Subscription boxes land in a good-gift sweet spot of being thoughtful without requiring too much effort. All you have to do is select the one that best matches your recipient’s interests, and your gift will continue to surprise and delight for several weeks or months.
Since there are so many options to choose from, we’ve put together a list of some of the best giftable options out there — many of which we’ve tried ourselves, so they’re actually good, not just boxes of junk. Below, our picks for the best gift subscription boxes for every kind of giftee. Prices are listed as the lowest, one-month plan, unless otherwise noted.
Update on December 9, 2024: Updated prices and checked availability for all products.
Food and drink
For the coffee lover ready to level up from Starbucks
For those in the process of figuring out their coffee preferences, Driftaway’s first subscription box will be a tasting kit of four two-ounce bags of coffee, and after they review those, they’ll be able to tailor future shipments.
For the coffee lover with a highly picky palate
But if they already know what they like, Trade Coffee might be a better bet. The company uses a quiz to match recipients with one of more than 400 coffees in its collection, curated from roasters spread across 38 states, so even the most serious coffee snobs should find something to suit their taste.
For the person with a pantry full of Pocky
Help them expand beyond the offerings at their local Mitsuwa with a Bokksu subscription. Each month, they’ll receive a variety of snacks and teas sourced directly from small family businesses in Japan, like black-sesame cookies and chile-oil chips.
For the person with an entry-level spice cabinet
Once a month, they’ll receive a freshly ground small-batch spice blend along with recipes to use it with, with previous blends including garam masala, za’atar, and shawarma seasoning.
For the foodie who tries to snack sustainably
The Mangia! subscription box delivers a curated seasonal selection of specialty food products from the B-Corp certified Clif Family Winery & Farm, a.k.a. the inventors of the Clif Bar. Subscribers have the option to build their own boxes every two or three months, choosing from an assortment of snacks and condiments like Meyer lemon marmalade, onion jam, and tamari-glazed nuts.
For the dinner-party host
Platterful’s charcuterie kits make it easy to create a stunning spread: Each box contains a selection of meats, cheeses, and accompaniments, supplemented with how-to videos and instructions for arranging the most aesthetic display.
For the person downing mugs of Earl Grey
With Atlas Tea Club’s tea-of-the-month-club membership, they’ll get to enjoy single-origin teas from around the world. It comes loose-leaf, which tea snobs will love, but newbies won’t be left behind, since each variety comes with steeping recommendations, tasting notes, and a postcard about the history of the region the tea came from.
For the person making matcha lattes at home
Sorate sources its ceremonial-grade matcha from small, family-owned farms in Uji, Kyoto. Each monthly delivery consists of a sachet of either Hekisho house matcha, Soku superior matcha, or Kusui premium matcha.
For the person who goes apple-picking every autumn
Yes! Apples will deliver a box of orchard-fresh apples grown in upstate New York right to their doorstep. Varieties are dependent on the season, but the sweet-tart Honeycrisp is available nearly year-round.
For the person who makes popcorn on the stove
A four-month subscription to Cheerie Lane’s gluten-free, non-GMO heirloom popcorn kernels will allow them to try all of the brand’s fun flavors, including Rosemary Garlic and Tomato Basil.
For the person who screams for ice cream
Each delivery from McConnell’s Pint of the Month Club contains four pints of ice cream, including new flavor launches and limited-edition releases along with fan favorites.
For the gluten enthusiast
Wildgrain delivers bake-from-frozen sourdough breads, fresh pastas, and artisan pastries sourced from bakers and pasta makers across the U.S. All boxes are customizable, so with no thawing needed and a quick bake or cook time, they can enjoy fresh, warm bread and other goodies at basically a moment’s notice.
For the person who always orders sparkling over still
Aura Bora’s sparkling waters come in a variety of unusual flavors, like blackberry black pepper and banana bergamot. You can choose to receive your favorite flavor or branch out with a variety pack to be delivered every four or eight weeks.
For the person starting to get serious about wine
Strategist writer Dominique Pariso name SommSelect the best wine subscription overall after speaking to a whole slew of wine professionals. The offerings are curated by a master sommelier, and each delivery is themed.
For the wine drinker who can blind-taste the difference between Cab Sauv and Merlot
Strategist’s Vox Media cousin, Eater, has a wine club that curates a monthly selection of either two or four bottles. Your recipient will also be invited to virtual wine parties with the sommeliers behind the picks and receive tasting notes about each wine.
For the person who hangs out at sake bars
For the person who puts chile crisp on everything
With the number of chile-crisp brands popping up, it was only a matter of time before a subscription service emerged. Crispy Club offers over 60 different varieties of chile crisp sourced from small, independent brands, perfect for spicing up your noodles, stir-fries, and sandwiches.
For the tinned-fish aficionado
Lata’s monthly subscription offers a rotating selection of either three or four premium tinned-seafood products, usually from small-batch producers. As a newfound tinned-fish lover, I had to try Lata’s offerings for myself; my shipment included several varieties that I’d never tasted before but were absolutely delicious spread over crackers or incorporated into a lemony pasta.
For the oyster aficionado
If they’re such a shellfish fanatic that they’re willing to put in the work to shuck at home, Real Oyster Cult, run by a family of oyster farmers, will handpick peak-season oysters from farms around the country to send them every month. Each shipment will be a surprise, but if they’d prefer a sampler, choose the 40- or 60-count option and they’ll get two or three varieties, respectively.
For the person who’ll eat anything from the sea
Sitka Seafood Market offers a rotating, seasonal selection of sustainably harvested Alaskan seafood, including sockeye salmon, lingcod, rockfish, and sablefish. Each box is guaranteed to contain two varieties and at least 4.5 pounds of premium-grade fish.
For the person who’s crazy for caviar
Roe’s white-sturgeon caviar is sustainably farmed in Northern California and bursting with buttery brininess. A three-month subscription will provide your recipient with 30gm of fresh caviar every month, plus a mother-of-pearl spoon and a key to open the tin.
For the bartender-in-training
With Cocktail Courier, they’ll receive a monthly cocktail-making kit, with enough mixers and garnishes to create six to eight drinks — and for an extra $25, the alcohol is included too.
For the person who’s sober-curious
Raising the Bar is a zero-proof subscription service that provides all the ingredients they’ll need to make mocktails at home — just add the ice. Each box contains a collection of non-alcoholic spirits and mixers, syrups, and garnishes from artisanal brands, along with four recipe options, instructional videos, and suggestions for other drink alternatives using the featured ingredients.
For the person who attends every day of the San Gennaro festival
Indulge their carb cravings with a subscription from artisanal pasta-maker Sfoglini. In each quarterly shipment, they’ll receive six boxes of the brand’s signature organic semolina pasta, three boxes of specialty pasta, and six recipes so they can make the most of these premium noods. A half-year subscription includes two shipments, for a total of 12 pastas.
For the person who dumps hot sauce on everything
They won’t be able to find the small-batch sauces included in this subscription at their neighborhood supermarket. Each shipment features two hot sauces from specialty producers across the country, many of which have been won accolades at regional and national culinary competitions.
For the person whose go-to snack is cheese and crackers
This entry-level subscription will let them try three cheeses a month, though at the highest level, you can get a full cheese board — perfect for people who entertain regularly.
For the person who’s a meathead
If they don’t live near a local butcher shop, Porter Road’s curated meat boxes are delivered once a month and contain everything from dry aged steaks to bacon to country sausage. The Best of Porter Road box is a sampler containing an assortment of meats, but there are specialized boxes as well, such as just dry-aged beef or breakfast meats.
For the person who’s a fixture at the farmers’ market
Gathering small-batch condiments, crafts, and goods from farmers’ markets across the country, The Farmers Finds helps local vendors find new audiences miles away. You can choose from a monthly or quarterly subscription, and it’s an especially nice way to support farmers during the colder months when markets close down.
Home and hobbies
For the lover of little luxuries
Flamingo Estate’s quarterly subscription box curates an assortment of the brand’s garden-inspired kitchen, home, and bath essentials tailored to each season. The current Winter box is a tribute to flowers and includes garlic olive oil, rose honey, and golden flower bar soap.
For the doting dog parent
BarkBox’s monthly subscription box, which comes filled with treats, chew toys, and more goodies for your furry friend, is one of our top gifts for dog lovers.
For the doting cat parent
If your friend is an avowed cat person, they might prefer a subscription to KitNipBox. Each box is filled with toys, treats, and other cat-related products that are sure to delight any feline friend.
For the person trying to balance their chakras
Crystal collectors will love this monthly shipment containing four to six gemstones or mineral specimens accompanied by info on where each piece is sourced, how it’s formed, and what healing properties it contains.
For the person who loves to soak
Bath Bevy’s boxes contain all the products they’ll need to elevate bath time, from whipped soaps to bath bombs to salt scrubs sourced from indie brands. If they love a self-care moment but don’t have the luxury of a tub, Bath Bevy also offers a Tubless option containing lotions, shower steamers, and more.
For the person who spends their weekends logging miles
Every other month, a box loaded with hydration tablets, energy bars, and other products and accessories geared toward runners — even sneaker detergent — will ship straight to their doorstep.
For the person who keeps their car spick-and-span
Help them upgrade from Black Ice with Drift, which sends a new car freshener made of either wood, stone, or metal every month or two months. They can choose from classic scents like coffee or grove, or go with the limited-edition “scent of the month.”
For the neat freak who’s anxious about their paper-towel usage
With MightyNest’s MightyFix subscription, each month they’ll receive a sustainable household product, like Swedish dishcloths or all-natural dish soap, so they can start to implement greener choices without feeling overwhelmed.
For the sticker fiend
Pipsticks is a monthly sticker subscription that’s perfect for tweens, teens, or adults who enjoy crafting, scrapbooking, journaling, or just adorning every blank space they see. Each mailing includes a reusable storage pouch, 15 sheets of stickers, a postcard, and an activity book.
For the person who’s picked up puzzling
Gift the relaxing yet stimulating challenge of completing a puzzle with a subscription to Jiggy, which sends out a fresh 500-piece puzzle each month for them to pore over.
For the person who loves to light up
Lovepot, an L.A.–based floral service, delivers dried smokable hemp-flower bouquets with relaxing CBD which can be used as tea, as an herbal smoke blend, or for an aromatherapy bath. Gift it all to one friend who needs stress relief on the regular, or change the delivery address every month and send it to whomever needs it most.
For the person who loves to light up (a candle)
Subsidize their high burn rate with a steady delivery of new candles from Vellabox. Every month, they’ll receive an all-natural soy, coconut, or vegetable-based candle made by small-batch artisanal candlemakers from around the country.
For the person who can’t get enough of all things kawaii
They’ll squeal with delight over this quarterly Pusheen subscription filled with apparel, home décor, and accessories emblazoned with the cute cartoon cat’s likeness. (For cat owners, there’s also a box filled with Pusheen-themed cat gear; Strategist sales editor Sam Daly received a neckerchief that amplified her tabby’s “cuteness levels exponentially.”)
For the boyfriend who’s exceptionally hard to shop for
Bespoke Post curates products from small under-the-radar brands with a customizable monthly-membership box centered on different themes, such as outdoors gear, cooking and kitchen tools, and men’s style and accessories.
For the teacher who could use some new school supplies
Re-up their stash with a subscription to this collab between BIC and the Teacher’s Crate. Each quarterly shipment contains a variety of pens, stationery, and activity books — and for every ten boxes purchased, one is donated to a classroom in need.
For the new homeowner
Starting at $20 a month for an eight-by-ten print, Art Crate will match them with a curator to find a piece of art for their wall, and each month they can add more until they’re satisfied with their gallery. The brand also offers framing, which bumps the starting price up to $59 a month.
For the person posting their plant babies more than their actual kids
With Horti’s plant-of-the-month subscription, you can specify whether your giftee will need plants that are newbie-friendly or pet-friendly, or go for a Horti’s Pick selection, so there is something for everyone.
For the person who’s merely plant-curious
This subscription service exclusively sends succulents, the perfect plant for beginners. For $11 a month, Succulent Studios will mail two eight-week-old succulents from their farm in California right to the recipient’s door along with care instructions so they really can’t mess up.
For the person who has a florist on speed-dial
With a rotating shipment of blooms from Fresh Sends, there’s no guesswork involved in choosing what arrangement to get — the company creates unique arrangements based on what flowers are in season.
For the person with a taste for classic roses
One of the preeminent suppliers of garden roses in the U.S., Grace Rose Farm now offers a bouquet subscription, curating a seasonal selection of garden-fresh roses on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis.
For the person who always renews their membership to the local botanical garden
BloomsyBox offers all sorts of hyperspecific bouquets, from pure hydrangeas to exotic tropical arrangements. The blooms in the New York Botanical Garden subscription are freshly sourced from sustainable flower farms, and a percentage of each purchase supports the NYBG’s work in conservation, horticulture, and plant science.
For the person in need of some “me” time
This quarterly self-care box is filled with sex toys, bath and body items, and books.
Books
For the aspiring Jeopardy! contestant
Trivia buffs will appreciate History by Mail, which sends detailed replicas of historical documents along with additional information on the context and cultural significance. Past examples include Albert Einstein’s correspondence with FDR and the police report from when Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat.
For the person whose dream date is dinner and a show
When we talked to theater-lovers about the best gifts for Broadway enthusiasts, playwright and theater critic Marcus Scott recommended this play subscription service, which he calls a “gold mine for theatergoers and scholars alike.” Your giftee will get a box of seven plays quarterly for $58 a box, and the shipments will include a mix of new plays as well as Broadway Book Club’s best from its back catalogue.
For the person whose FYP is all #BookTok
Help your bookish friend stay up to date on the latest releases with a Book of the Month subscription. The service releases a monthly curated list of new reads on offer, and for $15 a month, your friend or loved one can pick out the one they’re most interested in.
For the small-press fiction enthusiast
The staff at San Francisco’s Green Apple Books runs a subscription program in which they read upcoming releases and pick one new indie-fiction title to mail out every month. Each book comes with a review from the person who selected it.
For the kid who lives for story time
YiLing Chen-Josephson reads hundreds of picture books each month, so you can trust her recommendation. Once you fill out a form with a few details about your giftee and their interests, she’ll handpick one she thinks they’ll enjoy.
Fashion and beauty
For the person rocking cropped pants year-round
Clearly they want to show off their socks, so help them keep new ones in the rotation with a monthly delivery of nice-looking patterned options.
For the K-beauty obsessive
If they’re a regular fixture on Asian beauty forums, they’ll appreciate this quarterly shipment from K-beauty brand Joah. Each box contains innovative beauty products such as cushion blush and bubble-forming essence, delivered to their doorstep straight from the labs of Korea.
For the person who likes their beauty samples Costco-size
While Ipsy offers cheaper subscriptions than this $28-per-month “BoxyCharm” option, with this one, you’re getting five full-size products.
For the person who carries clear nail polish with them all winter (IYKYK)
Help them stop runs in their tights for good by making sure they always have a new pair on deck. All Les Belles styles are made from recycled materials, and the brand’s offerings include classic sheer and opaque tights in neutral shades, plus patterned socks and polka-dot stockings.
For the fraghead who’s saving up to buy Baccarat Rouge
Perfume is expensive — and exceptionally hard to gift — but with ScentBird, they can get a new trial-size fragrance, including cologne, every month for just $16 per month.
For the person who’s always tinkering with their skin-care routine
Each edition of Dermstore’s Beautyfix box delivers at least six skin-care products valued at over $100. Lots are from Strategist-approved brands, like BioDerma, La Roche-Posay, and First Aid Beauty.
Kids
For the tween who’s ready to branch out beyond Claire’s
With LeMel’s Stud Club, every month they’ll receive a pair of earrings in fun styles such as hearts, stars, and butterflies. It’s especially well suited for kids with sensitive skin, as LeMel’s earrings are made of hypoallergenic 14-karat gold and high-quality gemstones, cubic zirconia, and enamel.
For the mini makeup mogul
Petite ‘n Pretty’s subscription boxes contain age-appropriate and dermatologist-tested makeup for kids who love adorning themselves with glitter and sparkles. Each delivery includes four to six full-size products that match a certain theme, like holiday fun, summer, or back-to-school.
For the toddler who’s easily bored
Strategist writer Lauren Ro and her son liked this toy-subscription box the best of the Montessori toy boxes they tested. “While everything was in service of encouraging skills like grasping at objects and eye-tracking,” like a wooden rattle or a rolling bell, “it was all in the name of fun,” Ro says.
For the new parents who hate plastic
Designed for every stage from birth to 24 months, all of Lalo’s Play Boxes are filled with research-backed toys that are sustainably-made and earth-friendly. The boxes were created in partnership with renowned toy manufacturer PlanToys, known for its zero-waste practices and its nice-looking and sturdy wooden toys.
For the new mom
Bloom & Rise’s subscription box is full of goodies to make life easier for a postpartum mom and her new baby. Every box contains a thoughtfully curated assortment of educational books, developmentally appropriate toys, nutritious snacks, and more.
For the kid who loves to build stuff
KiwiCo will occupy your kid with a hands-on project to complete that nurtures their creativity and curiosity. The kits are divided into developmentally appropriate categories for every stage of childhood: the Panda Crate, meant for ages 0 to 36 months, contains brain-building toys for exploration and play; KiwiCo Sprout, for ages 3 to 6, includes storybooks and simple models for more independent activity; and KiwiCo Studio, designed for ages 9 to 18, offers fun, artistic outlets like punch-needle pillows and clay succulents.
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
