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No one likes a mess or clutter, but it can be hard to avoid, especially when it comes to cables and wires. Some desks do come with solutions built in – Corsair’s insane standing desk is a good example – but not every desk has that. Even so, you may still need additional tools to hide excess cables or all of those USB wires sticking out of your computer. Cue this ingenious Under Desk Cable Management Tray on Amazon that will only set you back $14.
This under desk tray easily clamps to the side of the desk, hanging underneath, using fixtures similar to built-in C clamps. Rubber pads protect the underside of the desk, so when you tighten the clamps, they won’t ruin the wood or materials. Moreover, there’s no drilling or extra tools required to install the tray. This would essentially allow you to hide the bulk of the cables and wires at your desk, especially power cables, up closer to the surface and just out of view.
There’s enough room for a surge protector or USB hub to fit neatly inside and cutouts on both sides of the tray to thread the wires or cables through. You could tuck away this $17 USB hub from Anker in there, or something like it. The product description makes a note that it works best with desks that are 0.4-inches to 2-inches thick. But as long as you have an open space on the sides or back for the clamps to tighten onto, it should work out great.
Pros and cons of an under-desk cable management tray
You’ll likely notice right off the bat, because of the keen-eyed and intelligent individual you are, that this isn’t the only under-desk tray available on Amazon. There are many different options, but the reason this one is so compelling — besides the price — is the fact that you don’t need any extra tools to attach it to your desk. Moreover, it’s removable, so you can detach it at any time if you need to relocate your desk or upgrade to a new one. You could even bring it to work to use with desk that’s not yours. And you can do all of that without damaging the desk in question.
On the other hand, this tray does still features a mesh design, which means cables will be visible at certain angles. You’ll want to organize anything you place in the tray to cut down on visible clutter. There’s also a weight limit, as the featured tray can hold up to 15 pounds. You won’t be able to store most uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) in there, for instance, because the batteries tend to make them heavy.
Finally, if your desk is too thick for the clamps, or there are no open spaces, such as with executive desks that have top shelving and attachments, you may not even be able to make use of under-desk trays in general, let alone this one. But if these drawbacks don’t concern you, an under-desk tray is an excellent option for tucking away unsightly wires that seem to multiply like the nefarious heads of the hydra. Doubly so when you start collecting all those cool USB-C mini gadgets to spruce up your office.
