12 Subscription Services That Are More Convenient Than Shopping
Now that you can go back to the mall, leaving the house to go “pick up a few things” is more convenient than ever. But that means you’ll just have to brave the regular retail inconveniences again—long lines, sold out products, not being able to find an employee to help you. Just because we’re not necessarily stuck at home anymore, doesn’t mean that getting important daily essentials needs to be a nuisance. That’s where a good subscription service comes in.
From vitamins to food to personal hygiene products, these subscription sites deliver basic necessities and helpful everyday products to your door every month, ensuring that you are well-stocked, whether you’re still staying in, or heading back out.
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1. Ritual
Launched in 2016, this cult-favorite vitamin brand makes it easy to start a daily “ritual” of taking vitamins. While most generic multivitamins contain ingredients you already get from food, Ritual focuses on nine essential ingredients that you may have trouble getting organically. The list includes Omega-3 (for immunity), Folate (to boost mood), Iron (for red blood cell formation), Magnesium (for heart health and bone function) and Vitamin B12 (for brain health), among others.
While it started as a vitamin brand for women, Ritual just introduced its Essential for Men line last year. Choose from a multivitamin for men ages 18-49, and a special formula for men 50+. Ritual says its team of scientists has done extensive research to create a vitamin that only includes what you need, in “bioavailable forms” your body can actually digest and use. Their capsules are vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO and made without colorants, allergens or fillers. Ritual sends you a bottle of vitamins each month for just $30; they’ll send you an alert ahead of time in case you need to pause or cancel anytime.
I’ve been taking Ritual vitamins for months now and their daily multivitamin is an easy to take and easy to digest capsule that has left me feeling more energized and recharged. There’s no chalky aftertaste like some generic capsules, and no side effects either; just two capsules daily, taken with your without food.
What we like: Ritual is continuing its long-term partnership with Food Forward, a non-profit that fights hunger and prevents food waste by “rescuing” fresh surplus produce, and redistributes it to people in need across Southern California. The company says every new Ritual subscription will allow Food Forward to distribute 10 pounds of fresh, healthy produce to communities experiencing food insecurity across Southern California.
2. Dollar Shave Club
Even if you’re growing out your facial hair, you’ll still want to keep your beard or mustache nicely groomed, and the rest of your body looking good too. That’s why we’re fans of Dollar Shave Club, which may have started as a great place to order razors and shaving cream, but has quickly become a one-stop-shop for some of the best men’s grooming tools and accessories in the market today.
Fill out your preferences on the Dollar Shave Club website, then pull from their online shop, which stocks everything from deodorant to hair products to moisturizer and cologne.
Add products to your box and have them shipped directly to your door. Switch out or remove items at any time.
3. Birchbox
Birchbox has gone from being a beauty subscription box, to an easy way to stock up on skincare essentials while discovering new faves. Answer a few questions about what you’re looking for (your skin type, hair type, etc.) and Birchbox will send you a customized package with a mix of deluxe makeup, hair, and skincare samples, along with tips on how to use them. Choose what you like to re-order or spin the figurative wheel to test out a whole new box of products next month.
Birchbox has been a great way for us to test out pricey and trendy products without committing to paying full price for the whole thing. It’s not just for women either; there are a ton of gender-neutral products available at Birchbox.com and they also launched Birchbox Grooming, which is stocked with more male-focused balms and creams and lotions.
Buy Birchbox Subscription $15+
4. Hims
Hims has quickly become a go-to site for men dealing with more sensitive issues that they’d rather not have to pick up products for in person. In particular, Hims’ line of hair loss and erectile dysfunction treatments, can be easily added to your cart for discreet home delivery. Sign up for a subscription so you never have to worry about running out of these hair and performance-boosting aids (everything is shipped in simple packaging that doesn’t reveal its contents).
Hims offers a wide variety of treatment options too, from supplements and shampoos (say for thinning hair), to premature ejaculation sprays and pills that promise to get rid of cold sores in as little as 24 hours. Hims also offers skincare hacks, vitamins and can even arrange primary care consultations too, all done securely and conveniently online.
Buy Him Wellness Products $15+
5. Care/of
Care/of is the personalized wellness brand that delivers vitamins, supplements, protein powders, and more directly to your door. Customize your pack of vitamins based on what you need or lack (I.e. elderberry for immunity, probiotics for digestion), and the company will send you a box of individually-packaged vitamins for each day of the month. Care/of also offers pre-natal vitamins, protein and recovery powders, and “specialty” supplements like adaptogenic mushrooms. The convenient pre-packs makes it easy to take your vitamins on the go, whether you’re at the office or traveling.
I’ve been ordering from Care/of for over a year now and find it a super convenient way to get my daily vitamins without having to open a bunch of different bottles. The easy survey on the Care/of website is also a way to get “personalized” vitamins for my specific needs.
A bonus: the individual packets have been easy to toss in my carry-on bag when I’m heading on vacation, and they get me through security without any fuss too.
6. DrnxMyth
DrnxMyth is one of the easiest ways to get ready-to-drink craft cocktails, essentially bringing the whole bar menu straight to your door. Using specialized and patented “Twist-to-Mix” tech, the bottles have separate chambers for the juices and spirits to ensure peak taste and freshness for cocktail favorites like Margaritas, Rum Punch, and Bourbon Sours (although they feature master mixologist-level drinks too, like their smoky mezcal-based Hibiscus Haze).
Speaking of juices—everything is cold-pressed, with ingredients batched and mixed same-day from local California farms. In the spirit of drink innovation, DrnxMyth’s website also allows you to submit your own cocktail recipes for a change that it’ll get made. If you can’t get to your favorite local bar, or are just hyped up to host dinner parties again, DrynxMyth’s a great way to shake things up.
7. Sun Basket
Even as restaurants open up again, for everyday weeknight meals, it’s still a great time to subscribe to a good meal delivery service. We’re big fans of Sun Basket, which offers home delivery of both full meals, and individual items for “all-day healthy eating” (think: protein bars, jerky, nuts and crackers).
Sun Basket, and other meal delivery services like it, have become an easy way for people who may not be able to get to a grocery store to access fresh meats and produce. It’s also a fun roommate or date night activity, with all the ingredients pre-portioned and recipes easily laid out for you to follow.
In my household of three people, Sun Basket had meals for someone who was gluten-free, a vegan and someone on the paleo diet, too. The site also offers a number of diabetic-friendly meals, in association with the American Diabetes Association. There was more than enough variety for us (we made everything from Malaysian noodles, to chicken, to a jambalaya-style shrimp) and the dishes were all ready in 30-40 minutes (including prep time). Oh: they were pretty tasty too.
Buy Sunbasket Meal Delivery $10.99+/serving
8. Talkspace
Human connection has never been more important after two years of a pandemic (and months of quarantine), and even though it might be a little easier to physically be next to someone right now, having someone to talk to can go a long way towards easing us out of quarantine healthy and thriving.
The site, Talkspace, offers “online therapy,” which is exactly what it sounds like. Sign up for Talkspace and the site will pair you with a licensed therapist that you can chat with over text, audio or video calls. Just like a regular in-person appointment, you’ll have the same therapist every week, and he or she will provide “homework” for you to go over between sessions. With Talkspace, you can also send your therapist a message whenever you’re near a laptop, tablet, or smartphone, and he or she will respond once or twice a day (plans can be customized for more frequent communication too).
Your dedicated therapist is chosen based on a detailed survey you fill out about your needs and areas of concern. Talkspace offers programs for teens and couples as well. Every conversation is protected by banking-grade encryption to keep it safe and confidential.
9. Winc
If there’s one thing we could all use right now, it’s a stiff drink, and there are a number of sites that offer alcohol delivery these days. For convenience and variety, we like Winc, an online wine club that sends you a box of wine every month according to your preferences. Choose from red, whites, rosé and bubbly; mix and match from hundreds of fun, unique offerings on the Winc website (they have vegan, organic and natural wines too).
Swap out your order at anytime (say, if you want to switch your full-bodied reds for a fun rosé). Winc offers a ton of wines that you won’t find anywhere else, so we recommend mixing it up to try a bit of everything.
Don’t want to subscribe? Winc lets you order individual bottles as well, and they offer custom baskets for a great gift delivery option too.
Buy Wince Wine Delivery $12/bottle
10. GETMr.
GETMr. is great for starting a skincare routine without a lot of bells and whistles. Their simple and clean signature product is called “The Daily“, and it’s exactly what it sounds like—an all-in-one solution that works as a moisturizing face lotion, broad spectrum weightless mineral SPF 30, and soothing aftershave.
With dermatologist-approved ingredients like non-nano zinc, niacinamide, and antioxidants, The Daily is for when you want smoother, stronger skin in one step (one step that isn’t just splashing your face with water, that is). You can get it delivered on a monthly basis, which we recommend, since GETMr. says that with repeated use you can help reduce up to 90% of the signs of skin damage—think wrinkles and brown spots. For skincare minimalists, you can’t beat the simplicity and quality of GETMr.
11. The Bouqs Co.
Nothing brightens up someone’s day like a bouquet of fresh flowers, and we like ordering our stems from Bouqs. The first time I used Bouqs, it was to send a gift subscription to a friend who had just started a new business. Every two weeks, Bouqs would send a big flower arrangement to his shop, ensuring that he always had fresh blooms for his window display and counter.
I’ve used Bouqs to send a flower subscription to my parents too, and for a much-loved housewarming gift. The great thing about a Bouqs subscription? They don’t all have to be sent to the same person. You can sign up for a personal subscription and use it to get flowers for mom one month, a friend’s birthday the next, and for yourself the month after that.
Choose from a variety of classic bouquets and hip “farmers market” favorites. You can also choose the frequency of deliveries and the size of each arrangement. Not looking for a subscription? Bouqs also offers single orders on hundreds of beautiful florals, plants and succulents — many of which can be delivered the next day.
The site has an extensive $50 and under section too, with a ton of great blooms that you can order for yourself or as a gift.
Buy Bouqs Floral Subscription $36+
12. Brodo
Feeling under the weather, or just looking for a little extra immune boost to get you through allergy season? Brodo delivers bone broth (yes, just broth) straight to your door that you can either heat and sip by itself, or use in any recipe for an extra hit of flavor. Build your box online with selections ranging from classic meats, to broth blends like their chicken, roasted garlic, and chili paste dubbed the “Spicy Nona.” There’s even a vegan broth made from mushrooms and seaweed.
Not only do they use no concentrates or preservatives (unlike shelf-stable broths), but they’re also a great protein boost if you’re on a Keto, Paleo, or Whole30 plan. Like the best comfort food in a cup, each container has 22 ounces of broth shipped in frozen so you can enjoy a warm sip of nutrient-dense broth whenever you need a pick-me-up.
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