If you have a media console with a tangle of cords behind it, or a home office setup that looks like a server room exploded, this is the kind of thing that actually fixes a visible problem rather than just hiding it badly. If your setup is already minimal, one router, one streaming box, a single power strip, you probably don't need a dedicated box for it. A basket or even nothing at all will do fine, and buying one anyway just gives you another thing to find a home for.
Measuring for one of these is where most people get it wrong, myself included. I once bought a box that looked roomy in the photos and got it home to find my router, modem and a six outlet power strip fit inside with maybe a centimeter to spare, which meant no airflow and a router that ran warm enough to worry me. You want to measure your actual power strip, plugs included, not just guess, and add a couple of inches on every side for cords to loop without kinking. Height matters too, a box that's too shallow means the lid won't sit flat once everything is plugged in, and you'll end up with it propped open, which defeats the point.
The things worth checking before you commit are the cord access points. Good ones have cutouts on the back and sometimes the sides, finished with a grommet or soft edge so cords don't fray against raw plastic over time. Cheap ones often have a single slot cut with no finishing, and after a year of cords sliding in and out you'll see the wear. I'd also check ventilation, actual holes or slats, not just gaps around the lid. A sealed box with a router and modem inside is a quiet way to shorten their lifespan.
As for where it goes wrong, these clash hardest with built in shelving that already has a clean look, a solid wood box sitting on a mid century credenza next to open shelving can look like an afterthought rather than part of the room. They also don't belong anywhere near a heat source or a space with no airflow at all, a coat closet sounds tidy until your internet drops every time the box warms up. And if you're hiding a modem that needs occasional resetting, don't put the box somewhere you'd have to move furniture to reach it.
Over time the good ones mellow in a nice way, wood tones deepen, woven ones relax and soften at the corners. The cheap plastic version just yellows near the cord holes and starts to smell faintly of warm electronics, which is its own kind of warning sign.
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