14 Great Gift Box Subscriptions

If you're new to the subscription box scene, here's what you need to know: they're themed packages full of surprise goodies that arrive on your doorstop every month. Subscribing to one is kind of like having a birthday every month, with new presents showing up like clockwork—which is exactly what makes them great gifts. Why buy a single present when you could keep the gift-giving joy going for months?

There are plenty of tried-and-true subscription options like Birchbox (starting at $10/month) for women (and men) wanting the best in beauty and grooming and the Dollar Shave Club (starting at $1/month) for men who want a great shave every time—but the well-known doesn't always make the best gift. If you're thinking about a subscription box as a present this year, here are a few suggestions, from the ordinary to the off the beaten path.

For Anyone with a Sweet Tooth: Cookies Every Night

You don't have to be a kid to enjoy milk and cookies. The Cookies Every Night subscription from Mouth sends at least 30 cookies—three to four packages of the best cookies out there—for a solid month of cookie-a-night joy. (Milk, unfortunately, is not included.) For gifting, you'll want to send your gift recipient a Mouth gift card and explain the wonders of the Cookies Every Night subscription. But if your gift recipient doesn't want quite that many cookies, Mouth has a lot of other subscription options.

Price: Starts at $54/month with free shipping

Subscription duration: 3, 6 or 12 months

For the friend who always needs a caffeine fix: Boxo

For some people, a great cup of coffee in the morning is the only way to start the day off right: and that's the kind of person who will appreciate the gift of Boxo. Every month, Boxo sends out two bags (8 ounces each) of whole-bean coffee from small batch roasters, giving your local coffee-lover a chance to try something new (and delicious).

Price: Starts at $28.99/month with free shipping

Subscription duration: 3, 6 and 12 months for gifts, but if you decide to buy for yourself your options are 1 or 12 months

For wine-lovers: Vinebox

The problem with wine subscription services is that they tend to send you a lot of wine—and there's only so much you can practically drink every month (unless you're doing a lot of entertaining). That's why we like Vinebox, which sends three or six glasses of wine a month, curated to the recipient's tastes, whether they’re a wine newbie or full-fledged sommelier. The wines are sourced from vineyards worldwide—and including some you won't find anywhere else.

Price: Starts at $29/month with free shipping

Subscription duration: 1, 3 or 12 months

For beer-lovers: Craft Beer Club

If wine isn't their thing, not to worry: the Craft Beer Club offers a subscription box for the beer-lover in your life. Every month (or every other month or every quarter, depending on subscription), your gift recipient will receive 12 or 24 bottles of the best craft beer from around the country, all sourced from small, independent brewers.

Price: Starts at $39/month with free shipping

Subscription duration: 1 to 12 months

For your favorite pet owner: BarkBox or PurrPacks

Whether your resident pet owner is a dog person or a cat person, we've got you covered. Both BarkBox (for dogs) and PurrPacks (for cats) send out a monthly box of toys and treats to keep the pets—and their owners—happy. We particularly like that PurrPack offers subscription options for one and five cats. (Because, really, how many people do you know with just one cat?)

Price: Starts at $20/month with free shipping for BarkBox; starts at $16.99/month with $4.95 shipping for PurrPack

Subscription duration: 1, 3, 6 or 12 months for BarkBox; 1 month for PurrPack

For the classy gentleman: Bespoke Post

While the theming on Bespoke Post boxes is somewhat random, each box includes a curated collection of quality goods for men. One month's box may be full of grooming items to spruce up the morning's routine while the next may be gear for a weekend road trip. Because not every box will appeal to everyone, subscribers can choose from a selection of boxes every month or easily skip a box if there's nothing they want. While it won’t appeal to the guy who doesn’t do style beyond t-shirts and jeans, the style-conscious are sure to enjoy it.

At $55 per box, this isn't really a budget buy, so if you're looking for something that costs a bit less, try the Gentleman's Box, which includes fashion and grooming items for $25/month.

Price: Starts at $55/month with free shipping

Subscription duration: 1, 3, 6 or 12 months

For the fashionista: Bijoux Box

Fashion is all about accessorizing, and Bijoux Box makes it easy for any fashionista to keep her style fresh. Each box includes three pieces of jewelry and one bonus item, which can include makeup or other accessories. Each box is curated by Bijoux Box's style pros, who make sure every piece keeps up with the latest trends.

Price: Starts at $40/month with free shipping

Subscription duration: 1, 3, 6 or 12 months

For the most colorful person in your life: Sock Panda

While you think socks are the most boring part of any wardrobe, they don't have to be. With Sock Panda, you can help brighten someone's wardrobe with socks that range from mild to wild. The best part? It's a great gift for anyone—after all, we all need socks—with subscriptions (one or two pairs of socks a month) for men, women, tweens (aged 9 to 11) and younger kids (aged 3 to 8). The adult subscriptions also let you choose between more sedate patterns and daring designs, so you can tailor it for the person who isn't interested in socks that are too crazy.

Price: Starts at $12/month with $1 shipping

Subscription duration: 1, 6 or 12 months

Best for mom and baby: Please and Carrots

While babies are probably too young to appreciate this gift, moms certainly will. Designed for kids from newborn to three years, Please and Carrots is a quarterly box that includes toys, books and activities—all chosen to support the child's learning and development. Each toy is approved by a child psychologist and each box includes advice from child development experts. Boxes include three to four full-sized toys and one to two books appropriate to the child's age and development level—it's a sure-fire way to help a baby get off to a good start.

Price: Starts at $99/quarter with free shipping

Subscription duration: 3 or 12 months

For creative kids of any age: Kiwi Crate

Kiwi Crate offers a lot of variety for kids, with a range of boxes for children as young as 4 months and as old as 16 years. Each activity box includes hands-on projects for both learning and fun. Pick the Koala Crate for kids aged 3 to 4, the Kiwi Crate for kids aged 5 to 8, and the art-focused Doodle Crate or science-focused Tinker Crate for kids aged 9 to 16. Soon, Kiwi is launching a new crate for kids from 4 to 36 months, too.

And because it keeps the kids entertained (without just sitting in front of the TV), it can be a good gift for parents in need of a break, too.

Price: Starts at $19.95/month with free shipping

Subscription duration: 1, 3, 6 or 12 months

For the avid teen (or tween) reader: OwlCrate

While there are plenty of book subscription boxes out there, OwlCrate focuses on young adult fiction. (And, despite its name, even adults might like it.) Each box includes a new release hardcover book, three to five items based around the box's theme, and notes from the author. Any reader is sure to love it!

Shopping for younger readers? OwlCrate Jr. is for kids aged 8 to 12 and Bookroo is a good choice for little ones who will love board and picture books.

Price: Starts at $29.99/month, shipping costs vary depending on location

Subscription duration: 1, 3 or 6 months

For anyone struggling with dorm life: Pijon

Pijon is geared squarely towards college kids, featuring an assortment of dorm room must-haves. It's essentially a care package, full of snacks, supplies and even socks. Keeping up with college life is already a struggle—but Pijon lends a hand by bringing helpful items straight to your favorite college kid.. Each box is random, but you can choose boxes for men, women or keep it gender neutral, and Pijon is working on adding more customization options in the future.

Price: Starts at $34/month with free USPS shipping (upgrade to UPS for $1)

Subscription duration: Your choice

For the serious geek: Nerd Block

While LootCrate is the better-known subscription box for geeks, Nerd Block provides box options based on what your gift-recipient is most likely to want. It takes a bit of the randomness out of the process and helps ensure you're getting something they'll love. Choose classic Nerd Block (for random crates full of geeky goods), Shirt Block (which includes five exclusive t-shirts in every box), Arcade Block (featuring game-themed goodies),

Horror Block (for the horror movie fanatic), Sci-Fi Block (for the science fiction lover), Comic Block (packed with comics and comic-themed collectables), or Nerd Block Jr. (choose a box for boys or girls) for kids aged 6 to 11.

Price: Starts at $19.99/month with shipping starting at $9.95 in the US

Subscription duration: 1, 3, 6 or 12 months

For anyone needing a break from the daily grind: Calmbox

Is there anyone on your gift list who doesn't suffer from day-to-day stress? Calmbox is designed to fix that with an array of products to help get your Zen on. Every box includes five to eight items like books, tea, candles, bath products and snacks designed to help get away from the workaday world... at least for a little while.

Price: Starts at $35/month with free shipping

Subscription duration: 1, 3 or 6 months

Hopefully one of these great boxes is the ideal gift option for someone on your holiday list. If not, you may want to poke around the cratejoy.com website to see if you can find a gift box subscription that's the right fit. Happy gifting!

Updated on 12/22/2016 with new picks

[Image credits: Gift in mailbox via BigStockPhoto, Mouth, Boxo, Vinebox, Craft Beer Club, BarkBox, Bespoke Post/Nabfly, Your Bijoux Box, Sock Panda, PleaseandCarrots.com, Kiwi Crate, Inc., OwlCrate.com, Pijon, Nerd Bloc, Calmbox]