Can this neat bit of neoprene solve my cable problems?
23/5/2026
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
Pictures: Kevin Hofer
Cable chaos is a real pain. For years, I’ve been using cable ties to keep my wires in order. Maclean’s Cable Organizer promises to simplify things. Instead of cable ties, a single tube should make everything disappear. But will it work?
I’ve moved. My new desk is all set up, but the cables are an eyesore. My problem? The back of my desk faces the open stairwell.
Cable ties help, but all those different wires still look messy. Then I discover Maclean’s Cable Organizer, a long Velcro strip that tucks your wires away inside a sleeve.
Theory
The Organizer is two metres long and eleven centimetres wide. One side’s either white or grey, the other is black – you get to decide which one faces out. It fastens with Velcro.
You can use scissors to trim it or cut holes for cables that don’t run the entire length of the tube. Sounds simple – until you actually try to do it.
Practise
I want to stow away all my cables that run from the monitor to my PC in the Organizer. However, the longest cable belongs to my webcam, running from the top of the display to my computer. The screenbar cable also starts there. My monitor itself is connected to a keyboard, mouse, graphics card, USB passthrough, power cable and DisplayPort cable. Their ports are so far apart that I have to bundle the cables first before I can even use the Organizer.
I could cut holes for the cables, but even then the Organizer won’t fit through the narrow opening in my monitor stand. So, I place it further along the cable snake. The wires aren’t as hidden as I’d hoped, but at least it all looks reasonably tidy.
First, I cut a hole for the monitor’s power cord so I can place the Organizer in the cable tray under the desk. I want the remaining cables to run through the Organizer inside the tray to the PC. But they’re still all different lengths. I’d have to fold them inside the Organizer to fit. Something that doesn’t work with the thick DisplayPort cable.
So, I cut open the Organizer near the spot where I added a hole for the power supply. I then connect the remaining cables to my PC and tuck any excess into the tray. Then I attach the Cable Organizer – all the way to the last connection, the power supply. But it still looks like a poorly stuffed sausage.
In the end, I decide to only attach the Organizer up to points where I can bundle the cables. A better result, but I can still see the cables.
In a nutshell
Partially helpful, but doesn’t solve everything
Things always look simpler in pictures. The same goes for Maclean’s Cable Organizer. In an ideal world, it’d solve all my cable problems. But back in reality, the result’s only middling, not a perfect solution.
Unfortunately, my cables don’t just magically disappear – guess I was hoping for too much. The Organizer doesn’t help with connectors, for example. Cables that are too long don’t really fit either, since you have to fold them in half inside the hose.
If your setup’s neater than mine, this product might work for you. I’m still looking for a better solution – or at least one I can combine with the Organizer.
Pro
- Keeps cables organised – in theory
- Can be cut to size – including the holes for cable outlets
- Available in black or white
Contra
- In practice it struggles to wrangle cables
Kevin Hofer
Senior Editor
kevin.hofer@digitecgalaxus.chFrom big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.
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