Cable Management with Coaxial Cable Clips – Guide with Recommendations

Coaxial cables are a common sight in homes and in the office but managing them can be a challenge. That’s where coaxial cable clips come in. These small yet very useful accessories help keep your coaxial cables organized and secure.

Now, just because they’re called coaxial cable clips, it doesn’t mean you can only use them with coaxial cables. In fact, if the measurement fits, you can use them with power cables, ethernet cables and other long running cables.

Let’s delve deeper whether coaxial cable clips are right for you, the different types available and their advantages and disadvantages, as well as some recommended coaxial cable clips.

Why Use Coaxial Cable Clips?

Coaxial cables tend to run over long distances and as such, clips are essential for maintaining a clean and organized cable setup. Here are the benefits of using cable clips:

Cable Management

Coaxial cable clips help keep your cables neat and tidy, preventing them from tangling and creating an unsightly mess. This is especially important in “busy” areas of the home and office such as the TV and entertainment system, the computer, as well as networking devices such as modems and routers.

Cable Protection

Securing cables in place helps to protect them from damage. Let’s face it, how many of us have tripped or stepped over a loose cable? Loose cables can be stepped on, pulled, or twisted, which could damage the cable and affect performance. Cable clips keep cables out of harm’s way.

Improved Aesthetics

A neat and organized cable setup just looks so much better and is easier on the eye. A recent study showed that household chaos can lead to a measurable increase in stress levels. Using coaxial cable clips can improve the aesthetics of your space, whether it’s an office, a living room, or a server room. By doing so, you also help to reduce your stress levels.

Easy Maintenance and Troubleshooting

Last but not least, when your cables are neatly arranged and labelled, it’s easier to identify and work on a specific cable for maintenance or troubleshooting. No more having to untangle an unwieldly mess and guess what exactly the cable’s for.

Types of Coaxial Cable Clips and Their Advantages and Disadvantages

There are three main types of coaxial cable clips – nail-in clips, screw-in clips and adhesive clips. There are advantages and disadvantages for each of them and they all have their own use-case.

Nail-In Clips

Nail-in clips, as the name suggests, are secured in place with a nail. They are typically used for permanent installations.

Advantages: They provide a strong, secure hold and are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. They are also relatively easy to install since you just need to hammer a nail through.

Disadvantages: They require a hammer for installation, and removing them will leave visible holes in the wall. They’re not ideal for office furniture or if you’re renting a place and need to return it in the original condition to your landlord. Also, if you’re not good with hammering, you may bend the nails.

Screw-In Clips

These are very similar to the nail-in clips but instead of a nail, screw-in clips are secured with a screw. They provide a very strong hold and are suitable for heavy-duty applications.

Advantages: They provide a strong, secure hold and are ideal for heavy or large cables. In our opinion, they’re even stronger than nail-in clips.

Disadvantages: They require a screwdriver or drill for installation, and removing them will leave visible holes in the wall. You can’t use screw-in clips on glass, marble, plywood and some other surfaces.

Adhesive Clips

Adhesive clips stick to surfaces using an adhesive tape at the back. They are ideal for temporary installations or when you want to avoid damaging the surface.

Advantages: They are easy to install and remove without leaving any visible holes. They are also the most versatile and can be used on various surfaces.

Disadvantages: The sticky tape may lose its strength over time, especially in hot or humid conditions. They are also not as strong as the nail-in and screw-in clips.

Recommended Coaxial Cable Clips

When choosing which coaxial cable clips to buy, consider the type and size of the cable, the surface where you’ll be installing the clips, and whether the setup is temporary or permanent. Here are our recommended clips, one from each of the categories listed above:

Gardner Bender PS-225J Plastic Staple

A perennial best-seller, the Gardner Bender PS-225J Plastic Staple is a nail-in type clip that’s ideal for securing RG-59 and RG-6 coaxial cables. These are really popular for a variety of reasons. First off, they’re probably the most affordable option. A bag of 225 clips should cost you around $10.

Price aside, they’re also really durable and can be used on wood and even concrete. Just remember to hammer straight so that the nail doesn’t bend.

THE CIMPLE CO – Single Coaxial Cable Clips

These popular screw-in clips are high quality and outdoor rated. The plastic is strong yet they won’t damage your cables. With the screws already in-place, it is easy to spread them over the cable and secure it. Customers have mentioned that it works well for drywall and wood.

To install the clips, you can use a 1/4″ hex drive bit, a standard #2 Phillips head drill bit or a standard #2 Phillips head screwdriver.

XIAOXI R Shape Cable Management Clip

The XIAOXI R-shaped Cable Management Wire is a very popular adhesive clip that’s best suited for indoor cable management. It uses 3M VHB 4950 Tape which has a reputation for strength and durability. The tape can also be removed without any residue and without destroying the surface.

So, what kind of surfaces can you use the XIAOXI R Shape Cable Management Clip on? In general, any smooth, solid surface, works fine. Whether they are metal, glass, painted walls or even concrete. What you do want to avoid are those uneven or rough surfaces like brick or fabric. Also, non-stick surfaces wouldn’t work, obviously.

Installing adhesive clips is also a lot simpler than nail-in or screw-in clips, with no hammering, drilling or screwing required. Simply peel off the back of the tape and stick the clip on. Press it in place for about 20 seconds so that the clip sticks to the surface tightly. Now, you can loosen the clip jaw and put your cable through.

Final Thoughts On Cable Management With Coaxial Cable Clips

It’s relatively easy to create a more pleasant living and working environment using coaxial cable clips. For permanent fixtures, look at getting nail-in or screw-in clips. But if you don’t want to damage the surface, then adhesive clips work perfectly fine indoors.

For outdoors, nail-in and screw-in clips are typically recommended but if you don’t want to damage the surface, then replacing the adhesive tape behind the adhesive clips works perfectly fine too.

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