Never lose track of another subscription box charge. CrateJoy makes it easy to find (and cancel) your favorite gift-of-the-month clubs.
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Gift-of-the-month clubs and subscription boxes officially surpassed gift cards as the most popular low-effort gift. The best part? They don’t feel low-effort. Unlike a one-and-done gift card, subscription clubs are multi-month gifts specifically curated towards the recipient’s interests. With gift clubs, the giftee prepays for the number of months each box is shipped out or pays month-to-month, depending on the box. Then, just sit back as the recipient receives month after month of exciting surprises!
These days, there’s a subscription box for everyone, from cookie lovers to flower fans and beyond. Sure, they make great gifts, but they’re also a fun way to treat yourself to a monthly box of self care. By now, we at Taste of Home consider ourselves some of the leading experts in gift-of-the-month clubs. After all, we’ve tested more than 50 options in the past few years. And honestly? This is largely due to the convenience and unique nature of CrateJoy.
Those that love a little surprise each month will appreciate the variety and quality that comes with a CrateJoy subscription.
CrateJoy is a marketplace hub, resembling websites like Etsy, where independent sellers create their own storefronts. From there, these subscription box brands write their own gift club listings, curate the contents of their boxes and take care of everything from customer communication to shipping out their monthly goodies.
You can find many of the most well-known subscription boxes on CrateJoy, along with smaller brands that cater to more niche interests. Most brands boast a number of reviews and information about previously shipped boxes, making it easy to choose the perfect option. Potential customers can also ask specific questions, which publish directly on the listing page to help others.
Upon purchase, simply select your prepaid subscription term. Typically, this ranges anywhere from one month to a full year. Shipping charges are set by the brand, with many offering free shipping. Some subscription boxes even offer discounts as an incentive for longer commitments. Additionally, CrateJoy often promotes discount codes and savings on your first subscription.
While the subscriptions renew on a month-to-month basis after the prepaid period ends, they’re easy to cancel from your account page. This is also where folks can find information on the status of their subscription, send the seller a message or access shipping details. Those who don’t want to renew their subscription after their term ends can opt for a “gift subscription,” which automatically ends once the last prepaid box ships out.
Taste of Home shopping editors have subscribed to over 20 different gift clubs from CrateJoy. Tested boxes span dozens of different product categories, including food and drink, books, home and decor and even niche interest-based subscriptions. You can even grab a pet-based box for your furry or feathery friends!
Baking subscription boxes are some of our favorite gifts for home cooks, and CrateJoy has a huge selection. One of the most popular is Crumble Crate, which is geared towards home bakers who want to level up their skills. Each monthly shipment includes pre-portioned ingredients, baking tools and a recipe card with a QR code with instructional videos, shopping lists and tips.
“I appreciate that more specialty ingredients, like almond flour, are included,” says Katie Bandurski, who learned how to make an apple rose tart. “I didn’t need to buy an entire bag just to use a quarter cup in one recipe.”
Healthy subscription boxes are a great option for those that want to try new flavors without compromising their goals. Our favorite is HealthyMe, which is available on CrateJoy. The box comes curated by a certified health coach, which is something dietician Nancy Snyder appreciates.
“Whether by design or coincidence, all of the items in my box were vegan (a pleasant surprise and personal plus in my book), and many were labeled as non-GMO verified, certified gluten-free and USDA organic,” says Nancy. “So, while HealthyMe offers both a vegetarian and gluten-free box, it appeared my regular box was already curated with several dietary preferences in mind.”
Know a kid that loves to cook? Each Eat2Explore box has recipes and ingredients for making international dishes, all geared toward children. Content Director Nicole Doster‘s box contained three recipes: Ukrainian meatballs with mushroom gravy, stuffed cabbage in tomato sauce and pierogi with braised cabbage. Each recipe serves four.
“I was really impressed with how detailed and educational the pamphlets within the box were—especially with the activity booklet,” says Nicole. “Once diving into the recipe, the instructions were easy to follow. I appreciated that the box supplied a cookie cutter to help shape the pierogi dough and the included spices helped make the cabbage and sour cream pop. Each step had a skill level rating, which makes it easy for adults to divvy out tasks to younger cooks. Overall, the dish tasted good, and I learned a lot along the way.”
Shaker & Spoon is one of our favorite monthly cocktail kits for those who dream about sipping on swanky drinks. It comes with everything you need for a new cocktail each month, minus the alcohol. Those that don’t drink can also try Raising the Bar, which focuses on mocktails.
“As a budding mixologist, I was truly blown away by the attention to detail included inside the Ginspirations cocktail kit from Shaker and Spoon,” says former shopping editor Madi Koetting. “ It’s the special details like salted nori extract and lavender bitters spray that truly made it feel like I was sipping drinks in a high-end cocktail lounge.”
Loose leaf tea lovers can indulge in new flavors each month thanks to the Tea Runners Club, which tops the list of our favorite tea subscriptions. Inside Katie’s box, each tea impressed with its freshness and flavor. She likens Moonlight Jasmine to “a warm summer night,” whereas Floral Nectar Black wowed with its subtle finishing florals.
Even the Majestic Earl Grey impressed Katie, who isn’t a big fan of Earl Grey. “It was so delicious—much fresher than any Earl Grey I’ve had before,” she says. While the tea is loose leaf, each box comes with 10 tea bags for steeping—though you may want to invest in a baby Nessie to enjoy more cups.
Choose from tea or coffee to enjoy as you turn the pages on classic novels, courtesy Bookishly. Editor Mary Henn explored a litany of literary classics with her three-month subscription, including “Persuasion” by Jane Austen. Her books arrived with a card containing a synopsis, a bookmark and a luxury hot drink. Pick your poison with a choice between four luxury tea pyramids or a pack of four cups of fresh medium ground coffee. Then just sit back and relax as you thumb through some of history’s most treasured masterpieces.
Books & More is—as the name implies—so much more than a book subscription. It’s a self care package that contains a current book, coupled with a bunch of goodies. This makes it a great gift for literature lovers who deserve a little pampering, or as a self care splurge for those of us who find relaxation in reading.
“From small tea bags and stickers to larger items like a gratitude journal and lotion, there were a lot of fun surprises,” says Katie. “For the price, I think you get quite a lot. The value is really good. I honestly thought the boxes got better as time went on with more add-ons.” She does note that while the book selections are current, they are not brand new releases. “My picks ranged from 2016-2023,” she says.
Enjoy the sweet scent of “unicorn puke,” “crazy cat lady” or freshly brewed coffee with Smelly Club. Each shipment from this candle of the month club includes a hand-poured candle from the Burlap Bag store in Texas with a silly, conversation-provoking name. It’s a great gift for those who have a sense of humor only overshadowed by their sense of smell.
“This is a good pick for someone who likes variety and doesn’t mind wacky candles,” says former senior shopping editor Caroline Lubinsky, who tested this candle subscription. Pro-tip: Use a candle warmer lamp instead of lighting your candles to keep them fresh for longer!
Taste the 50 states with an Explore Local subscription. Each box focuses on a new region and comes with an assortment of local snacks and small trinkets. The box I tested spotlighted Charleston, South Carolina. While I’ve never been there, it was such a joy getting to taste a little of the local fare.
It was fun tryingy local coffee, kettle chips and a bag of sesame seed cookies called “benne wafers,” which I’ve never heard of before. This subscription box is an ideal gift of the month club for foodies who go on road trips solely for snacks.
This adult-geared arts and crafts crate box comes filled with everything needed for one hands-on project each month. Former editor Caroline Lubinsky’s box came with two stickers, craft directions and all the different tools and materials needed to make a resin serving tray. This included the mold, the resin, handles for the tray, a lighter and colored powder. She found the box easy to follow and a fun way to spend an afternoon indoors.
Overall, our experience with CrateJoy has been very positive. We love that it connects consumers directly to both small and large subscription box brands. This gives small businesses more opportunities to find potential customers. Plus, it offers a central hub where folks can manage all their subscriptions in one place. This makes CrateJoy a super convenient service for those that enjoy exploring and gifting a multitude of boxes.
In the many CrateJoy subscriptions we’ve tried, we haven’t had any issues with cancellations not going through, which is a big bonus for penny pinchers. Additionally, purchasing through CrateJoy guarantees purchase protection, meaning that they intervene in circumstances where the brand is unable or unwilling to assist. That said, any time we’ve had questions, we’ve found the sellers are helpful and responsive.
Yes, CrateJoy is a legitimate marketplace that connects customers to small and large subscription box brands.
CrateJoy works much like any other marketplace. Once you choose your boxes and subscription length, you can easily purchase multiple subscriptions at a time through their convenient checkout process.
CrateJoy is completely free to browse. You only have to pay when you purchase a subscription.
By now, our shopping editors at Taste of Home are some of the foremost experts on gift-of-the-month clubs. In the past few years, we’ve tried over 50 different subscription boxes, centered on everything from food and drinks to home decor and gardening. Our expertise spans everything from plant clubs to wine clubs, and even cooking kits for kids. When evaluating gift clubs, we focus on the experience from start to finish. This includes everything from billing to shipping, contents, cancellation and overall experience.
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