RawBox Subscription Box Review – January 2016

RawBox is a monthly subscription box of raw, plant-based snacks and clean lifestyle products.  Every month, expect 10-12 products, most of which are full-size, single-serving packages.

RawBox sent us this box for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

The Subscription Box: RawBox

The Cost: $39.95 per month on a month-to-month plan.  Save with longer subscriptions.

Good to Know: You can skip shipments by logging into your account.

The Products: Raw, plant-based, gluten-free, soy-free, vegan snacks and clean lifestyle products such as beauty products and household supplies that are free from parabens, sulfates, etc.

Ships to: US

Check out all of our RawBox reviews and lots of vegan and other snack boxes in the Food Subscription Box Directory!

Included was a two-sided, full-color brochure containing information about the products.  It was so big, I really couldn’t photograph the whole thing and have it still be readable.  But it is a good, informative card.

That’s It Apple + Strawberry Bar – Value $1.65

That’s It Apple + Blueberry Bar – Value $1.65

These have the simplest ingredients lists of all time.  The pictures on the package are what you get!  These were soft and chewy without being sticky, although they were kind of small (I think to make them stick to a 100 calorie limit).  I ate them unwrapped, side-by-side, and couldn’t tell which was which, though.

Tribest Life Glass Straw – Value $11.50

I got another glass straw in a Yogi Surprise box recently, but this one is longer, which is nice.  I have been trying to get away from using plastic straws because I hate the idea of them all going to a landfill and I also don’t know what is leaching from them as I drink.  So this is welcome.

Solar Rain Zero Water (16.9 fl oz) – Value $1.29

This water appears to be available primarily in California at cafes, natural foods stores, etc.  It is purified by vapor distillation.  I thought it was fine but I am also not a bottled water connoisseur…

Rawxies Smoked Paprika Crunch (3.5 oz) – Value $4.13

I’ve had many flavors of Rawxies cookies before, but this savory product is new to me.  The smokiness is pretty light (which is great, since I’m typically not a fan of smoked flavors).  There’s nutritional yeast which gives it a sort of cheesy flavor, but not exactly.  My fiancé didn’t really care for this – it does taste like it’s good for you – but I will finish it off.  It has lots of seeds and healthful fatty acids.

Gorilly Goods Original (1.4 oz) – Value $1.88

Anything with bananas and coconut is likely to be a hit with me.  I liked that the nuts were big pieces so you could actually identify them.  This had a nice texture, crunchy but not too hard (I always worry that raw snacks will have an unpleasant texture, but this was pretty good).

Saavy Naturals Plumeria Violet Body Cream (8 fl oz) – Value $12

This is apparently a Shark Tank product/company?  (Sorry, I don’t watch a lot of TV, but the brand had it promoted on their website.)  Anyway, this smells very nice to me even though I am not always a fan of floral fragrances.  It is finally starting to get cold here in Georgia so this will definitely get used.  (RawBox usually includes a few beauty and/or lifestyle items in addition to the food.)

Raw Food Central Curt’s Classic Kale Superfood Seasoning (1.9 oz) – Value $6.99

This is the one thing in the box I haven’t used yet, since I just haven’t eaten anything this week that I think it would go with.  The idea behind this is that it is full of foods that are sources of particular nutrients (say, nutritional yeast for B vitamins and raisins for iron).  It does have a little salt but is not terribly high in sodium when used in reasonable amounts.  Apparently there are 5 cups of kale in every bottle.  (However, there are also 54 servings in every bottle, so you would have to eat more than 10 servings to get one cup of kale, and I think that might not be a good idea…)

Essential Living Foods Machu Picchu Mix (3 oz) – Value $4.87

I think I had another mix from this brand in a Yogi Surprise box sometime last year.  Because it doesn’t contain any preservatives, I’d recommend eating it pretty soon after you open it.  (I let my Yogi Surprise mix sit out for too long and it went bad.)  I like the combination of cacao with the tanginess of the goldenberries.

Pure Planet Sports Salts (30 capsules) – Value $8.99

You will see something from Pure Planet in pretty much every RawBox.  I’m glad they gave us something a little different this time.  These are a rehydration aid and contain essential trace minerals and electrolytes that are lost by sweating.  I didn’t notice much of a difference when I tried them but my exercise room is really cold right now (poor air circulation) and I am not sweating a ton when I work out.  I will save the rest for summer and see if they help.

Amazing Grass Shaker Cup and 7 Assorted Green Superfoods Packets – Value $4.99

Another thing you will see in pretty much every RawBox is some form of superfood or raw protein powder.  I make smoothies every morning and I have been putting these packets in there.  However, my smoothie recipe is such that you can’t much taste the flavors of these supplements (tons of frozen fruit, PB2, cacao powder, and matcha).  But I like to think I’m getting some good nutrition from these.

I have SO MANY shaker cups.  But it kind of makes sense to include one, especially for people who aren’t much into consuming powdered products like this yet.  I tend to prefer the smoothness offered by an immersion blender, but not everyone is going to have one of those, and this is an inexpensive alternative.

Verdict: I calculated a value of $60 for the January 2016 RawBox.  That is not the highest RawBox value I’ve ever seen, but for a box consisting mostly of food, that is a pretty good value.  I learned about a lot of new products; I think my favorite is probably the Gorilly Goods Original (of course it is – that has the most fat and calories so it’s the tastiest!).  The glass straw will get used a lot, too.

What do you think of the January 2016 RawBox?