BlueLounge must have somehow read my jumbled mind as of late, because I’ve recently been trying to wrangle the absolute mess of cords and power strips in my office. They were kind enough to send over some of their tech organization products for me to try out, and what follows are my honest impressions. Enjoy!
1. Owen Wireless Charger (MSRP $39.95)
This Qi-compatible charging pad is outfitted with an aluminum base, rubber feet for slippage control, a premium-feeling fabric surface (almost denim-like) and an LED indicator ring that illuminates and pulses blue when a device is charging. The construction is nice and light, maybe a little TOO light, actually, and also unmistakably thin—only around a quarter of an inch.
I tested this out using a Samsung Note9 and it worked beautifully. Of course, as with a lot of these wireless pad chargers, there’s a bit of a sweet spot you need to hit in regard to specific phone positioning. But in my experience with this pad, it was nothing extreme. You just need to aim for the middle, really. And as far as charging times go, this is relatively comparable to Samsung’s official Duo wireless charger, though it’s definitely a tad slower if I’m paying attention, and you can only charge one device at once.
Like a lot of BlueLounge’s products, the Owen is a little on the pricey side when compared to devices of similar purpose and function. But combine its diminutive profile with some understated, stylish design and you’ve got a solid wireless charging option for an end table or office desk. Note that BlueLounge claims the Owen will charge Android devices at 10 watts and iPhone devices at 7.5 watts.
2. CableBox (MSRP $29.95)
If there’s one entertainment room pet peeve that bothers me more than anything else, it’s got to be all those dreadful, criss-crossed cables. With my job being that of covering technology and video games, you can imagine how quickly the devices pile up, and with those lovely devices come copious tangles of cables. I mean, wasn’t Tesla working on wireless electricity at some point? Can we get back on that, please?
Well, until that comes to fruition, we have BlueLounge’s simple yet ingenious CableBox. Yes, it’s technically just a hollow, plastic, flame-retardant rectangle, but that’s the effortless beauty of it. You see, the CableBox has one job and one job alone: Conceal the rat’s nest that is your overcrowded power strip (go ahead and remove a few of those plugs, while you’re reading this, for safety’s sake). Rubber feet on the bottom keep the box from sliding around, though on carpet, this is a bit of a non-issue.
You set your power bar inside, not even needing to unplug anything in the process, and feed the cables out through the cutouts on either end of the box. Slap the lid on. That’s it. Sit back and enjoy the uncluttered (and flame retardant) magnificence of your newly organized PC/gaming/movie-watching space. Sure, it’s a $30 piece of molded plastic, but the CableBox is so easy, so clean, so modern a solution that you might not mind paying.
Of note: CableBox comes in a variety of stylish colors. There’s also a CableBox Mini if you don’t want the bulk of the longer original.
3. CableBin (MSRP $89.95)
Need something a little bigger than the CableBox to store your bulging rat’s nest of device wires and
power strips? Enter the aptly titled CableBin, which is essentially a flame-retardant trash can—albeit a stylish one—that conceals all your electronic unmentionables (that surely didn’t come out right).
Functionally, it’s very similar to the CableBox, only it affords more storage room and stands upright rather than hugging the floor. Included are a set of six adhesive hanging hooks that can be used to mount several power bars inside the bin, a nice touch that elevates everything and keeps all that surging power from leaning against itself. That’s in addition to clearing up precious interior room for any bulky power bricks you may want to plug in.
The circular lid is outfitted with a rubberized plug that can be lifted to accommodate select wires you may want more access to, like say a phone charger, and the lid is indented for the very purpose of resting devices like routers there. The rest of the cables are fed out through an inconspicuous slit in the back.
I really like this product, but at $90 MSRP, it’s difficult to recommend to your average user, even with the two classy available woodgrain color options. Still, if the cost doesn’t bother you, it looks amazing and does exactly what it’s supposed to.
4. Soba Cable Director (MSRP $24.95)
While the CableBox and CableBin will hide your power bars and plugs, that still leaves exposed the actual wires going to various devices under your TV or feeding into your PC. The Soba, a long stretchy tube that can be cut into various lengths, is all about cable consolidation. It will basically grab hold of messy wires (up to three at once, according to the official website) and gather them into one tidy tube that can be routed as you please.
Included are several types of plastic junctions, like end caps and mounts that can stick to the underside and flanks of desks and entertainment centers. There’s also a handy splitter that will allow you to break off the Soba into alternate directions if need be. A plastic zipper makes it easy to guide cables into the tube which ‘auto-coils’ around cords, and I really like how clean it all looks after gathering everything together.
While 118 inches of tubing is included in the box, it seems to me that this length might not be enough to facilitate your average techie’s setup. Several packages of Soba could be necessary to cloak all those wandering cords, and at $25 a pop, that can add up quickly. I also wish the tube held more cables. That said, if you can get past the price, this is still an excellent wire organization solution.
5. Portiko Power Strip (MSRP $26.29)
Possibly the most straightforward of the items BlueLounge sent over, the Portiko is, at the most fundamental level, an extension cord. It’s a small, decor-friendly brick outfitted with two 5V USB ports (one of them is designated for iOS devices, though I don’t think the actual output is any different), two 110V standard sockets and a 45 degree-angled power plug.
The power cord is a comfortable 6 feet in length, allowing the Portiko to easily reach from a distant socket to a couch or table, and it comes with a magnetic adhesive plate that can be mounted to a desk or wall if you want the brick to be raised off the carpet or floor. If you go this route, there’s an indentation on top of the Portiko that allows any excess cord length to be wrapped around the unit, which is a nice touch.
Overall, it’s a solid extension cable and nicely compact, though for just a little more money, you can buy an Anker power strip with 12 standard outlets and 3 USB ports. But if it’s smaller size you’re after, and maybe something a bit more style-conscious, the Portiko might be your solution.
Disclaimer: Bluelounge provided product for review purposes.
