Is there someone on your list who you just can’t find a present for? Don’t throw your hands in the air just yet—consider a subscription box. There are boxes for nearly every interest, and your giftee gets to try a bunch of stuff that would be far too expensive for you to compile yourself. You can buy them one month, but we think three months makes the perfect gift because they’ll get that warm giddy feeling again and again.

None of the options below require contracts, so you can cancel at any time. (Just check the fine print for how many days prior to billing you need to notify them.) If you purchase a multiple-month subscription, you can cancel the auto-renew, but you won’t get money back for the boxes that didn’t ship yet. We’ve noted when the boxes have separate gift options, which typically cost a little more, but you won’t have to worry about canceling.

Keep in mind that subscription boxes tend to ship at a very specific time every month, so they won’t mail out immediately upon ordering if you’re rushing for a last-minute gift

Be sure to check out our many other gift guides, like Gifts for Teens and 25 Gifts under $25, plus, some of our personal favorite gifts, like a cat tarot deck and tea tumbler.

Updated November 2022: We’ve added Breo Box for techies, Undiscovered Artisan Box for travelers, and Curdbox for cheese lovers. We’ve also updated prices and links throughout.

If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED

  • Photograph: Horti

    For Plant Lovers

    Horti Plant Subscription

    When it comes to flora, people tend to gift flowers. They’re pretty and smell good, but they’re already halfway dead by the time they get to your giftee. On the other hand, plants are fantastic gifts that can live on for years if cared for correctly. Horti makes it easy for someone to slowly turn their living quarters into a jungle.

    Choose between pet-friendly and beginner plants (or go for Horti’s pick) and either a plain terra-cotta pot or one with nice painted features. Each box comes with one plant, a puck of potting soil, and tips and advice for caring for them. The plants are carefully packaged, so they shouldn’t be damaged in the mail. There’s a new rare plant subscription available too.

    Price breakdown: Starting at $22 per month, $220 for six months, $420 for 12 months. (All cost a few dollars more for a painted pot, or less if you can pick it up in NYC.) Prices don’t include shipping. There are specific gift options that do not auto-renew and include shipping costs: $125 for three months, $255 for six months, $500 for 12 months.

  • Photograph: KiwiCo

    For Kids

    KiwiCo Kiwi Crate

    Younger kids tend to like any random, plastic toy, but after a while they end up in the pile that go unused. We think a subscription box like this is a better option to give them interesting hands-on activities that they’ll enjoy (and hopefully learn from in the process!). 

    KiwiCo has boxes for five age groups—from under 2 years to 14ish—and a range of themes you can choose from. You can pick cooking, geography, engineering, and more (see them all here—you can switch them up as you want). WIRED senior associate editor Adrienne So has watched her kids make everything from water guns to kaleidoscopes; she said there was even a night-themed box where everything glowed. 

    Price breakdown: Starting at $24 a month, $66 for three months, $120 for six months, $222 for 12 months. Those prices come with auto-renew, which you can cancel at any time. If you don’t want to worry about canceling, you can purchase the same amount of boxes for a few dollars more. (You’ll see the option for non-renewing during the selection process.) Shipping is free in the US.

    More options: We have many more favorite subscription boxes for kids if you don’t think this one is right. We’ve tried other craft boxes, book subscriptions, and even coding kits.

  • Photograph: Goddess Provisions

    For Witches

    Goddess Provisions

    A Goddess Provisions box gives your witchy friends five to seven products, like crystals, small notebooks, teas, and other ritual tools and decor. Everything included is vegan and cruelty-free. I subscribed for a few months and found the boxes useful for learning more about the metaphysical world, but even professionals will like a few boxes too.

    Price breakdown: $33 per month, $99 for thee months, $178 for six months, $333 for 12 months. Shipping is free in the US.

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