- No matter who is the lucky recipient, a monthly subscription box is a great way to make someone feel special. That’s why we’ve gathered up some of the best subscription clubs you can subscribe to.
- Wine aficionados will love Winc, snackers will love Universal Yums, and pet parents will flip for BarkBox. And there are plenty more where they came from.
What’s the one thing better than receiving presents on your birthday and at the holidays? Receiving presents every single month of the year, that’s what! And that’s exactly what subscription boxes, also called gift-of-the-month clubs, offer.
While you might think these types of subscription boxes are only suited for giving to someone else, there’s no reason not to buy one for yourself, as well. After all, you deserve to be treated every bit as well as you treat others, right? Just try to keep a smile off your face as you unwrap your monthly gift-to-yourself of coffee, games, gourmet delicacies, or whatever else it is you love best.
So if you’ve been wondering what to get for that special someone – whether that special someone is a significant other, family member, friend, or yourself – check out our list of some of the best subscription boxes around.
Here are the best subscription boxes:
- Best for wine lovers: Winc
- Best for snacks: Universal Yums
- Best for coffee: Trade Coffee
- Best if you love pop culture: LootCrate
- Best for fashion: Stitch Fix
- Best for beauty products: Birchbox
- Best for your pets: BarkBox and KitNipBox
- Best for foodies: Mouth
- Best if you love gardening: My Garden Box
- Best for bookworms: Book of the Month
Prices and links are current as of 8/10/20. We added our favorite subscription boxes for wine, snacks, fashion, and beauty. We also updated our pick for the best coffee subscription box.
The best for wine
Winc's algorithm learns your taste in wine, so its recommendations get better over time.
After a quick quiz to determine your basic wine preferences, you'll gain access to Winc's vast catalogue of wine so you can begin your journey of discovery. Unlike other subscription boxes that are priced per month, Winc's wines are priced per bottle, so you can set your own budget. Order four or more bottles, and all shipping and handling costs are waived. There's no limit on how many bottles you can order per month, so you can stock up if you need to.
Once you receive your wines and start tasting, you'll want to log back on and rate your purchases. Winc will then use your ratings to help you find more wines you're sure to love.
Bottles are priced from $13 to $40 each.
Check out our full guide to the best wine subscriptions.
The best for snacks
Each box from Universal Yums focuses on treats from a different country, so you can explore the world through snacks.
If you're tired of the same chips, cookies, and candy you can find in your local grocery store, there's no better way to switch up your snack game than by going international. With Universal Yums, you'll get to try snacks you've probably never tasted before and gain insight into a new nation's way of tackling the munchies every month.
Each box from Universal Yums contains both sweet and savory treats, and you can choose from three different sized boxes - six or more, 12 or more, or 20 or more snacks, running you $13.75, $22.92, and $35.75 per box respectively for a year-long subscription. The one downside is that you can't cancel your subscription mid-year, but you can choose a month-to-month option for a couple more bucks per box. You'll also get an extensive booklet that explains each of the snacks in your box and lets you in on some trivia about their country of origin.
Check out our full guide to the best snack subscription boxes.
The best for coffee
Trade Coffee's subscription service will help you discover new brews from all around the world and new roasters from all across the country.
If your first stop in any new city you visit is the local coffee shop, Trade Coffee is the subscription service for you. Much like Winc does with wine, Trade has you take a short quiz to establish your palate and match you with a coffee that's right for you. You'll be asked questions about how you usually take your coffee, how you normally brew it, and whether you prefer caffeinated or decaf beans.
From there, Trade will recommend a roast, and you can set how often you want it new bags delivered, whether or not you want it pre-ground, and how many bags you want. Each time you get a delivery, you'll be matched with a new bean based on your taste.
Depending on your quiz answers, Trade will match you to one of two subscription streams - The Classic, which offers easily accessible roasts and is a bit more affordable; or The Hookup, which offers coffees that are a bit more adventurous in flavor. The Classic will run you $14.75 per bag, while The Hookup's coffees are $15 to $22 per bag.
Unfortunately, it seems that the only way to switch subscription streams is to email customer service them after you've already signed up.
The best if you love pop culture
Are you always the first of your crowd to see the latest Marvel movie, sport the newest Star Wars t-shirt, or buy video game collectibles? Then you need LootCrate in your life.
LootCrate is a monthly box of joy for lovers of movies, video games, anime, sci-fi, and all other tenants of geekdom. Filled with four or more current pop culture favorites, including a monthly t-shirt, it's a gift - to yourself or the lucky recipient you send it to - that's sure to bring smiles.
There's a general theme to each month's crate, for example, "explore," "future," or "anti-hero." You'll always receive a t-shirt, along with a fun gathering of related goodies such as posters, comic books, figurines, and gear. Each monthly box is guaranteed to be worth at least $45, but the fun of discovering what's inside is priceless.
You can subscribe to LootCrate for just one month, or treat yourself a three, six, or 12-month plan. LootCrate offers a variety of other subscription boxes, as well, including anime, pets, and gaming.
LootCrate boxes are $24.99 a month and you can purchase a single box or a three-month, six-month, or 12-month subscription. If you opt for the full year, you'll get a slight discount bringing the cost of each box down to $22.49.
The best for fashion
With Stitch Fix, just set your budget, input your sizes, and take a quick style quiz, and you'll be well on your way to a brand new outfit.
Whether you hate shopping and wish someone would dress you every day or you just want to discover new brands and up your style game a bit, Stitch Fix hooks you up with a personal stylist to help you dress your best.
To get started, you'll take a style quiz to establish your existing aesthetic and input your usual sizes - Stitch Fix offers an inclusive range from 0-24W and XS-3X, including maternity. And you'll set your budget so your stylist knows how much you're willing to spend on your pieces. From there, a stylist will put together a box of five pieces from their vast inventory.
You'll be able to try on all the clothes at home, keep whatever you like, and send back anything that doesn't fit right or suit your style. Each box will run you a $20 styling fee, but if you buy any of the clothes, that fee is applied to the cost of your purchase. After your box is delivered, you can offer feedback on what you liked and what you didn't so your stylist can take that into account for your next box.
Stitch Fix offers boxes for men, women, and kids and you can set how frequently you'd like to receive new boxes - every two to three weeks, every month, every other month, or every three months.
Check out our full guide to the best clothing subscription boxes.
The best for beauty products
Birchbox is the original beauty subscription box, and it remains the best thanks to its wonderful selection of deluxe makeup, skincare, haircare, and nail products.
The beauty, haircare, and skincare worlds are so vast that it can be hard to keep up with all the new products out there. That's where Birchbox comes in. Each beauty box comes with five deluxe sample products so you can try our tons of brands over the course of your subscription. If you find a product you absolutely love, you can buy full-size versions directly from Birchbox with free shipping.
Birchbox includes a mix of mainstream and indie brands, letting you constantly expand your horizons. Past boxes have included samples from Dr. Dennis Gross, DevaCurl, Briogeo, Tatcha, and so many more. Birchbox also offers a grooming box catered more towards men.
Boxes are $15 month-to-month, $14 if you choose a six-month plan, and $13 if you choose a 12-month plan.
Check out our full guide to the best beauty subscription boxes.
The best for your pets
Fido and Fluffy love getting gifts as much as you do, so thrill their furry hearts with a subscription to BarkBox for dogs or KitNipBox for cats.
Why should humans have all the fun? With BarkBox for dogs and KitNipBox for cats, your pets can enjoy their own gift-of-the-month clubs.
BarkBox includes at least two toys, two bags of all-natural treats, and a doggy-pleasing chew in each month's themed box. If your pooch is an exceptionally tough chewer, you can upgrade to the Super Chewer option, which includes tougher toys and heavy-duty chews.
BarkBox has plans for small, medium, and large dogs. One BarkBox costs $35. A six-month plan is $25 per month, and a 12-month plan is $22 per month. Shipping is included.
KitNipBox is sure to please even the most finicky feline. Each month, your kitty will receive a box with five items, including toys and treats. If you have more than one cat, you can subscribe to the Multi-Cat KitNipBox plan, which includes seven items each month.
KitNipBox is $19.99 per month. The Multi-Cat plan is $29.99 per month. Shipping is included.
The best subscription club for foodies
Mouth brings you the best indie, small-batch, interesting deliciousness from around the country each and every month.
If you have a discerning palate, love to try new things, and enjoy being surprised on a regular basis, Mouth's Indie States of America club is for you. Each month, you'll receive four to five delicious gourmet goodies from around the country. Expect to find tasty treats like gourmet jams, crunchy pickles, fresh chips, and many other artisan delights in each monthly box.
Just about all of Mouth's offerings are entirely crafted in the United States, most in small batches made by hand. They come nicely packaged, as well, so if you're buying the subscription as a gift, you can be confident that the recipient will be impressed.
Mouth offers a variety of other subscription plans to choose from, including pickles, gin, snacks, and bourbon.
A three-month subscription to the Indie States of America club is $60 per month; six-month subscriptions are $57 per month, and a 12-month subscription is $54 per month. Shipping is included.
The best if you love gardening
My Garden Box combines two great hobbies - gardening and crafting - in one monthly package.
If you love filling your home with plants but don't always have time to get to the nursery or know what to buy once you get there, My Garden Box is the subscription box for you. Each month, you'll get everything you need - planter, soil, and living plants or bulbs, plus tips - to plant your very own little container garden.
Your monthly garden-in-a-pot might include herbs, succulents, flowering bulbs, or small terrarium plants, each accompanied by a planter that complements your greenery. Keep your finished creation for yourself, or give it as a gift once your windowsills are full.
My Garden Box costs $38.50 month-to-month. Buying three-, six-, or 12-month subscriptions will earn you small discounts.
The best subscription club for bookworms
Book of the Month delivers a new book to your home each month, so you never have to worry about your next read.
If you or someone you know loves to read, you'll love the Book of the Month Club. For more than 90 years, Book of the Month has been helping readers discover and dive into new books.
Every month, you get to choose one book from five excellent new selections. You can also skip a month if you still haven't finished last month's read. It's a great way to avoid indecision in the aisles of your local bookstore and to discover new titles without any effort.
Your first book is $9.99, and every month thereafter is $14.99.