From Coffee to Condoms, Now There's a Subscription Service for Everyone

Blame it on Amazon, or on our increasing need to have everything work as fast and conveniently as our smartphones do, but subscription services boomed among consumers and the startup set in 2012.
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Blame it on Amazon, or on our increasing need to have everything work as fast and conveniently as our smartphones do, but subscription services boomed among consumers and the startup set in 2012. Sending some piece of fruit or bottle of wine at a regular cadence in the mail isn't a new business model, but the latest crop of subscription services are tackling a wider set of our earthly desires and needs. From fresh razors in your mailbox to a mystery box of handmade goods, this has been the year of getting things delivered to your house automatically.

Most monthly subscription services fall into two categories: the curated box and the specific item. Companies like Birchbox, Citrus Lane, and Conscious Box load up boxes of products or samples that fit a certain theme, like kids' crafts or eco-friendly goods. You don't always know what's in the box, which is half of the fun, and makes them great gifts. In the case of cosmetic and food curated boxes, you often get samples so you can try before you buy a full-size version later.

Then there are the specific-item services, which send you the stuff you use every day or week. Two well-known examples are ManPacks and Dollar Shave Club, which send out monthly shipments of underwear and razors respectively. They tend to attract the crowd of busy people who hate standing in line at the local Target, especially because once you sign up, you never have to reorder (as long as you keep paying your tab).

There's no doubt that in 2012, both curated box and specific-item monthly subscriptions startups exploded. As with all waves of startups, some have been signing up users like mad, while others have struggled to keep the lights on. We've rounded up 15 of the best, most of which launched this year, so you can shop for yourself, or the folks on your gift list. Just whatever you do, skip the fruit-of-the-month club – no one wants those oranges anyway.

Fashion and Accessories

T-post's T-shirt magazine

Photo: T-post

Best for T-shirt-loving hipsters: There's absolutely no shortage of well-designed T-shirts online, but if you'd rather not pick out a style, check out T-Post. Every month, the company prints a "T-shirt magazine," with an article addressing a social or newsy issue. To accompany the writing, the T-Post designs a T-shirt with a "graphical interpretation" of the article. For example, August's issue wrote about Olympic underdogs, and the T-shirt had a small swimmer, swimming laps. Price: 33 euros, or $42 per T-shirt/month. Ships around the world.

For the busy professional woman with a drawer full of snagged tights: Buying pantyhose is almost as undesirable as wearing them. Founded by two women, Hoseanna spares you the trip to the drugstore by letting your pick out your favorite hose, tights, or socks online, and sending them to you every two or three months. Price: Varies based on legwear style, but a recent visit to the service showed a range from $8.99 for thigh-highs to almost $40 for some body-shaping magical hose.

For guys who avoid the mall like it's a nuclear wasteland: Any guy who hates shopping will appreciate Trunk Club. The company assigns each member a personal stylist who gets a good handle on a guy's personal style, and clothing needs, through a phone or e-mail interview. Then the stylist hand-picks a monthly collection of clothes and sends them to the guy for approval. He tries them on, keeps what he likes and sends back the rest. Trunk Club keeps in mind climate, time of year, and trends when choosing pieces, so everything is appropriate for the season, as well as stylish. If you're thinking of gifting a Trunk Club subscription, the company has a holiday hotline to help. Price: No monthly fee; you pay for the items you keep. T-shirts start at $40, jeans start at $90.

Beauty and Personal Care

Best for gals who love makeup, or want to learn to love it: Birchbox (above) is one of the most widely known subscription services, sending women makeup and beauty product samples from popular brands like Stila, Kiehl's, and Benefit. Though others have tried to copy it, Birchbox, which launched in 2010, remains a leader in the space because of the high-quality large samples that it sends out. It's since branched out into men's and home goods. Price: $10 per month, and you can gift a three-, six-, or 12-month subscription.

For anyone who wants to stay safe in the bedroom: Take your pick from Dollar Rubber Club or the not-so-discreetly named Sir Richard's Condom Company. Both will send you a monthly supply of condoms. DRC carries name brands like Trojan and Durex, and Sir Richard's has its own private-label variety. For every box that Sir Richard's sells, the company donates a box to someone in a developing country in need of birth control. Price: Dollar Rubber Club starts at $1 for a three-pack, and goes to $10 month for a 12-count variety pack. Sir Richard's charges $11.19 per box of 12 with a monthly subscription.

Photo: Mystery Tackle Box

Pets and Outdoors

For pet food purists: Every month, MyDogBowl sends out a bag of your preferred brand of dog food. You won't find low-brow supermarket brands here; MyDogBowl sells premium and organic food like Nature's Best. To ensure your pet gets what it needs, you must call the company to sign up and get matched with the right package. Price: Dog food starts at $14 per month for the cheapest food, and goes up to $40. Cat food starts at $15 per month.

Best for the apartment-dwelling pet owner: Fresh Patch sends you — what else — a fresh patch of real grass for your dog to use when she can't go outside or is still being house trained. Every week, or every other week (your pick), you'll get a 16- by 24-inch patch of grass in a cardboard tray. The dirt-free patches are grown in water to prevent mess and bugs. Price: $14 per week, $19 for bi-weekly delivery.

For the serious fisherman: Mystery Tackle Box is Birchbox for fishermen, but without the cosmetics or fancy face washes. Instead Mystery Tackle Box sends "high-quality" lures, bait, and tackle every month, hand selected by experts. You also get information on how to use your shiny new lures to catch more fish – every fisherman's goal. Right now it's only for freshwater bass fisherman, but next year you can expect lures for other species. Check out the overly dramatic, but funny YouTube commercial. Price: $15 per month, or $165 for a full year, with free shipping.

Gifts

Bespoke Post's summer box

Photo: Bespoke Post

For the refined man: Bespoke Post doesn't fit into one particular category because its man-focused boxes vary widely every month. You might get a set of specialty salts in one box, and the next month a kit for the beach with sunglasses, dominoes, and a beach blanket. Each box aims to help guys class up their wardrobe, home bar, or weekend trips. Price: Boxes are $45 per month.

For the flower fanatic: H. Bloom sends you, or the girlfriend whose birthday you keep forgetting, a bouquet of flowers every week, two weeks, or month. You might max out on underwear or condoms, but you can never have too many flowers to enjoy. Price: Starts at $29 to arrange your own bouquet. Professionally designed bouquets go as high as $65.

For when you know who your friend admires, but not what she likes: If you've ever wanted to see what your favorite internet celebrities, experts, and writers would put into a monthly box, check out Quarterly. The company enlists the help of tastemakers, from Atlantic writer Alexis Madrigal and startup entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian to Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, the food-blogging celebrities of Food 52, to put together boxes of goodies that are sent out every three months. Madrigal's latest package included bread-making supplies and the Food 52 crew last sent out gear to keep your wine cool outside. Price: $25 per box.

Coffee and Tea

For the coffee snob who can't bear to buy a Starbucks pre-ground bag: Subscription services Craft Coffee and Tonx will send you the best java each month. Craft Coffee partners with roasters around the U.S. and Canada to find the most interesting and high-quality brews. Four-ounce bags of whole-bean coffee from three different roasters are sent you each month.

Photo: Craft Coffee

TONX sources beans from coffee farmers, then roasts the beans at its L.A. headquarters. Instead of monthly shipments, you get a fresh bag every other week. Price: Craft Coffee's monthly subscription starts at $24.99, with discounts for pre-paid six-month and annual subscriptions. Tonx is $24 per month for two 6-ounce bags and $38 per month for two 12-ounce bags.

For the tea drinker: Handmade Tea is like Tonx for tea, sending its subscribers a unique blend of tea each month. The mini subscription gives you enough tea for 15 cups. Sophisticated tea drinkers can go for the 30-cup full monthly subscription, which includes palate-building ingredients, like dried peppermint and cinnamon, which you can blend with your tea. Price: $13 per month for the mini subscription, $20 per month for the full subscription.