A Beginner’s Guide to Finding the Best Desk Organizer

If you’re anything like me, keeping your desk organized is a challenge. It’s inevitable that miscellaneous items end up on your desk throughout the day. Documents pile up, new office supplies arrive, but the old ones end up in a drawer or corner of a desk, and the cycle begins.

A Beginner’s Guide to Finding the Best Desk Organizer

Where you work affects how you work. Whether you’re working from your home office, or in a cubicle at your 9 to 5, there are interruptions and distractions that cause you to forget to put things away.

In your office, the desk is your control center. How well it’s organized can set the tone and productivity of your day. Even with the best desk organizer around, we recommend various organizational strategies to defend against distractions.

Why It's Important

Research shows that we spend nearly 40% of the year sitting at our desk. Determining how to organize your desk is crucial to living a productive and stress free life. Trust me, I understand how daunting the process seems, but once you’ve invested the time and resources the benefits are endless.

Your desk is an essential part of your work, which means figuring out how to keep your desk organized is essential to your professional success. If you still aren’t convinced, learn more about why it’s important to organize your workspace and the benefits of a tidy desk.

How To Find the Ultimate Desk Organizer

Before you invest any time or money into organizing your desk, ask yourself the following questions:

What kind of supplies do you need to get work done?
How much open space is on top of your desk?
How much weight can your desk support?
Where is the best place to store these items on your desk?
Should they be stored on your desk at all?
What is the current style of your desk or office?
What’s your budget?

Consider how visible you want your supplies to be. Cube storage is open so you can see and easily access supplies, while drawer storage lets you hide items that may not be required on a daily basis.

Check out our in-depth guide that provides category-specific purchasing advice to ensure you only purchase reliable office supplies and equipment.

Features and Benefits to Consider

We all have different lifestyles and limitations that are typically dictated by the kind of work we do. Similarly, your desk should support the various day-to-day tasks we do and the supplies needed to complete each task.

There is not one individual desk organizer that rules them all. To find the best desk organizer that fits your unique needs, consider the following key elements before you buy anything.

Design	Size	Weight	Compartments
Items being stored can help determine desk organizer design	Consider how much desktop space you have and need to work	Size and material affects the weight	This is a good place to start assessing what is currently on your desk
Books and files may require upright storage design	Organizers should not monopolize the precious workspace	Plastic is easier to move around	Small compartments are ideal for little items
Smaller items can fit in other storage spaces such as shelves, drawers, and compartments	Small organizers may not meet your storage needs	Metal and wood support heavier objects like books	Shelves store books and larger items better

An organized desk allows you to find what you need, when you need it, without adding unnecessary stress into the mix. Spend too much time searching for misplaced things or missing information? Here are some of the best desk organizers in the market that will help transform your desk by getting rid of the desk, along with the stress.

Types of Desk Organizers

Looking at your desk, do you think some items need to be out in the open or stocked away in a drawer? Unnecessary items on your desk can easily distract you and take up too much surface space.

Piles of sticky notes, personal items, documents you no longer need or read, all need to be regularly evaluated based on their relevance. Get rid of Put away anything that doesn’t have an immediate use. Office supplies are an essential part of most people’s workday. Find the best desk organizer that offers proper storage and has a designated space for each item.

1. On Desk Organizers

Keep all your supplies within reach with these organizers that are designed specifically for a desktop. These organizers are made of lightweight, affordable material which offers the most for your money and versatility in how you can use them on your desktop.

Most on-desk organizers come with multiple compartments that offer various storage options that you can use to maximize the small, desk space it takes up. Do you need somewhere to put your paperwork, files and notebooks? What about the smaller stuff, like paper clips and bulletin board pins?

This type of organizer is a tried-and-true way to declutter your desk which means there are many to choose from. Be sure to evaluate the supplies you use everyday to determine which organizer best fits your needs.

Mindspace Office Desk Organizer

Pros:

Sturdy
Space saver, small footprint
Comes fully assembled
4 rubber grips to protect desktop surface
Lifetime warranty available
Lightweight
6 compartments
Affordable

Cons:

Can’t hold standard size papers/file folders (8.5 x 11)
No phone holder

SimpleHouseware Mesh Desk Organizer

Keep all the supplies you need within reach with this classic, black steel mesh organizer that offers multiple storage options with a total of nine compartments. The top tray can be moved around which allows you to stack your items to save space or move it to a more convenient spot.

Pros:

Somewhat customizable (top tray is not attached)
Sturdy
Affordable
9 compartments
Lifetime warranty

Cons:

Difficult assembly
Plastic hardware not as durable

Modern Magnetic Bamboo Desk Organizer

Pros:

Versatile (magnetic base, rearrangeable compartments)
Universal Phone holder
Simple design
Easy “assembly” (remove trays from packing and snap-on)
Supports most office supplies
Minimalist style (small footprint and simple design)
Quality material
Easy to clean

Cons:

Only holds office supplies (no paper/folder space)
Individual compartments not sold separately
No phone charging feature

Sorbus 3-Tier Bamboo Shelf Organizer

Pros:

3 tiers, 4 compartments
Small footprint
Solid drawers hide items

Cons:

Can’t hold standard size papers/file folders (8.5 x 11)
No grips to prevent sliding
Drawer insert/thread issues

2. Desk Drawer Organizers

You likely have office supplies that you don’t use on a daily basis. If you don’t use an item everyday then it doesn’t need to be stored on the sacred surface of your desktop. Desk drawer organizers are ideal for infrequently used items like staples, extra post it notes, binder clips, or writing tools used on special occasions like signing documents.

It’s crucial to keep an open area on your desk for getting things done that require an adequate chunk of your working real estate. So embrace the white space by utilizing your drawers to organize the supplies you don’t need day-to-day.

Luxury Bamboo Drawer Organizer Storage Box / Bin Set

Pros:

Versatile
Durable
5 compartments
Easy to clean
Water-resistant coating
Eco-friendly

Cons:

Not 100% bamboo wood
No grips on bottom

Custom Drawer Organizer Tray

Pros:

Adjustable tray dividers
Easy to clean
No assembly required

Cons:

Limited to drawer

3. DIY Desk Organizers

If your creativity is calling or you're on a budget, try these DIY desk organizer ideas. Most of what you need can be found around the house with little to no financial investment. Keeping your desk organized doesn’t have to be expensive and can actually be fun.

Repurposed Cereal Box Organizer

Upcycled Tin Can Organizer

DIY Plywood Pegboard and Magnetic Board

4. Multifunctional Organizers - think beyond the desk

The surface area of your desk is precious so if something needs to be there, then as the saying goes, kill two birds with one stone. Declutter the visual environment of your desk by getting rid of hanging cords by hiding them under your desk while reducing stress caused by tangled wires/trying to figure out what plugs into where.

Take advantage of vertical space with hanging organizers to make sure everything stays in place and can be easily accessed. Use a monitor stand to support your computer screens, printers and laptops while storing things in the space underneath, that would normally go to waste.

Large Dual Monitor Stand

Small Computer Desk with Cable Management

EasyPAG Mesh Wall Hanging File Organizer

U Brands Hanging File Desk Organizer

Best Desktop Organizer Overall

An organized workspace doesn’t magically create more time in the day, but it helps you get more done because you know where everything is, aren’t overwhelmed by visual distractions, and can focus on the task at hand. Plus, when your desk is organized it gives you a positive mindset that can enhance your enthusiasm throughout the workday.

The Modern Magnetic Bamboo Desk Organizer ranks as the best overall desk organizer for me. It comes with different compartments that make sense for the items that need to be on your desk. I am constantly rearranging my desk layout based on what I need to get things done.

This versatile organizer comes with a universal phone holder, and yes that includes your pop socket and/or card holder that’s attached to your phone case. The magnetic compartments can be easily switched around to ensure close access to supplies of the highest priority. This organizer provides storage for most office items worth storing on your desk.

This minimalist design has a small footprint and blends well with most modern office styles. It may not be the cheapest desk organizer, but it’s a worthy investment made of high quality bamboo wood material with a lifetime warranty.

This organizer checks all of my boxes meaning it suits every office one of my personal office needs. Carefully consider what your needs are, what supplies are needed to complete each task, both in relation to the physical space available.