Best Under Desk Cable Trays of 2026

The Univivi is the tray we reach for when the under-desk mess is genuinely large. Its fabric basket runs 36 inches long and 5.5 inches deep, enough for a long surge protector and several power bricks, and it can be clamped or screwed to the desk. In our setup, the extra length let us keep the strip at one end and the bricks at the other, which made the whole bundle easier to trace.

The 600D Oxford fabric has a flame-retardant treatment and a bottom support panel, so the tray does not sag like a simple hammock. We like that it unfolds: you can open the basket, drop in a new adapter, and close it again without unthreading every cable. Built-in ties hold the contents in place once it is shut, and the fabric is softer on cables than a metal edge.

That size is the reason to choose it, not a universal upgrade. On a small desk, the 36-inch span is more tray than you need, and the fabric body is softer and bulkier than a metal basket. The clamp-or-screw mounting is the more useful part: clamp it for a quick install, or screw it in when the desk edge is awkward.

We came back to the unfold design most often, because cable management is usually a job you revisit. Opening the basket to add one adapter saves you from unthreading a bundle that already works.

Screw-in trays are not the crowd-pleaser, but the PAMO pair solves the desk a clamp cannot grip. You get two 17.3-inch steel baskets, and the flat-head screws go into the underside of the desk rather than gripping the edge. That makes the pair useful for a desk with a deep lip or a frame rail that leaves a clamp nowhere to land.

The 1 mm steel body feels substantial, and the beveled front is designed to keep cables reachable. We like the slots and the included ties because they let you bundle a cable run and still pull a plug when you need to. The two trays give you a choice: split power strips and bricks across both, or use one under each of two desks.

What settles it for us is the permanent, tucked-away install. This is the tray for someone who knows where the desk is staying and wants the basket screwed down rather than clamped. The 3.9-inch width is the measurement to check: a wide surge protector may not drop in as easily as it does in a 5.5-inch fabric tray.

For power bricks, a standard strip, and the usual monitor cables, it is a tidy, sturdy pair. You can leave one tray for the power side and one for the data side, which makes a failed cable easier to trace.

The Litwaro is the compact tray in this group: 13.4 inches long, 4.72 inches wide, and rated for 15 pounds. It clamps to the desk edge with side clips, uses rubber pads to protect the finish, and adds two side holes for routing cables out of the basket.

For a small desk or a single power strip, that size is an advantage. We like that it leaves legroom alone and goes on without tools; the carbon steel body feels appropriate for the load, and the open top makes it easy to drop in a charger. It is the tray we reach for when the desk is tight and the cable problem is simple, and it does not ask you to clear the whole underside before it goes on.

The compact basket suits a laptop, a lamp, and one strip; it is not trying to be the tray for a whole workstation. That focus is why it stays out of the way, and why we prefer it to a long tray on a compact desk. If your cable problem is a single strip and a charger, the small footprint is a feature rather than a compromise.

We also appreciated the clamp's rubber pads on a painted desktop; they leave less to worry about when you reposition the tray. The side holes are the detail that makes it feel considered rather than basic.

The Xpatee is the white tray that arrives ready to clamp: no assembly, no screws, just a C-clamp with anti-scratch pads. We like that for a quick desk refresh, because the install is one less thing to plan around. It is also the pick that disappears on a white desktop instead of showing up as a black box under the keyboard.

The basket is 15.7 inches long and 6.1 inches wide, so it has a different shape from the long 25-inch trays. That shape suits a surge protector and a charger box, and the open top lets you drop cables in without threading them through a closed frame. The kit includes cable clips and ties, which is useful if you are starting from a loose pile.

We noticed the width most in use: a wide strip sits flatter in this tray than in the narrow 3-inch metal racks, and the white finish keeps the underside of a pale desk from looking heavy. The no-assembly design is the real convenience, though; there is nothing to tighten or lose before the tray goes on.

The clean finish makes the underside look deliberate rather than improvised, which is not something we expected from a tray this simple. It is the detail that makes the white version worth choosing over a black tray on a pale desk.

The LOVJOYSE is a 25.3-inch clamp-on basket with an open mesh body and a 15-pound rating, and on paper it sits very close to our top pick. It clamps to desks up to 2 inches thick, has two large access holes, and uses the same no-drill approach that makes these trays easy to move.

The open mesh is the part we appreciate most. You can see where the power strip is, reach a plug without unloading the basket, and route a cable through the side opening instead of over the rim. The metal body has enough stiffness for a strip and a few bricks, and the basket does not need to be unclamped to add a cable.

We rank it just behind the Mzmaxy because the two do the same job in almost the same way. The LOVJOYSE is 0.3 inch longer, which is not a meaningful difference on a desk, and it has the same 15-pound ceiling. The choice comes down to availability and the slightly longer basket, not a different design.

A reusable tie through the mesh is enough to keep a loose charger from sliding into the strip, which is the kind of small fix we end up making on any tray. The open basket makes that easy without unclamping anything.

The VIVO is the narrow one: a 16.5-inch steel tray just 3 inches wide, with screw holes 11 inches apart and an 11-pound rating. It is a low-profile rack for cables and a slim strip, not a deep basket for a full workstation.

The narrow shape is what we noticed in place. It tucks along the back rail and leaves more legroom than the 5.5-inch-deep fabric trays, and the partially closed design keeps cords from spilling over the side. The bottom holes let cables drop through at an angle, which is useful when the desk has a crossbar behind it.

The screw-in mount is the stable part: once the tray is fixed, it stays where you put it, and the steel body resists flexing under a bundle of AV cables. That makes it a permanent fitting rather than something you move from desk to desk. The 11-pound rating is modest, but it is enough for the AV bundle this tray is designed to hold.

We prefer the VIVO for a cable-only run or a slim strip, where the 3-inch width is a benefit rather than a limit. It cannot swallow a wide surge protector the way the 25-inch baskets can, but a bundle of AV cables disappears into it.