Cable Management

Cable Management Techniques

Perfect desk cable management is critical to your experience with your computing equipment. In this blog, we will give you some tips for how you can have a clean uncluttered wire-free workspace so that your work gets all of your attention. First, a few guiding principles for an organized, tidy, and efficient working environment:

1. Minimize the cables on your work surface (because it is for work).

2. Move your cables off the floor (so that it is easily cleaned).

3. Where cables hang should be managed. Route them along the edge of your desk or under your desk and then down to your power strip.

4. Prioritize the placement of your equipment (wires will have to accommodate).

5. Determine which cables need to be plugged in and which ones need to be just ready to be plugged in.

6. Cable ends that you need access to must be easily within reach, but out of the way.

7. Where possible, cables should be bundled together in logical groupings.

8. Extra cables should be organized and easily available.

Once you have decided where your hardware needs to be located, create a plan (using the principles above) to lay out your cabling. Determine the most economical solution that meets your needs and accomplishes your management objectives. For example, cable trays can be expensive. You can take care of routing your cables along the edge of your desk with SnapLights Zip Snaps and Sticky Snaps. It is cheaper and it gives you better visibility to your cables. It only takes a few steps to attach Snap Lights to your cables and surface. 

1. Wrap the Zip Snap around your wire(s) and pull the tail of the zip loosely around your cables.

2. Snap a Sticky Snap to the Zip Snap.

3. Pull off the red film on the back of the Sticky Snap (be sure not to touch the sticky backing).

4. Stick the Sticky Snap to the edge of your desk.

5. Cut off the extra tail of the Zip Snap.

6. Repeat the process until you are done. 

The Zip Snap will hold your cables and allow them to slide as needed. The Zip Snap also can rotate on the Sticky Snap so all cable orientations can be accommodated. Just gather up the cables behind your monitor using the Zip and Sticky Snap combination so that they will not move and then route them along your desk until they need to be routed down to your power strip. By not zipping the Zip Snap tight around the cables, they will be able to flex and move as needed. This is especially useful with standing desks where the cables will need to slide through the Zip Snap ring. The Zip Snap also rotates on the Sticky Snap, giving it the ability to adjust to the orientation of the cables. With this flexibility, the cables will maintain their orientation because they are anchored in place with the Sticky Snap. If you use a sleeve the control will not be as good due to the lack of anchoring. The Sticky Snap also makes it possible to route wires along display arms and other structural parts of your hardware. Docking stations and USB hubs help with cable management; however, cables still come and go from the ports on these devices. They will still need to be managed.

To guide the location of the cables along the edge of the desk you can use the Carriage Snap. You will not have to thread the cable through the ring of the Zip Snap in this case, but the placement of the cable can be controlled. 

You can also use both combinations to make cables available to you. If you have a laptop that uses a different power cord type it can be easily within reach to give you the flexibility that you need to plug it in and unplug it when you must leave. This would apply to other cables and devices or if you need multiple cables that are similar to be available within reach. The Carriage Snap can guide the cable group and hold cables that may be needed at the same time. It has arms with grooves that can accommodate thin cables. The Zip Snap can make cables available at the base of the monitor. The adhesive on the Sticky Snap is strong and consideration should be given to the surface to which it is being attached. 

Depending on the number of cables that you have for your devices, it might be a good idea to label them so that you know what each one is used for. A tidy arrangement will make it easier to keep track of your cables. Wireless devices may be suitable; however, you will have to decide if the input delays are acceptable. 

What about those extra cables that are sitting around? You can hang them on a wall or other surface using the Carriage Snap and the Screw Snap. Just screw the Screw Snap into a solid structure and use the Carriage Snap to hold your extra cords. You can isolate the cords or put them together. The Carriage Snap is versatile enough to hold multiple power chords, as well as cords of a variety of thicknesses. If you want to move the cord-carrying Carriage Snap to another location or change the order of the cables, just unsnap the Carriage Snap and attach it to another Screw Snap or a Sticky Snap.

SnapLights can help you solve cable management challenges. It is likely that there is a combination of components that will help you organize your work area. Each component is rugged and yet flexible to meet the needs of cable orientations and types. If the situation changes, so can your management strategy. For example, you can unsnap the Carriage Snap and snap in a Zip Snap, if that is your preference. Efficient and flexible cord management is essential to an efficient work environment. These simple tips and an effective strategy will make it easier for you to focus on what matters. 

You don't have time to deal with clutter. Let Snap Lights products organize your workspace!