Practical guide and verification
Key size and representation
AES uses 128-, 192-, or 256-bit keys. Hex and Base64 are only text encodings of the same bytes; choosing a longer-looking representation does not change the underlying key strength.
Randomness matters
A cryptographic key should come from a cryptographically secure random source, not a memorable phrase, timestamp, ordinary pseudo-random function, or user ID.
Storage
Generating a strong key is only the first step. Store it separately from encrypted data, restrict access, plan rotation and backup, and never commit production keys to source control.