Which should you subscribe to?
Are you like me and having a hard time picking the right present for yourself? You know you want to pick a subscription box, but since it’s already an indulgence, you want to make sure it’s the right one. This Fall, I tried a Fab Fit Fun box, and my friend Sally gave Causebox a try. I got to compare them both, just in time for you to decide on your Winter box!
Cost Comparison
Both subscriptions offer one box per season, so four per year. You can either get one-off boxes, pay quarterly (for a savings) or annually (for even greater savings). All prices below are in U.S. dollars.
Fab Fit Fun costs $199.99 for an annual subscription – although if you grab it now, it’s on sale for $179.99! If you choose a seasonal subscription, you’ll pay $49.99 every quarter. From a savings point of view, it doesn’t really matter whether you get an annual subscription or not (unless it’s on sale), because the cost works out the same.
An annual subscription to Causebox is $199.80, which equals $49.95 per box. If you pay quarterly, the cost increases to $54.95 per quarter.
The benefit in both cases to buying a quarterly subscription is that you can cancel your subscription before the next quarter if necessary, rather than waiting for the following year.
Category Winner: It’s a tie!
Quantity & Quality of Products
My Fab Fit Fun box was filled to the brim with full-sized products. In cases of single use products like the Glam Glow face masks, you may even get two! Every Fab Fit Fun product is from a popular brand name, and may include products you would buy anyway, like a Beauty Blender in your makeup routine. While you get to a curate a few of your products every time to customize your box, there are always a few unexpected surprises thrown in.
In comparison, Causebox had just a couple of carefully curated products – all of which Sally knew about in advance. This means you’ll be sure that you want what’s in the box. The crux of Causebox is its focus on ethics. Box contents are fair trade, environmentally responsible, and increasingly vegan and cruelty free. When it comes to quality, you really can’t beat that.
Category Winner: Both excellent, but Causebox wins for social consciousness.
Value of Subscription
With Fab Fit Fun, having an annual subscription gets you massive perks, including full customization access. A quarterly subscription limits how many products you can customize. Any Fab Fit Fun subscription gets you access to a plethora of Member’s Only sales, Fab Fit Fun TV which inludes recipe and workout videos, and an online community. It’s also very well established since the Fab Fit Fun is probably the biggest subscription box out there.
Causebox is very focused on the box itself – there are no additional benefits which reduces its value compared with Fab Fit Fun. However, if you consider that you are paying for high quality, socially conscious products compared to more commercial options like Fab Fit Fun, that does bring the value up a bit closer to balance.
Category Winner: Fab Fit Fun
Final Recommendation
If you’re still undecided between these two unique subscription boxes, I recommend you try both! One season grab a single Causebox – I hope you like it best because it is full of ethical products. If you’re not completely impressed, you can see if either company is offering a “Welcome Box” special (which they often do to try the box in a one-off purchase.)
Another option is to sign up for a quarterly subscription to both of the boxes, decide which you want to continue with, then unsubscribe from the other. If you’re a little tighter on cash, get a quarterly subscription for one of the two boxes, then unsubscribe, and sign up for the other’s quarterly subscription the next month. Then you can decide whether to make a commitment to one of the two boxes.
While it’s a little more expensive to start with a quarterly subscription than jumping straight into an annual subscription, it’s worth it to be sure you’re satisfied. These are products you’ll use to decorate your home, pamper your skin, and dress yourself for the outside world. Any money you spend on subscription box treats for yourself should be well spent.
Liked this post? Check out my other self care recommendations and ideas on the blog, like 5 Positive Podcasts to Brighten Your Commute.
