Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Cable tidy box buying guide

Updated: 23 October 2026

A 4-gang behind the television and a drawer of spare chargers look like one mess. They are two buys. A lidded hider is for a lead that stays switched on. A clear case is for leads you have already unplugged. This cable tidy box buying guide takes the decisions in that order: the job, the fit with the plugs in, the exits and the air, the lead itself, and only then the material and the star line. Shelf prices are on the [cable box comparison](/hub/diy-supplies/cable-box). Figures are this amazon.co.uk capture from October 2026. Peter F. checked the listings, not in a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

A 4-gang behind the television and a drawer of spare chargers look like one mess. They are two buys. A lidded hider is for a lead that stays switched on. A clear case is for leads you have already unplugged.

Our top picks

Cwokarb Cwokarb cable box with 7 clear cases

Best overall

Cwokarb Cwokarb cable box with 7 clear cases
6.5/10about £12.99
View offer
D-Line D-Line cable tidy box, small, black

Rank 2

D-Line D-Line cable tidy box, small, black
9.5/10about £9.99
View offer
GOZOLA GOZOLA rattan cable box, 2-pack

Best value

GOZOLA GOZOLA rattan cable box, 2-pack
7.3/10about £23.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.A live lead and a spare lead are different buys
  2. 2.Fit means plugs in, not the outside of the box
  3. 3.Exits, air, and the lead itself
  4. 4.Material and review counts come last
  5. 5.Where that order leaves you

A live lead and a spare lead are different buys

Start with what is plugged in tonight. A live strip needs a hider with a lid you can lift. Spare USB leads with the plugs off need a drawer caddy. Cwokarb and ANCKNEG are the caddies. United Kingdom reviews of the Cwokarb cases say plugs do not fit. FDTEK is a lead and a shell together. Take it only if you still need the lead, and confirm a UK 13 A plug, because the fields say Type G and Type B.

Fit means plugs in, not the outside of the box

Large on a title is not a length. Measure the block with the plugs in, then use a figure the listing prints. Only the D-Line small unit states an internal fit as well as an outside size. The manufacturer's 6-gang size, up to 340 mm, is not in this comparison. GOZOLA's printed sizes are external, and reviews say the smaller box is too small for many switched UK extensions. A USB charger is what usually breaks a plausible box. The measuring order is on how to hide an extension lead.
Cwokarb Cwokarb cable box with 7 clear cases

Testsieger

Cwokarb Cwokarb cable box with 7 clear cases
6.5/10about £12.99
View offer

Exits, air, and the lead itself

Count openings on the faces you will use. A hole in the back does nothing if the lead must leave at the side. D-Line states three exits. GOZOLA states four. A weave or a pinhole is seller wording unless a named standard and a free-space figure sit beside it, and both belong to D-Line. The datasheet says to leave about 45 percent of that unit clear. Do not copy that figure onto the other rows. UL 94 HB does not mean the box contains a fire.

Material and review counts come last

Once the job and the fit are clear, the shell is a look. The enclosure citation in this capture is D-Line's BS EN 60670-22:2006. BSI's current designation is BS EN 60670-22:2006+A11:2024. It does not move to a weave or a timber lid. Luxe Designs at about £44.99 names acacia and mango and publishes no size. A 4.8 from 150 with no size is a different question from a deep review file on a box that states a fit. The shell is on plastic versus rattan. Hiders that state a place of use say indoor.

Where that order leaves you

If the leads are already unplugged, stop at a caddy. If the strip is switched on, ignore the word large until a printed length beats your measurement. If you live on daisy-chained leads, or before you drill a wall, call a registered electrician. Another box does not add sockets.

Common questions

Is a cable tidy box the same thing as a drawer full of chargers?
No. A tidy box here is either a lidded hider for a live extension or a clear caddy for unplugged leads. Cwokarb and ANCKNEG are the caddies, and United Kingdom reviews say plugs do not fit those cases. If the strip behind the television is switched on, you are buying a hider. A waterproof line with no IP code is not an enclosure rating.
What should you measure before you trust the word large?
Measure the block with the plugs in, including the tallest charger, and compare that with a length the listing prints. Where the page has no millimetres, the fit is n/a until the box is in your hand. External length is not the cavity. A switched rocker or a wall-wart is what usually stops a lid that looked long enough on paper.
Will the D-Line small box take a popular UK 4-gang?
The listing says popular 4-gang blocks up to 280 mm, in a shell of 325 × 125 × 115 mm. Reviews include buyers who fitted a 4-gang, and USB chargers or a smart plug that stopped the lid. If your tallest plug is a wall-wart, measure that plug before you treat 280 mm as enough. The large D-Line size for a 6-gang is not in this set.
Does a BS EN 60670-22 line on one listing apply to a rattan or wood box?
It applies to the listing that cites it. Here that is the D-Line small unit, which names BS EN 60670-22:2006. GOZOLA claims fire resistance with no standard number. The generic rattan box, XPJBKC and the wood box do not name the standard. UL 94 HB on the D-Line datasheet does not mean the box contains a fire, and it does not move to the other rows.
Can the box make a daisy-chained or overloaded lead safe?
A lid does not change the lead. Electrical Safety First still wants one extension, a fused UK 3-pin plug, and heaters and kettles in a wall socket. The Fire Protection Association wants the block where you can inspect it. If the plastic smells hot, a plug is scorched, or the insulation has melted, unplug and stop. A coiled reel under a lid ignores the advice to unwind a reel.
When do you stop buying boxes and ask for more sockets?
Stop when the room only works because one extension feeds another, when a hot smell remains after you reduce the load, when the flex is damaged, or when the fix is a hole in the wall. A registered electrician adds sockets. The D-Line large size for a 6-gang is not in this set, so it is not a substitute for that visit.

Related pages

Best cable box

Cable box

Cable box for a TV stand: power in, picture leads out

How to hide an extension lead without packing it full

Plastic vs rattan cable box, and when wood is the look

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Updated 22.10.2026.

  1. Electrical Safety First, extension leads, cable reels and block adaptors (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. BSI, BS EN 60670-22:2006+A11:2024 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. D-Line cable tidy unit (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. D-Line cable tidy unit datasheet (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. Fire Protection Association, extension lead briefing (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. HSE, electricity introduction (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. GOV.UK, consumer product safety advice (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. Which?, faulty products and the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 22.10.2026)