Softbox grids - pointless marketing gadget or really useful tool

I haven't a clue about such things, but I am just in the process of upgrading from the classic umbrella to a soft box when my hand hovered over the BUY button, just how much of a difference does the grid make? For the experienced out there, could you tell by looking at a picture if the soft box had one fitted or not? I'm looking at a 24" to go with a speedlight, Neewar or something nothing fancy, total lighting amateur dipping his toe in the water really, just not sure about the grid.......

It's not about a difference made in subject's looks, it's about collimating the light so that it doesn't spill onto the background or other surfaces/areas. Grids are not gimmicks, they're really useful tools in the hands of those who know what they're doing.

A speedlite in a softbox with a grid sounds like a lot of lost light.

Grids are invaluable.

1-2 stops isn't a lot. Just up the power.

Alveric wrote in post #18080425
It's not about a difference made in subject's looks, it's about collimating the light so that it doesn't spill onto the background or other surfaces/areas. Grids are not gimmicks, they're really useful tools in the hands of those who know what they're doing.

This, for sure.

Go out and buy a Fotodiox Ez-pro and grid, a very inexpensive set up that will allow you to work with a grid and see what they are capable of.

Alveric wrote in post #18080425
It's not about a difference made in subject's looks, it's about collimating the light so that it doesn't spill onto the background or other surfaces/areas. Grids are not gimmicks, they're really useful tools in the hands of those who know what they're doing.

agree with everything except how it hits the subject. Especially with a small softbox, like the OP is buying, it can help make the light source appear smaller/harder if even slightly feathering the light.

Grids work. I never knew the difference until I used them. Very valuable to control light spill.

Been using gridded dishes, fireballs, soft boxes for quite some time now. No need to light up what's not being photographed and can bounce in and interfere with the actual subject (walls, ceiling, floors). Not to mention color cast from bounced light.

If I need bounced light like that, I'd prefer to control it and to do it myself.

When we speak about the grid, we first need to talk about her characteristics. Some grids are just pointless marketing gadget, but some really useful tool. Here's an example

Thanks folks, some strong opinions here, and they obviously make a difference, but that picture settles it for me, beyond a doubt. It also explains my hesitation, I just looked at the more open grids and just couldn't see what effect they would have, and that's shown here too. Thank you

Out of interest to an earlier post worrying about a 24" soft box with a grid losing a lot of light with a speedlight, the reason i was looking at a 24" one was that an earlier thread agreed this was about the best size for a speedlight, happy to accept guidance if that's bum steer.

Even a SB with a lip gives you more control than one without when either is feathered.

Maximum control looks like this
Softbox 40x140