Setting up a clean, one-cable desk

A tidy desk is mostly about reducing the number of cables that reach your laptop. With the right monitor you can get it down to one.

Step 1: pick a USB-C monitor with power delivery

A monitor with 90W USB-C power delivery charges your laptop over the same cable that carries video and USB data. Plug in one cable in the morning and everything is connected.

Step 2: hang peripherals off the monitor

Keyboard, mouse and webcam plug into the monitor’s built-in hub. If it has a KVM switch, you can share them between two computers with one button.

Step 3: go wireless where it makes sense

A Bluetooth keyboard that remembers three devices and a wireless mouse remove the last two cables. Keep a USB-C cable in a drawer for the rare times you need to charge them.

Step 4: route what is left

A single cable tray under the desk and two Velcro ties finish the job. Total time: about 20 minutes.