Ho ho hold up — did you wait until the last second to get a gift for that one important person? Is it too late for it to make it by Christmas day? Are those holiday shipping prices too high, and those waits too long? In other words, did you majorly mess up?
Have no fear: subscription boxes make the perfect last-minute presents. Finding the right one proves you know your recipient inside and out, and the promise of more to come will keep those warm, fuzzy holiday feelings going for months to come. Unwrapping presents is always the best part, anyway.
Luckily, we’ve already done the hard part and found 13 fabulous gift subscriptions for every flavor of gay. All you have to do is choose your favorite.
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For the mirror selfie maven
For the person you see more often in their underwear than fully clothed, what could be better than feeding their addiction?
The Monthly Gay Pack from Next Gay Thing should have you convinced from the name alone. Every box includes one, two, or three pairs of fashion-forward underwear from gay-favorite brands, along with four high-quality grooming and lifestyle products. Whether they prefer briefs, boxers, or jocks, Next Gay Thing has them covered — well, at least partially covered.
The Monthly Gay Pack starts at $59.99 per month for a one-pair box.
For the ravenous reader
If the library can’t keep up with their reading habits, Queer Book Box could be the answer. The queer-owned, queer-supplied company sends subscribers a new LGBTQ+-themed book every month, all sourced from Gay’s The Word, the UK’s first and oldest lesbian and gay book shop. Subscribers also get access to a virtual book club where they can discuss that month’s read with other queer book fanatics.
Queer Book Box offers three subscriptions of various prices, from the £10.00 Basic Box to the £25.00 Lux Box, with different tiers offering add-ons including themed bookmarks, zines, and extra book recommendations.
For the busy parent
Of course, kids love books too! For any queer parents out there, OurShelves finds your kid’s new favorite picture book for you. Its curated selections highlight under-represented identities, including LGBTQ+, racially diverse, and disabled characters.
OurShelves offers the Sunshine Box for ages 0 to 2, the Rainbow Box for ages 2 to 5, the Treehouse Box for ages 5 to 8, and a Multi-Age Box for kids of all ages. Its most popular annual subscription starts at $131.88, with three books arriving every three months.
For the fromage fanatic
Everyone loves cheese. And if the cheese is gay? All the better.
The Queer Cheese Subscription from Round Table Farm checks all those boxes. Each box, which will arrive every three months, includes three artisan cheeses, two that the queer-owned and -operated Round Table Farm has already perfected and one new recipe you’ll be among the first to try. Every box will also come with some extra goodies, ranging from Round Table merchandise to other perfect food pairings, all sourced from other businesses run by LGBTQ+ folks, BIPOC, and women.
The Queer Cheese Subscription costs $120 for every three months, with free shipping within New England — but Round Table has got plenty of smaller one-time gift box options, too.
For the candle collector
Candles are perfect for setting the mood — whatever mood that may be. With a FRUITLOOTS candle subscription, your wick will never be burning low.
FRUITLOOTS is the brainchild of two gay besties, and you can feel it in the brand’s core values, which include uplifting queer creators and infusing their curated gift boxes with humor. Its luxurious candle subscription will deliver hand-poured scents including YUMMY, CHILL, and THEM straight to any doorstep.
A FRUITLOOTS candle subscription starts at $113.40 for a three-month package.
For the someday sommelier
Maybe they already know everything about wine. Maybe they’re just starting to take an interest. Either way, you can further their wine education with a subscription box from The Urban Grape, the largest certified Black-owned beverage retailer in America.
The Urban Grape’s Wine Club celebrates diversity not only in its winemakers, but in the wines themselves. Each month, subscribers receive either two or three handpicked bottles of wine (depending on their plan), including the highlights of what makes each bottle special.
The Urban Grape’s 2-bottle Wine Club subscription starts at $50 a month.
For the iced coffee addict
Few things are dependable in this world, but one is that gay folks will be drinking iced coffees even at wintertime. So why not make it easier for them?
Trade Coffee’s gift subscription puts the power in the hands of the recipient, letting them select their choice of more than 450 coffees from dozens of roasters. They can even customize how they receive their beans: whole, or ground for use in cold brew, drip coffee, espresso, and more.
Subscriptions start at three bags of beans for $50, including a custom gift message, a personalized delivery schedule, and free shipping.
For the perpetual party planner
Whether they love to host dinners, wine nights, or Drag Race viewing parties, a charcuterie board is always a crowd pleaser.
That’s where Platterful comes in. Their subscription boxes include everything you need to make the perfect charcuterie board, including cheeses, meat, crackers, spreadables, and extras like dried fruits, olives, candied nuts, and chocolate. All that’s left to do is assemble — and with an included instructional sheet and video tutorial, that’ll be a breeze too.
Platterful’s standard size three-month subscription costs $179, with a different kit arriving each month.
For the budding bartender
Ready to level up from vodka sodas? Consider SaloonBox’s Monthly Craft Cocktail Membership.
Being a SaloonBox member means getting a new cocktail kit in the mail every month, complete with everything you need for two unique cocktail recipes, each portioned for two servings. That’s four delicious cocktails total, each designed to make your gift recipient feel like the fanciest bartender in town. The kits can be ordered with or without the alcohol, with other ingredients, recipe cards, and shipping always included.
SaloonBox’s three-month gift subscription starts at $174 with alcohol included, a value of $58 per kit.
For the gym rat
If they definitely lift, bro, a subscription to Barbell Box could be the perfect present.
Every Barbell Box includes the latest and greatest in fitness gear, including supplements, apparel, and even training tips. It’s customizable to any body, asking for gender and shirt size before check-out to make sure all the new workout clothes fit just right, and free shipping is included to anywhere in the world.
A single Barbell Box costs $58, with that price dropping the more boxes you order ahead.
For the plant gay
Add even more greenery to their space with a plant subscription from Horti.
Horti’s three-month gift subscription is perfect for experienced plant parents or newbies just developing their green thumbs. Every month will bring a new kit, including a hardy plant that’s hard to kill, the instructions for keeping it healthy, and one of Horti’s signature hand-painted terracotta pots and saucers.
A three-month subscription from Horti costs $155, with shipping included.
For the beauty buff
Help them find their new favorites in skincare, hair, and makeup with a subscription to BeautyFIX by Dermstore.
Every BeautyFIX box includes more than $100 worth of products, hand-selected each month by a team of beauty pros. Those products could include skin creams, hair masks, the latest and greatest in makeup, and more.
A one-month subscription to BeautyFIX costs $24.95.
For the cologne connoisseur
You’re never fully dressed without a scent. If your gift recipient is still looking for their signature smell, a subscription to Scentbird could make their holiday.
Scentbird has an extensive catalog of more than 700 scents from brands including Versace, Gucci, and Prada. A subscription comes with a new fragrance to try each month, delivered in an 8 mL bottle. That comes out to roughly 120 sprays, enough to keep anyone smelling their best until the next month’s shipment arrives.
A three-month gift subscription to Scentbird costs $48.
Happy holidays from all of us at Queerty!
