Christmas is swiftly approaching (as is that shipping deadline) — if you still have a lot of gifts to check off your list, cue the panic. While you could haphazardly add items to your Amazon cart or brave the crowds at the mall in search of the perfect gifts, may we propose a stress-free alternative? Enter the subscription box. From clothing subscriptions and wine clubs to meal kits and family-friendly boxes, there's an option for everyone.
It’s no wonder that subscription boxes are wildly popular — stuffed with goodies that arrive nicely packed on your doorstep, they’re a fun and easy way to discover new brands and sample a variety of products. And for friends and family, it makes an especially generous gift: a myriad of items tailored to their interests.
Whether you opt for a one-off, or have a box delivered quarterly or even monthly, you’ll be sure to bring a smile to your loved one's face. No matter who’s on your list, there’s a subscription box that’s a perfect fit. Here are some of our favorites.
Best clothing and apparel subscription boxes
1. Stitch Fix
For the busy workaholic with no time to shop or the husband who dreads stepping foot inside a mall, consider a clothing box subscription. One of the most popular is Stitch Fix, beloved because of its highly personalized service. Featuring options for men and women, as well as maternity, plus-sized and petites, clients can receive Fixes automatically or schedule them on-demand, with a variety of styles to choose from for all budgets — plus free shipping and returns. Gift card values start at $20 (which will cover the styling fee for each fix and is then applied as credit toward purchases) and go all the way up to $1000.
2. Trunk Club
Available for men and women: Tell your personal stylist about your needs, likes and wants, and they’ll curate 10 or so items — clothing, shoes, jewelry, outerwear and accessories. You can receive them at regular intervals or as requested. Trunk Club is a Nordstrom company, so the brands are familiar and items are available at a range of price points. The $25 styling fee will be waved with purchase.
3. Bloomingdale's My List
The subscription service for women stocks their archives with more than 200 pieces from 75 brands like Aqua, Joie and The Kooples. There, you can stock your virtual closet, tag four styles you want, and have a box shipped to your home. Wear them for as long as you want, purchase styles you want to keep forever at a special price, and then send the box back. Get a new one. Repeat.
4. The Tie Bar
This subscription, which sends a box every three months, has multiple options. Sign them up for a sock box ($45 for six total pairs; or $89 for 12 pairs), six to 12 bow ties ($99 and $199), or six or 12 months of their best-selling skinny, neck or extra-long ties. The company offers a wide range of styles (floral, plaid, art deco), in a rainbow of colors and a variety of materials to expand — and complete — their collection.
Best self-care subscription boxes
5. The Bouqs Company
Few things make a home feel more inviting than fresh flowers. (In fact, studies show that greenery in the home reduces stress and increases productivity.) Ensure your loved ones are never without blooms thanks to The Bouqs, a floral subscription service. Choose from weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or every few months, with flowers either delivered fresh from a sustainable farm, or on the doorstep from an artisan florist, in as little as 2 hours.
6. GlobeIn
Support artisans from around the world and let your loved ones enjoy boxes full of gorgeous fair trade products — each featuring an inspirational backstory — with GlobeIn. We especially love the Cozy Box, designed to promote mental wellbeing through a quiet night in, including a fair trade scarf from Thailand, Divine Chocolate cocoa powder from Ghana, a hand-painted mug from Morocco, and palm leaf basket from Mexico.
7. FabFitFun
For the trendy, stylish and active women on your list there’s the FabFitFun box, allowing beauty junkies to add to their arsenal with more than $200 worth of full-sized products every three months. Plus, in addition to makeup, skincare and haircare, the boxes also include fashion accessories like scarves, ponchos, clutches and jewelry, and fitness and wellness items.
8. Book of the Month
Exactly what it sounds like: Each month, you get to choose one of "the five best new reads" and it's delivered. You get three months — that's three books — for $50. For the reader in your life, make their choices slightly easier and give them exposure and variety they might not have had otherwise in their literary exploration.
Best meal kits and food subscription boxes for the kitchen
9. F.N. Sharp
Sharp knives make for great meals and there's a special surprise between F.N. Sharp's knife sets: They send you a brand new set regularly, taking the old knives back and keeping yours at their sharpest without requiring any work. The 3 Knife Set goes for $880 and includes three of these "sharpening cycles," which you can choose throughout the year (they recommend a cycle once per quarter). Want to go with a set of steak knives for a friend whose set is too dull? $500 gets you a four-knife set and three included cycles.
10. Green Chef Meal Kit
Meal kit delivery services have been the rage for years, thanks to their convenience and foolproof cooking methods — but not all kits are created equal. Green Chef — the first USDA-certified meal kit company — boasts high-quality meat and produce: ingredients are organic, GMO-, pesticide-, antibiotic- and hormone-free. For those following special diets, Paleo, gluten-free, Keto and vegan plans are available, and users can pause, skip or cancel at any time. All packaging is also 100 percent compostable or recyclable, meaning meals are good for you and the environment.
11. HelloFresh Wine Club
Whether you’re searching for a gift for your favorite hostess, or your mother-in-law who loves a good glass of vino, HelloFresh Wine Club takes the guesswork out of the overwhelming task of picking the perfect bottle off the shelf (plus makes drinking wine more fun!). Along with monthly shipments of six bottles — red, white or both — HelloFresh will provide pairing suggestions, tasting notes and a flavor profile for each wine. Deliveries can be paused, skipped, and even (if you change your mind) returned.
12. Raw Spice Bar
Spice up a home-chefs life (and cooking!) with these freshly-ground quarterly spice sets from Raw Spice Bar, including six seasonal blends — everything from basics like taco seasoning and pumpkin pie spice to more exotic offerings such as Garam Masala and Shichimi Togarashi. Shipments are themed and come with recipe cards utilizing featured spices, so budding chefs can learn how to pair new flavors.
13. Urthbox
A collection of healthy snacks, this box delivers up to 30 full-sized, non-GMO, organic and all-natural products. Go for a Classic, Gluten-Free, Vegan, or Diet box to get the eats suited to your needs. For instance, you might get juices, snack bars, jerky, crackers, granola and trail mix, as well as bonus “extras," like personal care products or supplements. Brands like Made Good, Unreal and Nothing But are just some of the top-rated snacks packed in each box.
Best custom subscription boxes
14. FANCHEST
Sports fans will flip for these team-inspired gift baskets from FANCHEST, featuring licensed sports gear, accessories, merchandise, memorabilia, headwear and apparel. Boxes change every three months, and each chest includes a Golden Ticket featuring a chance to win signed memorabilia, tickets to games or VIP experiences.
15. Man Crates
What’s he into? Grilling? Whiskey? Exotic meats? Hunting? There are a ton of fun crates suited to his interest. Take The Bacon Crate: It's packed with bacon jerky, bacon jam, bacon seasoning and more. The Golfer’s Crate comes with a golf towel, balls, tees and is rounded out with a CaddyShack DVD. A Whisky Appreciation Crate comes with a personalized whiskey decanter and glasses, ice sphere molds and snacks. These boxes are more one-off orders, but one big perk compared to traditional online gifts is that you can choose the delivery date.
Best family-friendly subscription boxes
16. KiwiCo Crate
Whether they're babies, toddlers, in preschool, teens (or older), there’s a Kiwi Crate suited to them. Each box comes with activities geared toward arts, crafts, play or STEM learning. For instance, a recent preschool Koala Crate focused on fun on the farm. The craft Doodle Crate (for kids ages 9 to 16+) supplies materials for DIYs like painting, sculpting and soap making. The engineering and design Eureka Crate for ages 14 and up had participants build a wooden ukulele. It’s easy to give a Kiwi Crate as a gift — all you have to do is choose the child’s age and subscription duration to get started.
17. foodstirs kit
An ideation activity for parents and their kids, the Baker’s Club sends over a box with one baking project. All of their ingredients are non-GMO and fair trade, and the decorations are naturally-colored. The current box offering is Polar Bear Cupcakes. Past boxes include Spider Whoopie Pies, Frosted Apple-Shaped Granola Bars and Rainbow Doughnuts. If any extra supplies are needed, like specialty cookie cutters or silicone molds, foodstirs will send that along, too. Subscriptions are available as one- or three-kit packages.
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