How I’d Solve 4 Cable-Management Problems
Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your account’s‘Saved for Later’section.
Comment
Last month, I asked readers (and someNew YorkMagazine colleagues) to send me theirhardest bathroom-organization puzzles, which included everything from a sink without storage to an HVAC closet that stored everyday items. As a follow-up, I’m tackling arguably the worst problem: cable management.
Cables want to be messy. They are not distinctive, so you easily forget what each one is for, but they’re also not interchangeable, so you can’t throw them out, and thus you end up with a million of them. Their arbitrary lengths, the random placement of switches and buttons, require oddly specific solutions. But while there isn’t a one-size-fits-all product for cable management, every cable-management hitch has a potential solution: tools for shortening and lengthening cords, simplifying the on/off switch, and getting power where you need it.
The charging block the cat knocks over
Primary complaint:“My outlet is supposed to live on my nightstand, but my cats keep knocking it over and it makes plugging and unplugging annoying. The orange one usually knocks it over around dinnertime and sits in the spot. I want something accessible that I can use from bed without getting up.”
Try a pyramid-shaped surge protector …
Congrats to your cats for taking cable management into their own hands. What they’re doing is not helpful, but they have an idea of where the cords are supposed to be, and I commend them for following through.
I’m curious if we can change something about the charging block to make it less alluring to knock over. My first thought was making itheavier, which is high-risk, high-reward: If they still figure out how to topple it, that’s miserable. Instead, why not try the stablest shape known to man, the pyramid? Your cats will recognize it because their souls are ancient and they were there when the pyramids were built.
New! You can now save this product for later.
I imagine the Powramid will be harder to knock over than a cube, but if they’re still messing with it, try anchoring it to your nightstand for a week with a blob ofmuseum gel, a clear putty designed to keep fragile items on shelves. Once the cats learn that it won’t budge, they’ll move on to something else.
New! You can now save this product for later.
… or hide the cables behind your bed.
I have to share an ingenious solution from one respondent:
“Get an extra-extra-long power strip and mount it behind the headboard, about six inches below the top, with the plugs facing up. I screwed two little blocks of scrap lumber to the wall to serve as brackets. I have to say it is mildly life-altering because I cannot tell you how many times I had to crawl around under the bed to plug in my phone or charge the laptop.”
If the scrap-lumber-bracket route is too many steps, try this 16-outlet power strip. It has an angled base so it can be wall-mounted with a couple screws, and the plugs will still be accessible from above. At four feet long, it would fit behind a full, queen, or king mattress.
New! You can now save this product for later.
The cable box that’s irresistible to toddlers
Primary complaint:“We bought these ugly black plastic enclosures, but our 2-year-old will just rip them open. We covered them in duct tape, but anytime we travel for an overnight stay, we have to remove the monitor and noise machine. We need an enclosure that deters access but also is accessible enough to us asadultsthat we can open and shut it without derailing the whole system.”
Try this childproof one.
Cable-management boxes that deter curious toddlers was not as big of a market as I expected, but I did find this container with a childproof dial lock. More unobtrusive than the ugly black ones, and until your kiddo reaches the safecracking developmental stage, your cables should be secure — and it’ll be less hassle to open and shut than peeling off a layer of duct tape.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Ethernet cables and game storage
Primary complaint:“Cords coming from all directions, which looks messy. The ethernet cords come out of the wall, and power cords for the TV and gaming stuff come from the other side. Also, gaming console madness.”
Contain the ethernet cables with a cord cover and a tray.
This is such a pretty corner! I feel good about the amount of space we have behind the TV; all that’s missing is a way to get the cables out of sight. Try running a cable cover from the ethernet wall hole to the back corner of the table. I’ve linked two below — one basic, one fun. (“Fun cable cover” feels indulgent, but since you’ll only need a few feet, this might be the use case.)
New! You can now save this product for later.
New! You can now save this product for later.
On the back of the table, there’s a one-inch lip and panel that’s about nine inches high — so if you add a clamp-on cable tray facing into the back corner, no one would be the wiser. Cords that are currently snaking over the table can be stowed out of sight. This Ikea model is the right size and can be installed facing inward or outward (outward is what you’ll need in this case).
New! You can now save this product for later.
Organize the consoles in a woven bin.
I got fixated on finding a container for the Xbox controllers that would complement the antique-farmhouse vibe of this table. No one currently is making gaming-specific woven baskets (if I’m wrong, please let me know in the comments), but thisfaux-wicker bin is the closest I could get: An Xbox controller is 6.02 inches wide, and this bin measures 6.1 inches on the inside. It comes with three removable dividers, so you can change the configuration around as needed, and you could run charging cables through the handle cutout in the back to keep them organized.
New! You can now save this product for later.
A high outlet and too-long cords
Primary complaint:“We have this weird outlet in the middle of our kitchen wall. Right now, I have two lanterns plugged in there with their cords all bunched up against the wall (the switches for the cords are on the cords, so it’s hard to hide them). Thoughts on best uses for this weird plug or better ways to power these lanterns?”
Bypass the switches with these plug-ins.
As intriguing as this megatall outlet is, I think it’ll be simpler to plug these lanterns into the lower outlet. If the switch on the cord is still in an awkward place, add a plug-in switch tap, a simple device that allows you to turn an electronic device on and off from the outlet itself — the same deal as turning something off by unplugging it, but less annoying.
New! You can now save this product for later.
To organize the surplus cable, Command makes a wall-mounted cord wrap that sticks directly to your wall. For a more fun option, I found a doughnut-shaped doodad called a “cable turtle,” which you can flip open, spool the extra cable into, then collapse shut. (Here’s a video.) They come in three sizes and 12 colors and seem infinitely useful.
New! You can now save this product for later.
New! You can now save this product for later.
If you want something sturdy to anchor the cables and don’t mind drilling, check out the cord clips and hooks from Color Cord Company — I’ve bought lamp hardware a few times, and it’s always been solid.
New! You can now save this product for later.
New! You can now save this product for later.
All of this doesn’t make use of the high outlet. You can leave it alone, but if it feels weirdly empty, add a handmade nightlight and treat it as a small piece of art. (Etsy is your best bet for this; try searching “art glass nightlight.”)
Have an organization problem you can’t solve? Send a detailed query and a photo tostrategist@nymag.com.
More cable-management tools
New! You can now save this product for later.
The Velcro ties our tech writer uses to organize his always-evolving setup.
New! You can now save this product for later.
The flexible cable ties one Strategist writer uses as a fidget toy.
New! You can now save this product for later.
More From The Strategist
- The Best Things Strategist Editors Have Bought This Year (So Far)
- The Strategist Summer 100
- I Replaced My Tretinoin With This $30 Retinal Cream
- My Hunt for Fisherman Sandals That Won’t Tear Up My Feet
The Strategistis designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read abouthere. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
