Gainz Box Fitness Subscription Review – November 2018

Gainz Box is a monthly box of fitness apparel, supplements, equipment, snacks, and more. Gainz Box is a veteran-owned business and donates a portion of their proceeds to charities that support U.S. veterans.

This review is of the Gainz for Women, $32 a month, box.

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

About Gainz Box

The Subscription Box: Gainz Box

The Cost: $32 + $6 shipping on a month-to-month basis, save with longer subscriptions

The Products: Workout apparel (in your size), equipment, snacks and supplements, and other fitness items. (Gainz Box markets to a CrossFit audience, but I do not think you absolutely have to be into CrossFit to enjoy this box – many of the items are suitable for general fitness enthusiasts!) They promise a $75 value in every box.

Ships to: U.S.

Gainz Box November 2018 Review

Gainz Box is a fitness-oriented subscription but they definitely have a sense of humor. You can usually see that in the poses in their information booklet:

The box came with a full-color fold-out information card featuring some of the items from the box in action. I think the posing is often kind of cheesy but I also think it shows people who have a sense of humor and a fun attitude. Some months feature an athlete and some don’t.

Sometimes you will receive coupons and/or product literature. The amount really varies by month (this month was on the low side) and it may or may not relate to items in the box.

Gainzmas Sweater – Retail Value $30

Last year around this time, Gainz Box also sent an ugly Christmas sweater (with a different design). I was a little surprised they’d do it again, but they must have gotten some positive feedback about it. I don’t often have cause to wear something like this out of the house, but lately I have been getting really cold after I work out (all that body heat generated during exercise dissipates) so I may take their suggestion and put it on after a workout (I usually end up eating dinner before showering so it doesn’t get too late).

Lesser Evil Paleo Puffs in “No Cheese Cheesiness” – Listed Value $1 (buy 24, 1 oz bags for $17.99)

These have been making the rounds of food and fitness subscription boxes lately. They are free of grains and dairy so they may work if you have a specialized diet. But, I am honestly not a fan. These are almost all starch (I eat a lot of carbs – a lot – but I prefer whole grains with their associated fiber to refined and/or starchy things) and they don’t taste like cheese. (They have nutritional yeast, but as someone who has tried a lot of vegan snacks but still eats real cheese, it is super easy to spot the difference.) Anyway, if you are sticking to a Paleo diet or are a vegan or have to eat gluten-free, you may have a different opinion. (If you’re interested in trying them without buying a ton, these are sold at Whole Foods for sure.)

Hydra Charge from Kaged Muscle – Retail Value $2.99

This is primarily a hydration drink mix with electrolytes (e.g., calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, and potassium) but it also has antioxidants. At first, I was a bit worried when “herbal concentrates and extracts” were mentioned in the product description, but if you read the ingredients list, it’s pretty much all superfood fruits and vegetables. (Also it is vegetarian!) This may have some caffeine as there are coffee- and tea-based extracts, though a caffeine level isn’t given. It didn’t keep me up too late and the flavor was acceptable (this was fruit punch flavored; if you’d like to try a sample, you can buy one for $2.99 at the manufacturer’s site). In the end, I was much more impressed with this after trying it and reading about it than I would’ve thought based on my initial impression based on the brand name and graphics, which remind me a lot of rather unnatural supplements when this product really has decent ingredients.

Kill Cliff Ignite Cherry Limeade – Listed Value $3 (Buy a 12-Pack for $28.99)

This is highly-caffeinated (150 mg, so not dangerous for most people, but more than a large cup of coffee). It also has B vitamins and electrolytes. It is free of artificial dyes and is vegan and kosher and gluten-free. There’s some erythritol (a sugar alcohol) for sweetness and thankfully this mostly covers the flavor of stevia, of which I am not such a fan. I think I probably get enough B vitamins from my multivitamin (it’s OK to take in excessive amounts of B vitamins, since they’re water soluble and don’t accumulate in the tissues), so I probably wouldn’t go out and buy this, but I am happy enough to try it in a subscription box. Cherry limeade is a good flavor choice, I think – not too tart, and it pretty much covers up the vitamin flavor.

Ankle Socks from Anatag – Listed Value $16.90

I couldn’t find ankle socks on the Anatag website, only crew socks, so I’m using the value from the information card. I tend to prefer ankle socks for workouts (wish I could work out with no shoes or socks at all, but my knees and plantar fasciitis would both be causing problems shortly thereafter) and I am happy to have more. These fit well (I wear women’s size 7 shoes, a preference I likely provided to Gainz Box at some point in the past) and wicked moisture away nicely.

Greeting Card from Aofitdesigns – Retail Value $5

I would never have expected to see an Etsy item in Gainz Box but I can see why this was chosen for the box. Now, I am not likely to send anyone a card with bacon on it because I actually think (gasp) bacon is gross (reason #427 I am a vegetarian), but I am sure I have a relative or acquaintance who will know the perfect recipient. (If you like fitness and bacon together in stationery form, check out the rest of the cards at this shop. There are quite a few cartoon bacon cards…)

Verdict: I calculated a value of about $58.89 for the November Gainz Box. That is a fair amount higher than the month-to-month cost of the subscription plus shipping (usually the case for this subscription, although I often have to take a few values from the information card). The socks are a favorite item, although the Hydra Charge was also a pleasant surprise and I will make use of the sweater as a practical item (i.e., keeping warm after a workout).

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, Gainz Box has already shipped for November. Your first box would probably be December’s.

Value Breakdown: at $38 for this box ($32 monthly plus $6 shipping), you are paying approximately the following per item:

• Sweater $19.36
• Paleo puffs $0.65
• Hydra charge $1.93
• Kill Cliff drink $1.94
• Socks $10.91
• Card $3.23

Check out our past reviews of Gainz Box or see more fitness subscriptions in the fitness subscription box directory!

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What did you think of the November Gainz Box?