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The best cable management solutions for your Mac & home studio/office

Keeping all your cables managed, both those in and around your desk and those you need stored away for infrequent use or traveling, can be quite a task. Head below for our roundup of the best cable management solutions for your home studio (or office) setup.

While there are some cables you will be using all the time, others are better off stowed away or properly tied up neatly to keep your workspace free of clutter and to minimize downtime.

Some products like velcro or elastic ties will do double duty, letting you organize cables around your desk and other gear, and also those stored away:

Small Cables – Velcro Straps, Sleeves & Ties

In most cases, a package or two of velcro straps or elastic ties can be a great way to keep guitar/mic leads, USB/MIDI cables and well almost anything nice and tidy. I personally prefer to use these kinds of products in situations where I’m not constantly needing access to the cable, but rather using them to keep permanent connections nice and organized. Think in and around your desk and the cables running from your audio interface (as pictured above). Having said that, an elastic wrap or two for your backpack or when traveling is also a must-have for me.

  • 10-Pack Planet Waves Elastic Cable Ties $9
  • 100-Pack VELCRO Brand Thin Ties (8 x 1/2-inch) $10 | Best Seller
  • 5-Pack VELCRO Brand Self Gripping Cable Ties (multi-color) $3
  • 50-Pack Attmu Microfiber Cable Ties $8
  • Neoprene Zippered Cable Management Sleeve $15 | Best Seller

Large/Extra Cables – Shelving & More

If you’re anything like me, it’s not just about keeping the all of the cables you are actually using on a daily basis organized, but also that heap of 1.4-inch and XLR leads laying around that may or may not need to be used at a moment’s notice. Some larger more robust velcro straps can be very handy in this case, but I also like to use a proper cable shaving rack.

  • Middle Atlantic CLAW14 Cable Rack $19
  • Belkin 19-Inch Rackmount Cable Management $14
  • VELCRO Brand Double-Sided 30-Feet Strap $15
  • Raxxess CBLD Cable Rack $16.50

Storage/Travel Options

I think we all know how frustrating it can be to just throw your USB or audio cables in a backpack and then have to untangle them on the other end. When it comes to traveling or just for storing extra cables in the closet, a roll-up bag or even an organizer case is one of the best bets. I hang them on my wall when not on the move (as pictured above, right) so I can see all my smaller cables at a glance and get to what I need just like with my rack for larger cables (pictured above, left). Then I can easily wrap up the whole thing and throw it in a bag when traveling.

  • ProCase Travel Gear Organizer Roll-Up Bag $13
  • This is Ground Cordito Leather Rollups from $55
  • BUBM Portable Universal Cable Roll-Up Bag $6
  • BUBM Portable Universal Cable Roll-Up Bag (large) $13
  • BAGSMART Travel Universal Cable Organizer $18
  • This Is Ground Genuine Leather Cord Taco $16

Desktop Solutions

Now some of these look a little bit less business-friendly and more geared towards home studios, but there are some options out there that will look nice on your desktop or even help to hide away cables along the side of it. And if you’d prefer quicker access to cables in and around your desk, like charging cables and those you need to disconnect frequently, desktop cable clip holders  can be an alternative to velcro and elastic ties.

  • Natural Wood Desktop Cable Organizer $8
  • Akwox Wooden Cable Organizer Shelf $10
  • Idealstanley Cable Clip Holder Weighted Desktop Cord Management Fixture $7
  • Cable Management Sleeve, JOTO Cord Management System $15
  • 100-Pack Black Adhesive Cable Clips $6.50

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Avatar for Justin Kahn Justin Kahn

Justin is a senior editor covering all things music for 9to5Mac, including our weekly Logic Pros series exploring music production on Mac and iOS devices. Justin is an audio engineer/producer with over 10 years experience in the music industry.