Today I thought it would be a good idea to clean up my vice president’s cable management. Not only were there wires everywhere, but I needed to make sure all the cables could route correctly with his L-shaped, moveable desk. This could pose a challenge.
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Cable Management Solution Links
- The Cable Management Mess
- Out With the Old, In With the New Cable Management
- Baseus Monitor Light Bar
- More Helpful Cable Management Products
1. The Cable Management Mess
To start off, I had to take into consideration the power strips as Ryan has 3 of them. None of them were connected to the bottom of his desk, instead laying on the floor in a jumbled mess. There were tons of cables coming down from the desk that had to be plugged into these power strips. I knew this had to go. The next problem I noticed was his monitors were not matching and out of date. As a VP, I thought he needed a little bit of an upgrade. His monitor arms needed some help as well.
2. Out With the Old, In With the New Cable Management
My first instinct was to disconnect all cables and remove the monitors off the desk since I will be replacing them anyways. I was hoping that one power strip would be enough to connect the needed cables. I quickly realized many of the cables were not even being used so I tossed those to the side. To my surprise I found an entire computer desktop under his desk even though his monitors were connected to a mini-PC on the top of his desk.
I asked Ryan about the one under his desk and he confirmed it wasn’t being used so I took it out altogether. With that big piece of equipment gone and cables removed, it made space for me to add a hefty surge protected power strip. It had 10 units to accommodate the many cables that would need to be plugged in. I started with the computer since that is where most cables will be routed too and from. I wanted to get most things attached to the bottom of the desk to keep the top clean.
Next, I used a metal mount designed to hold a laptop which could be placed underneath the desk and hidden away. I put it towards the front of the desk so the ports could easily be accessible for the cables. I then went ahead and upgraded the monitors to 2 higher definition matching monitors with a dual monitor arm for a more organized look. I fed the power cables through the arms and routed them under the desk to the mini-PC.
3. Baseus Monitor Light Bar
Another upgrade I wanted to add was a monitor light bar to his setup. I chose the Baseus Monitor Light Bar which was featured in a couple previous videos. Light bars are a great tool to help light up your desk without taking up too much space. This light bar is run with a simple USB plug which I could run underneath the desk as well.
4. More Helpful Cable Management Products
Ryan’s desk is the new NewHeights XT L Desk which includes high-end built-in cable management trays. This made organizing much easier as I could shove the remaining cables in these trays. To assist with the new and improved setup, I purchased a $15 cable management kit from Amazon. I have used this kit with other desk setups, and I am happy with the outcome. I used some of the Velcro straps to tuck away cables and route towards the power strip.
To cover up the cables from the monitors, I used the sleeve from the kit to combine and hold them together. It gives a nice, finished look making one solid unit. The speakers were the next project that I took on. I had to make sure the wires would reach an outlet. I took clips to keep them snug up against the desk. I made sure to secure the rest of the cables without pulling them too tight.
It’s important with an electric standing desk that there are no loose cables hanging down because they can get caught when the desk is in motion. I also used a cable raceway to help with the multiple wires coming from his PC to guide them to the monitors and power strips. Ryan uses his headphones a lot, so I wanted to make sure he had easy access to charge those and his cell phone. I added some magnetic cable holders to help keep the chargers within reach.
A helpful product I added was the Right Angle snake which took care of the few wires coming down from the desk. This product works great with electric standing desks because it allows a smooth flow while the desk moves up and down. Lastly, I noticed his carpet under his desk was really worn down so I brought in a RUG-d Chair Mat for a cleaner look.
Bottom Line
Overall, I tested the desk to make sure it was functioning as it should. I was able to solve Ryan’s cable management issues and give him a tidy desk setup. Ryan was quite surprised when I revealed his new space to him. He said it was an incredible difference. Cable management solutions can be intimidating but the outcome can be remarkable.
