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The Best Subscription Boxes for Men Make Great Gifts

Whether your giftee’s a die-hard foodie or an outdoors-obsessed adventurer, there is a subscription box for them.

bespoke post Bespoke Post

By Will Porter

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When it comes to discovering new tastes, new gear or a new hobby, it is hard to beat a subscription box. Stuffed with a curated mixture of goods picked by experts, a subscription box can be a gold mine, offering hard-to-find gems alongside some of the latest and greatest innovations in whatever world you’re diving into. Perfect for newly initiated and seasoned enthusiasts, anyone can find excitement in opening up that month’s box, wondering what new discoveries are in store this time.

Products in the Guide

Subscription boxes can make an excellent gift — if you know what someone is into, get them a box to match. Plus, they’re even great to give yourself, if for no other reason than liking the surprise of receiving a box full of new goodies every once in a while. Since there are so many to choose from, we decided to highlight some of our favorite subscription boxes for men below.

How We Tested

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Tons of options

Cons

  • The value-to-price ratio could be better
  • Price: $45
  • Frequency: Monthly

With each box valued at up to $70, you can get the best new gear in a number of cleverly curated categories for just $45 a month. Each box is themed, and there are a ton of options you can choose from, like beer, coffee, style, cocktails, everyday carry and more.

Our tester received a box with a Line of Trade flannel and a candle with a nifty reusable candle holder alongside some samples of bitters and spices to keep in the pantry. He said the shipping was easy and the presentation made for an exciting unboxing. With a handful of options across multiple categories, Bespoke Post is a subscription he’d definitely recommend after testing.

Pros

  • Fresh, high quality food
  • Tons of options, including city-focused subscriptions

Cons

  • Can get pricey
  • Price: $45+
  • Frequency: Monthly

Perfect for foodies everywhere, the subscriptions offered by Goldbelly have anything you could want, from ice cream and cookies to barbecue and pizza. If you want something less specific, you can opt for the best of Goldbelly subscription or even subscriptions to top American restaurants.

Our tester received a box from Blue Smoke, a barbeque joint in Manhattan. The box was filled with frozen bbq, with everything from chicken wings to pulled pork to mac and cheese. It came with a full rundown on how to reheat the food properly, and, much to his surprise, it tasted just as good as it would have in the restaurant. While this is just one option, Goldbelly is known to deliver the best of the best.

Pros

  • Get things you won't find in every liquor store
  • Sending both tasters and full-bottles give a good balance

Cons

  • Expensive (understandably)
  • Price: $95+
  • Frequency: Quarterly

Dubbed a “Spirits Club for Explorers at Heart,” Flaviar is a spirits membership that takes your taste to the next level by sending you a quarterly tasting box with three generously sized samples and a premium bottle of your choosing. Plus you get access to Flaviar exclusives and free shipping.

Over 35,000 people have joined and the club has a 4.6 rating on Trustpilot — can that many people be wrong? We don’t think so. Whether you’re shopping for yourself or looking to give a gift, this is a great option.

Pros

  • Excellent for beer discovery
  • Selections across all types of beers

Cons

  • Most beers are pretty expensive
  • Price: $50
  • Frequency: Monthly

No matter what kind of beer you like, Beer Drop is going to be exactly what you want from a beer subscription. Each month you’ll get 10 beers that come from five different breweries, all based on your preferences in styles. Beer Drop has a network of over 50 breweries and 400 unique beers per month, so you’ll never run out of choices.

Fans of the subscription love the personalized options and are always delighted by the undiscovered beers that show up with each drop.

Pros

  • Great for the reluctant style guy
  • Gives a modern update to golf apparel
  • Women's option

Cons

  • Not many subscription options
  • Price: $55
  • Frequency: Monthly

Short Par 4’s monthly subscription boxes offer an opportunity to freshen up your golf kit and discover new brands at a substantial savings. Our tester put the brand’s women-focused Magnolia box to the test, which promises $200 in value in each box at a $99 per month cost. (There are also two options for men, priced at $54.95 and $109.95 per month.)

The order starts like many other popular subscription services: answer a set of prompts that gauge your style and fit preferences, provide your sizes, and you’re off. Shipping was prompt and the box more than delivered on its promises. The haul contained over $318 worth of gear, most of which was apparel: a JDX polo, Puma Golf pullover, and Tasc skirt. It also contained a Stitch headcover, branded towel and ball marker, and a 3-pack of TaylorMade TPX balls. She was pleased that the box contained some brands she knew alongside others she didn’t.

Pros

  • No pressure to buy
  • Easy to personalize

Cons

  • Styling fee
  • Options can be sort of plain
  • Price: $20 Styling Fee + Price of clothes you keep
  • Frequency: Every 2-3 weeks, every month, every other month or every 3 months

Hate shopping for new clothes? It, admittedly, can be a bit of a drag. Plus, nobody likes trying on clothes at the store. Just tell Stitch Fix your sizes, style preferences and price range and it sends the perfect box of clothes straight to your door. If you don’t like what you get, send it back with no hassle.

Subscribers tout the strong styling and personalized touches as the hallmark of Stitch Fix. The subscription takes the pain out of shopping and helps people unlock style options they didn’t know they had.

Pros

  • Hand-cut meats from the heart of America

Cons

  • Possibly an overwhelming amount of meat
  • Price: $70+
  • Frequency: Every 2, 4 or 8 weeks

Porter Road specializes in hand-cut meat sourced from Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Deliveries offer a lot of flexibility for larger families (or those who frequently eat meat) and you can choose between beef, pork, lamb or chicken.

Our tester loved the selection and quality of the meat as well as the clear instructions and packaging that made keeping his freezer organized a breeze.

Pros

  • Easy to mix-and-match meats
  • Lots of options to get exactly what you want

Cons

  • Pricey
  • Price: $129+
  • Frequency: Monthly

For meat lovers, there is no better subscription than Butcher Box. The company partners with some of the most responsible purveyors of beef, chicken, pork and seafood to make a box that you’ll love firing up the grill for. You can make a custom box or get a combination of meats delivered each month.

Butcher Box subscribers are passionate about responsibly-farmed, humanely-raised meat and also love the ability to skip that extra grocery store run.

Pros

  • Tons of the best roasters are available
  • Flexible plans

Cons

  • Variety and curation comes at a price
  • Price: $60
  • Frequency: Every 1, 1.5, 2 or 3 weeks

One of our favorite subscriptions here at Gear Patrol, the Trade Coffee subscription aims to give everyone who joins a personalized coffee experience that matches their tastes with some of the best coffee roasters in the country like Madcap, Ritual and Sightglass.

Subscribers love the variety of delivery frequencies, allowing them to drink at their own pace. Plus, finding new coffee from outside of your region can be difficult, and Trade removes that obstacle.

  • Price: $20+
  • Frequency: Monthly

Ideal for the candle lover, a Wax Buffalo offers a number of subscription options, from a single seasonal pick for $20/month to a cocktail-inspired candle poured into reusable glassware for just $30/month.

Between those options, you’ll find a number of subscriptions to specific candles, so if your giftee burns the candle at both ends (aka all the time) and loves a specific scent, they’ll get a fresh candle each month.

Pros

  • Easy to subscribe for different amounts of time
  • Carefully packaged

Cons

  • Some customers complain about customer service response time
  • Price: $38+
  • Frequency: Monthly

Cratejoy is excellent because there are dozens of options for one-time purchases or subscriptions. Previously, we’ve touted the cigar subscription in the image you see here (and we still recommend it), but our tester went for something a bit more intimate, The Destination: Space date night box. Here are his thoughts:

The first thing our tester could say about the Destination: Space date night box is that it is beautifully crafted — even the tiniest details are well-considered and, for a mostly pen-and-paper board game-like experience, it’s surprisingly immersive. I also love that the experiences within, while quirky and fun, all seem designed to bring you closer to your significant other in a way that deepens the overall experience. While the activities are simple, they’re fun with the right person and there’s enough depth that I could see using it more than once (so long as you’re careful to leave room on the scorecards). The instructions are a little tedious, but no more than most tabletop games. I enjoyed it and would certainly consider picking up another date night box.

Pros

  • Affordable

Cons

  • You only get beans from one roaster
  • Price: $11+
  • Frequency: 1-4 times per month

If you love Blue Bottle, or just want to find your go-to coffee roaster without the hassle of testing a bunch of different beans, then this is the subscription to get. You can choose from any of Blue Bottle’s blends, single origins, espresso, cold brew or even decaf beans. The subscriptions also only start at $11, so there’s no risk in trying.

The subscription is ideal for folks who know what they want. Testers love its ease of use and variety.

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Hits every aspect of his grooming routine

Cons

  • Only DSC products are available
  • Price: $36
  • Frequency: Every 2, 3 or 4 months

More than just a razor company, a Dollar Shave Club subscription provides you with the best grooming products the brand has to offer, including shampoo and conditioner, hand creams and deodorant. You will, of course, get everything you need to keep your beard in order, too.

Members of the Dollar Shave Club love the variety of products they can order, the automatic re-ups and the ease of use. The club also has a handful of scents that are a hit with members.

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