LOT Subscription Box Review – December 2017

LOT, put simply, is a monthly subscription box of essential supplies for everyday use. But that is also understating things, well, a LOT.

Here's how their website puts it:

LOT is a subscription-based service which distributes a basic set of clothing, footwear, essential self-care products, accessories, and media content. The clothes are dispensable: as they wear out they can be bundled and returned, eliminating clutter.

And to really understand the vibe here, I recommend watching some of their video content:

I've been getting LOT for a few months now, and I still have a lot (pun intended) of questions. One thing's for sure, LOT has a super minimalist, practical aesthetic and a futuristic edge. As part of your subscription, you'll also get looped into LOT emails, which include intriguing, edgy content like Soundcloud playlists, video, and novel-worthy thoughts from the LOT creators.

Here's a rather philosophical snippet from the December email.

LOT offers three levels of subscriptions to choose from—the Basic plan ($49.00 per month for a pair of socks, a shirt, briefs, and a random item), the Advanced plan ($99.00 per month for the Basic items plus a self-care product or an accessory), or the Free plan, which only gives you access to the digital content.

My Subscription Addiction paid for the Basic plan, but LOT was kind enough to bump us up to the Advanced plan for no additional charge. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).

About LOT

The Subscription Box: LOT (Advanced Plan)

The Cost: $99.00 per month

The Products: A monthly set of "dispensible" socks, briefs, and a t-shirt, plus accessories or self-care products ranging from soap to (no joke) a tattoo gun.

Ships to: 20 countries, including the US. Find out if your country is included by emailing here: [email protected].

LOT December 2017 Review

Everything in this package came inside of a big plastic sleeve. Most of LOT's items come with some odd assortment of messages printed amidst the product information. I've gotten lots of biblical vibes from this subscription before, but this one might be the most overt. The non-product-related details read "TAKE AND EAT", "THIS IS MY BODY (1EACH)" (not sure if that "1EACH" is or isn't about the products...), "T-3 YEARS (GOOD CRAZY)", "UNTIL", "THANKS (LOS FELIZ) BACK TO LA" (again, might be product info?), and "LOGOUT".

Here's some live footage of me reading that:

So, in every LOT shipment, you'll receive a few standard issue items. They are:

Black Crew Socks

These socks are comfy, calf-height socks that fit my feet with a little extra wiggle room. The LOT logo is knit into each ankle in white. As with most LOT items, they come in a package with cryptic messages printed on it—this month, it's "MY FAULTS THAT DAY" and "SERVING TWO MASTERS". Wearing them around on cold winter days, I've noticed that these socks are a little thin, almost like dress socks. They're comfy, though. And though I gather a new pair each month, I like that I don't have to worry about digging around my sock drawer to find a match—they ALL match!

Black Boxer Brief Underwear

At the moment, most LOT items are unisex, meaning this gal is getting men's boxer briefs each month! That's not a bad thing—I've actually been wearing them around the house pretty regularly. I'd love if they had a little more give in the backside area, but they're pretty comfy nonetheless. Oh, I should mention that these underwear are packaged in a sleeve printed with the rather inspiring words "TRUST TOMORROW" and on the back "AS LITTLE... AS YOU MAY SAY."

Black 2046 T-Shirt

I've also gotten this t-shirt before, but it doesn't come as frequently as the socks and undies. It sounds weird, but I love this t-shirt. I'm a real t-shirt and jeans gal day-to-day, and most of my wardrobe is already black, white, or gray. But oddly enough, I don't have any solid black cotton tees in my collection, so I've been happy to stock up on these ones. It's a solid, breathable basic, and even though the tee is a unisex cut, it looks really cute on me with the sleeves cuffed a couple times.

If you can't see it in the photo, the package reads, among other things, "THE KEEPER", "OUR CONSCIENCE (PERHAPS)", "OUR MONITOR", "REMAIN IN ME".

Also, the numbers 2, 0, 4, and 6 are embroidered into four points on the back of the shirt in white—2046 is, in LOT lore, when the world is going to end (... I think? That's the vibe I'm getting at least).

On a lighter note, did you see that my name is printed on the tag? That's kind of a cool, personal touch.

Black Toothbrush

This black toothbrush is a new monthly addition. (I got one for the first time in the November package.) It's a pretty decent toothbrush, I gotta say. And I feel very cool using a black toothbrush—that feels so avant-garde. I think LOT is starting to get to me—I was actually bummed out that the toothbrush's package just said "TOOTHBRUSH" and some other product details and dates. No strange messages? C'mon, toothbrush!

This hat is the first item that I've not received before. It's pretty cool, don't you think? It's kind of that "dad hat" style that I've seen going around. I'm big into wearing hats when I'm having a bad hair day, but they're typically beanies. I'll have to add this adjustable cap into my rotation to shake things up.

The package here says "YE", "LOOKOUT", "141 BC", "FOR THE SHEPHERD SHADOW." Again, getting a lot of biblical vibes here, whether they're pulled straight from the Bible (which I can't say I'm familiar enough with to know) or just created in that spirit.

Lightning to USB Cable

This looks like a really high-quality lightning cable, to be honest—the wire itself doesn't feel flimsy in the least, and even if it was, it's wrapped in a shoelace-like, braided-nylon covering for extra oomph. Unfortunately for me, I'm a USB-C phone gal, meaning this Apple-friendly cord won't do me any good. I've got plenty of Apple friends, though, so maybe I'll pass this on to them so that they may "REVIEW LIFE".

And because I know you're wondering, the plastic packaging has 1) something written in Cyrillic (if you can translate, please do!), and 2) the phrase "LAY SAFELY" printed on it.

10 Wristbands

LOT refers to these as "ID bracelets", though they're essentially the kind of coated paper bracelet you'd get at a concert or a theme park. (The kind where I always watch the person putting it on me and think "Oh please, please, do not get any of my baby hairs caught in the sticky part, oh please, oh please." Raise your hand if you feel me!) The back of this package reads "OF THE GATES" and "OF GOLD", FYI. The part that makes me curious is how the "T" "H" "E" "KEY" message on each bracelet is oriented in the same way as the numbers on the shirt. Coincidence? Code? Who can say...

Moisturizing Lotion, 1.8 oz.

This is actually a pretty decent lotion! Nice job, LOT. It has barely any fragrance—just a barely there "lotion" smell— absorbs nicely, and left my hands feeling soothed and pleasantly smooth. The ingredients are listed on the package. I don't know enough about ingredients to read for myself if this is natural or anything, but my bet is it's not. I do like that it comes in a handy black pot that's shallow enough to fit in my desk drawer!

The messages on this little item? Well, the black package includes things like "ONE WAS OUT", "ON THE HILLS AWAY", "THE ROAD BE ROUGH AND STEEP".

Black 2046 Backpack

Last but not least, I got a backpack! No weird packaging here, but you'll notice that the "2046" numbers are back in action. It's actually an awesome backpack—it's cotton, which means it's something I can easily wash if it gets gross (or gets too much cat hair on it, which is its current plight). It's also really comfortable, thanks to its padded, adjustable straps. There's a front pocket and even a little zippered "trap door" on the side that lets you reach in and grab something at the bottom of the bag fast. I've been wearing this backpack everywhere since getting it. It holds my laptop, a sweatshirt, and of course, all of my weird little LOT accouterments.

The Verdict: I don't know, folks. I thought LOT was going to be a little too weird for me at first, but now, I've started really looking forward to the odd, yet practical goodies inside each package. I'm still a little "ehhhhh" on all of the cryptic, pseudo-religious messages on the packages, and I don't think I'm quite cool enough for most of the high-concept, futuristic content that they share via their emails. But I'm digging the basics and the utilitarian spirit of the thing. (Remember, when things wear down, you can just bundle and return them to LOT!)

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, though what accessories and extras you get may vary from what I received.

Value Breakdown: This package cost $99.00, meaning the average cost of each of the 9 items I received this month is $11.00.

Check out all of our LOT reviews!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

What do you think of LOT?