Phones, watches, earbuds and tablets all need charging, and without a plan the cables end up everywhere: one on the kitchen counter, one by the bed, two tangled behind the desk. A charging station gives every device one home, so you always know where your phone is and the cords stop spreading. Here's how to set one up on a desk, nightstand or entryway shelf.
1. Pick one spot and stick to it
The best charging station is the one you walk past every day. For many people that's the desk, the nightstand or a shelf by the front door. Choose a spot near an outlet, with a hard, flat surface and some air around it, and make it the only place devices get charged.
2. Count what you actually charge
Before buying anything, list the devices you charge daily and the cable each one uses. Most households find a few cables cover everything. Keep only the chargers you use and put the rest away, which already makes the station look calmer.
3. Give your phone and watch a shared dock
A phone lying flat next to a loose watch charger is the classic messy nightstand. A bamboo phone and watch stand holds your phone upright in a slot, with a round cutout for your own magnetic watch charging puck beside it, so the watch rests on top while it charges. Cable channels underneath let you route your own cables through the base. Chargers and cables aren't included, and very thick or rugged phone cases may not fit the slot.
4. Stand a tablet or second phone up
Tablets take up a lot of surface when they lie flat. A desktop phone and tablet stand holds a device upright on its silicone pads, so it charges standing up and stays easy to read for messages or a recipe.
5. Keep your phone in view while you work
At a desk, a phone that charges flat on the surface still gets picked up every time it lights up. A magnetic monitor side phone holder sticks to the back edge of a monitor or laptop lid and holds your phone beside the screen on a folding arm, so you can see notifications without reaching for it. On a crowded desk, a clip-on desk cup holder also works as a phone spot off the desktop: an opening in the bottom lets a charging cable pass through, so the phone can stand in it while it charges. It clamps onto a straight desk or table edge.
6. Box up the spare chargers and cables
Travel chargers, spare cables and earbud cases are what make a charging spot look cluttered. A cable organizer box keeps them separated in compartments with a lid, and a hidden under-desk drawer keeps small items like earbuds and adapters within reach without using any desk space.
7. Give headphones their own hook
Over-ear headphones are the bulkiest thing on most charging stations. A metal headphone stand holds them upright on a weighted base, and the charging cable can hang down beside it, ready to plug in.
8. Charge safely
A tidy station is also a safer one. Use the charger that came with each device or one made for it, and replace any cable that's frayed or gets hot. Keep chargers and devices on a hard surface with air around them, not under pillows, blankets or papers, and don't plug power strips into each other. Unplug chargers you no longer use.
Make it a habit
A charging station only works if everything goes back to it. Put devices on it when you come home or at the end of the workday, and in a week it'll feel automatic.
Free printable: download the Home Office Desk Checklist (PDF) for a quick desk setup and daily reset list.
For more desk ideas, read How to Organize Desk Cables and Clutter and Small Desk Organization Ideas, or see How to Prop Up Your Phone Hands-Free. Browse all our desk organizers.