Very rare I have a layover long enough to warrant it, but the few times I had it was a game changer.

7 hours in Dublin once, pre-covid, the shower and reclined seat I could nap in made it bearable. Wasn't at all crowded.

3 hours in Detroit, during covid, lounges were closed... but I was also like one of 4 people in the airport so the whole terminal was like a personal lounge.

4 hours in DFW, cubicle to work from and clean bathrooms made that day suck a lot less.

Had 3.5 hours in Vegas this year but lounges were full. Had they not been, I'd gladly have paid the $50 to have somewhere quiet'ish and comfortable to crack my laptop and not have to pack everything up just to use the bathroom. The food court was unbearable to work from after a bit so most of that time I spent zonked out with headphones at the gate, which was empty until about an hour before the flight.

Capacity is the biggest issue these days, but every major carrier seems to be dumping a fortune on bigger better lounges right now. The paradox with lounges is you'd need them less if there wasn't so much buffer time needed prior to departure, delays, and long connections.