Tangled cables, messy power strips, and charging cords snaking across your desk - sound a little too familiar?
Whether you’re working from home or set up in a commercial office space, cable clutter can be a real headache. Not only does it look messy, but it can also interfere with your workflow and even create safety issues.
The good news? With a few smart solutions, you can tame the chaos and create a desk setup that’s both functional and visually pleasing. And we’re here to help!
In this post, we walk you through 5 practical solutions to help you arrange your cables and turn your workspace into a cleaner, more organised, and distraction-free zone.
But before we go any further…
The Benefits of Having an Organised, Clear Desk
There’s something seriously underrated about having a clear desk. And it’s not just about looking neat or organised, it actually changes how you feel and work.
When your workspace is cluttered, your mind often feels cluttered too. You end up wasting time digging through piles of paper, random notes, or even yesterday’s coffee mug just to get to what you actually need.
But when your desk is clear, it gives you this sense of calm and control, like you're ready to focus and get things done. It also shows a kind of mental discipline, like you’re not letting distractions pile up.
Having a clear office desk also presents a professional and polished image to colleagues, clients, and visitors, which can positively impact how others perceive you.
This is especially important in a commercial/ professional setting.
How to Arrange Cables on a Desk
Here are 5 simple solutions to help you arrange cables on a desk:
1. Cable Spines
One of the best ways to keep your cables away from your desk is a cable spine. Cable spines are flexible, segmented tubes that run from the underside of your desk down to the floor, designed to hide and guide your cables in a neat vertical path.
Think of them like a tidy backbone for your wires - hence the name ‘spine’.
They're especially handy if you're using a standing desk because the cables need to move smoothly up and down with the height adjustments. Without something like a spine, your cords can get pulled, tangled, or even damaged over time. A cable spine keeps everything organized, protected, and looking clean, no matter what height your desk is at.
Kiruna Standing Desk Cable Spine
A great example of a quality cable spine is the Kiruna standing desk cable spine. This is a quality solution made from tough ABS plastic, with a heavy weighted powder coated steel base for maximum effectiveness.
This spine effectively hides unsightly messy cables between your desktop and the floor and coils like a snake when your standing desk is lowered.
The Kiruna spine also has removable links so is suitable for any height adjustable desk or can be shortened for use with standard, static desks.
2. Cable Wraps
Another popular solution to cable management is to use cable wraps, which if you don’t know, are tools designed to bundle and secure cables together.
They come in various forms, including reusable ties and velcro straps, and to use them, all you need to do is get all of the cables that you want in the same bundle and tie them together via the wrap.
By keeping cables bundled together like this, you can reduce the visual clutter on your desk or in your workspace, and prevent them from getting tangled, knotted, or damaged.
3. Cable Trays
Cable trays are shallow, either metal or plastic baskets that attach underneath your desk to hold and route all your cables, power strips, and adapters in one central organised space.
They’re kind of like a shelf just for your cords, and what makes them so useful is that they lift everything off the floor and out of sight, which instantly makes your setup look cleaner.
Instead of cables hanging down or cluttering your legs, they’re neatly tucked away and easy to access when you need to plug something in or move things around.
Stockholm 150mm Extra Heavy Duty Cable Management Tray
The Stockholm Extra Heavy Duty Cable Management Tray is a 150mm steel box section that you can stow all of your usual desktop clutter out of sight and away from harmful dust.
And with a clever, robust telescopic design, the cable management tray can be retro-fitted to the desk and will work with any of our Stockholm desk range, in all size options.
The Stockholm cable tray js available in black, white, silver, Anthracite and Rustik finishes to match the frame colours of the Stockholm desk range.
4. Cable Tidy Clips
Next up we have cable tidy clips, which are small, often adhesive-backed holders designed to keep individual cables in place. They’re basically little organisers that stop your cords from sliding off the edge of your desk or getting tangled and are made of plastic or silicone.
These clips are great for keeping your charging cables, mouse cord, or headphone wires right where you want them - accessible, but not in the way.
On a standing desk, they’re especially helpful because they can guide cables along the edge or underside of the desk, preventing them from swinging or getting caught when the desk moves up and down.
5. Desk Slots
You can also keep your desk clear of cables with desk slots. These are built-in openings or holes in a desk, usually located near the back corners or center, that allow you to pass cables through the surface instead of letting them hang off the edge.
So, instead of your monitor, keyboard, or charger cables sprawling across the desk, you can run them directly through the slot and down to a cable tray, power strip, or outlet underneath. It keeps everything streamlined and out of sight, which not only looks better but also clears up usable space on your desktop.
Sorvik Desk Cable Slot
The Sorvik cable slots offer a smart and practical solution for routing cables through all our height adjustable desktops. They were developed with the Primo desk particularly in mind, due to the restrictions on placing standard round cable ports on the Primo desktop.
The Sorvik desk cable slot is routed into your desktop with our in-house CNC machinery, giving you a clean minimalist look to complete your standing desk set up.
The Sorvik desk cable slot is manufactured in high grade aluminium .
And there we have it!
Shop our whole range of cable management solutions here and for more information and tips on standing desks and accessories, visit our standing desks blog or get in touch with us on 020 8064 0600 or sales@friskadesk.com.