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Plastic vs rattan cable box

Updated: 23 October 2026

A woven lid and a fire resistant line can look like the same evidence as a named enclosure standard. They are not. This plastic vs rattan cable box page sets three materials against one live strip: moulded ABS, polypropylene woven to look like rattan, and wood. None of the three makes an overloaded lead safe. There is no single winner for every room. Prices are on the [cable box comparison](/hub/diy-supplies/cable-box). Hider versus caddy is the [cable tidy box buying guide](/hub/diy-supplies/cable-box/sub/cable-box-buying-guide). Peter F. compared the shells in this amazon.co.uk set on 21 October 2026, not in a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

A woven lid and a fire resistant line can look like the same evidence as a named enclosure standard. They are not.

Our top picks

D-Line D-Line cable tidy box, small, black

Best overall

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
Luxe Designs Luxe Designs wood cable box

Alternative

Luxe Designs Luxe Designs wood cable box
5.8/10about £44.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What the three materials are in this set
  2. 2.When the ABS box is the one to take
  3. 3.When a woven box is the one to take
  4. 4.Wood is furniture under the same load rules
  5. 5.Look is not the test

What the three materials are in this set

ABS here means the D-Line small black unit, citing BS EN 60670-22:2006, with 4.5 from 14,120 reviews. The UK datasheet adds UL 94 HB and about 45 percent of that cavity left free. UL 94 HB does not mean the box contains a fire. Rattan on these pages is not cane. GOZOLA, the generic box and XPJBKC are polypropylene woven to look like rattan. GOZOLA states the polymer and two external sizes. Gaps in the weave are a look, not a ventilation test. Wood is Luxe Designs. The field says acacia and the bullets say mango, and the size is n/a.

When the ABS box is the one to take

Take ABS when you want a published fit for a popular 4-gang and a named standard on the same listing. That is the D-Line small unit: blocks up to 280 mm, three exits, indoor. It is the top pick in this set for that job. A USB charger or a smart plug can stop the lid, so 280 mm is the block length, not every plug-top supply. Leave it if the box must look like wicker or timber, or if the strip is longer than 280 mm. The larger D-Line size is not in this comparison. The free-space figure stays on this datasheet.
D-Line D-Line cable tidy box, small, black

Testsieger

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

When a woven box is the one to take

Take a weave when the box will be seen and the page prints an external size. GOZOLA at about £23.99 publishes 33 × 15 × 13 cm and 28 × 10 × 10 cm, with 4.4 from 115 reviews. Reviews say the medium box is too small for many switched UK extensions, so plan the live 4-gang into the larger shell. The fire-resistance line has no standard number, so it is not BS EN 60670-22. The generic box at about £14.99 is 4.8 from 150 and publishes no size. A higher star does not make that shell safer. One row per job is the best cable management box page.

Wood is furniture under the same load rules

Take Luxe Designs when you want a visible wooden box and you can live with a size marked n/a plus an acacia and mango clash. Only two United Kingdom reviews are in this scrape. One mentions a hinged lid while the listing says magnetic. No standard is named. The load rules do not change with the lid: a fused UK 3-pin plug, no daisy-chain, and heaters and kettles in a wall socket. The block stays inspectable on wood as on ABS. If the page names both timbers, that is part of goods as described before you pay.

Look is not the test

Take the ABS box when you want a stated 4-gang fit and a named standard on the same listing. Take the weave when the box will be seen and the page prints a size you can check. Take the wood box only if you have measured the strip yourself. None of the three changes the lead.

Common questions

Is rattan actually rattan?
In this set the woven boxes are polypropylene made to look like rattan. GOZOLA says polypropylene. The generic box says polypropylene. XPJBKC's bullet says polypropylene and rattan together, which does not make the shell cane. The gaps in the weave are not a safety test, and they are not a ventilation result.
Does fire resistant on a woven box match BS EN 60670-22?
No. GOZOLA claims fire resistance and gives no standard number. The D-Line small unit cites BS EN 60670-22:2006. UL 94 HB on D-Line's datasheet does not mean the box contains a fire, and it does not move onto the weave or the wood. BSI's current designation is BS EN 60670-22:2006+A11:2024.
When is ABS the better buy for a live strip?
When you want a stated internal fit and a named standard together. That is the D-Line small box at about £9.99: blocks up to 280 mm, three exits, 4.5 from 14,120 reviews. It is the wrong look if the shell must read as wicker or timber, and the wrong size if the strip is longer than 280 mm. A USB charger can still stop the lid.
When is the woven box the better buy?
When the box will be seen and the page prints an external size you can check. GOZOLA at about £23.99 publishes 33 × 15 × 13 cm and 28 × 10 × 10 cm. Keep a switched 4-gang out of the medium half unless you have measured it. The generic box is cheaper and publishes no size. XPJBKC publishes a size and no reviews.
Is the wood box acacia or mango, and does that change the load?
This Luxe Designs listing says acacia in one field and mango in the bullets. The size is n/a. The clash does not change the lead, which is still usually 13 A, with no daisy-chain. It does change what as described means if you care which timber arrives. Other Luxe Designs ASINs are not this £44.99 row. Two United Kingdom reviews in this scrape praise the build.
Can any of these materials make an overloaded lead safe?
No. ABS, woven polypropylene and wood leave the limits where Electrical Safety First put them: no daisy-chain, heaters and kettles in the wall, and stop if the plastic smells hot. The block stays inspectable whichever lid you bought. If the room only works on chained extensions, ask a registered electrician for sockets.

Related pages

Cable box for a TV stand

Cable box

Best cable management box UK: one pick for each job

Cable tidy box buying guide: the job before the shell

How to hide an extension lead without packing it full

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)