Clean Up Your Workspace with These Desk Organizers

Organization is vital to productivity. It wastes time if you have to dig through a drawer whenever you need a pen. An organizer can make your desk a much more efficient workspace.

Update, 3/10/22: Verified content and links still good.

What Do You Need?

There are a lot of desk organizers available today, and people’s needs and preferences range wildly. This can make it hard to determine which one is best for you. Here are some general guidelines that can help you decide what you need:

• Size: You don’t want an organizer that eats up a large portion of your desk, but you do want one with enough space for everything you need to store in it. Finding the right balance between size and storage is crucial.
• Compartments: The number and size of storage compartments vary. Depending on what you plan to store in an organizer, the size of certain compartments can become burdensome or useless. So, think about everything you want to store in your organizer, and then choose one that can handle it all.
• Convenience: The point of an organizer is to make it easier to find what you’re looking for. Overly-complicated organizers make this difficult. Choose one that allows you to simply reach over and grab what you need.

Let’s take a look at some of the best, most efficient desk organizers out there.

Best Overall: SimpleHouseware Mesh Desk Organizer

The SimpleHouseware Mesh Desk Organizer is designed to be versatile. It features a pull-out drawer with three individual compartments, an open shelf in the middle for larger items, and a mail/folder rack on top.

It provides quick and easy access to important supplies and documents. It’s also compact enough (13 x 9 inches) not to eat up your workspace.

Best for Small Objects: AmazonBasics Mesh Organizer

Not everyone needs an elaborate, multilevel organizer. Many people just need a place to throw pens and paper clips. Amazon’s organizer fulfills that need with a focused and compact design (4.53 x 9.24 x 3.94 inches).

It has two larger compartments on either side for pens, pencils, or highlighters. The three cubbies on top are perfect for smaller objects, like thumbtacks and paper clips. And the small, pull-out compartment on the bottom is the perfect size for Post-its.

This desk organizer is perfect if you just need a handy place to keep all the little stuff.

Best Organizer/Riser Combo: SimpleHouseware Metal Desk Monitor Riser 

If you want to maximize storage space on your desk without sacrificing valuable desktop real estate, a monitor riser with built-in storage makes sense. This one from SimpleHouseware keeps things simple. It has two compartments on either side of the riser for things like pens, highlighters, or even your smartphone. The open compartment under the riser is perfect for larger items, like notepads or staplers.

If you need more storage on your desk, but you want it to take up the least amount of space, this is a great solution.

Best Drawer Organizer: CAXXA 3-Slot Drawer Organizer

If you need to get the contents of your desk drawer under control, CAXXA’s got you covered. This drawer organizer has an extremely simple, three-slot design. It measures 12 x 9 inches and fits most medium-sized drawers (although, do measure your drawer to make sure it will fit).

You can adjust the center section and split it into multiple compartments for items of various sizes, which adds versatility. The CAXXA organizer keeps your drawer clean and makes finding things easy.

Best with a Charger: EasyAcc Wireless Charger with Desk Organizer

While EasyAcc’s organizer might not have the most compartments or storage space, it makes up for that with utility. This organizer features a built-in Qi wireless charger with a 10-watt charging speed which should have no problem keeping up with your phone use.

The organizer features a vertical compartment on the left and two rectangular compartments in the center for standard office supplies. While this organizer clearly sacrifices storage space for the charger, this feature could be invaluable if your phone dies in the middle of your workday.