5 Ways to Reduce Cord Clutter
Posted on February 28, 2008 by LJ Earnest
Categories: Simplification,Techniques
Photo by j / f / photos
Cords are the bane of a computerized existence. At some point we must plug in, and usually there are multitudes of cords.
I realized how bad things were during a recent move at work. Every time I have moved, my cords and cables seemed to have gotten longer, and I realized during this last move that I had over 150 feet of network cables under my desk. I swapped those out for much smaller cords, but the rest held on. I had to do something. Here are five ways to get cords under control:
Cord Ties
Cord ties can be anything from the fancy velcro strips that bind cords together or wire ties (the plastic strips used to bind wires together). These can group cords in bundles as well as take up excess slack.
Retractable Cords
Some devices come with retracting cords. I love these things. My mouse, PDA charger/sync and MP3 charger/sync are all retractable. This allows me to have as much cord as I need out, but no more. All these devices also power through USB, which leads me onto the next…
Multi-use Cords ex Scanner
Many devices these days are powered through USB. It is common for small peripherals to be this way, but has been possible for many years to get larger devices, like scanners, powered through USB as well. This means one cord to connect to the computer, and no separate power cord.
Cord Tubes
Once you have minimized your cords, you still may want to hide them. I have used the IKEA cord management tubes for years. They have one side slit, and you shove all your bundled cords in there, and poof! they are hidden.
Cord Clips
Cord clips are particularly great for bundling cords and clipping them hidden under or behind a workspace. The Command version aren’t even permanent. I first used these during the recent move, and really loved the way they cleared the space out under my cube.
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Comments (2)
Interestingly, Lifehacker just ran an article with more cord solutions. These are additional ones that are well worth a look.
[...] I have done this before and I really like it, but I find I end up with very bad ergonomics and my wrists start to hurt. Also I’m kind of addicted to my 30 inch monitor. If the ergonomics don’t bother you this can be an ideal way to keep things tidy–especially if you can keep your equipment in a closet or other piece of furniture. The best way to answer this is to look at my article 5 Ways to Reduce Cord Clutter. [...]