I ended up using gallon sized ziplock bags. For each cable type/connection, I put them together in a bag. Then I have all those bags labeled and in some little bins on a shelf that fits the bins. When I need something, I can slide out the bin and flip through the bags like file folders, until I find the one I need.

It's worked decently well so far.

For a long time I hand a giant 40 gallon garbage bag full of a rats nest of cables. Then I went through that to get rid of old stuff I didn't think I'd ever need again, and ended up with a rats nest in a box. Now I have them all sorted.

It's probably not ideal, but it does a decent job. It is a bit more space efficent than the plastic tray/tote my company used in the data centers to sort all the various cables. That took up a whole wall.

Not what you're asking, but how about clearing out the collection and keeping a few of each instead of many? I did that recently with my cables and adapters and threw out probably 70% of duplicate and old items.

I've found using labeled, stacked 6qt bins w/ lids to be good enough for me.

https://r.nullsum.net/img/20240702_organization.jpg

I keep them mostly space efficient by combining as many things into each bin while remaining easy to find due to the labels. Inside the boxes, most cables are individually coiled using releasable zip ties. Velcro ties get dirty too easily.

I have fequently used cables hanging on a wall hook without cable ties. I also have a small drawer organizer I keep various other frequently used things in (lots of USB-C to legacy adapters, zip ties,...).

I have used this technique for years that I found by accident. Those large plastic storage bins actually have rails built on the sides that allow you to put hanging folders in them for storing documents. I use each hanging folder to hold a certain type of cable. One for USB C, one for MIDI, etc. One bin can hold 100 cables and you can easily get the one you are looking for.

I dislike rummaging through bins of USB cables to find the specific combination that I need

These are the “last 80%” you put so much effort in that never pays off, unless you’re running a cable shop. Just tie every cable with velcro or money rubber bands (rubber decays) and put them into 2-3 bins based on massiveness. E.g power, display/network, usb. Make sure cable ends meet and put similar cables close together. Based on numbers, it’s not even a big pile to scan through. Had a quarter m^3 of these, no problem.

I have a pegboard wall next to my desk, which has a bunch of cables tied with fabric cable ties. I also mounted a USB powerbank next to it, and I've mounted my tablet, laptop, phone backup battery, etc. on it. I've also got some misc tools mounted on it, and a few little bins mounted - containing pens, batteries, and odds and ends. Its quite surprising how much it can hold, and its quite convenient.

Cables I don't need immediate access to sit in drawers, not very well organized I'm afraid. Its rare I need to go beyond my cache to slow access though. :)

IKEA sandwich bags and sharpie, I found the colours helped me find some cables.

I grouped them by type usb a, USB b, usb micro b etc then extensions, adaptors, plugs, power, chargers (known and unknown) then audio.

I bought one of those plastic drawers off Amazon with lots of little drawers and put them all in there (labelled with chalk pen)

Then I took out a few of each, our "favourites" and put those in a small box on top.

The ones we don't often use like ribbon cables, VGA etc go in another box nearby.

I make my own reusable cable ties from bicycle inner tubes. Get free inner tubes from the bike repair shops. Cut a tube into rubber bands. Take 2 bands and link them like a figure 8 with then knot in the middle. Now wrap around wires and, pulling knot back through the tight loop so the loose loop is like a little handle, and the knot holds the loop snug.

Get clear plastic drawers maybe like this: https://www.amazon.com/IRIS-USA-Inc-Stackable-Plastic/dp/B09...

Label them with a P-Touch machine. Use 1" tall label tape. (Or use another kind of label.) If the label tape does not stick, apply duct tape to the drawer than apply a label on the duct tape.

If you need to put multiple kinds of cables in one drawer, use Ziplock Freezer bags. 1-gallon and 2-gallon sizes are good sizes.

For example, I might have a drawer labeled USB cables, then bags i side for Extensions, C-to-C, A-to-C, A-to-B, A-to-Micro-B, A-to-Mini-B, OTG, and for USB-Meters. If I get too many cables to fit in a drawer, I can move the USB-C cables to their own drawer.

As for USB cables, I replaced all of them with a set of decent USB-C cables plus a few sets of “USB-C to *” adapters.

I now have a small box with separate sections for the adapters, plus a zip bag with USB-C cables that takes 20% of the space and fits 80% (and growing) of my use cases.

I recently used a Treedix USB cable tester to figure out which cables were worth keeping. It’s probably not worth keeping any charging-only USB cables since you’ve got so many data cables.

I put them in ziploc sandwich or snack bags. Keeps them from getting tangled, easy to see what each one is, and easy to rummage through.

I need to find a cable, at best, once a quarter. It's not worth getting more organized. I just use velcro zip ties to coil them, and they're all thrown in a box. When I need a cable, I dump the box out, grab one, prune the collection for unnecessary cables, and throw them all back in the box.

My most commonly used cables are stored on the wall using 3M removable clips (they work like lightly sprung clothes pegs). The remainder are coiled and tied, and stored by type in big, labelled plastic bags. The bags live in a large lidded plastic bin.

Periodically I go through the bin and cull unnecessary duplicates. I've had the same bin now for fifteen years.

I can tell you my choice of those big plastic buckets works but has created an absolute mess.

I think a bit of mess is guaranteed, a rats nest or hanging vines. Yanking and shoving is part of it, keeping things sorted I believe is about the best one can do

I use “Really Useful Box” containers. Have a whole rack of them, with labels “Audio”, “USB”, “Phone”, “Travel”, etc.. Wife is always impressed if she asks me for some obscure item we haven’t used for years and I hand it to her in ten seconds.

I just try to avoid the situation you're in entirely. For one, keep cables with what their device. Like the garmin cable stays with the garmin in its own case with the rest of my outdoor gear. If there is no device that it goes with, I throw the cable away. I don't keep extras, "just in case". That's what my parents do (with everything) and it's why they need a 4000 square foot house, a large shed and storage building. Except for phone charging cables since they don't last and are basically consumables. I can't imagine needing 20 video cables unless I was running a pawn shop.

These work great if you have a seldom used door for your furnace and/or ac : https://a.co/d/0h8uGmLQ

At some point I get rid of them. As much as I am a Garmin watch enthusiast (I have 3 Garmin trackers) I wish I could get rid of the cables because the connector is even more unreliable than Apple's Lightning cables.

I have a few bins for all my tools, including the cables; each bin is labeled. For some cables, I have a small closet where I can hang them. It's still very space-efficient and easy to retrieve since they are hung. I made a small railing where I can just add the cable, and the connector part will be used to hold it.

I use empty rolls of toilet paper (the inner cardboard part) as cable ties. They bundle ~2-3 short & thin cables and nicely fit in a drawer in upright position. This way, you can easily spot the connector types from bird‘s eye perspective. Super cheap and a fun way to put something useless to a good use.

For longer and/or thicker cables like ethernet and power, velcro works fine. Get a bunch of semi transparent PP boxes and label them.

I'd get a few cable hangers.

https://www.konstantlab.audio/shop/wall-hanger-for-cables/

My friend mounts it behind his clothes in the closet. He has some boxes on the ground with gap in wall to hide excess. Used colour electric tape with letters to sort (i.e. Red A). Logged everything a spread sheet.

No need for velcro for storage just wrap them in a circle and then gently weave the last foot or so around the circle

I use several clear shoebox sized bins and organize by type. Usb-a, usb-c, audio hdmi, etc etc.

I tried doing ziplock bags but it became a rats nest of bags upon bags full of cables. It was a pain to find a cable quickly.

Another option for frequently used cables are wall hangers where the cables hang down like spaghetti. I use these for audio mostly

> rummaging through bins of USB cables to find the specific combination that I need.

That's the future we deserve! My try is to sort them with respect to size and probability of need.

I have a big nail on a post in the basement lab. I hang everything from there. That way I can see them all at a glance so I don't have to remember how they're sorted.

Oh, and I cut up any USB cable that's found to be a power-only one. I hate them with a burning passion.

In various drawers and tubs around the house. My backpack. My desk. Why lie?

I am somewhat putting efforts into condensing it all down to a single "black and yellow" container, as they're known here colloquially.

I don't , i have 3 big boxes

why do every post on HN think everyone has this super fancy solutions for everything? can't people just live some times

Toiler paper rolls.

https://i0.wp.com/makezine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/to...

In circles then draped over a clothes hangar

I'd suggest connecting all your gear with the appropriate cables. Any left over cables can go to the recycling center. You're never going to need them.

I have a box!

Stack your bins vertically.

IKEA SKÅDIS

I constantly reorganize a little at a time and accept rummaging as part of the work. Over time I rummage less. By time I mean months and years. Good luck.