Here are the best desk organizers in 2020

The best desk organizers help reduce clutter and keep important items neatly tucked away where you can easily access them. They are also stylish additions to your desk, whether it’s for a home office or student. Among the many things you need to create the perfect office, including a desk, ergonomic chair, lamp, and, of course, computer, a desk organizer is an essential consideration as well.

Best Overall: Sunewlx Desk Organizer

Finished in black or brown, this stylish 11.8 x 7 x 5.8-inch leather desk organizer has six spacious compartments for storing everything from magazines and notebooks to a small laptop, remote control, smartphone, pens, notepaper, business cards, and more. A different configuration, which comes in khaki or pink, has a built-in tissue box instead of the front three compartments if that’s a priority for you, which might be if this desk organizer is going to be used in an area like a front foyer or nightstand.

Along with the handmade leather exterior with neat stitching, the inside is coated with a velvet lining and the structure is made of wooden cardboard. All materials are environmentally friendly and won’t give off a chemical smell. The surface is even slightly water-resistant so you can easily wipe it down with a damp cloth.

Two compartments have a neat flap cover so you can store valuables and keep them out of view, like a ring or wristwatch, a USB flash drive with sensitive information, or SD cards with precious memories you don’t want to misplace. As a bonus, the organizer even comes with a matching large coaster for your coffee mug or water bottle, made of double-sided leather. If you don’t like the organizer, it comes with a 30-day unconditional free return, offering peace-of-mind with purchase. But it’s pretty slick so what’s not to like?

Pros:

• Made of high-quality leather
• Convenient hidden compartment
• Spacious compartment can hold a small laptop or tablet

Cons:

• Might be too deep for small desks
• Everything has to store in one spot

Best Overall

Sunewlyx Desk Organizer

• $26 at Amazon

Spot for valuables

This stylish leather desk organizer has a spot with a flap cover to store valuables and is large enough to hold a small laptop.

Best for Simplicity: SimpleHouseware Mesh Desk Organizer

It says so in the name: this desk organizer is simple yet fulfills its purpose nicely. The space-saving design keeps everything in one spot, though it might be too big for some, depending on how your desk is configured. Measuring 13.25 x 13 x 9 inches, it’s made of steel.

The organizer consists of a letter tray at the top with five slots that can be loaded from the front or back, along with a middle compartment large enough to hold file folders, notebooks, or 8.5 x 11-inch sized papers, and a three-compartment pull-out drawer underneath.

It would have been nice if you could detach each section and organize them in different spots of your desk to use up corners and different areas, and space things out. But the organizer is easy to set-up, nonetheless, without the need for tools. It’s ideal if you are working on various paper-based projects, so you can organize them based on those that are in progress, those that are in the queue, and those that are completed, with quick access to pens, pencils, staples, sticky notes, and more in the drawer as you work away.

Pros:

• Great for organizing file folders
• Simple design
• Keeps small items hidden away

Cons:

• Might be too big
• Can’t detach sections

Best for Simplicity

Simple Houseware Mesh Desk Organizer

• $25 at Amazon

Simple organization

Organize everything from file folders to notebooks, pens, pencils, and more in this steel mesh organizer.

Best for Stylish Design: Honey-Can-Do Mail & File Desk Organizer

The double woven fabric makes this desk organizer simple yet also super elegant, ideal for the home office, craft table, student desk, or even your bedroom nightstand or living room side table for organizing TV remotes and other similar devices. In addition to the espresso brown finish, there’s also a salt and pepper option if that fits better with your home décor.

Use the square-shaped organizer to store everything from mail to notepads and other desktop items. Each large compartment is pretty deep so you can store plenty inside. There are two large and two smaller compartments, and the organizer measures 12 x 10.25 x 7 inches overall.

The modern design can be coordinated with other items in the Honey-Can-Do line if you find more things you like, like the matching woven storage boxes. Along with the woven fabric, the organizer is supported by a durable steel wire frame that keeps it from sliding around on your desk.

Pros:

• Elegant design
• Deep compartments

Cons:

• Compartments might be too deep
• Could be too big for some desks
• No smaller storage for things like paper clips, erasers

Best for Stylish Design

Honey-Can-Do Mail & File Desk Organizer

• $16 at Amazon
• $19 at Walmart
• $27 at Staples

Organize in style

The espresso brown or salt and pepper finish of this organizer matches any décor and looks elegant on your desk.

Best for Customization: The Office Oasis Desk Organizer

What’s neat about this stylish desk organizer is that it’s thin and long so you can position it at the back of your desk, out of the way. But at the heart of its appeal is the ability to move things around as desired. It includes six pieces that fit on a magnetic base so you can arrange them in hundreds of different configurations.

The pieces include a pen holder, pencil cup, smartphone stand, sticky note tray, paper clips storage, and office accessories caddy. You can rearrange them as needed, whether it’s to accommodate being left-handed versus right or based on the project you’re working on at the moment. But keep in mind that this one is only for small accessories like paperclips and pens – it won’t hold things like large notebooks and full-sized papers.

The organizer is made of natural and solid bamboo wood (black and brown finishes are also available) as well as high-grade plastic with non-slip rubber feet so it stays in place. The U.S. patent-pending design is pretty clever and lets you change up the look of your desk whenever you want. If you don’t like the organizer, you can return it for not only a full refund but also an extra 10%—no questions asked.

Pros:

• Natural bamboo base
• Magnetic pieces you can rearrange
• Deep and large compartments
• No questions asked refund

Cons:

• Compartments only for small accessories
• Expensive
• Might be too small

Best for Customization

The Office Oasis Desk Organizer

• $35 at Amazon

Shifting blocks

Move around the magnetic pieces on this desk organizer to create whatever configuration you like.

Best for Students: Sorbus Desk Organizer Set

What I really love about this desk organizer is that it comes in separate pieces so you can arrange each piece on your desk where it best suits you instead of having to store everything in one spot. You might, for example, want to keep the paper tray on the right side of your corner desk but have the pen cup on the left, directly behind your computer. And if you want to keep everything in one spot, you can.

Made of durable metal with round edges along the bottom to prevent scratches, it comes with a total of five pieces in an attractive rose gold copper finish, including a pencil cup holder, letter sorter, letter tray, hanging file organizer, and sticky note holder. It’s just as much stylish accents as it is for organizing.

The letter sorter has three divided sections for items like mail, stationery, and notepads while the hanging file organizer basket can accommodate files, books, and more. In the sticky note holder, you can keep things like Post-It notes and memos while the cup holder is ideally sized for pencils, pens, markers, scissors, and other writing tools.

Pros:

• Fits in smaller spaces
• Can organize different pieces on different parts of the desk
• Attractive, eye-catching finish

Cons:

• Finish might not be for everyone
• Pens and pencils can fall through large holes

Best for Students

Sorbus Desk Organizer Set

• $28 at Amazon

Arrange as you like

With five separate pieces, you can arrange items on your desk as you like or put everything together.

Best for Phone Charging: FutureCharger Fast Wireless Charger Desk Organizer

This neat desk organizer also doubles as a wireless charger, able to wirelessly charge any Qi-enabled device, like a smartphone. The built-in smart chip in the charger automatically detects the device to enable fast charging, whether that’s 10 watts for a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, for example or 7.5 watts for an iPhone. If you want to use the charger, however, you need to plug the organizer into a wall outlet or USB (wall adapter is sold separately.) It can charge a phone with a case as thick as 5mm.

Finished in black, the decorative box can hold pens, pencils, scissors, remote controls, notepaper, business cards, and other items. (A smaller version is also available in black or brown with just one compartment). Made of high-quality waterproof leather and anti-corrosion, it employs a high-end cross pattern PU material that is anti-slip so it stays in place.

The charger, positioned at the front, left side of the organizer, features an LED light that is soft green when the phone is charging and blue when it enters standby. It positions the phone at a 60-degree viewing angle, which is ideal for reading, manipulating the screen, or participating in video calls. The organizer comes with a micro-USB cable and manual.

Pros:

• Can also charge your phone
• Lots of compartments
• Stylish design

Cons:

• Have to plug it in
• Doesn’t include an AC adapter
• Thin slots can only hold cards
• Only for small accessories

Best for Phone Charging

FutureCharger Fast Wireless Charger Desk Organizer

• $89 at Amazon

Power up your phone

Keep your desk accessories organized while also charging up your phone in one convenient spot.

Choosing the best desk organizer

I’m both a messy and organized person. Perhaps it’s the result of watching too much Marie Kondo, but I love organizers that can keep things in their rightful place on my desk. But what organizer works for you depends totally on what items you need to organize as well as the shape, style, size, and set-up of your desk.

The Sunewlx Desk Organizer is a good option that will suit most desk set-ups. It’s affordably priced, comes in attractive finish options, and has lots of compartments for holding everything from large-sized papers to small paperclips. I love the secret compartment as well where you can store valuables and hide them away. And the included leather coaster is a nice touch.

Organizers like that work perfectly for offices and student desks as well as other areas, like your nightstand, front foyer for holding car keys and stationery, jewelry, and more.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Christine Persaud resides in Toronto, Ontario Canada, and has been working from home for the last six years. While admittedly, her desk isn’t always perfectly organized, she does have organizers to keep things as tidy as possible.