This gift guide has been editorially created, selected and chosen by multiple gifting editors at Brostrick, including men’s style and grooming editor Beau Hayhoe, gifting editor Jen Belanger, and Brostrick founder and style guy, Patrick Varone.
Convenience can often be key when curating a stylish menswear wardrobe, and beyond that, when curating your life. Yes, that’s right: Curating your life.
Assembling the right stylish picks, the right rotation of shirts, shoes, watches and even everyday carry tools. These small (and large!) details make the difference. And the best men’s subscription boxes can help you tackle each of these diverse areas with ease, with great looks and with terrific results in mind.
These monthly subscription gifts seem to be all the rage these days – they run the gamut from monthly menswear deliveries to grooming products, home goods, watches and more. Each brings something different to the table, but the best of the best ones for men are all easy to use, fun to explore and delightful to anticipate every month. These also make great gifts for your dad or any of the guys in your life, really. These are the top ones to shop now.
BROSTRICK'S REVIEW CRITERIA
SELECTION
The best subscription boxes tend to curate a hard-to-find selection of eye-catching items, be it a fresh T-shirt and a pair of jeans or a cleverly crafted shirt. Accessories, like a dopp kit or a watch roll to store your favorite timepieces, are also welcome additions to any subscription box. Selection and the art of curation (there’s that word again) go hand in hand when shopping for one that suits your needs.
UTILITY
There are plenty of men’s subscription boxes on the market, but just how useful are they? Some come packed with pieces you can pack up with you on seasonal trips or on your commute, some add a new look to your place or amp up your grooming routine, and others still upgrade your wardrobe. These are practical subscriptions that make a guy’s routine that much better (and cooler, arguably).
THE "COOL" FACTOR
There’s much to be said about the nature of a “cool” addition to your daily routine or wardrobe. It’s got a certain hard-to-define quality that, much like the best gifts for dad, is different for everybody. But when you “know,” well, you tend to really know – and that holds true with some of our favorite subscription boxes. Be it a carefully crafted wallet or a stylish T-shirt, the best options have qualities all their own.
OUR BEST MEN'S SUBSCRIPTION BOX WINNERS
Bespoke Post
best overll subscription box
PROS
- Vast array of options in each box
- Focus on fashion and accessories
- Seasonally themed options (something for all)
CONS
- Bespoke Post Boxes tend to only hold 2-3 picks
- Some Box options can sell out quickly
Bespoke Post has made waves across the past decade-plus as a savvy, stylish subscription box for guys in the know. They’ve made it their mission to go above and beyond as far as subscription boxes are concerned. New options debut every month, each with a rich array of seasonal themes, from summer travel to cozy winter evenings at home. That could mean the option to score everything from a pocket knife, a beach towel and shades to a flannel shirt, a henley and a new whiskey decanter. The choice is yours every month, and Bespoke Post members even get discounts on new releases.
Dollar Shave Club
best shaving box
PROS
- Great selection of readily available grooming tools
- Highly affordable pricing
CONS
- Some might prefer to stick with tried-and-true, old-school shaving and grooming brands
- Some items, like razors, might need to be purchased more frequently via the site’s subscription service
If Bespoke Post was a true originator in the world of menswear and gear subscription boxes, then Dollar Shave Club also deserves praise as an innovator in the world of the best men’s subscription boxes. The company makes it quicker and easier than ever to get a close shave, offering a handy starter kit for under $5 a month (if you’re already a subscribed member, that is). Other kits are quick and painless to select and subscribe for easy shipping, with all the tools – from razors to rich, foaming shave cream to aftershave, helpful beard oils and skincare – for your best shave yet.
WatchGang
best for watch nerds
PROS
- Access to a wide range of quality watches worth as much as $1,500
- Subscription comes complete with entry into weekly Rolex, Seiko and Tag Heuer giveaways
CONS
- Some might prefer to shop directly from a watchmaker or on the secondary market
- Some might prefer watches above the $1,500 threshold
Remember that there’s a subscription box for everyone, right? Well, that holds true even if you’ve got a love of particularly expensive watches. WatchGang bills itself as the world’s #1 watch club, and the model is plenty ingenious and eye-catching. It’s also enough to make any watch lover drool. Select from three watch pricing tiers (starting at $59.99), which give you the chance to receive a new watch worth as much as $1,500 (or on the lower end, $150). Pay per month or per quarter, for instance, and revel in the chance that you could win a free Rolex with each shipment, as well. Not a bad addition to your wrist game, right?
Fresh Clean Threads
best for basics
PROS
- Instant access to quality, well-made basics
- Makes it easier than ever to stock your T-shirt drawer with readily available, stylish items
CONS
- Some might prefer to invest more in a smaller number of T-shirts (say, ones made in the United States)
- Some might find the fit or fabric quality not as up to par as other, more expensive brands
Once known as FreshCleanTees, the maker of ultra-soft T-shirts in a variety of fabrics has now rebranded to cover a larger swath of your wardrobe, and that’s never a bad thing. The main appeal of FreshCleanThreads is instant access to stylish, versatile, quality T-shirts and basics, all at lower prices thanks to bundles available through its subscription service. They also sell handy multi-packs of a variety of T-shirts, but subscribing through the site ensures that you never run out of clean, wear-with-anything, flattering T-shirts.
Geologie Subscription Box
best for skin and hair
PROS
- High-quality grooming products delivered right to your door at agreeable prices
- Routine and products are customized to your needs via a special quiz
CONS
- Some might prefer to test products from other brands before committing to a subscription service
- Not every skincare product might be right for every skincare type, even with a personalized quiz and customization experience
Scentbird Monthly Subscription Box
best for cologne sampling
PROS
- Great way to sample popular colognes each month
- You get to choose the type of fragrances you're into
CONS
- If you don't love the scent you're stuck for the month
- They may not have the most popular cologne you're looking for
The perfect way to sample so many of the top selling men’s colognes and new ones that you may not have even heard of yet.
When you subscribe to Scentbird’s monthly subscription plan you can choose from over 150 (and counting) cologne brands each and every month. You’ll receive a 30-day sample of chosen fragrances that, with proper use, will actually last you all month long.
Each bottle will have the equivalent of 4 sprays per day so two sprays in the morning and this bottle will actually last you two months. Every month you’ll enjoy a brand new sample. It’s like test-driving before buying the car.
Stitch Fix
best for guys clothes
PROS
- Great way to try out new fashions
- Getting a personal stylist at an affordable price
- Keep what you like and send back what you don't
CONS
- May take a bit before your stylist gets your own style down
If you’re looking for your own personal stylist of sorts, but need it to be affordable each month, check out all the amazing things that Stitch Fix is doing in the men’s style world.
All you have to do is simply fill out a personal profile and then, voila, you get your own personal stylist. This part will only cost you $20, which really is a steal.
Based on your profile, your stylist will send you 5 clothing-related items and you get to keep what you want and send back what you don’t want and call it a day.
It’s important to provide simple feedback to your stylist and that’s when your selections will get better and better.
