Strapped down feels like overkill for a normal setup, but the cat cable yank is real. Kids and pets have pulled way more cables than gravity ever has. Save the strap money for a better desk mat and just run cables where they can't get snagged.

Guessing I've been admiring 1700s knockoffs this whole time.

Used to roll my eyes at people who swore by the expensive stations, figured they just liked burning money. Then I cooked a pad off a board that cost more than the iron ever would have, and yeah, that changed my tune real quick. The cheap one still lives in my drawer for dumb stuff, but flex cables get the good tip now.