Tech accessories are notoriously not the most aesthetically pleasing things in the world. But somehow IKEA is one of the few brands that manages to elevate the look of these everyday pieces – and at an affordable price point at that. The latest one that I’m adding to my basket are the new IKEA HAVSKÅL USB cable anchors.
Sometimes, no IKEA hacks are necessary because the Swedish retailer comes up with clever and nice-looking solutions to issues like charging cables left tangled up on the floor all on its own. And a set of two of the IKEA HAVSKÅL cable anchors - made in a combo of yellow and black - will only set you back £3! There is also the option of buying these cable holders through Amazon for next-day delivery, but this way you’ll be paying £11 instead of £3.
Each of the anchors is made with two parts held together by a magnet. Just remove the top part, put your cable in place through the middle and close it up again. And your cable won't budge!
‘Tech accessories are still viewed as afterthoughts that are designed more for functionality than aesthetics,’ says Alex Stubbs, Flitch interior stylist.
‘The majority are made of sterile black or white plastic with little consideration for how they will look in a carefully chosen living room or bedroom. Brands that approach cables and leads like design objects, combining texture, colour, and shape in a way that blends in with contemporary interiors, are in high demand.’
Why should you invest in the IKEA cable anchors?
If you’ve ever felt the inconvenient pain of having to fish for your charging cable on the floor to plug in your phone or laptop, you’ll understand just how essential and smart these IKEA cable anchors are. After disconnecting your device from the charger, they keep holding the cable in place on your desk or bedside table (or wherever else you decide to put them), ready for the next charge, keeping everything tidy and organised. And since they look like pieces of home decor, you won’t mind that they adorn your tabletop at all times.
As technology is such an essential part of our day-to-day lives in this day and age, tech accessories - be it chargers or extension leads - make regular appearances in our homes, despite more often than not being something of an eyesore.
This means that even the likes of interior designers and stylists regularly need to think of creative ways to disguise them – one of the most popular being the different ways to hide a TV. But the same goes for various cables, including TV wires as well.
‘For disguise tricks, I often run cables behind books on floating shelves or use rattan cable boxes under sideboards, treating them like baskets for your wires. If you are going for a minimalist look, a pop of colour on a braided cord can be surprisingly chic,’ Alex at Flitch says.
So IKEA has clearly identified a huge gap in the market as the HAVSKÅL cable anchors are not the first chic-looking tech accessory the brand’s come out with recently – the IKEA SKOTAT extension cord is another piece that I’m sure most of us wouldn’t mind having on show in our homes.
Similar alternatives
If you're into the current chrome trend, then you might like to go for these petit silver-toned cable anchors from Amazon instead.
Alternatively, you can invest in a charging cable with a built-in anchor like this cord design from Native Union, available in a range of different colours.
If you're after something a little more standard then these cable clips will do the job. They don't look as stylish as some of the other alternatives but given their black colourway and petite size, they are fairly discreet.
Since you’re here, I can only assume that untidy charging cables tangled on your floor is an issue for you as much as it is for me. In which case, all I can say is this – what are you waiting for?
