For some, staying organized is easier said than done. But when it comes to staying productive at your desk or office, being organized and knowing where your tools are is vital. The Orbitkey Nest portable desk organizer is a solution to that problem for me, but it's a pricey organizational tool with a few shortcomings.

While desk organizers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, the Orbitkey Nest is somewhat a novelty. This isn't your average metal shelf system or soft carry case. Instead, it's a premium customizable organizer perfect for your everyday carry items. It's made with soft fabric, has a zinc alloy hinge, and the top is wrapped in genuine leather. It has a hard-shell design to keep things safe, it's super portable, and its built-in wireless charger places it above other options.

The Nest is a great EDC and desk organizer, but the overall size could be a little bigger. Unfortunately, size constraints mean it doesn't fit a few essential items, the top storage isn't as usable as I expected, and I'd love faster wireless charging in today's times.

High-Quality Design

The Orbitkey Nest organizer isn't your average carry case. Every aspect of the design has a specific purpose, like the metal hinge mechanism, the six movable divider clips, and the way the top is easily removable for ease of use. You can tell Orbitkey put thought into each design element---the build quality is top-notch, and it feels like a premium product. The soft fabric finish is easy to hold, and the genuine leather charging pad and lid won't scratch your phone or AirPods while they're charging.

Its hard-case design instantly makes it better than most other organizers when it comes to durability for fragile items, but it still comes with several pros and cons. While you don't have to worry about things getting smashed or beat up, it only holds a certain amount of cables and gadgets before you run out of room.

For example, only one of my wall charger plugs was small enough to fit, and the dual-charger I use daily was too tall for the Nest, and the lid wouldn't close. Its dimensions are 9.5 x 4.7 x 1.6-inches, and you only have a height of 1.1-inches inside, so it can only store so much. Then, if you put a few things in the pouches under the lid, space becomes even more limited. If this wasn't a hard case, you could cram more inside, but then it wouldn't be as durable or have charging capabilities.

As for the top, Orbitkey added a neat hinge that allows you to open the lid for easy access to cables and gadgets; alternatively, you can lift up on the hinge and remove it altogether. The company calls this the "valet tray," and it's a great idea to let owners pop it off and take advantage of the built-in wireless charging. I set the lid on one side of my laptop and the rest of the Nest on the other side, giving me quick access to everything I need.

The interior is the best part. It's foam-padded with a soft fabric finish, and it comes with a bunch of plastic dividers and a few cables ties you can use to organize everything as you see fit. Things like keys, cables, USB dongle adapters, AirPods, a stylus, or even a portable SSD. Once you decide what you want to carry, use the dividers to fix your gadgets in place.

What It's Like Using the Nest

I've been using the Orbitkey Nest for the better part of two weeks, and it certainly helped with organization and forgetfulness. I'm no longer wandering around to find everything I need before I run out of the house. Instead, I grab the Nest and go.

Thanks to velcro strips on the bottoms, the dividers work great and can be placed anywhere. And while you have to wiggle them a little to grip into place, I didn't have any problems with them coming off once in place. Even my heavy 10,000 mAh portable charger stayed where I wanted it. However, over time I could see the fabric wearing down and not holding the dividers in place as well. I found it's easier to put everything inside first and attach the dividers between the gaps.

The dividers are great to have and can even remind you if something is missing before heading home from the office or on a trip. For example, I can open it up and see an empty spot where my AirPods go and know I'm missing something.

Unfortunately, I do have two complaints about the lid. For starters, the top portion of the Nest is almost entirely unusable---the fabric and design are way too tight. While I managed to put a gift card and passport up top, I had to muscle the passport into the slot, to the point I thought it was going to rip.

Then, there are other little cutouts for a key or USB drive, but again, these are too tight and not deep enough to hold anything safely. My USB drive was entirely too big, and my house key kept falling out. Even putting an ID and debit card in their two respective slots is almost impossible.

Hopefully, the second generation Nest has a stretchy fabric like the top left pouch, where I ended up putting a smaller USB stick and a pocket knife. Also, when the Nest is opened, the lid snaps off the hinge far too easily. While reaching for items inside the Nest or battling the top pouch, it'd often snap off on its own, making a loud noise from the elastic strap holding it in place. It has fallen off daily, a minor nitpick, but it is frustrating nonetheless. The hinge is very secure when the Nest is closed, though, and the additional elastic strap over the top ensures it'll never open on accident.

Wireless Charging Built-in

While the design and portability factors are excellent, the built-in wireless charging pad on top is what sets the Nest apart from its competition. Inside the lid is a 10W wireless charging coil, and you can toss your phone, AirPods, or smartwatch on the top left side and recharge their battery. As we said earlier, the build quality is as good as it gets. Orbitkey could have gone with a cheap plastic top, but instead, you'll get to enjoy a premium genuine leather finish.

The company added a USB-C port to the back, and the Nest comes with the cable included, giving you everything you need to recharge your daily gadgets. In addition, I appreciate that the cable is angled, allowing the top to open without unplugging the charging cable first.

The USB-C port is recessed slightly, so some cables may not fit. But once you plug it in, any Qi-compatible device works.

It's great that wireless charging is included, but I wish it had a faster 15W coil inside. Sure, 10W is plenty for earbuds or a watch, but it'll take a while before your smartphone tops off. That said, the fact that it offers wireless charging at all is super convenient.

Is It Worth It?

Okay, is the Orbitkey Nest worth it? It's certainly not cheap, costing $110, so you'll have to decide that for yourself. For most people, though, it might be a little too expensive. On the other hand, if you want a hard-shell desk organizer that's portable and offers wireless charging, by all means, grab one. You'll almost love everything it has to offer, just like I do.

Yes, I said almost, because I almost love it. Though it manages to fit most of my everyday carry accessories and essentials, I certainly want something a little bigger or more space (and you probably will, too). Not being able to carry even some of the most compact charging bricks is a major letdown. It'd be perfect if the Nest had a slightly deeper design and top pockets that were actually useful.

At the end of the day, if the dongles and cables you carry daily are similar to (or smaller than) mine, you'll enjoy everything the Nest has to offer. It looks great, keeps me organized, and is great for throwing in a bag before heading to the airport. It'll remain a part of my daily workflow, but I'll be hoping for a Nest 2 at some point.