Since we began forcing electricity into cables and cords in the late 1880s, a lot has changed in how and why we use them — except for one thing that’s remained static: We still have to use them. And our collections of tech devices — whether gaming accessories, bespoke speakers, streaming paraphernalia, or portable batteries — seem to just keep growing. On the daily, I charge my phone, an e-reader, two sets of wireless headphones, a mobile battery, and a laptop. With all that comes a nest of cords that really soured that at-home mood I was trying to cultivate. So I set out to manage my cords and it’s really much easier —and affordable — than I first thought.
Surge Protection
First priority for me, of course, was protecting my devices from surges. My go-to for years now has been Belkin’s 12-Outlet Power Strip. The right-angled, flat plug at the end of the 10-foot, heavy-duty power cord makes this beast (hey!) very convenient to use —I plug mine in behind a bookshelf. Indicator lights tell you when the unit isn’t grounded and 12 outlets should cover all of your needs. This $22 investment comes with a $300,000 equipment warranty.
Similarly priced is a best selling six-outlet surge protector from GE. While it’s just one strip, it packs four times the joule rating as the strips in Belkin’s two-pack and includes a lit indicator, if that aligns with your needs.
This power strip comes with 14 plugs and 4 USB slots, which is great because that’s really all you need to charge your iPhone. It also stands up, instead of laying flat, if that’s the look you’re going for.
This Amazon option has a 12-foot long cord, which is great if you need to loop the cord behind some furniture to get some sockets in a different area of the room. Plus, it’s so sleek, you’ll hardly notice it’s there.
Cord Organizers
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For the smaller cords in your life, a cord taco will revolutionize your organization. Perfect for USB cables, and headphone wires, cord tacos come equipped with a fastening strap to help keep your cords in place, and separate from one another.
For cords on my desk and tables, the surface snap is my go-to. It’s pretty much a fancy Command strip, with a leather front, that you can fasten cords into. So, instead of them falling off the table everytime you unplug, they’ll stay right where you need them to be.
Whenever I need to find my charger, it’s usually on the floor. These clips keep your cords upright when they’re not in use, so you’ll never need to go searching around your feet again.
These wrap ties will help even the messiest stay organized. They are color coded so you can know which wire is which, and I’ve seen them used as face mask clips, too.
Next up is the crown jewel of my journey: the $39 cable management box organizer from DMoose. It’s large enough to perfectly fit the aforementioned Belkin’s 12-outlet power strip and swallows up all of the cords I’ve attached to it and whose extraneous length I’ve rolled up into it. The aesthetic matches my other stuff, but you can go with black or white versions if that’s better for you.
Cord Covers
Say goodbye to stray wires with this. Simply, funnel all of your cords into this sleek organizer that will blend in with the molding and make the haphazard mess of wiring disappear.
Finally are ways to cover up the cords themselves, since even in the small doses left after shoving most of them into an organizer, tangled wires are off-putting. SimpleCord’s best selling Cord Cover Raceway Kit lets you easily and quickly create a cord tunnel along your wall without ever lifting a hammer (unless you want to do so, which the kit enables as an option). $28 gets you six cord raceways that cover more than 12 feet of tunneling.
JOTO’s take on the cord tunnel is a zippable and flexible cord management sleeve — it’s half the price but doesn’t come with wall attachments.
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