14 Thoughtful Subscription Gifts to Surprise Loved Ones Near & Far
Consider these the gifts that'll keep on giving featuring beauty, food, fashion and more options. They'll even work as last-minute presents.
staff
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Now that the holidays are fast approaching (we’re only a week out from Christmas Day on Wednesday, Dec. 25), it’s time to create our list of gifts to get our friends, family and maybe even colleagues.
Looking at all the names can be overwhelming, but with holiday sales going on, you can take advantage of promos and discounts to score heartfelt gifts — without leaving a hole in your wallet.
Not everyone you’re gifting may be close in proximity, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still surprise them with a thoughtful gift. Subscription gifts are a great way to surprise your friends and family without having to stress over last-minute gifts or mailing out a box on your own. Instead, the best subscription gifts will supply your loved ones with months of their favorite things, whether it’s books, skincare or virtual learning experiences.
Rather than do the research yourself, we took the time to put together a mix of unique subscription gifts, no matter your need or budget. Take a look below and get ready for a lot of thank you hugs.
Amazon Music Unlimited
Take advantage of Amazon Music‘s current promo, which offers three months of the service for free. After the free trial is over, you’ll be charged $10.99 per month. The best part is you can personalize how many months you want to pay for the subscription — just make sure to cancel it when you’re ready.
MasterClass
MasterClass offers a vast library of classes for people to take no matter if they want singing lessons, piano lessons or something else. Each class is taught by a legend or professional in the industry, and even includes classes taught by artists such as Christina Aguilera and Usher.
Shipt
If your friend loves to buy their groceries, home essentials, makeup and more online, but don’t enjoy a long delivery wait, gift them a Shipt membership. The online delivery space has partnered with a variety of retailers including Sephora and Target, and will provide member-only deals, free delivery on $35+ orders and more perks. Plus, right now you can gift a 12-month membership for a little over half off.
Veeps
Music lovers will be excited about Veeps All Access, which provides on-demand and live concert and comedy performances from a growing library of performers. You can choose between a six-month of 12-month gift subscription, or send them a virtual ticket to one performance – it’s up to you!
Breo Box
For the friends who are always keeping up with the latest tech and gadgets, Breo Box comes stocked with the most buzzy innovations they’ll immediately want to unbox. Just choose how many boxes they receive in a year, and they can look forward to unboxing moments every three months until your plan is up.
Broadway Box
For the friend who’s always belting broadway tunes, make sure they have a Broadway Box in their hands. Choose between one, three, six or 12 months of boxes, and they’ll be surprised with a mix of on- and off-broadway show-inspired merch, stickers and collectables to decorate their accessories and home with.
Audible
Keep your friends listening to all the latest and greatest thrillers, musician memoirs and more with an Audible subscription. Choose from one, three, six or 12 months of credits that they can use to stock up on all their most-wanted audiobooks.
Headspace
Encourage some self-care with a Headspace subscription that’ll help them track their goals, meditate and use stress-reducing resources for a more mindful lifestyle. You can pay monthly for as many months as you’d like, or choose the annual plan for them to have a full year of the service.
BeautyFix by Dermstore
Beauty gurus will be praising your gift-giving skills after receiving Dermstore’s subscription box. Each one comes with a curated pick of six skincare, haircare and makeup products that are a mix of full- and travel-sized bottles. And did we mention they’re all worth at least $100?
Jiggy
Jiggy offers a puzzle-of-the-month subscription that sends a new puzzle your gift recipient can choose each month. Every puzzle is designed with art from a local artist, with a percentage of the profits going to support their work.
Scentbird
Scentbird is offering a scent-sational subscription for either three, six or 12 months. All plans come with a free case for their perfume or cologne, and with a six- or 12-month plan, they’ll also receive up to two free fragrances.
Horti
Plant parents won’t be able to contain their excitement when you surprise them with this unique plant subscription. Horti offers three-, six- or 12-month plans. Or, if you’re looking to splurge, you can get the rare-plant subscription for six months. Within the customization process, there’s also a pet-friendly option for anyone who’s also a pet owner.
Bean Box
If your family member can’t be seen without a cup of coffee in hand, then Bean Box is the gift to go with. You can choose between a three-, six- or 12-month plan as well as customize it to the type of brew they like, and whether they receive full-beans or freshly ground. From there, the brand will send a new bag of coffee from independent coffee shops around the nation.
Wixbox
Help grow your friend’s candle collection with Wixbox. The subscription service creates personalized boxes for each person’s tastes, and has a month-to-month plan or you can prepay for up to 12 months. Plus, they’re offering a free wick trimmer with most plan options — just enter the code FREEWICK at checkout to redeem.
Meanwhile, last-minute shopping can be frustrating for the holidays, but it helps to have a plan in place. When shopping online, you’ll want to factor in shipping deadlines so that your gift gets delivered in time. The holidays fall on Tuesday, Dec. 24 and Wednesday, Dec. 25, so it’s best to get your gifts shipped as soon as possible, or at least by Dec. 18-19, which is the delivery deadline for most online retailers.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
