PROS:
- Quick and easy access to important EDC items
- Tray lid swivels in a smooth and satisfying motion
- Made from beautiful Beech wood and durable milled aluminum
CONS:
- Requires horizontal clearance around the box
- Accommodates small items only
- Fixed sections for the tray, no divisions for the box
Almost everyone knows they should keep their desks organized, depending on their definition of the word, but few people actually like doing it. Just like any other chore, desk organization feels boring and a waste of time, at least until you actually lose time looking for things you need right at that moment. Ironic as it may sound, the biggest culprits in messy desks are things that don’t even belong there, at least not for long periods of time. Glasses, wallets, watches, and accessories that we bring with us often land on our tables and then seemingly disappear into the unknown. Giving these transient objects a better home goes a long way in fixing this problem, but you still have to build up the habit of putting them there. This minimalist beauty of a box promises to make that habit almost fun, so we take it for a spin to see if we can catch the organizing bug with it.
Aesthetics
Truth be told, almost any container can accomplish the task of giving your Everyday Carry items a fixed home on your desk. That’s the reason why there’s an inexhaustible number of options in the market for desk organizers of all shapes and sizes. Developing the habit, however, is just as important as the receptacle, and habits, good or bad, are formed when the action has very little friction and can even be fun.
The Revov Tray Box helps you form that good habit by presenting a box that is not only easy to use but also a delight to look at. The form of the organizer itself might not be groundbreaking, but the combination of colors and materials truly makes it stand out among your other desk accessories. It’s something you’ll want to put on display, which often also means putting it within arm’s reach and reducing the friction of putting things in or taking them out.
The top tray is made from Beech Wood, giving it a warm and soft visual. The unique wood grains also make each tray truly one-of-a-kind, adding a sense of luxury to the product. The wood also makes the tray light, assisting in the organizer’s signature revolving trick. The bottom box, in contrast, is made from milled aluminum, and its smooth, cold texture complements well with the tray above it.
This Quick-Access Organizer is definitely a pleasure to look at, making it easier to get used to its presence and, in the long run, its purpose. If there’s one thing that could bother some people, it is the thin gap that exists between the tray lid and the body. This gap makes it look like the lid is floating slightly above the box, and it’s necessary to make its smooth movement possible. The gap is so thin that it could almost be negligible, but small things like that could trip up a few detail-oriented people.
Ergonomics
The Revov Tray Box is designed to be easy to use without forgetting the fact that you’re supposed to be organizing things, not just dumping them in a single bin. There are two distinct containers for that purpose, and the system smartly uses the box’s lid as another container for items you need to quickly drop and pick up again repeatedly. Normally, that would mean not having quick access to the contents of the box, but that is exactly what sets this ingenious desk organizer apart.
A little push of the tray, or perhaps a pull of the finger from one of the corners, makes it swivel around smoothly, revealing the treasures that the box holds inside. There is literally almost no friction, so there’s also no excuse not to make use of space for your EDC or other possessions. Another push spins the tray back to its closed position. It doesn’t go free-spinning, though, because powerful magnets stop it at the right positions.
This spinning action does mean there will be a lot of movement, but, fortunately, the solid aluminum base gives the box the stability it needs to prevent it from tipping over. At the same time, however, it also means that the Revov, as a whole, is a bit heftier than most box organizers. You might also want to avoid putting very heavy objects on the top tray when the box is empty, as gravity could still make the box tip backward when the center of gravity is off.
Although not directly related to its usability, the box does require some free space around it to actually work properly. There should be clearance on all sides for the tray to spin and stay in place, so you can’t have it extremely close to walls or other tall objects. It does also have the side effect of making the box really stand out on your desk, showing off its stylish minimalism, along with your precious EDC possessions.
Performance
This beautiful box organizer makes keeping your desk neat a frictionless task by almost literally removing the friction from putting things where they should belong. For EDC and small tools, the smooth revolving mechanism is a joy to use and is almost addictive in how easy it is to spin. You could almost use it as a fidget toy, though that will be cutting it short in what it can accomplish for your long-term peace of mind.
The Revov box is also intended to house small items, which also explains its small capacity. The box inside has enough space for a small wallet, but anything larger won’t fit. The tray on top might be able to hold some money clips, keys, glasses, a pen, and even a phone lying a bit on its side. If you regularly have larger EDC tools in your pocket or bag, this, unfortunately, won’t be their home.
The two parts of the organizer contrast not only in their materials but also in their layouts. The tray lid has carved sections that determine and limit the objects you can place on top. The bin inside, on the other hand, has absolutely no dividers, which means things will end up getting mixed a lot. You could put in your own makeshift dividers, but that’s additional work for very little gain, especially if you change the layout every so often.
Sustainability
As with any well-designed product, this Quick-Access Organizer also puts a lot of thought into its long-term appeal. Fortunately, the Tray Box checks all the right boxes when it comes to offering a sustainable solution to your everyday clutter. For one, there are no harmful materials used to make this stylish box, from the wooden lid to the aluminum box to the magnets and metal pin that give it a smooth spinning motion.
The Revov box is also long-lasting and durable thanks to those same materials as well as the absence of complex mechanisms. Only a single metal pin serves as the pivot that connects the lid and the box. You can easily oil this pin or its hole when its movement starts to get rough. On the flip side, however, that small metal piece could also be lost, making it hard to find a replacement that will fit perfectly. It is possible, though, so it’s not a complete loss.
Value
Made from premium and sustainable materials, the Quick-Access Organizer brings a beautiful, durable, and enduring tool to keep your desk tidy while also serving as a piece of decoration for that very same desk. Its magic trick of swinging smoothly to reveal a small but spacious container inside never gets old. In fact, you might be tempted to turn it into an ad hoc fidget toy, idly spinning the empty tray around while you let your mind wander. In other words, it’s a multifunctional desk accessory that hides its talents behind a minimalist facade.
It doesn’t come without its price, though, especially the literal one. At $69, it’s not exactly the cheapest box you could place your things in, though it is admittedly not the most expensive either. But while there are plenty of modular or multifunctional desk organizers in the market, few will hit all the right points for something that is that and more. Fortunately, this tray and box combo swings the right way.
Verdict
Keeping your desk tidy shouldn’t be a painful task. In fact, it has to be something you enjoy so that you’ll keep doing it over and over again. Unfortunately, our minds seem to be preconditioned to immediately cringe at the thought of cleaning up. Fortunately, there’s less to clean up if you put things where they should be in the first place.
Desk organizers make it easy to do that, but the Quick-Access Organizer makes it feel fun. A quick push swings the cover away to let you access the storage inside the box, and the way the tray lid snaps into position is so satisfying that it’s almost addictive. Sure, it’s a bit on the pricier side of things, and you’ll need to make some room for its swiveling top, but when you have something so handsome and long-lasting as this, you’ll definitely want to show it off by itself anyway.