Subscription box confusion!

You want ALL the boxes – but your budget says pick one. Can you relate? We hear from a lot of people that deciding which box to get isn’t always easy. 

There are a lot of factors to consider, which is part of the reason we created BoxSpoilers. We want to help consumers evaluate all of the important criteria and compare their options so they can make a choice they will be happy with.

Sometimes you see a spoiler and just have to get your hands on that product – so you buy a box just for that product. You may love a box you’ve received before but also think that discovering a new box would be fun. Sometimes you just don’t know what to do!

Here are some factors to consider when deciding.

Category

First and foremost, what type of box are you looking for?  Do you want something specific like a book or beauty box, or are you looking for something with more variety like a lifestyle box. Are you looking for something you will use every day, like eco-friendly products or do you want something luxurious to pamper yourself?

Cost / Currency

What is your budget? What currency will you be billed in? It’s important to consider your budget when looking at buying a subscription box.  If this is going to be a recurring purchase, do you want to spend a little less, or spend a bit more and not get it as often? That leads us to….

Frequency

How often do you want to receive your box?  Do you want one every month or every three months? If you are getting a box regularly, do you want to subscribe and get the same one, or try different ones?

Value

Does the box give you a minimum value for the items in their subscription box? How does the value of the box compare to the cost? If your budget is limited, you may want to get the box that has the maximum value for your money spent.

Number of Items in the Box

The number of products may correlate to the cost of the box – or the value of each item may impact the number. It depends on the approach the box company takes with curating the products. Do you want more products, no matter what? Or would less be ok if you really loved them? 

Location

Which country do they ship from? How far away your box is will contribute to how long it will take to get to you. It also impacts the carbon footprint of your order. This is important to anyone wanting to minimize their impact on the environment.  It may also have an impact on my next point…

Shipping Costs

A lot of companies will try to include shipping in the cost of their box. However, due to the rising costs of shipping worldwide, more and more boxes are charging for shipping.  If you are lucky there will be a flat rate cost and if not you may have to pay shipping costs based on the distance your box will have to travel. Don’t forget to include shipping costs in your budget.

Values of the Company

The older I get, the more I am trying to make sustainable and socially responsible choices for myself – this includes my box purchases.  What I spend my money on has to be sustainable and ethical.  I also look to make sure that my purchases are cruelty-free. I also look to see if the company donates any of their profits to charity. Not all can, but it’s a nice bonus when they do. I also look to support women and BIPOC-owned businesses. Where I choose to spend my money makes a difference, so I do my research. Finding a box company that aligns with my values makes me feel good about my purchases.

Do Spoilers Spoil the Fun?

This comes down to your preferences. Some people want to know what they will get for their money and wait for the spoilers to come out. While others don’t want to know. A part of the experience is not knowing and enjoying the surprise when you open the box.

You May Also Want to Consider:

Do They Offer Rewards / Referral Programs?

Personally, I like it when I can earn points that I can use towards something else.  For some it’s a free item and for others, it’s for a discount on future purchases.

Discount Codes

I always search high and low to find discount codes.  A good coupon or discount might just be the final deciding factor to help me choose between two similar boxes.  (Check out our site for discount codes for your favorite boxes).

Reviews

What are others saying about the box? Are reviews good? Check our Reviews as a starting point.

In Closing…

When deciding what to purchase I make spreadsheets for myself and Jenn, which included the factors we wanted to consider.  If you are like us and research your subscription box purchases, visit our comparison table for all the Canadian boxes we currently have profiles for.  If you don’t see a box you are interested in, drop us a line and we will look into it and add it to our site.

If you are looking for a U.S.-based company we will be adding these to our site in the near future.