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15 best men’s subscription boxes to gift a loved one with Father’s Day

For a treat that keeps on giving, try one of these

Luke Abrahams
Thursday 10 June 2021 13:51 BST
We tested for its ability to make life easier, more fun, or just generally a little more bearable
We tested for its ability to make life easier, more fun, or just generally a little more bearable

Father’s Day is coming. Yes, it often feels those who can’t decide between buying socks and booze (both original and ground-breaking gifts by the way) with absolute dread – but (!) as per usual, we’re here to solve your problems: subscription boxes.

Whether there’s a man in your life who loves beer, can’t wait to get stuck into a new book, enjoys the colourful delight of a kaleidoscopic floral or has an unhealthy stationery obsession, these boxes will offer them a new delivery each month bursting with fresh, new and original nick nacks. Delivered straight to their door, you won’t even need to worry about wrapping the stuff either – a very major bonus in our books.

First up, what are the best monthly subscription boxes to nab? It’s a difficult question to answer, but if we’re honest, you’ll want to shop from people who offer variety, a dash of intrigue and those that operate on more sustainable lines (boxed home deliveries, after all, come with a massive carbon footprint).

Whether you are buying for yourself, or for someone else, start off with picking a box based on your or their interests – you can’t go wrong with food for example – and those that champion local and indie businesses that diverge from the mainstream. Trust us, the more you investigate what you’re buying first will make sure you get what you pay for.

From florals delivered straight to your door, to posh shaving kits, beer and book delivery services and a rather mean bunch of cocktails, here’s our edit of the best subscription boxes for men right now.

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You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.

These are the best men’s subscription boxes for 2021:

Cuvée Privée wine subscription

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Best: Overall

Yes, there’s oodles of wine subscriptions out there but none of them are quite like this. Rather than a bog-standard case being sent to you every month, here you adopt a vine and get sent your very own wine (capped in lovely bottles). Choose from the Loire Valley, Burgundy, the Rhone, Provence and other winemaking regions, and your winemaker on your chosen vine will send out this year’s vintage and next, too. If that doesn’t sound fabulous enough, you’ll even get an invitation to go visit your vine for a prim and proper afternoon tasting session. Lovely.

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Bloombox Club

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Best: For green-fingered types

Perhaps the best part of lockdown was our newfound love of plants. Up your green-fingered game with the bloomin’ amazing shrub subscription service courtesy of Bloombox Club. Designed to suit even the most prolific serial plant killers, a new shade of green will be delivered to your door every month in peak condition. The brainchild of psychologist Katie Cooper, shrubbery comes neatly packed, and every delivery is armed with a simple-to-read plant care guide.

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Birchbox

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Best: For glowing skin

We live in a modern age of self-care and wellness. Birchbox knows this, hence its top-notch range of skincare and make-up lines it loves to shout about. If you (or another bloke in your life) can’t stop trying the latest fad serums and moisturisers, expand your routine with the brand’s monthly subscription box service. Expect a range of Insta-ready products specially selected and adapted to skin type, hair type and of course, personal preference-based grooming boxes. Happy experimenting.

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Stir-UP

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Best: For workaholics in need of a break

Cocktail kits seemed to be the breakout trend of the pandemic. Why? Well, booze helped make the gut-wrenching boredom of it all to be more fun. Whether you’re hosting drinks in the garden, or you’ve had the workday from hell, Stir-Up knows how to turn up the booze meter to the max. Three- or six-month subscriptions are on offer and include mash ups of classy Cosmos, espresso martinis or the newly launched (and very lush) picante. Each box will come with all the bits you’ll need to mix your cocktails, with clear details about how to make them and a list of any garnishes you might need to make It seriously Insta-ready.

  1. £34 from Stir-up.com
Prices may vary
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Bloom & Wild

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Best: For a mood boost

While we are on the subject of Mother Earth, buying yourself (or someone else) a floral subscription service is pretty much guaranteed to ensure months of giddy smiles. Yes, a vase full at work can be a pest and there’s nothing worse than having to stay home to receive something so menial, but guess what, the major perk of ordering from these guys and gals is that blooms come through the letterbox. Choose between delivering flowers every seven, 14 or 28 days and peruse buds that go from simply chic to bank account-bustlingly luxe.

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Thread

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Best: For the fashion conscious

When it comes to online “personal stylists”, Thread is one of the best. You start off letting it know which brands and styles you’re into (super fun!) then the site’s nifty algorithm lets you surf its bogglesome item suggestions. Once you’ve done that, it comes to you all in a box, and you simply keep the stuff you like. Very well priced, too, with outfits costing from £100.

  1. £100 from Thread.com
Prices may vary
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Abel & Cole

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Best: For organic-loving foodies

If you are on a total veggie roll this year, then Abel & Cole’s food delivery subscription box service is for you. Choose between different box sizes depending on the small army you are cooking for and then take your pick of what gets sent to your door (spoiler, the selection is well and truly mammoth). Currently, A&C’s offering includes the standard “fuit and veg” to the “very veggie veg box”, a “seasonal salad box” and even a selection of different “meat and fish” boxes. You can even add on daily essentials from milk to bread and eggs to your order, too.

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Gadget Discovery Box

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Best: For the tech obsessed

If you know someone who is madly obsessed with getting their hands on the latest bit of kit, this is the subscription service for them. Expect everything from health and fitness to leisure, entertainment and even tech geared towards relationships (wink, wink). It’s fun, exciting and just a little bit different, plus we got a nifty little wireless speaker in our box – the perfect gadget for a long hazy summer spent on the beach.

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The London Sock Exchange

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Best: For guys who ruin their socks

It’s a fact that men go through socks like nobody’s business. To fix the issue, the sock loving crew at the London Sock Exchange (we must say, excellent name) take a rather practical approach to the usual old boring birthday and Christmas gift: new socks all year round without having the disappointment of someone not making the effort on those big all-important days. Better still, the subscription also offers the opportunity to refill the box with unwanted old pairs of socks and return them to be recycled, making it a super sustainable way to refresh this basic wardrobe staple.

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Hotel Chocolat subscription service

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Best: For the sweet tooth

We’re a nation of chocoholics, so naturally, Hotel Chocolat is here to help settle our incessant cocoa cravings. The monthly curation includes a hand-picked selection of treats that vary delivery to delivery. Overall, what’s on offer conjures up the same choice horror you get when trying to choose your favourite choccie at the supermarket. That said, the quality beats the average bits you find at the till, especially the more high-end ranges and slabs packed with nuts and dried fruits.

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The Personal Barber

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Best: For grooming

A personal shave is a treat even at the best of times, especially for those hipster types that have the cash to flash in the barber’s chair. We all know it’s a spenny affair. Solution? You can of course do it yourself, but you just need the right kit to do so. Cue The Personal Barber. Once you’ve signed up or gifted the service, the team will send over a beautiful blade razor, shaving brush, soap or cream and even a nice set of spare blades. For virgins to a close shave, a nifty how-to guide is also included. Now say ciao to the disposable supermarket razor forever.

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Pasta Evangelists

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Best: For pasta connoisseurs

Our instant reaction to these guys is tutti bene, plus who doesn’t love pasta? Carbs are fresh and are pretty much ready to throw in a boiling pot of water the Italian way (add an extra dash of oil and herbs for luck). In addition to the handmade pasta, sauce, garnish and to-the-point instructions also come stuffed in the box. Bellissimo.

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Papergang

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Best: For the bookish

We all know someone who is absolutely addicted to stationery. Chances are they have it all, but the peeps at Papergang love a little challenge so this is the perfect subscription for them. Each box comes with a truly exciting range (yes, really) of stationery gifts and products from cards, the very necessary to-do lists, envelopes and all of the organisation aids seriously organised folk might ever need. Plus, for every four boxes they sell, they plant a tree – sustainably fabulous.

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Box-to-box football shirts

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Best: For the footie-crazed

Footie fans will love this godly letterbox delivery. Each package brings a different – and genuine – football shirt from across the world. You can start with the Debut – a single, one-off shirt – or sign up to a monthly, bimonthly or quarterly drop. Or, if you’re feeling particularly beneficent get the Team Player box of five identical shirts for your whole kickabout gang. Oh, and you’ll also get football stickers and a delivery of Tangfastics, too.

  1. £39 from Boxtobox.uk
Prices may vary
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Books + Beer

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Best: For booze and literature

Books and beer – is there a better combo? We think not. To the joy of us all, Books + Beer totally gets this perfect union. Take your pick of book genre (we suggest a good crime thriller), and then, for £13.50 per month, a paperback book, as well as two cans of beer from indie breweries will be sent to your gaff. Weekend sorted.

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Scentaddict

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Whether you want to try all the fragrances to switch it up every month with a new scent, you’re looking to send someone an at-home subscription or you just want the one-off alternative to sending flowers, meet Scentaddict by The Fragrance Shop. For just £12 per month, Scentaddict will send you a one month supply of one of more than 500 of the most popular fragrances. Swap and change your scent with the seasons or have a top up of your favourite delivered every month, it’s up to you!

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The verdict: Men’s subscription boxes

Just because it’s a little different, our top pick of the list goes to the Cuvée Privée wine subscription. Why, you ask? How many subscription services out there give you the chance to pick your own vine and bottle? We rest our case. And just for the sheer novelty of a stationery subscription, the guys at Papergang are close runners for the second top spot as our delivery really was rather eye-openingly gorgeous.

Voucher codes

For the latest offers on fashion and men’s clothing, try the links below:

From designer to sustainable fashion labels, these are the best men’s shirt brands

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