It can be so easy to let your desk get cluttered in the chaos of daily life, but the best desk organizers can bring order to your workspace. Staying organized can offer a range of health benefits, including boosting your energy and reducing stress — plus, it’s just plain convenient.
When you’re shopping for a desk organizer, the most important question to ask yourself is: What specifically needs to be organized?
- If you need to wrangle lots of different office supplies, consider getting an organizer set or a single organizer with multiple compartments for handily sorting large and small items.
- You can also find organizers designed for more specific uses, such as a file organizer, which can help you organize extra paper, large notebooks, and (you guessed it!) files.
- A pen and pencil holder is best for keeping your writing utensils collected in one place on top of your desk.
- If you want to organize the interior of your desk, a drawer organizer made up of multiple smaller compartments can keep your desk drawers from looking like junk drawers.
An organizational system works best when you can quickly find the things you need, particularly when you’re working with small, easy-to-lose items like pens or paper clips. For this reason, desk organizers that are made of clear plastic or wire mesh are particularly helpful, since they allow you to see what’s inside from all angles.
As with any home product, you should measure the dimensions of your space — seriously, don’t be afraid to bust out the measuring tape! For desktop items, take note of the length and width of your desktop, as well as the height of anything that might get in the way of your organizer, like a wall-mounted shelf. If you’re purchasing an organizer for a desk drawer, pay particular attention to the height of the drawer to make sure the organizer won’t interfere with your ability to slide it shut.
From an all-in-one organizer to an organizer set, here are six of the best desk organizers to transform your workspace into a clutter-free zone.
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The SimpleHouseware desk organizer is an all-in-one organizational tool. It has two side-load letter trays and a drawer that slides out to reveal three compartments for hiding away pens, sticky notes, and other small supplies that can easily clutter a desktop. One special feature of this organizer that isn't commonly found among desktop organizers is its vertical section for hanging file folders — it's perfect for keeping your important files and notes visible and at arm's length.
This organizer is made of a sturdy mesh and measures 13 by 11.5 inches in size, with a height of 10.3 inches. It's large, but not so large you won’t have any room on your desk for anything else. Some assembly is required, but putting it together should be simple and quick — according to reviewers, directions are easy to follow and assembling the whole thing takes about five to 15 minutes. Just make sure you have a Phillips screwdriver handy!
The organizer is available in either black or silver.
Positive Amazon review: “This is just the organizer I was looking for! The hanging folder section gives me enough room to store and organize works in progress, keeping them handy but out of the way and neat. The drawers hold my stapler, paperclips, and writing utensils with room to spare. The shelves are handy for post-it notes and a notepad that I need more frequently. [...] It is deceivingly sturdy.”
Mindspace's office desk organizer is a more compact approach to an all-in-one desk organizer. It measures 8.7 inches by 5.5 inches, and is 5 inches tall. It contains six distinct compartments, including a little shelf for sticky notes, a little drawer for odds and ends, and a compartment in the back to store small notebooks, notepads, or planners. The organizer comes in silver or black mesh metal with a solid metal base. It features smooth rounded edges and trim, as well as soft rubber grips keep it in place and protect your desk
Reviewers have noted that this organizer doesn't fit standard-size notebooks or folders — for that, turn to the SimpleHouseware desk organizer or Mindspace inclined file desk organizer.
It arrives full assembled and comes with a lifetime warranty.
Positive Amazon review: “Sturdy and well built, and perfectly sized for a smaller desk, with plenty of little compartments to keep things neat and tidy. The little drawer is great as well, and slides open/closed with no issues at all. I would most definitely recommend this to anyone.”
You can move around STORi's clear plastic vanity and desk drawer organizers to fit a variety of drawer sizes. You'll get two organizers of each of these three sizes, all two inches tall: 3-inch by 3-inch, 6-inch by 3-inch, and 9-inch by 3-inch. These organizer compartments should easily fit in shallow drawers, but remember to measure your desk drawer before purchasing just to be sure. The organizers have recessed bottoms so that you can stack them up if you'd like.
The clear plastic is easy to wipe clean with soap and water. If you're looking for something a little more colorful to brighten up your drawer, check out Three By Three's Seattle drawer organizers. You can also find more options of various shapes and sizes in this list of the best drawer organizers and dividers.
Positive Amazon review: “They're durable, versatile and easy to clean. My desk drawer is organized, they're not too tall for a slim drawer. Brings joy.”
The HBLife's acrylic pencil and pen holder has a modern acrylic design that's both functional and sleek. The clear sides allow you to see more pencils and pens at once. The inside features a gold reflective bottom, which makes it look a little more luxurious than any plain old pen cup. Underneath the pencil holder, you'll find that the bottom is covered in cork to prevent it from scratching your desk.
The HBLife's pen and pencil holder comes with a one-year warranty.
Positive Amazon review: “These are beautiful and well made pencil holders. They hold a generous amount, and are sturdy with a cork base that helps the holder not to slide around. Would definitely buy again.”
When you're choosing a file organizer, opt for one that has open sides, which allows it to hold files, papers, and notebooks of all sizes. Mindspace's inclined file desk organizer does just that and separates documents into five slots. It's made of sturdy wire mesh that supports and keeps files upright and has a solid metal base. The step design angles up towards the back so that none of your papers get buried behind others. It measures 11.25 by 7.5 inches, and 11.25 inches tall (if that's too big for your desk, take a look at this smaller file organizer) and comes with a lifetime warranty.
In addition to black, it's available in silver.
Positive Amazon review: “I love it! I like that the base is not solid, so it can straddle the unsightly phone cords on my desk (which is why I chose this particular item) plus I love that the dividers are tall enough to keep file folders standing upright, not flopping over because there’s not enough support. And, it looks great on my desk.”
An organizer set combines multiple types of organizers into a single package, making it a one-stop-shop for anyone in need of the desk-organizing basics. The Blu Monaco desk organizer set, which I think is particularly great for a home office, comes with five matching organizers: magazine holder, paper tray, card and mail organizer, pen cup, and sticky note holder.
It comes in a whopping nine colors, from vibrant blue to glossy gold.
Positive Amazon review: “I fell in love with this set the moment it came out of the box. It is sturdy, well-made and definitely worth the price. [...] This desk set helps me keep my papers, mail, note pad, writing journals, and pens beautifully organized. Worth every cent.”
