There is no single answer because there is no single desk. The right organiser depends on three things: what you actually need to keep at hand, how big your desk is, and what aesthetic the rest of the office has. A 1.5m oak desk in a country cottage and a 1.2m IKEA Linnmon in a London flat call for very different solutions.
What every good organiser does is the same: it puts the things you reach for daily within arm’s reach, and pushes the things you reach for weekly into a secondary tier. That tier system is the actual organising work — the products are just the containers.
1. Best monitor stand with storage: Songmics Wooden Monitor Stand
[Affiliate link] Around £35. A bamboo monitor riser with two pull-out drawers and an open shelf underneath. The drawers are deep enough for stationery, sticky notes, headphones, and a small notebook. The shelf takes a keyboard when you push the keyboard back to use the desk surface for writing.
This is the highest-leverage organiser in our test setup. By moving everything below the monitor it clears the desk completely while keeping the contents at fingertip distance. The bamboo finish suits most desk styles. Holds monitors up to about 12kg.
2. Best pen and stationery cup: Pilot Acco Brands Steel Mesh Caddy
[Affiliate link] Around £8. A no-fuss wire mesh organiser with three compartments — a tall section for pens, a wider section for highlighters and rulers, and a small front section for paperclips and small bits. Black powder-coated steel. After two years of use the finish is still perfect.
Cheap and unglamorous, but it is the right shape for a home office desk and stays put without taking visual space. Avoid the more elaborate ones with leather wrapping or marble bases — they are expensive ways to hold the same six pens.
3. Best document tray: HMF Stackable A4 Letter Tray
[Affiliate link] Around £18 for a pair. Wire mesh A4 trays in matt black that stack securely. Two tiers handles the typical home office paper flow: incoming on top, action-needed below. Add a third for filed-away if you process a lot of paper.
The mistake most people make with document trays is buying a single tray, filling it, and using it as a deferred-decision pile. Two trays force the action — once it is in the bottom tray it has been triaged, not just postponed.
4. Best cable organiser: D-Line Cable Tidy Box
[Affiliate link] Around £20 for the medium size. A vented plastic box that hides a power strip and the worst of the cable mess. Sits on the floor next to the desk or on a shelf behind it. Cable cut-outs at each end so cables enter and exit cleanly.
If you cannot fit an under-desk cable tray, this is the next best thing. D-Line is the brand to know in the UK — better build than the Amazon no-name versions and similar price.
5. Best drawer organiser: SimpleHouseware Drawer Insert Set
[Affiliate link] Around £14 for a set of six modular trays. They fit any drawer with right-angle corners — IKEA Alex, Bisley filing cabinets, most desks with shallow drawers. Resize by clicking trays together until they fit your drawer width.
Inside-the-drawer organisation is unsexy but underrated. The trays stop pens migrating across the drawer, keep batteries together, and give USB cables a defined home. Worth it if your drawer currently looks like a junk drawer.
6. Best phone and tablet stand: Twelve South HiRise
[Affiliate link] Around £40. An aluminium stand that lifts your phone or small tablet to eye-line and includes a slot for a charging cable to thread through cleanly. The phone becomes a visible second screen for messages and timers without lying face-up on the desk.
Cheaper alternatives exist (£8 wire stands work fine) but the Twelve South is one of those small upgrades that you appreciate every day for years. The build quality is exceptional.
7. Best all-in-one premium organiser: Grovemade Desk Shelf System
[Affiliate link] From around £160 for the small system. The premium choice: a wooden shelf above the monitor with optional matching trays, pen cups, and notebooks. Walnut or maple. Made in the US so longer UK shipping but exceptional finish.
Buy this if your desk is the centrepiece of a thoughtful home office and you want every accessory to belong to one design system. Functionally similar to the Songmics monitor stand at five times the price; the difference is purely aesthetic and you will notice the difference every day.
Sample setups by desk type
Compact desk (under 120cm): minimum kit
Songmics monitor stand (£35), steel mesh pen caddy (£8), drawer insert set (£14), phone stand (£8 budget option). Total around £65. Clears the desk completely and keeps the visual footprint to a single bamboo riser plus the small pen cup at the back corner.
Standard desk (120-150cm): comfortable kit
Songmics monitor stand (£35), pen caddy (£8), stackable document trays (£18), Twelve South HiRise (£40), drawer inserts (£14), D-Line cable box (£20). Total around £135. Adds the document trays for paper flow and the proper phone stand.
Premium desk (150cm+): full system
Grovemade desk shelf system (£160 small or £240 large), Twelve South HiRise (£40), wool felt mat (£55-75), drawer inserts (£14), D-Line cable box (£20). Total £290-£390. The desk becomes a designed object.
Common mistakes to avoid
Buying too many small organisers. Three thoughtful pieces beat seven random ones. The desk should look composed, not crowded.
Forgetting cables. The neatest pen cup in the world is invisible next to a tangle of charging cables. Solve cables first, then organisers.
Choosing organisers that are too small. A pen cup with three pockets fills up in a week. A six-pocket caddy still has empty slots a year later.
Going matchy-matchy with cheap MDF. Two pieces of black mesh metal look intentional. Two pieces of cheap white MDF look like Ikea’s shop floor.
Frequently asked questions
Should I get an under-monitor stand or an over-monitor shelf?
Under-monitor (Songmics-style) for keyboard storage and immediate-access stationery. Over-monitor (Grovemade-style) for display and decorative items. Most home offices benefit more from under-monitor.
Are wooden organisers better than metal mesh?
Wood is warmer and quieter; metal is cheaper and easier to clean. For a home office that doubles as a video-call backdrop, wood looks better. For pure utility, mesh is fine.
What about cable raceways under the monitor?
If you have visible cables running across the back edge of the desk to the monitor, a small cable raceway (about £8) hides them cleanly. Combined with an under-desk tray for the power strip, the desk becomes visually empty from any angle.
How often should I reorganise my desk?
A 10-minute review every Friday morning is enough to keep things in their homes. A full reset every quarter — empty everything, wipe down, put back only what you have used in the last month — is the best way to stop clutter creeping back.
The bottom line
The Songmics monitor stand and a steel mesh pen caddy are the two organisers we would buy first for any home office. Total cost £45. Add document trays and a cable box if you process paper or have visible cables. Add a Twelve South phone stand and felt desk mat if you want a desk that looks composed. Premium it up with Grovemade only if budget is no constraint and you want the best.
