8 Subscription Box Services That Will Change Your Life
November 18, 2016
We’re letting you in on a little secret: subscription box services are basically the best urban life hack of all time.
Whether you’re too busy to get all your shopping done—or you simply like having special treats show up on your doorstep on the regular—sign up for these services and you’ll receive an ongoing stream of goodness, from books and records to coffee beans and dog toys. It’s kinda like your birthday…just every month.
VINYL ME, PLEASE: There's way more to music than what you can stream. If you're looking for some kicking new tunes that you can actually touch, Vinyl Me, Please offers the perfect excuse to crank up your turntable. Each month, members are rewarded with a featured LP (pressed exclusively for Vinyl Me, Please), an original art print, add-on merch and, for those planning a musical night-in, a cocktail pairing recipe. High Fidelity, here you come.
Image courtesy of Vinyl Me, Please
Image courtesy of Vinyl Me, Please
CRAFT COFFEE: Coffee isn' just a beverage—it's pretty much essential to life. For something that important, you don't want to mess around. Luckily, the good people at Craft Coffee source their beans from dozens of skilled micro-roasters all over the country, and each month, you'll get to try three totally different roasts. This coffee really is the crème de la crema; Craft's staffers sample more than 50 per month (how can we get that job?), and ultimately select only 6% of what's tasted.
Image courtesy of Craft Coffee
Image courtesy of Craft Coffee
THE CRAVORY: No, you didn't dream it: freshly baked cookie shipments really are a thing, thanks to The Cravory. And these aren't your mom's chocolate chip cookies (don't tell her we said that). Instead, The Cravory gets wild with flavors ranging from pancakes and bacon cookies to lemon bar cookies—even rosemary balsamic cookies. We can't promise your shipment will last for longer than a day, but what a day it'll be.
Image courtesy of The Cravory
Image courtesy of The Cravory
BARKBOX: Humans aren't the only ones who can benefit from subscription box services. Urbanites whose roommates are of the tail-wagging variety can sign up for BarkBox, which comes packed with all kinds of goodies for your furry friends, from plush toys to all-natural dog treats. Though we're certain Fido will be thrilled with the contents, we can't guarantee your pup won't bark at the mailman when the box arrives.
Image courtesy of BarkBox
Image courtesy of BarkBox
QUARTERLY: We appreciate a good indie bookstore as much as anyone...but it's hard to argue with books shipped straight to your door. With annotations from the author themselves. And bonus merch. That's the premise of Quarterly, whose Literary Box ships once per season, and includes a new release with hand-written notes, two additional reads, and surprise bookish swag. All you need's a cozy spot on the sofa and a mug of tea and you're golden.
Image courtesy of Quarterly
Image courtesy of Quarterly
CHEESE OF THE MONTH CLUB: This. Is. Not. A. Drill. The friendly cheesemongers at Murray's, New York's iconic cheese shop, are behind what may be the best subscription box service of all time. Cheese of the Month Club subscribers are, after all, sent three special cheeses every 30 days. Pulled from Murray's own caves, the monthly cheeses are selected only when the expert affineurs deem them perfectly aged. Say cheese! (And then eat some.)
Image courtesy of Murray's Cheese
Image courtesy of Murray's Cheese
LOCAL HARVEST: Having a farmers market near your apartment is pretty much like striking urban gold. But if you aren't lucky enough to have veggie vendors right around the corner, it's all about your local CSA. CSA, which stands for Community Supported Agriculture, allows farmers to sell what's in season straight to consumers, no middlemen required. CSAs are hyper-local, so use Local Harvest as a guide to what's good in your neighborhood.
BESTOWED: For even more on the snacking side—with a dose of nutrition thrown in—there's Bestowed. Each month, the box includes a diverse assortment of healthy nibbles, from sweet potato crisps and dried strawberries to culinary ingredients like premium olive oils and spice blends. Feel-good and taste-good.
Image courtesy of Bestowed
Image courtesy of Bestowed
VINYL ME, PLEASE: There's way more to music than what you can stream. If you're looking for some kicking new tunes that you can actually touch, Vinyl Me, Please offers the perfect excuse to crank up your turntable. Each month, members are rewarded with a featured LP (pressed exclusively for Vinyl Me, Please), an original art print, add-on merch and, for those planning a musical night-in, a cocktail pairing recipe. High Fidelity, here you come.
Image courtesy of Vinyl Me, Please
Image courtesy of Vinyl Me, Please
CRAFT COFFEE: Coffee isn' just a beverage—it's pretty much essential to life. For something that important, you don't want to mess around. Luckily, the good people at Craft Coffee source their beans from dozens of skilled micro-roasters all over the country, and each month, you'll get to try three totally different roasts. This coffee really is the crème de la crema; Craft's staffers sample more than 50 per month (how can we get that job?), and ultimately select only 6% of what's tasted.
Image courtesy of Craft Coffee
Image courtesy of Craft Coffee
THE CRAVORY: No, you didn't dream it: freshly baked cookie shipments really are a thing, thanks to The Cravory. And these aren't your mom's chocolate chip cookies (don't tell her we said that). Instead, The Cravory gets wild with flavors ranging from pancakes and bacon cookies to lemon bar cookies—even rosemary balsamic cookies. We can't promise your shipment will last for longer than a day, but what a day it'll be.
Image courtesy of The Cravory
Image courtesy of The Cravory
BARKBOX: Humans aren't the only ones who can benefit from subscription box services. Urbanites whose roommates are of the tail-wagging variety can sign up for BarkBox, which comes packed with all kinds of goodies for your furry friends, from plush toys to all-natural dog treats. Though we're certain Fido will be thrilled with the contents, we can't guarantee your pup won't bark at the mailman when the box arrives.
Image courtesy of BarkBox
Image courtesy of BarkBox
QUARTERLY: We appreciate a good indie bookstore as much as anyone...but it's hard to argue with books shipped straight to your door. With annotations from the author themselves. And bonus merch. That's the premise of Quarterly, whose Literary Box ships once per season, and includes a new release with hand-written notes, two additional reads, and surprise bookish swag. All you need's a cozy spot on the sofa and a mug of tea and you're golden.
Image courtesy of Quarterly
Image courtesy of Quarterly
CHEESE OF THE MONTH CLUB: This. Is. Not. A. Drill. The friendly cheesemongers at Murray's, New York's iconic cheese shop, are behind what may be the best subscription box service of all time. Cheese of the Month Club subscribers are, after all, sent three special cheeses every 30 days. Pulled from Murray's own caves, the monthly cheeses are selected only when the expert affineurs deem them perfectly aged. Say cheese! (And then eat some.)
Image courtesy of Murray's Cheese
Image courtesy of Murray's Cheese
LOCAL HARVEST: Having a farmers market near your apartment is pretty much like striking urban gold. But if you aren't lucky enough to have veggie vendors right around the corner, it's all about your local CSA. CSA, which stands for Community Supported Agriculture, allows farmers to sell what's in season straight to consumers, no middlemen required. CSAs are hyper-local, so use Local Harvest as a guide to what's good in your neighborhood.
BESTOWED: For even more on the snacking side—with a dose of nutrition thrown in—there's Bestowed. Each month, the box includes a diverse assortment of healthy nibbles, from sweet potato crisps and dried strawberries to culinary ingredients like premium olive oils and spice blends. Feel-good and taste-good.
Image courtesy of Bestowed
Image courtesy of Bestowed
