This gadget is better than any power strip

Can drive even the most relaxed user to despair: cable chaos. (Image sources: Superingo and RasberryStudio via Adobe Stock)K

Few things annoy me more on the desk than cluttered cables. Because as a job-related screen person who spends a lot of time in front of the screen, I strive for an honorable goal: to create order on the tabletop and direct the clutter of cables in an orderly manner.

A multiple plug, which supplies the power cables with juice in a row, should help. A necessary evil, as I thought until now.

Because the strip only ensures a moderate degree of order and does not win a flower pot in terms of design. See for yourself:

What annoys me about my ordinary power strip?

Not a total catastrophe, but as you can see, the power strip is not only “practical” but also “ugly”: The most annoying things about my familiar multiple plug are the following:

⛔ Optics that take some getting used to: The standard power strip exudes the discreet charm of a construction site. An indispensable utensil for everyday tech use, yes. But she’s ugly, to put it bluntly. If I want to drift off into an existentialist crisis of meaning, I look at the exposed plugs – and think to myself: Get out of my field of vision!

⛔ Has only Schuko plug: The so-called safety plug is the standardized plug-in device in many parts of Europe. The power strip I’ve been using up until now offers slots for Schuko plugs – and nothing more. That’s a shame, because I think at least USB ports should be part of the basic equipment of every power strip for tech friends.

⛔ Wireless phone charging: Wireless charging for handsets has long since arrived in the non-tech environment. For a long time I gave the technology a wide berth until I connected my first smart watch to the electricity via wireless charging. I was immediately enthusiastic about this convenient type of power supply for my equipment.

Precisely because of the third point, I looked around for an alternative to the classic power strip with integrated wireless charging – and even found one!

And with the following product that I would like to introduce to you as briefly as possible. But let’s let the pictures do the talking:

I simply locked away the tangle of cables in this box.

Socket strip and cable box in one product

Sure, you can find a 10-way multiple socket in the online or on-site shop for low, double-digit amounts. I want to explain to you why I still don’t regret having sunk the almost 45 euros in this “breadbox among cable management tools”.

To do this, I shimmy along the above-mentioned deficits of my previous power strip.

✅ Unobtrusive optics: Instead of getting an itch in my eyes as soon as I look at the power strip, the box is pleasantly unobtrusive. I’m even (almost) ready to attest to its chameleon-like properties: the white of the box and the gray of its lid are almost invisible in front of my white-painted room wall. It’s not now Game changer that changes my lifebut it is definitely more aesthetic than my previous connector strip.

✅ Different slots: You are offered five Schuko sockets, two USB-A charging ports and one USB-C charging port. And as befits a cable strip, the Beva multiple socket also has a power toggle switch. By the way, the cable length of the box is about two meters.

✅ Wireless phone charging: One bonus feature I’ve been wanting for a while is wireless charging. This works via the lid of the box. The power here is 15 watts, which corresponds to the power of my charger that is otherwise in use. So perfect for me.

And this is what my cable box looks like inside.

⛔ Disadvantages: The power strip I was previously using had six Schuko plugs. The cable box, on the other hand, only offers five. For my everyday use, however, the five spaces are just the right number – and are divided into: computer, monitor, Blu-ray player, table lamp and wireless charger for the smartwatch.

When the lid’s wireless charging isn’t being used by my smartphone, I can use it to charge the smartwatch. As a result, one of the five plugs would be free again.

Short conclusion: For me personally, this cable box is not a very cheap solution for putting away the tangle of cables in a clinically white box.

What alternatives to the usual power strip are there?

In the course of my research, looking for a worthwhile power strip alternative, I came across two other interesting alternatives. I didn’t buy either of them, so I couldn’t test them myself. Nevertheless, I don’t want to withhold them from you for a broader overview.

On the one hand the Simon Combiflat: a socket strip with cell phone holder and vice function. It has two unique selling points: “Wireless charging with a built-in holder for your mobile phone” and a “holder for attachment to the edge of a desk, for example”.

Nice: Thanks to the mobile phone holder, you can use your smartphone comfortably while it is being charged. And thanks to the attachment, you can attach the Combiflat wherever an edge allows it.

On the other hand Power strip by Obvhnua: Twelve Schuko sockets, four Type A USB and one Type C connections are located in the 14 centimeter high Tower construction to Kabel-Orga. Wireless charging for cell phones is also available here on top.

A nice trick are two independent on/off switches. You control all USB ports, wireless charging and the six AC sockets with one switch. The other switch controls the remaining six AC sockets.

Finally, a reading tip: If you want to know how comprehensive cable management for the home office works, we recommend this article.

Now it’s your turn! How do you organize your cable clutter? Do you use cable strip alternatives similar to those presented here, or are your loose cables already forming seaman’s knots? Did you find an alternative solution to the cable problem and want to share it with the community? Write us about it in the comments.