As soon as we heard that GQ would be getting into the subscription box game, you knew, of course that we would have to take a look and review it for you guys. We were, as it happens, super, super impressed with the first box as well as the second. And, now, the third box has arrived. GQ’s box delivers every quarter, as opposed to the more common monthly boxes you might be used to. It’s called, as always, the GQ “Best Stuff Box” and it will run you $50 per box, or $190 if you sign up for a whole year of them.
If you are interested, note that they sell out super quickly. So while you can buy them outright without a subscription, it’s super hard. If you want them, you need to subscribe. Anyway, we are indeed looking at a price a little bit higher than what most of these subscription boxes usually cost, but, it’s only four times a year as opposed to 6 or 12 times, and we think the value here is tremendous. It’s quickly become our favorite subscription box service, by quite a margin (with Bespoke Post being second place). Let’s get into it a bit more by taking a look at what came in this third box from GQ.
The Box Contents
Youth To The People Moisturizer Cream — $48: This is an all-natural moisturizer cream for your face, or hands, I suppose. It has glowing recommendations from GQ, but we think it’s just alright. Certainly an excellent thing to throw in your Dopp kit for the next time you travel. It’s light, got only the slightest scent, and works pretty well.
BKR Water Bottle — $38: I had been meaning to buy myself a glass, reusable water bottle for quite some time. And this is why I love the GQ box so much. They seem to, somehow, hit exactly what I want with at least one or two items every month, making the box worth it for that item alone. The cost of this water bottle at retail is pretty close to the cost of this whole box, making just about everything else purely a bonus. It’s a solid glass bottle, with a nice twist-on cap that allows you to hook it on to your bag. Plus, the rubber grip that goes around the bottle protects it from breaking. It’s easily removable to wash the bottle (just flip the top of it down to replace it back onto the bottle more easily), and so you get all the great benefits of a glass water bottle without the worry of it breaking. Nice.
Harry’s Body Wash — $3: I have used the full-size version of this before and love it. One of my favorites. This is the perfect size to throw in your Dopp kit to take a great body wash with you while traveling, and thus saving you from the hotel soap.
Oribe Hair Styling Cream — $42: Don’t see why this is worth the full retail price, but it is solid. GQ included a light pomade in their first box, which I am not even close to done with yet. Don’t love that they included another hair product so soon afterwards, but, hey, it’s slightly different being a lighter cream, as opposed to something closer to a pomade. Works well, has a nice scent, and it is, I suppose, always good to experiment with hair products to find one that you love.
Gold Toe Socks — $9: Not much to say about this. They are excellent, classic, and famous for a reason. Love that they threw these in here. And magical, too, as I was looking for some new black dress socks. I have worn out all my current ones.
Brothers Artisan Beard Oil — $22: This is pretty cool. It’s an oil for your beard, but it works just as well if you run it through your hair, just a light scruff, or even use it as a hand moisturizer. It’s a “do-everything” type product. It’s got a super strong pine scent, though. So, if you’re not into that beware.
Tani Underwear — $45: This box included a coupon code for up to $45 off of a pair of underwear from Tani. You do have to pay for shipping though, which ain’t so cool, and brings up the total cost of this box. But, buying it on your own allows you to pick the size and color you want, even if most were sold out by the time I got my box. How are they? Solid. A great pair of underwear that reminds me almost exactly of MeUndies. They’re just more expensive.
Cremo Shave Cream — $8: GQ included a clear shave gel in their first box, but I am actually just about done with it, so having this new shave cream is nice. To me, this is the perfect shave cream, and hard-core straight-razor type folks seem to love this shave cream as well, from what I hear on Reddit. It foams just enough without reminding you of something from a tin can, and has the perfect subtle scent as well. It’s really quite great, and has at least a 90 day supply (so says the front of the bottle). Really happy with this!
Pocket Square Microfloral Tie — $60: It’s cotton. It’s less than 3.00” in width. Depending on your box, you might get a slightly different pattern. It’s a decent tie, sure, but not really my speed, and a bit too skinny for my taste. In all three boxes, so far, this is the first and only product I have no actual intent to use. Not a bad batting average if you ask me.
Value & Conclusion
Like we said above, this box will run you $50 per quarter. Originally, you could subscribe for the whole year for $150, but it seems they raised that price, so get in now before they raise it any more. The value in each box well exceeds what you pay. Unlike some other subscription boxes, the items you get in this box are truly high quality, top of the field items. There is no crap in this box. True, you might not use every item as it might not fit into your life, but overall, I was shocked at how much stuff came in this box, and the value inside of it, and the fact that GQ has now been able to deliver this same reaction two times in a row. I don’t know how GQ pulled it off, but I guess they are capable of doing things and making deals that the smaller subscription box companies cannot. They call this a “Best Stuff” box and it truly is. Again, color me surprised. But they really deliver here!
To be sure, one of the best parts of these boxes is getting items that you never would have purchased alone, but, now that you have them, are excited to get to try to use. All subscription boxes we have tested get the first part right, but the second part is the key. It all comes down to curation. Are the items you are getting actually any good? Are the items that you would not have done out and gotten yourself something that you now actually want to use and are happy to have? Do you feel like you have something of a personal stylist and curator? Well, GQ utterly nails this. I was, truly, blown away by all the great stuff in this box.
It is a bit pricier than the other subscription boxes — even more than the already-expensive Bespoke Post at $45. Plus, you get no customization whatsoever (like you do with Bespoke Post), and have no idea what is in the box until it shows up (or until you read GQ online or in print, as they sort of start advertising it before everyone gets their box, something I wish they didn’t do to keep it a surprise!). Nevertheless, I think it is without question worth the money. Right now, if you could only subscribe to one subscription box, it should be this GQ one. Once a quarter is a much more reasonable frequency to get a box like this than once a month, and, if the third box is anything like this one, I fully trust GQ to continue to deliver awesome items you’ll be excited to use and try — even if you did not select them beforehand.
Other boxes at cheaper price points give you products that are not as well curated, nor as high quality. GQ’s box gives you a bit of everything. Some lifestyle items, some grooming, some clothing. It’s the best of all worlds. As with so many things, you get what you pay for. If you’re going to subscribe to a service like this, we have seen without a doubt that a bit more money goes a much longer way. If you are asking us, we think the best subscription box service is GQ’s Best Stuff Box, pretty much hands down.
Check back next quarter for our review of that box!