If you’re stumped about what to get someone for the holidays, allow us to solve your problem: The stuff-in-a-box subscription service has never been hotter and there are options galore for each and everyone on your shopping list.
You know what’s better than a gift? A gift that arrives on your doorstep promptly every month. Here are our favorite stuff-in-a-box services the Internet has to offer.
For the foodie
Turntable Kitchen is easily one of the more eccentric monthly deliveries you could order. The service creates music and food pairings, sending you limited edition 7-inch vinyl as well as downloadable digital mixtapes of hand-picked up-and-coming artists along with recipes, some of the ingredients, and a few extra edible treats. It costs $25 a month, plus tax – shipping is free.
If that sounds a little too iffy, try Craft Coffee. Prices range from $20-$25 a month, and you’ll be sending out 12 ounces of artisan coffees, tasting notes, and brewing tips. And it should be noted, coffee-related gifts are always a fairly safe bet.
For the man that has nothing
Sometime within the last couple of years, box-order programs decided to target a particularly needy market: Guys who don’t want to buy stuff for themselves. Dollar Shave Club became one of the better known among these services thanks to a viral marketing launch, but the quality of its blades hasn’t hurt either. You select a razor, one of the three available blades, and you’re off. The service costs between $1 to $9 a month (shipping included except for the $1 version).
If that’s a bit too specific for your guy, then Manpacks or Trunk Club might be more his style. Gift prices for Manpacks range from $20-$129, and include items like socks, underwear, shave kits, to travel packs – of course, you can also create your own custom set as well. Trunk Club is less about the essentials, and acts as a personal stylist, sending out about 10 pieces of apparel of all shapes and styles (and it comes in a trunk, no surprise there). Prices range from $40-$300.
For the DIYer
If you know anyone who’s Etsy obsessed, then monthly Brit Kits are a great option. The Brit + Co blog send out DIY kits with necessarily materials and step-by-step instructions. You can choose between one to six month subscriptions, ranging from $20-$110 if you’re sending it as a gift. For The Makers also delivers DIY-in-a-box items. The boxes include tutorials and materials for four projects and cost $29 a month. WhimseyBox comes with an organizer as well, as well as a 5×7 print, and connects you to a dedicated community where makers share their crafts. It runs from $45-$165, depending on how long you want the subscription to last.
But if someone one your list is more an appreciator of homemade gifts than a maker of them, Umba Box is the better choice. The monthly service works with artists to craft gifts that it ships out to subscribers every month, and items include things like jewelry, candles, soaps, perfumes, etc. Umba Box costs $25 a month.
For the product and style junky
There are an endless amount of product and apparel for women subscription services out there, so we’re going to just pinpoint a couple of the favorites out there. Birchbox has been on top of the monthly box order game for awhile, and ships out samples of quality makeup and related products (for men and women) for anywhere between $30-$200 (depending on the length of the subscription).
If you want more variety, however, the Fancy Box is a better choice. The Pinterest competitor, Fancy, has turned its site success into a box service, where you can receive the most “fancied” items on a monthly basis. Really, it’s like a Pinteresty-type site threw up in a box and sent it to you for $30 a month.
For the artsy and eclectic types
If you know someone who’s just too cool for his or her own good, check out Quarterly Co. It’s a service where you subscribe to influencers on its site, and they hand-picked items to send to you. Every three months, you’ll get these curated gift boxes, which are $25 a piece.
Art in a Box is a little more clear cut than Quarterly Co. For anywhere between $120-$720, you can set up a rotating gallery for someone on your list. Simply provide a little bit of insight on their tastes (which they can later change if need be), and prints will start showing up on their doorstep. Papirmasse is another, very affordable option, where for as little as $5 a month, you can supply someone with a print a month for a year.
