Cable management is an important part of your office planning. Finding an appropriate under desk cable management solution that works for you makes cables safer for guests and staff and can prolong the life of your cables.

Cable management solutions can vary dramatically depending on your office layout, your usage and also your personal preference. At the most simple and cost-effective end of the spectrum are cable ties.

Quite simply, cable ties work by gripping cables together into a single group of wires which reduces the risk of trips and falls and makes the cables stronger. Cables bunched together in this way can help to provide a degree of protection for those innermost cables, although those on the outside of the grouping are likely to remain vulnerable to damage. These clumps or groups of cables can then be clipped into place beneath desks and down the sides of furniture with a cable clip. Cable clips are inexpensive and simple to fit, providing a great low-cost option to standard cable management solutions.

If you need to run cables along the floor across a walkway, cable ties and cable grips won’t be enough on their own. You’ll need some heavy-duty protection to ensure that the cables are safe both for your employees and from your employees and the potential damage that could be caused by shoes, furniture or cases running over them.

Floor trunking is a heavy-duty shaped rubber mat designed to run across walkways to reduce the risk of trips or damage. It’s lain on the floor and the cables are run through the inside of the trunking.

An Under-desk wire basket cable tray is a really good way to run cables from one end of the desk to the other, without fixing them permanently. The basket holds the cables up and out of the way of shoes and legs, to protect the cables from getting caught in limbs, castors or luggage.

Cable trays come in a variety of different lengths and some even have clips to ensure the cables remain in place. These cable trays are fitted to the underside of the desk with brackets that are easy to install with a screwdriver.

A simple, uncomplicated zip sleeve can provide a safe way to protect wires running vertically for relatively little outlay, but this won’t keep your cables separate. Some types of cables perform better if kept separate, so for these types of cables, it’s best to choose either multiple zip sleeves to accommodate the different cable types, or alternatively to use a cable snake that offers the opportunity to separate the two types of cable into different channels within the cable snake.

Cable snakes are a smarter and more functional way of protecting cables as they travel vertically. Cable snakes can be modular so they can be extended or shortened as needed and can even grow as the required length changes such as with a sit/stand desk.

Metal desk grommets can help bring cables neatly through the desk to where they are needed. An alternative to a metal desk grommet is a brush-lined furniture slot which would ensure that there are no rough edges in the desk cutout where the wires come through.

If you need any help or advice on planning your office cable management and under desk cable management solutions, our team are right here to help you plan your office cable management solution. You can reach us on 0844 7766800 or chat with our friendly advisors online.