Although sometimes a bit of a splurge, subscription boxes can be quite the little life-savers. You can discover a wide world of fresh fragrance, new styles curated by your personal shopper and smooth international coffee—all without so much as even remembering to go on an online or IRL search. (Oh, and you can combat food waste while automatically shopping seasonally, too.)
And while we totally recommend treating yourself to a few, subscription services also make excellent last-minute holiday gifts for those friends and relatives that are usually so hard to shop for (looking at you, Dad). Plus, sending a subscription box is easy to do from home, but feels more personal than putting a gift card or check in the mail. With monthly deliveries fit for everyone on your list—like your BFF who loves wine to your aunt who picked up painting or your sister who is skincare-obsessed—choosing a specific themed subscription box shows you put thought into the present even if it wasn't hand-selected from a store shelf. And even better? Most of these brands offer gift certificates that arrive in your recipient's email so there's no need to worry about shipping delays.
But since you can’t possibly sort through them all, we've rounded up the absolute best subscription boxes in the clothing, beauty, food, home, wellness, kids and pets categories to help you make the best choice. You're welcome.
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Cost: $20 styling fee that goes toward the cost of the items you purchase. If you buy everything in your box, you receive a 25 percent discount.
What you get: Five items
Why we love it: This one’s for the person who’s tired of scrolling through pages and pages of online stores looking for the perfect items (so... everyone). Stitch Fix acts as an on-demand personal shopper, selecting a mix of clothing and accessories based on an 80-plus question style quiz you take at sign up. The thorough survey helps your stylist nail your taste, price point for different items and notes if you need anything specific, ensuring you’ll love at least one item in your box. The best part though? The size-specific subscriptions they offer. Options include women’s petite, plus and maternity, and men’s big, short and tall, as well as a kid’s subscription for sizes 2T to 14. A membership isn’t required, so you can sign up on a monthly, seasonally or as-needed basis.
Cost: $49 - $199 a month, based on the number of items you choose to receive
What you get: One to 10 items at a time, based on your plan
Why we love it: Made for sizes 10 to 32, this plus-size subscription box offers a large variety of styles from smart workwear to casual weekend attire that you can borrow or buy. All plans come with unlimited exchanges and, with more than 150 brands to choose from, it makes keeping your wardrobe up-to-date an easy feat. New customers can sign up with a free 30-day trial.
Cost: $45/month
What you get: 4-5 items worth $75+
Why we love it: Skip gifting dad another box of golf balls. With Bespoke Post’s subscription service he’ll receive a “monthly box of awesome” full of high-quality clothes, home goods and other interesting finds from under-the-radar brands. Each month, he can choose from a variety of different themed boxes, like mixology or gardening, to receive. Or, he can leave it up to auto-select and be surprised with what arrives at his doorstep. Plus, if dad needs a break (or doesn’t see a theme he’s interested in), he can pause at any time and pick back up when he’s ready.
Cost: $28 every one, two or three months
What you Get: Two pairs of tights
Why We Love It: This adorable new subscription service sends beautiful patterned tights—with styles ranging from classic houndstooth to fashion-forward back-seam hearts—that will add some oomph to your fall/winter wardrobe. Made in Italy and designed in Montreal, the tights are recommended by a stylist based on your profile, but ultimately you get to choose which ones end up in your order. Consider your cold weather essentials upgraded.
Cost: $19/month
What you get: Two to four pairs of socks, or one to three pairs of underwear, shipped either monthly or quarterly
Why we love it: Choose between subscription boxes for men or women and get some of the comfiest underwear and socks around, not to mention in fun patterns with pop culture references, plus motifs from sports and movies. Just choose underwear or socks, the number the giftee wants to receive (two, three or four pairs) and whether they want them monthly or quarterly. Let the brand pick products based on a brief quiz or your giftee can curate their own box.
Cost: $5 starter kit, up to $44 for your second box based on the products you select
What you get: Your first shipment is a Starter Set, which comes with a razor, two blades and travel-size grooming products. From there, you can customize a restock box with full-size items.
Why we love it: If buying razors is always a forgotten task, give your legs a little attention with these personalized shipments. For less money than you’d pay in the store (and way more convenient), Dollar Shave Club offers three razor options: two-blade, four-blade and six-blade and has additional products you can add to your shipment including body wash, shampoo and toothpaste. Plus, you can select what day and how often you want to receive your box.
Cost: Starting at $100
What you get: A selection of premium Argentine grass-fed beef
Why we love it: If you’ve found yourself making the same old grilled chicken, we’ve got the answer to get you out of a dinner rut. Enter Carne Collective—a monthly delivery box of world renown beef from Argentina. The company sources its meat from Grade-A, hormone-free, grass-fed Angus cows directly from Argentinian ranches, and each box features curated cuts selected by master butchers, like New York Strip, Filet Mignon and a traditional Argentinian Picanha. You can choose from three different sized boxes that range from $155 to $179 with the option to choose the frequency of deliveries. Or you have the option to create a custom box where you can select the cuts and quantity you’d like. Now, go on, your grill is calling.
Cost: $22/box
What you get: A mix of twelve different types of fruits and vegetables, 1-2 portions per type
Why we love it: This Philadelphia-based startup is dedicated to rescuing “ugly” yet perfectly delicious produce (that would typically end up in landfills), instead delivering them to be used in all sorts of dishes. You can choose between the Mischief Box, which offers a mix of 12 different types of fruits and veggies, or the Madness Box, which gives you 14, and how frequently you’d like a delivery. Each box contains in-season produce sourced from regional farms and is certified organic and non-GMO. Plus, Misfits Market’s boxes end up costing 25-40 percent less than that amount of produce would at your local grocery store. Goodbye food waste, hello stocked fridge.
Cost: From $80/week ($13/serving) for two people, or $88/week ($11/serving) for four people
What you get: A flexible, weekly subscription of vegan meals that come freshly prepared and mostly ready to cook (be prepared to chop up all those veggies)
Why we love it: Unlike other subscription food boxes that have a vegan option, Purple Carrot is exclusively vegan, so delicious veggies are their specialty. Plus, the brand offers breakfast, lunch and snack options in addition to dinner, making it easy to eat plant-based all day long with minimal effort.
Cost: Starting at $30/day or $150/week for a recurring subscription
What you get: Plant-based, gluten-free and organic, fully prepared meals delivered to your door for all three daily meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) or any combination of the three
Why we love it: Sakara takes the guesswork out of eating plant-based, gluten-free and organic with expert, ready-made meals delivered on a weekly basis. Unlike other subscription services, you have the option to include three pre-prepared meals per day, so you don't have to spend valuable time cooking (aside from heating up a dish or two). Plus, the PureWow reviewer gave the Sakara 30-Day Diet Reset high marks.
Cost: From $45
What you get: Three glasses of wine
Why we love it: If you love wine, but are more of a casual sipper, VineBox sends one-glass samples instead of full bottles, each filled with a different wine. Each shipment comes with educational material that makes it easy to learn about the different varieties and regions, and, if you find something you love, you get credits towards purchasing a full bottle.
Cost: From $13/bottle
What you get: A monthly subscription of expert-picked domestic and international bottles
Why we love it: Before you start sipping, Winc will have you fill out a six-question survey that will determine your palate profile. From the results, the experts at Winc recommend four vinos that you’re sure to love. From there, you can make swaps or additions based on the assortment. Plus, new wines are added to the site daily, so you can try something new every month. You can also rate your wines after you try them, to get the most accurate recommendations each month.
Cost: An average box costs $29/month, but price is based on individual items
What you get: 30-day supply
Why we love it: Remembering to take vitamins is so much harder now that mom isn’t around to place them on the kitchen table with breakfast every morning. But Care/of is here to make it a little bit easier. The subscription service recommends personalized blends of vitamins and supplements based on a survey you take about your lifestyle, diet and goals. Then, each month, you'll receive a 30-day supply of your wellness concoction, portioned out into cute daily packs that automatically replenish—no trip to the pharmacy (or mom) needed.
Cost: $159/quarter
What you get: 5-8 products with up to $300 in value
Why we love it: Sure, TikTok is one way to find new, cool products, but if you’re less than ready to scroll through a FYP, let us introduce you to another way to discover innovative brands. Meet Breo Box, a quarterly subscription service that curates a selection of the latest “make my life better” gear that span the tech, fitness and home goods categories. Past boxes have included everything from a Yeti Rambler Mug, to Fujifilm Instax Cameras to TRX home gyms. #impressed
Cost: $65/month
What you get: All the materials for one craft (except common household items)
Why we love it: For the person who’d rather DIY than shop online, make sure they always have a new project in the queue with a craft subscription box. The Crafter’s Box not only sends all the materials and tools, but members also get access to a digital workshop where they can follow along with top artists. Past projects have included fabric weaving, wood carving and dried wreath-making. As an added bonus, they’ll also be invited to join a private community of makers where they can share their project’s progress, ask crafting questions to experts and join live Q&As with artists. But the best part? You might end up on the receiving end of a homemade treasure.
Cost: $20 service fee that gets credited toward the items you purchase
What you get: Five, eight or twelve items
Why we love it: This amazing kids clothing box sends an assortment of styles designed in-house and hand-picked for your child every season—just pick their faves and return the rest for free. Most items range from $16 to $38, and, if you keep everything in the box you can save up to 45 percent off your order. The best part? Rockets of Awesome has an upcycle program, Rockets Reverse, which allow subscribers to send back outgrown kids' clothes for credits to shop their online store.
Cost: From $25/week
What you get: A custom meal plan of fresh dog food
Why we love it: We know Spot deserves better than the bland, dry kibble we’ve been feeding her for the past few years. Ollie uses your dog’s weight, age, breed, activity level and allergies to create a custom meal plan of fresh dog food that’s delivered to your home every week. Plus, right now you can receive 50 percent off your first box.
Cost: From $35/box
What you get: Choose from five premium dog supplements (calming, complete care, hip and joint, bladder and kidney or probiotic) or bundle a few to save extra
Why we love it: We take supplements, so why shouldn?t our furballs? Goodboy features easy, chewable supplements for everything from anxiety to joint care to overall health. Boxes can be delivered every two, four or six weeks, depending on how many supplements your dog needs per day. Don?t want a subscription? You can order Goodboy à la carte, before committing to a recurring delivery schedule.