8 Essential Tools to Maximize Cable Management in Your Home
Updated: Jun. 09, 2023
There are a lot of miscellaneous wires and cables in modern homes. Here are the best tools you can use to keep them out of sight, out of mind.
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Under Desk Cable Organizers
The cables and wires from the electronic devices sitting on your desk look pretty bad when they’re left to hang in the wind. To fix this sloppy look, mount a cable organizer under your desk to tuck, wrap and stow your cables. Even if cables are visible, tidying them up will make them far less unsightly.
J-Channel Cable Raceways
Anyone who has worked with vinyl siding on a house will be familiar with the concept of J-channel. It’s essentially a tube that doesn’t quite go all the way around, making it easy to slip wires and cables inside to hide them. For cable management, a J-channel cable raceway is a versatile tool. They can be mounted on the backs of desks, along countertops, or at the base of your floor to provide discreet, low-profile locations to stash long-running wires.
Cable Sleeves
If you’ve got a whole mess of cables running in the same direction, wrap them all together into a cable sleeve. The sleeve zips up around a collection of cords and combines them into one, making them much more manageable with a cleaner look.
On-Wall Cord Cover
What’s the point of mounting a sleek new television on your living room wall if you’ve got HDMI and power cables dangling down ruining the aesthetic? If you’re unwilling to drill into your walls and snake cables through drywall, hide it all with simple cord cover on the wall. Make sure to get one wide enough to fit all your cords, especially if you’ve got a lot of things plugged into the back of your TV.
Microfiber Cable Ties
Standard zip ties are versatile little tool with a lot DIY applications, and they’re a decent way to keep cords and cables neat and orderly. There are two problems with them, though:
- They’re hard to remove. Standard zip ties must be cut off, and using scissors next to a cluster of cables is asking for trouble.
- Cut zip ties can be sharp. The place where you snip away excess tie becomes a tiny little plastic dagger that could poke you or the wires around it.
That’s why these reusable microfiber cable ties are a better call than the standard zip ties, at least for cable management. The soft cloth material won’t harm the cables, and they can be easily removed and adjusted. No scissors required.
Adhesive Cable Clips
As smartphones, tablets and other small-scale electronics have grown in popularity, more and more cables and wires accumulated in people’s homes. Adhesive cable clips can ensure all those wires stay put. The adhesive backing makes them easy to apply. And they come in a variety of colors (clear, black, and white) so that they can blend in more easily with walls and wires.
Cable Holders
Despite the EU’s best efforts, there’s no guarantee that the cord you use to charge up your phone will be the same as the one you use to charge your tablet, e-reader, or smart watch. Cable holders keep your assortment of chargers organized and within reach so you aren’t bending over to scoop cables off the floor or trampling them underfoot.
Cable Management Boxes
There are going to be times where clunky cords with surge protectors and thick cables need to be next to the devices they are powering. If you don’t want bulky, ugly electronics sitting in plain view on a desk or a side table, pick up a cable management box. There are lots of these boxes available, from rustic wooden designs to more modern, minimalist versions. You don’t necessarily want these boxes to stand out, so go for the design you think will blend in best to its surroundings.
Originally Published: March 03, 2021
