There's nothing quite like looking down at most people's backs of televisions or under large desks to leave you with no faith in humanity. The insane mess of cables and wires that some people put up with is hard to believe. Since the number of electronic devices we have is growing, which means - inevitably - the number of cables.
If you're anything like our editor, Chris Hall, you'll love living in the chaos of dusty, tangled cables. However, if you are a decent person who is even vaguely committed to order and tidiness, you will want to sort out what mess is.
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Fortunately, no matter how much of a mess you have, or how neat and tucked away things need to be for you, there are plenty of products to help you out. Whatever your budget, there's something out there for you that will help bring back your sanity.
Power bean
It's next to impossible to keep multipoint power bands and surge protectors looking tidy, which means your only real recourse is to hide unsightly connections from sites in a box.
Bluelounge Cable Box
There is one company whose mission is to bring order to your world of cable clutter, and that is Bluelounge. This is a company that makes well thought out, attractive and long term solutions. You will find many different company products on this list, but also cheaper alternatives. The Cablebin is a rectangular plastic box designed to hold multi-port extension chords.
It's built from flame retardant plastic and will take any power strip or surge protector up to 40cm long and 14cm wide, and does a great job hiding the inevitable mess that goes around TVs and computers. If you need more that also takes up less space, there's a cable bin that looks more like your regular under-table waste bin and comes with a beautiful wood finish.
Control box and Hama cable
It's cheaper than the Bluelounge version, but does much the same job, albeit with a less polished and cheaper look and feel.
cable sleeve
If you have a TV or computer, then chances are you have more than one cable from these and leading other electronic products and peripherals. Whether it's your router, set-top box, printer, Blu-ray player, monitor, or whatever, you'll have cables for all of them, and they're an eyesore if left untidy. One solution is a cable sleeve that ties them all together, hiding them in a neat cocoon running in the same direction.
Bluelounge soba tube system
This Bluelounge Soba Jam System is a tried and true favorite here in the pocket of some yummy. Like the rest of Bluelounge products, it's nice to look at and well designed. Its limitation comes in that you can only hold 3-4 cables at a time while maintaining its usefulness. It is ten feet long, or about 3 meters, which means you can cut it to whatever length you need.
It comes complete with multiple plastic ends and transport links so you can have cables running in different directions without detracting from a neat and tidy appearance. Plastic end caps ensure that you are not left looking for frayed pipes at the end of each strip.
What we really love, however, is how you apply it to the cable. Because this tube is very tight, you can use the semi-circle plastic "zipper" by pulling it down to open the conduit as you run the cable into it. After that, you remove the "zipper" and your cables get clogged and tightly fastened.
Simple cable tie
If your sight is exposed to the cable don't get too upset, a simple cable tidy is a great way to keep all your cables neat and tidy, together. If your view of the cables is already blocked by something big—a TV, for example—all you need is a few Velcro to keep the HDMI in place, and the power and audio wires are neatly bundled together in a way that doesn't hurt your eyes.
Fisual Chunky Reusable Cable Ties
These are your best no frills cable ties and are available in 10, 20, or 40 packs in black or white. They are 150mm long, you can staple between 5-8 normal cables, but not too much stretch.
cable clamp
With smartphones, set-top boxes and tablets in our lives, we now use multiple outlets to charge our devices. The only problem is sockets and surge protectors are usually on or near the floor. It's not where you want your precious £700 smartphone to be. So you charge your phone on your nightstand or closet, only for your cable to fall to the floor every time you unplug it. Input: cable clamp. They come in many forms, but essentially ensure your cables don't fall off.
Bluelounge CableDrop
No wonder Bluelounge has them in abundance. Cabledrop comes in packs of six or nine, in white or black, and does an excellent job of making sure the cables stay where they should be. They are not cheap, but they work really well. The product has a self-adhesive bottom so you can stick it on anything, and the mouth is narrow enough that stops any cable from falling off.
Portable organizer
We all reached into our bags and discovered a confusing, incomprehensible set of electronic tumbleweeds at some point. It's not intentional, but it's seemingly inevitable when we throw our cables, headphones, and chargers together without separating. Although we have found solutions, and they make for a calm state, it is not easy to repeat.
BUBM cable organizer bag
Chances are, if you're a tech-savvy consumer, you have more than just cables in your bag. If you have a new MacBook, for example, you will probably also have multiple keys for different purposes. We've found the inexpensive BUBM bag organizer to be an invaluable tool for carrying Essentials around.
With the medium version we have wired headphones, a Lightning cable, a Type-C cable, a micro USB cable, two SD cards, a card reader, a lightning to SD adapter, a handful of small type with adapters, a Type C to Ethernet and three USB 3.1 adapters , Apple Type C to HDMI and USB adapter and portable dual charger for our GH4 batteries, and there is still space to save. It's all held in place with elastic straps, all lined up in nets, with smaller items held securely in multiple small elastic pouches.
STM wrapper dandy
For something higher, better, and well made, there's STM, the wrapper dandy. Rather than open like a book or folder, it wraps around itself and closes with a very handy magnetic clasp. We really like how it looks and how easy it is to carry around.
Mesh cocoon it
Rather than an open-up bag, the mesh is features a cocoon weave, strong elastic bands on the outside. They are arranged in such a way that you can organize almost any small item of any shape and size in any way that you want. It's ideal for custom cleaning and has been a hit with consumers on Amazon for a few years now. Prices start at £13, with five different sizes available.
Welcome
All these products combined, you must have your cable nightmare reduced to a pedantic dream. Cables and accessories that once rattled around in a bag are now neatly pouched in an organized eutopia, while cables and power splitters are tucked away in boxes or stapled out of sight.