Clear Acrylic Office Supplies

Just last week I took notice of the clear acrylic stapler from Kantek and thought it was the bees knees. Shortly after that one of my coworkers let me know that Kantek has a whole line of clear acrylic office Supplies. Most of them aren't very interesting but I'm pulling out all the stops here with my list of the top ten clear acrylic office supplies.

#10. Paper Towel Dispenser

I'll admit a paper towel dispenser isn't very glamorous, but hey it is number 10 right?  It'll only get better from here.  There aren't going to be many people who need this, but those who do appreciate it.  Because the towel holder is clear you can easily see, from any angle how many paper towels you have.  You can also easily see if the dispenser is starting to gather dust and gunk at the bottom that you'll need to clean out.  A black dispenser would hide all the dirt.

#9 Glove Box Holder

This product earns its place on the list just for being a product with good reviews.  A box that holds boxes.  Seems obtuse?  Well it is, but people who need it, need it.

#8 Letter/Paper Sorter

Ever thought you lost some paperwork because it was hidden by the large opaque potions of plastic on your sorter?  Well lose them no more.  If you happen to attach a Post-It note to a Quarterly Report you'll be able to see it slightly better than if it was hidden behind a black or brown chunk of plastic.

#7 Double Letter Tray

File this under useful!  So far the products here have not been universally usable.  I'd consider them niche products, but the standard In/Out paper file is a universal necessity.  When crafted from clear acrylic it is a universal nicety as well.

#6 Paperclip Holder

Okay, so I know this is a pretty terrible photo.  The manufacturer removed the background of the photo without replacing it with something realistic.  But everybody needs a paper clip holder, and most of the paper clip holders just look like little cups.  This is a cool looking object, but the lack of magnet means it has to be dropped down at #7.  Without a magnet in your paperclip holder it means you'll be throwing paperclips around like a chimpanzee throws you-know-what.

#5 Business Card Holder

So in all fairness the Paperclip holder should be above this business card holder because I don't actually know anybody who keeps a stash of their own business cards on their desk.  I wanted to punish the paperclip holder so that maybe next time it would include a magnet.  I don't like this business card holder very much, but it does match the set.

#4 Monitor Stand

What is there to say about the functionality and design of a monitor stand?  Not much.  It raises your monitor to a level that is more ergonomic so you don't have to use your neck if you don't want to.  The real feat here is that it's a wide stance monitor stand with only supports on the left and right.  Acrylic can do amazing things when used in a thick slice.  One reviewer of this product noted that it can hold much larger and heavier things than listed, but that kind of activity is a at-your-own-risk kind of thing.

#3 Tape Dispenser

This is the product that launched a thousand ships... or at least inspired one blog posting. What is there to say about this except that is is a near perfect application of acrylic in office supplies?

#2 Stapler

The clear acrylic stapler earns its position as the second greatest clear acrylic product not because it is a great product or because it is better than all the other products but because it is a true oddity.  I imagine a trust of marketing gurus crowded around a drafting table brainstorming about what product they could possibly sell to go along their other clear acrylic office accessories.  All the important bits of the stapler are still metal, but they are wrapped in clear acrylic.  A perfect shoehorning of materials onto an object.

#1 AcryLight Letter Tray System

Up to this point all the acrylic products have just been straight bits that have been cut, glued, and occasionally ground into shapes that just work.  The folks at AcryLight have taken it one step further.  In order to create the letter tray pictured above you'll need to purchase two AcryLight Letter Trays and one set of AcryLight Connectors (yes everything is sold separately). As I was saying these are just straight slabs of acrylic glued together, they have actually molded the acrylic so that your papers sit on a concave shelf so they aren't going to just fly out.  You'll still be able to remove them, but a slight incline of your desk isn't going to dump all your paperwork about.  Sure the AcryLight system might be a little on the pricey side, but can you really put a price on style?

Modernize Your Office

Let's face it, your office is pretty boring. You've got your affordable but well-meaning office chair (probably fake leather) sitting behind your desk of ugly but utilitarian office supplies perched atop your extremely durable, neutral colored, easily maintained carpet. BORING!

Here's three quick products that will give your office a quick makeover and wow your coworkers.

Bamboo Chair Mat

Unless you own your business you are at the mercy of whatever flooring is installed in your building. You aren't going to get away with ripping up the carpet in your office and replacing it all, but you can put down a great looking chair mat. You can buy a couple and really spruce things up. Anji Mountain Bamboo Mats come in a variety of shapes and shades. They are made of bamboo, so you know you aren't deforesting South America to make them either.

Clear Acrylic Tape Dispenser

Most of the stuff on your desk isn't replaceable. You've got your computer equipment and your phone and various other things. If your office is like mine most of the stuff on your desk wasn't purchased for looks, but for low cost at high quantity. Fortunately, this cool modern tape dispenser is affordable and has looks that kill. The standard tape dispenser hasn't really changed since scotch tape was first introduced.

Red Leather Waiting Room Chair

I can't in good conscience recommend a cool office desk chair because everybody likes a different kind of chair and you'll be sitting in it more than you ever care to truly admit. So comfort is way more important than looks. However, you've got to have a couple chairs when visitors stop by or when people are waiting for you. It doesn't matter much about how comfortable they are. The chairs will be empty most of the time anyway so why not get something that looks cool. These red chairs are the peak of modern design and in red leather you'll know everybody will enjoy looking at them even if they don't enjoy sitting in them.