Tired of tripping over cables? I've been fighting wires for years, these are the gadgets that actually get them under control

Don't talk to me about the cable management trenches, I've been fighting that battle for years.

After about six setup revisions, two house moves, and a laundry list of accessory additions, I think I have it sussed. A bit of high-strength tape here, a few cable ties there and I've just cleared those cables for the last time. It took a lot of trial and error to get here, though, so I'm rounding up everything I use to keep the wires at bay - so you can skip the Amazon tat and get straight to the stuff that will actually make a difference.

Best cable management accessories

There's a mix of cheap and premium in here, but the more expensive kit like the Razer USB 4 dock is more of a nice-to-have. It will certainly go a long way to keeping a laptop setup cable-free, and can easily stick to the underside of a desk to keep the top clear, but for a PC setup or one without a bunch of extra kit it's not a must-have. Plus, there are cheaper docks from brands like Ugreen that will get you a similar result for less.

The easiest wins are going to come from that organizer tray, Gorilla tape, and reusable cable ties.

Unlike many product pictures would suggest, I wouldn't recommend this tray for your power strips. That's where the adhesive tape comes in. I've had my surge-protected power strip mounted to the underside of my desk for about a year now, and it does wonders for the overall look. Cable boxes are alright, but the ones I've tried tend to overflow pretty quickly, looking just as messy as the cords they're meant to hide.

There's also a finite space for larger plug adapters and battery packs in there. Note: If you aren't mounting your power strip, it's worth looking into cable trunking. I've had good results running these covers across skirting boards to keep longer wires contained when my setup hasn't been right next to an outlet.

I've also got a standing desk, so keeping all my plug points on the top itself is all the more important.

Instead, I recommend using a cable tray for streamlining wire placement and keeping battery packs supported. I've got four adapters in my setup right now; my monitor, laptop, Razer Laptop Cooling Pad, and the aforementioned USB 4 dock. Lined up in a row, nothing has to sit on the floor and everything still stays untangled for easy removal.

Cable management masters use the shortest cables possible to avoid hanging wires. That's not always possible, though, which is where reusable cable ties come in.

These are shipped in bulk, but you really will need more than you think. Use them to bundle up cables running in the same direction, to form one, simpler, mega-cable, or to coil overly-long wires that will otherwise drop under the desk. Just be sure not to wrap them too tightly if you're bending those cables.

Those three are going to get 90% of the job done pretty quickly, you've got your power adapter away from the floor and closer to your cable tray for easy storage, and ties are bunching up cables to avoid dropping or tangling.

To really push things a little further, and especially with a desk-mounted hub in play, I use a whole bunch of cable clips. Again, these come in bulk but don't underestimate how useful they are. I use them to train wires to their destination, keeping everything pinned to the underside of the desk rather than leaving them to hang before they eventually plug in.

These shouldn't be confused with larger cable clips (the magnetic ones listed above). While smaller, single-cord clips are best used for directing traffic, I use these cord holders above deck. They hold things like phone chargers and a spare USB-C cable - cords I want access to throughout the day, but don't need to be plugged into anything specific. Clipping them to the side of the desk means I can keep their cords tidy underneath, but still keep them close to hand.

Finally, and this is purely aesthetic. I've had mixed results with cord protectors in the past. The fabric / zip format I'm currently using isn't the best, slipping down the wires and proving difficult for removing one cord at a time. Instead, I'd recommend a curled design like the one listed above. It's going to hide your cables, keep everything bunched up nice and tight, and look a little more streamlined overall.

For a full setup renovation, check out the best gaming desks and best gaming chairs, or take a look at the best gaming monitors for more.