It’s that time of year again when we feel pressured to find new and exciting ways to surprise our friends and family with gifts they’ll appreciate. If you’re reading this and already starting to panic, don’t worry. We’ve compiled a list of ideas that should help relieve stress.
Subscription boxes are a popular gift idea for those who want to keep sharing the love for weeks, months, and years. Personally, it’s fun to buy these for loved ones who live far away, especially if you can’t visit them during the holidays. It also gives us an excuse to chat every month and hear what items you like best. If they are nice, they will even send you the products they don’t want!
There are endless options, so even the hardest to shop for people can find something they like. We searched for a few that we think you would like, based on quality, uniqueness, and overall best value for money.
Here are the 10 subscription boxes we recommend:
Best Custom Subscription Box – Tailored Post
Price: $49 per month or $70 for a box
Image credits: Custom publishing
Unlike other subscription boxes that cater to a niche (beauty, fitness, fashion, etc.) Custom publishing offers packages that cater to a wide range of interests, including camping, cooking, hiking, and traveling. The best part about Bespoke Post is that it finds products from small businesses in the hopes that customers will discover new and emerging brands.
After completing a short questionnaire, Bespoke Post selects monthly boxes based on your loved ones’ preferences. Are you a coffee fan or do you prefer to smoke cigars? Whatever it is, there’s probably a box for them. Members preview the box and can keep it, swap it for another box, or skip it.
Best subscription box for gamers and geeks: Loot Crate
Price: $9.99 per month or $30 per box
Image credits: loot box
For gamers, geeks and anime lovers, loot box has all the pop culture items, from video game gear and movie collectibles to anime, manga merchandise and more. Previous bundles included items from Fallout, Harry Potter, and Berserk, among other popular franchises.
Best subscription box for tech lovers: Breo Box
Price: $145/quarterly or $160 per box
Image credits: Breo box
If you know someone who likes technology and gadgets (maybe they’re also a TechCrunch reader?), check out Breo Box – the quarterly subscription box featuring five to eight exciting new devices valued up to $1,200. Some highlights for Fall 2023 included a portable iron to quickly remove wrinkles before an important meeting and a compact, portable book lamp.
Best Subscription Box for Foodies: Read It and Eat It
Price: $50/quarterly
Image credits: Read it and eat it
Read it and eat it has just the subscription box food lovers need, especially if they like to snack while reading. The quarterly subscription box includes a food-focused book and three to five small business items, such as snacks, baking kits, sample kits, spices and seasonings, and more. For example, celebrity chef David Chang’s memoir “Eat a Peach” would be paired with food from his Momofuku brand.
Box themes for 2024 include breakfast in February, mocktails in May, pasta in August, and global spices in November. Previous boxes had hot sauces, donuts, a selection of cheeses, and more. There is also a box called “Blind Date with a Book,” which includes a snack from a small store and a surprise book based on a genre selected by the customer.
Plus, when you purchase a subscription box, the company donates $5 to organizations in Buffalo, New York, to fight hunger.
We also recommend Once upon a time there was a book cluba subscription that has surprise gifts for readers to open while they read, and Books used monthlywhich offers a used book bundle to help reduce waste.
Best Subscription Box for Actors: Broadway Book Club
Price: $58/quarterly
Image credits: Broadway Book Club
If you know any theater fans in your inner circle, then Broadway Book Club It’s right up your alley. This quarterly subscription box features seven plays selected by Tony Award-winning playwrights from the Broadway Licensing catalog. The box also comes with a note from the playwright.
There are also specialized boxes such as a collection of high school plays, college theater degrees, and works by black women and playwrights.
Best Subscription Box for Dinner Party Hosts: Platterful
Price: Standard kits cost $65 per month. Large kits are $99 per month.
Image credits: full plate
He butter board TikTok trend It may be gone, but charcuterie boards are timeless. Platterful Charcuterie Kits They come with a selection of cheeses, meats, dried fruits, olives, candied nuts, chocolate and other delicious accompaniments. The standard kit feeds one to four people, while the large kit can feed six to eight. Platterful also offers vegan, nut-free, and gluten-free options. Like Read It and Eat It, the company donates 10 meals for every box sold.
Best Puzzle Subscription Box: Jiggy Puzzle Club
Price: $34 per month
Image credits: Jiggy
Jiggy Puzzle Club is a monthly subscription for avid puzzle lovers looking to expand their collection. Each box comes with a 500-piece puzzle designed by independent artists from around the world. Jiggy also has a junior subscription box for kids.
Best Personal Care Subscription Box: TheraBox
Price: $35 per month
Image credits: TheraBox
We all know someone who deserves to have a self-care day. TheraBox features eight full-size wellness items worth over $200, including essential oils, candles, skin care, bath bombs, body care products and more. The box also comes with a therapist-approved “Happiness Booster Activity,” such as guided meditations, games, and therapeutic art.
Best subscription box for creatives: SketchBox
Price: $25 per month
Image credits: sketch box
Whether your loved one is an aspiring artist or simply someone looking for a creative outlet, sketch box It’s perfect for anyone who wants to try new artistic techniques. SketchBox includes a selection of art supplies, as well as an inspiring piece of art from the featured artist of the month. The box also includes art supplies and products before they hit stores.
In addition to the supplies, SketchBox provides an instructional video that demonstrates different techniques. A 30-day free trial is also included for those who want to try the augmented reality tracking app. Cupixelwhich has ai-powered features like “Smart Trace” to help trace an outline and a photo converter.
Best beauty subscription box: Kinder Beauty Box
Price: $27 per month
Image credits: Kindest beauty
Founded by vegan and animal activists Daniella Monet and Evanna Lynch, Kinder beauty box guarantees 100% vegan and cruelty-free beauty products. The company selects monthly subscription boxes containing five full-size and sample items valued up to $165. Kinder Beauty also donates a portion of sales to environmental and animal rights causes.
