Pick a topic/theme/interest

This is a pretty obvious first step! But with so very many subscription boxes out there, even picking an interest can be challenging. Just take book boxes – there are tonnes of different versions, with some only doing new releases, some doing genre-specific books, some focusing on diverse books, and some on young adult fiction, for example.

Starting with a theme should help you narrow it down a little – maybe it’s snacks (we love snack boxes), geeky things, books, make-up, or maybe it’s a more general theme, like witchy things, arty things, or games. Then move on to our next tip to help cut your shortlist down further…

Take a look at previous boxes

Most subscription box websites will show you what was in previous boxes – sometimes you’ll only be able to see the last month, other times you’ll be able to see everything they’ve ever sent out.

Do the items look like things you’d like? Are there at least as many things in the box as advertised? Does what you get seem like good value for money to you?

Most people won’t love every single item in every single box – part of the fun of getting a surprise each month is getting things you wouldn’t have picked out for yourself. But ideally you want to pick a box that has a range of things you’d love, some things you’d like, and a smaller number of things you’re less excited about (although hopefully they’re things you could save for Christmas/Birthday/Hallowe’en presents for people – and yes, we’re trying to make Hallowe’en presents a thing!)

Some months may be more your style than others but it’s always best to pick a box where the balance is in your favour.

Check the payment and sending details

Make sure you know when payments are taken for your subscription, and the approximate dates when the box ships. Shipment probably won’t be the exact same date every month (although payment usually will be) but you should have a reasonable idea of when to expect it to go out.

At least one of our subscribers has told us about signing up to a box and finding that the payment for the next box was taken before she’d even received the first one (in fact, before the first box even shipped). That’s not what you want – you need to know if you like the box in time to cancel the next one if you need to!

Take a look at the cancellation policy

Talking of cancellation, check the cancellation policy. Is it easy to cancel? Are you locked in for any set amount of time or can you cancel after one box? Do you have to phone and hope to get through, or can you cancel quickly and easily online?

No matter what you’re comfortable with, making sure you know what to expect is important.

Another thing to check is whether or not you can pause your subscription. You might not like the theme of the next box, or you might have a holiday or other expense coming up that would make it difficult to afford for a month or two. See if there’s the flexibility to pause, or at least cancel and resubscribe, so you can stay in control.

Check out the company’s social media pages 

We’d always recommend going and having a look at the Instagram, Facebook, and other social media of a company you’re looking at. See what they post and who else posts/comments.

If there’s not a tonne of comments, that’s not a red flag – often the social networks make it difficult for to get posts out to your followers unless you pay to promote them.

What you’re looking for is the type of comments they get on their pages. Are they generally positive or negative? Are there posts about shipping delays or missing parcels? Are people complaining about broken or missing items? Does the brand respond to comments and are they helpful if someone has a question? Are comments deleted?

Don’t rely on the name

Some of the biggest subscription box providers have the biggest problems – one company that’s been around since subscription boxes started becoming a thing and is super well known has had boxes ship up to 12 months late over the last few years (not a company that caters to our audience, by the way).

If you’ve checked out social media, you’ll generally have an idea of these sorts of problems, but the main thing is not to assume that because a company is well known or been around for a while that it’s the best or most reliable.

See if the box aligns with your values

One thing that was super important to us with Coven was that everything included would be vegan and cruelty free (where applicable). Any time we put makeup or snacks in the boxes, they will always fit those criteria, for example. We also make sure all our packaging is recyclable or biodegradable, including the plastic outer postage bag.

The reason we do this is because we want what we put out into the world to match our values and be accessible to the widest possible group of people. We also donate £1 from every box to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation. And we try to find local, independent businesses to include in the boxes.

If there are causes or issues you feel strongly about, see if you can find a box that aligns with them. You can find feminist books, healthy cat food, sustainable coffee, vegan wax melts, ethical homewares, and so many more boxes with values at the heart of what they do.