The 17 Best Subscription Boxes for Gifting

Vinyl Me, Please sends an exclusively pressed record every month to those who can't get enough of that old-school sound. Choose from hip-hop; jazz, blues, funk, and soul; or essentials. Members can swap that month's pick for another title in their catalog if they'd prefer. You can also purchase both classic and modern one-off records, which are exclusive pressings that will add some street cred to your collection.

You can set up the membership for them or opt to gift a membership. If you go with the latter, you'll either print a confirmation for them to redeem or have them emailed on a date of your choosing. They can set up their own profile and choose their music preferences from there. —Medea Giordano

Price breakdown: $54 per month, $149 for three months, $279 for six months, $529 for 12 months. Gift-specific options cost the same, but don't auto-renew and are available for three, six, or 12 months.

Younger kids tend to like any random, plastic toy, but after a while they end up in the pile that go unused. We think a subscription box like this is a better option to give them interesting hands-on activities that they'll enjoy (and hopefully learn from in the process!).

KiwiCo has boxes for five age groups—from under 2 years to 14ish—and a range of themes you can choose from. You can pick cooking, geography, engineering, and more (see them all here—you can switch them up as you want). WIRED reviewer Adrienne So has watched her kids make everything from water guns to kaleidoscopes; she said there was even a night-themed box where everything glowed. —Medea Giordano

Price breakdown: Kiwi Crates start at $24 a month, and different clubs have additional subscriptions that vary by club. Those prices come with auto-renewal, which you can cancel at any time. If you don't want to worry about canceling, you can purchase the same amount of boxes for a few dollars more. (You'll see the option for non-renewing during the selection process.) Shipping is free in the US. Crates for older kids are a bit more expensive.

★ More options: We have many more favorite subscription boxes for kids if you don't think this one is right. We've tried other craft boxes, book subscriptions, and even coding kits.

Never know what to get your nerdy younger brother? Breo Box is a seasonal subscription box, so one comes four times per year, filled with four to eight of the latest gadgets and gizmos. It's the priciest option on this list, and your giftee may get some things they don't particularly have use for, but that's a possibility with any subscription box. This one at least gets curious hands on some cool tech.

Price breakdown: Choose from Breo Box Lite, which contains 1-3 items valued at $100 to $150, or Breo Box Plus, which contains 4-8 items valued at $200 to $300. Breo Box Lite costs $79 per box, billed annually, or $89 per box, billed quarterly. Breo Box Plus costs $150 per box, billed annually, or $169 per box, billed quarterly. Gift options are available too. Breo Box Lite gifts are $99 for one box or $340 for four; Breo Box Plus gifts are $179 for one box or $600 for four.

Vellabox is our favorite candle subscription, and candles make great gifts for basically anybody. I like every candle I've tried from this company. Boxes include one candle in 4-, 8-, or 16-ounce sizes, wrapped thoughtfully in a cloth bag, plus a bonus goodie like a pack of cards or a car air freshener. There are premade boxes as well.

Price breakdown: Vellabox starts at $12, $28, and $38 a month depending on candle size and subscription length—4, 8, and 16 ounces respectively; $90, $150, and $204 for six months; and $144, $264, and $348 for 12 months. There are single-orders and auto-renewing options. Shipping is free in the US.

Socks might not seem like the most exciting gift, but we could all probably use a few extra pairs. Conscious Step socks are comfortable, are crafted from organic cotton, and the designs are cute. Plus, a portion of every purchase is donated to charity—the cat and dog socks support Best Friends Animal Society, and the socks for mental health support National Alliance on Mental Illness. There are 16 causes, and each tells you where the proceeds go. —Medea Giordano

Price breakdown: Starting at $16 per month for one pair, or $26 for two if you build your own box, $12 for a pre-picked box, $84 prepaid for six months, $144 for 12 months.

Technically, our favorite coffee subscription for gifting is a one-off purchase. But for subscriptions, we highly recommend Trade Coffee. There are over 400 coffee varieties to choose from, and each month, Trade will ship a bag of beans to your doorstep based on your taste profile and coffee preferences.

Price breakdown: Gift subscriptions can be sent via email or printed out. Three months costs $56; 6 months costs $112; one year costs $214. Once activated, the recipient will complete their taste profile quiz to start getting personalized coffee deliveries.

I'm in the process of updating our guide to snack subscription boxes, but Universal Yums is still my favorite. Each one is themed around a different country, with a variety of snacks plus a booklet filled with games, trivia, and information about all the tasty treats. I've found many new favorites through this box alone, and I think anyone with taste buds would be delighted by it.

Price breakdown: Small boxes (five to seven snacks): $29 per month or $216 upfront for a year. Medium boxes (10 to 12 snacks): $39 per month or $312 for a year. Large boxes (15 to 18 snacks): $59 per month or $480 for a year. Shipping is free in the US.

★ More options: We also have more snack options for jerky and Japanese snack lovers, plus those who want more customizable quantities.

I love bringing a nice bottle of wine to someone's house as a gift, and while I drink it myself, I never quite know what's good. I like a dry white wine, but from there I have no idea what to look for.

Firstleaf delivers six or twelve bottles per month. I found a few new flavors that I'll buy again and some that weren't my favorite. You'll have to take a quiz for your giftee first, but once they get their first box they can rate their wines to better craft the next one. Or you can opt for a gift card instead. —Medea Giordano

Price breakdown: Starting at $90 for the Classic plan, $105 for “noteworthy” wine, $120 for “premier” wine, and $150 for fine wines. Gift options are available too. There are usually discounts for first-time subscribers.

I often think about the line in The Devil Wears Prada where Emily talks about her insane new diet: “When I feel like I'm about to faint, I eat a cube of cheese.” I'm not on board with a starvation diet, but I am on board with eating cubes of cheese throughout the day. Snacks, meals, sides? Just say cheese.

A Curdbox subscription includes three blocks of cheese, plus three snack pairings wrapped in ice blocks to keep it all good (similar to a meal kit). Each box even includes a Spotify playlist, blog post, and wine-pairing suggestions. —Medea Giordano

Price breakdown: $85 per month, $246 for three months, $489 for six months. Gift options include three and six months for the same price, plus $972 for 12 months that don't auto-renew. Shipping is free.

There is nothing quite like wandering the aisles of a bookstore or library, but that's not always possible in our busy lives. If someone on your gift list always has their head in a book or has mentioned they want to read more, you can sign them up for a Book of the Month subscription.

Each month there are five to seven new books to choose from. The base subscription cost covers one book, but subscribers can add additional titles. If none strike their interests or they're still reading last month's book, they can skip a box at any time. —Medea Giordano

Price breakdown: $18 per box. There are gift options too: $60 for three months, $100 for six months, $200 for 12 months.

Our sister site Allure makes a great, affordable beauty subscription box. Each box contains at least six items. Typically there's a mix of samples and full-size products, plus every box has exclusive discounts in case your giftee feels inspired to go shopping after trying out their new goodies. Members also have access to an exclusive Member Shop with savings on beauty must-haves, holiday sets, and more. I especially liked the trio of lip products in mine—a lipstick, a liner, and a gloss—and while contents vary from box to box, your giftee will probably like what they receive too.

Price breakdown: $25 per month, $59 per quarter ($69 after the first three boxes), or $199 per year. Gift options are actually gift cards that can be redeemed towards the purchase of a subscription.

Alternative: We have many more beauty box subscription recommendations, including options for only full-size products and options that can be customized.

This ultra-giftable gourmet box comes with premium, aged, hand-trimmed choice cuts like ribeye, filet mignon, or even lobster tails. It's more expensive than some other meat boxes, but the contents of each box are special and elevated—something that's arguably difficult to achieve when you're mailing a box of meat hunks to a loved one. WIRED reviewer Adrienne So tested this box and received two perfectly marbled New York strip steaks, and the delicious result after cooking them still visits her in her dreams. —Louryn Strampe

Price breakdown: $190 for three months, $380 for six months, or $750 for 12 months.

Alternative: Check out our guide for additional meat subscription box recommendations that are more affordable or more specific.

Grill Masters Club subscriptions are curated by pitmasters. Each box includes at least two barbecue sauces, at least two dry rubs, and at least one grilling accessory. Recipes and tips are included as well. Some of the flavors lean a bit more experimental, making them perfect for your pals who are always itching to grill out. For more, check out our guide to the Best Barbecue Sauce, Rub, and Hot Sauce Subscription Boxes.

Price breakdown: Gift subscriptions are available. Get three boxes for $132 ($44/box), four boxes for $172 ($43/box), six boxes for $252 ($42/box), or 12 boxes for $480 ($40/box). You will set the delivery schedule as well—choose from monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly. Every box is different.

The Cook With Bon Appétit box isn't your typical meal kit. Hailing from our sister site, each box includes five exclusive recipe cards and five shelf-stable ingredients from each of those recipes. The first box also includes a little binder where your giftee can store their recipe cards. If you want to gift them something to aid their time in the kitchen, but you don't want to go with a typical countertop appliance or another gadget they might already own, this is a solid option—especially if they're an avid reader of the magazine, as this comes with digital subscriptions to Epicurious and Bon Appétit as well. —Louryn Strampe

Price breakdown: Boxes cost $34 per month and get cheaper with quarterly or annual subscriptions.

If you don't gift your pet something on holidays, then we can't be friends. They're family too! Thankfully, they can also get a subscription box. We've tried Meowbox and Barkbox and loved them both for our cats and dogs.

Meowbox breakdown: For $26 every one or two months, your cat gets five or six toys and treats following cute themes. There are gift options available that don't auto-renew: $33 for one month, $89 for three months, $178 for six months, $356 for twelve months.

Barkbox breakdown: For $35 a month, your dog gets a mix of six toys, treats, and chews. You could also pay $27 a month if you sign up for six months (you'll pay per month, not upfront like most subscriptions) or $24 a month for a 12-month contract. —Medea Giordano