangle the USB-C cables I use to sync my e-readers and other devices with my Mac. On the first attempt, the base wasn’t lined up perfectly with the edge of my desk, so I tried to reposition it. The adhesive stuck just as well the second time, and it hasn’t budged since. Thinner, more delicate cables (like Apple’s own USB-C cables) seem to get a bit squished by the clips. It’s not enough to cause damage, but it’s noticeable. That said, it’s the most convenient option for quickly grabbing your cables and putting them neatly back in place.

Type:Self-adhesive clip |Capacity:Each clip holds one thin cable |Portability: Not portable |Reusability: Single use

I use a clip that came with an old accessory pack from years ago, but it works just like these ones from BlueLounge. This pack of nine clips, each of which holds a single cable, comes in a variety of colors that can help you decorate or organize your desk (they also come in black only). They make it easy to grab cables you attach and detach frequently.

Professional organizer Daniel Loya, the owner ofSpaces Transformed, recommends these cable clips for keeping track of unruly cords that are always “slipping off your desk and out of reach.” Plus, he says, the self-adhesive backing can be easily removed.

Type:Metal tray |Capacity:Multiple cables |Portability: Portable |Reusability: Single-use adhesive

Thanks to the number of gadgets I have to test at any given time, cable management often feels like a fool’s errand. The closest I’ve gotten to a tidy cable arrangement at my desk is using this under-desk tray. I got this to replace a plastic tray that came with my standing desk. Unlike that one, which used adhesive to attach to the underside of my desk (it fell off after about two years), this one uses two clamps to stay in place. Those clamps, while more time-consuming to set up, are easier to move if you get a new desk or want to shift things around. The sides of the tray have holes that you can feed wires through, so they’re not all poking out the top of the tray, and since it’s deeper than many other trays I’ve seen, the cables aren’t visible once they’re inside.

If you’re particular about keeping things neat, a few zip ties or Velcro straps like our picks above will help maintain order while the tray keeps everything out of sight.

Type:Plastic |Capacity:N/A |Portability: Not portable |Reusability: Can be moved around

While no cable management solution can truly rid your room of all visible cables, this box (sold in a pack of two) comes close. It’s about the size of a small toolbox and made of a light plastic with openings on both sides for cables to feed through. The inside is roomy enough to store a power strip and any power bricks your devices need. Once you’ve tucked everything inside, you can place the wooden lid back on to conceal the mess. With the lid attached, the box looks quite nice, and its flat surface serves as a great perch for a small plant or stack of books.

Cables will still stick out the sides — it’s part of the design — but this box is better at making a messy bundle of cords look tidy than any other system I’ve tested, and makes even a cable-ridden corner feel more put-together than a few zip-ties alone could.

Type:Mat with pockets |Capacity:Multiple cables |Portability: Not portable |Reusability: Reusable (with screws)

While I’ve been able to keep my cables out of sight and out of mind with the Quszmd tray, something with a privacy panel will ensure that every cable is hidden away. Sean Hollister, senior news editor atthe Verge, says he used to have a rat’s nest of wires under his desk, and he tried a number of cord keepers and wraps before landing on the Mount-It, which he loves for its built-in pockets to house cables. The large mesh pockets open and close with Velcro strips, so everything inside is easy to access, and cables can enter or exit the pockets in multiple directions. Hollister uses them to hide a lot of messy cables as well as his ethernet switch. You can choose between 41-inch or 60-inch widths, depending on the size of your space.