Cable Management Techniques To Help Tidy Your Entertainment System
Useful Cable Management Techniques
Keeping cables tidy and untangled might seem like a difficult or even impossible task. If you feel this way about your entertainment system or workplace setup, you’re not alone, trust me. Although it might seem like a daunting challenge, the feeling of relief you’ll experience after organizing your cables is truly euphoric and worth the few hours of work. To make the task less daunting for you, we’ve collected some tried and tested techniques to help you tidy your entertainment system and to reach a level of zen you might never have experienced before.
Why is cable management important?
Sorting out your cable storage is important for so many reasons. On a purely aesthetic level, it feels great seeing your entertainment setup tidied and clutter-free. There’s just something calming about this level of organization which makes it easier to relax which is, after all, the whole point of having an entertainment system.
Another huge benefit of organizing cables is the amount of time it will save you in the future. Alright, this may not seem obvious at first considering it takes hours to sort the cables in the first place but hear me out. Think of this one occasion as an investment of your time which will drastically save you more time and hassle in the future. How many times have you had to switch HDMI cables only to find them tangled or completely inaccessible? Or you’ve tried to unplug one item only to unplug something else by mistake? The hassle and time spent fixing these situations could entirely be avoided by simply organizing your cables using the following techniques.
How to Hide Cables from your Entertainment System
Before we start looking at specific techniques and products which will help you tidy your cables, it’s worth mentioning that this process will likely take a few hours if you have a serious entertainment setup. Multiple consoles, monitors, speakers, or a projector will each increase the amount of time you’ll spend organizing cables, but we promise it’ll be worth it. If you have a simple TV setup then this is less of an issue as the process is far simpler.
First of all, you’ll want to disconnect everything you can from the power outlets or surge protector (if you have one). If you don’t have a surge protector yet, it’s an essential piece of tech that will drastically help protect your existing tech from potential power surges while neatly organizing them into one power outlet.
Next, you’ll need to decide how you’d like to organize your cables and where to store your surge protector or power strip. Whether your TV unit is solid, glass, or exposed, you can keep your power strip hidden by mounting it on a discreet location on the stand. Not only will this make your setup look super sleek, but it’ll also help a lot with cable management.
The next step will involve some means of arranging your cables neatly together. Zip ties, cable clips, or velcro cable ties offer a cheap and speedy solution, allowing you space to customize your setup as you please. For a more permanent solution, you might even consider drilling holes in your desk or TV stand where you need to insert cables for each device. Alternatively, you can purchase a unit with built-in features for cable management. These units can be found at many retailers and will make your decluttering job so much easier. After deciding on your method(s) of cable management, it’s simply a process of reconnecting cables to devices, continually ensuring they’re secured and tidied along the way.
When you’re finished, you might have a thick trail of cables poking out from beneath your desk or TV stand. While this isn’t the worst outcome (and is certainly an improvement to a mass of cluttered cables), there is one final step to take if you want to hide the cables for good. Cable sleeves or covers come in all different materials, shapes, and sizes and can be purchased ready-made or made from scratch if you have the right tools.
How can I hide my TV cords without cutting the wall?
For a long time, people have resorted to hiding cables behind a wall, particularly with wall-mounted televisions or projectors but this is no longer a necessity. While this solution might still be suited to those who want absolutely no sight of cables, for most people it’s a step too far. Instead, most people opt for cable/zip ties and a cable cover to keep their setup clutter-free.
Final Point
As we’ve discussed, cable management can help you relax and save you time after a little bit of organization. While it might seem like a lot of fuss and it could cause some serious frustration, I guarantee a sleek and clutter-free entertainment system will save you from the future hassle and help you reach new levels of relaxation.