Cable management and other tips for planning a new workspace

One of the great things about moving is the chance to remake your workspace — or your gaming space, depending on what you use your computer for. It’s easy, after several years, to be content with a desk that’s not quite right, a chair that’s not quite comfortable, or cables that have spread all over the floor. But when a move forces you to reorganize that space, it’s a chance to make a better place for yourself.

We asked the staff of The Verge what they did when they were either moving into a new workspace or making over their old one. Here are some of their answers; we hope that one or two will be useful for you.

Cable management

Clear cord clips

Emilia David, reporter

I suffer from a disease common in New York City called “not enough outlets in convenient spots,” so I have to stretch wires and extension cords in risky areas around my apartment. But while I haven’t quite figured out how to fix the mess of wires underneath my desk, all the extension cords and other wires I use around my home are nicely tucked away thanks to these clear cord clips I found on Amazon. 

The clips come with an adhesive you can stick to the wall and a hook that holds the wire in place. I have them in two different widths: one that holds wires up to 0.3 inches in diameter and a thick boi for wider cords. And they’re clear, so they manage to blend into my walls. I used the clips to tuck my microwave cord against the backsplash molding, so it’s away from water. They’re also holding the extension cord for my toaster / air fryer on the baseboard to avoid it becoming a tripping hazard. I haven’t used the clips for the wires under my desk, but I’m sure I’ll find a way soon enough. 

Magnetic cables

Sean Hollister, senior editor

Why keep a drawer full of tangled cables when you can have perfectly coiled cords always within reach? Try a tangle-free magnetic USB cable like these SuperCalla ones instead. I keep mine stuck to a metal filing cabinet right next to my desk, and while many manufacturers cheap out on this type of cord, I’ve found the SuperCalla to have excellent magnet strength. I just wish the company had a six-foot USB-C to USB-C cable with 100W charging and 10Gbps data — only the three-foot one does that. I’m eager to try some of the braided magnetic ones soon, too. 

Cable organizing box 

Kaitlin Hatton, senior audience manager

Last year, I went on a journey to organize my desk in the most efficient way possible while still remaining stylish. I stumbled on a set of these organizers online and gave them a shot. 

I was surprised at how nice the products were given the price. I use one of the two included organizers for my various cords, SD cards, pens, and small notebooks. I also keep an extra phone charger and wall plug in there so I can just grab the whole case and toss it in my bag as I head out. I use the second organizer from the set to catch all of my stray office supplies, like rubber bands, paper clips, and even a small sewing kit. (The sewing kit is mostly there because I have no idea where else I would put it.) They’re not the best organizers I’ve ever used, and the compartments are small, but they get the job done.

Moldable glue

Barbara Krasnoff, reviews editor

I’ve never been all that handy, although it isn’t for want of trying. However, even I can manage to create a useful cable management system using Sugru Mouldable Glue (their spelling). This is sort of a Play-Doh for adults; it comes in several basic colors, which can be combined to make other colors. You open the packet, take out the Sugru, mold it into the shape you want, stick it to another surface (if you need to), and let it dry.

I’ve used it to make hooks for my kitchen curtains and my headphones, to mend the handle of a faucet in the bathtub, and to repair the worn covering of a cable. But the coolest thing I did was create a series of indented attachments on the side of my old desk that would hold my various cables and keep them in order. (Sugru knows this is a major issue as well; it actually has a video showing how to create cable holders.)

Do they look professional? Not really. But they work. And next time, I may use Sugru to mold something a little more imaginative, just for fun.

Desks

A standing desk

Victoria Song, senior reviewer

I think of my Kostival standing desk as the final form of all the desks I’ve had over the years. I’ve always had a combo of a desk with built-in shelving and a separate monitor stand, but something was always slightly off. Either the monitor stand wasn’t tall enough or there wasn’t enough storage for all my knickknacks and stationery supplies. My previous desk was similar to this one but was way too narrow. I took moving as an opportunity to start fresh and get a standing desk. Now, I try to stand for at least two hours per day, mostly when I’m doing passive tasks like responding to emails.

What I like about this desk is that I can tuck my keyboard away and still have a spot for my journals. The drawers on each side house 90 percent of my stationery supplies, and there’s enough space for me to plop my laptop on its stand. I went from having two bookshelves in my office to only needing one. 

(By the way, while my specific desk is no longer available, you can find similar desks like the one in the product box above.)

Standing desk extension

Barbara Krasnoff, reviews editor

When we moved to our current home, I realized that it would be a lot healthier for me to have a standing desk. However, at that point (and especially after spending for the move), I didn’t want to invest in one — they do tend to be a bit pricey). Eventually, though, I found a great substitute: the Vivo height-adjustable standing desk converter. 

It sits on a small table next to my desk (in a sort of “L” formation) and has a handle that lets me smoothly raise the surface to exactly the right height. Now, whenever I want to spend some time standing rather than sitting, I just shift my laptop over to the Vivo, adjust its height (if I need to), and work away. When I want to sit again? I just move my laptop back to my desk. I can even adjust the Vivo so that the laptop camera is a better height for video meetings.

Other strategies

Monitor arms

Sean Hollister, senior editor

It’s hard to fit three monitors on a 48-inch desk — unless you go all Doctor Octopus to keep ’em off the table. My articulating monitor arm of choice is the Dell MSA14, which I use to float a pair of Dell U2412M monitors that I found off Craigslist for something like $50 each. (I use the pair as vertical monitors for websites and various messengers, not movies or games.) 

If you’re going with another brand of monitor, you’ll likely want a standard VESA mount instead. Just make sure the arm is rated for the weight of your monitor, don’t cheap out too much, and watch a video or something to make sure they articulate in all the ways you need.

Oh, and don’t forget to leave space on or around the desk for the arms to turn: I learned the hard way that putting my desk in a corner greatly restricted their freedom of movement. 

USB switcher

Antonio G. Di Benedetto, commerce writer 

My secret weapon in bouncing back and forth between work and personal machines is a USB switcher. It’s basically just a small button beneath my monitor with some cables and dongles going in and out of it. I have four peripherals plugged into it: an Insta360 Link webcam, a fancy-schmancy Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (fourth-gen) audio interface for the fancy-schmancy mic I have no business owning, a 2.4GHz USB dongle for whatever mechanical keyboard I’m currently using, and another USB wireless receiver for my mouse. 

I press the button on the switcher, and all four devices swap from my laptop to my desktop and vice versa. I find it super handy for keeping work and play separate while using the same peripherals. 

Pegboard plus pegs from 3D printer

Sean Hollister, senior editor

Pegboards aren’t just for garages. A classy one covered with your favorite gadgets might look perfect on your office wall. I use the $28 Ikea Skådis, but not with Ikea’s own generic pegs — because 3D printing websites like Printables, Thingiverse, and MakerWorld are filled with perfect-fit hangers for just about anything. I’ve got a headset hook, a AA and AAA battery dispenser, and custom mounts for my old Steam and Stadia controllers, my VR headset, and more. I might even start designing my own. 

A file cart

Nathan Edwards, senior reviews editor

If you’re someone like me whose organizational strategy tends to devolve into “I’ll just put this in a pile and deal with it later” — and whose later never seems to arrive — I recommend an open filing system. Files are like piles but easier to label and sort through. I used to just have a couple of desktop file holders, but since my last move, I keep an Elfa mesh filing cart under my desk. It fits scads of hanging files for in-progress projects while keeping my desktop free, and it has a couple of pull-out mesh drawers for the stuff that would go into my desk drawers if I had any. And it has wheels.