Gainz Box Women’s Fitness Subscription Review – February 2019

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 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 + $7 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!)

Ships to: U.S.

Gainz Box February 2019 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.

There was also a lot of product literature this month.

Foodspring Paleo Bar – Listed Value $3.50

This is a European product. I’ve used the value from the information card because it doesn’t appear that this company ships to the United States. (Here is a listing for a multipack of these bars.) Although I think it’s fun to try products from overseas, if you really like it, in this case, you can’t get more! Anyway, this was vegan and it is basically a fruit and nut bar with the texture you would expect from a fruit and nut bar. (For allergy purposes, this has cashews, macadamia nuts, and almonds. Cross-contamination with gluten, dairy, eggs, and soy may also occur.)

Foodspring Energy Aminos – Listed Value $2.50

This is from the same company as above and also not available in the US. This has plant-based BCAAs but it does also have caffeine (from guarana) so I just mixed it up to try but didn’t drink before a workout since I work out at night and caffeine keeps me up. This tastes like stevia to me so it is not my favorite – I am just not a fan of the flavor of stevia. I find with drinks I need artificial sweeteners for them to be palatable but that is a personal preference. (Here is a product page if you’d like to learn more.) BCAAs are good for delayed-onset muscle soreness and vegan and vegetarian diets can sometimes be a little low on them.

Foodspring Whey Protein – Listed Value $2.50

Whey protein is my favorite kind because it blends better than most plant-based powders. At first, I thought mango was a little bit strange, but then I remembered how much I like to drink mango lassi at Indian restaurants and I realized that mango and dairy totally go together. I used this in a smoothie because that’s what I do with protein powder and it worked pretty well. (Here is a product page if you’d like to learn more.) Although this also had stevia, the stevia flavor was masked by my other smoothie ingredients.

RP Beanie – Listed Value $24

This exact design wasn’t available on the manufacturer’s site, but I found it in another color with a price that matched the information card. I think this was mostly included as advertising for Renaissance Periodization which is a company that provides diet templates. (It’s hard to tell if I would like this company’s products because they don’t let you see samples for free on their website, at least that I can tell.) I tend to toss the meal guides from BeachBody workout programs but the RP ones are supposed to be more customized for you, personally. (On the other hand, I guess I don’t need a diet plan to tell me to eat mostly carbs, all the time, which is basically what I do.) Anyway, the hat fits pretty well and I can wear it while walking Nyx outside as we’ve recently had a cold snap.

King Kong Meal Prep Bag – Listed Value $39.95

I couldn’t find this on the King Kong site. Here is an item that looks to be a similar size, based on seeing it in the picture with people, but the bag I received has a separate strap and also an insert that forms compartments, so perhaps those extras are related to the price difference. This is meant for packing pre- and post-workout nutrition but I’ll be honest, I can’t work out with anything in my stomach or I don’t feel so great afterward and I get acid reflux (I do a lot of cardio though) and I eat dinner right after working out because I work out at home. So, although I can’t necessarily use this as intended, it will be just fine as a lunch container. It is good to have a backup anyway since I often spill stuff in mine and once punctured one of my lunch bags with a knife by accident (don’t ask). It appears to be sturdily constructed and doesn’t have a chemical smell, and the insulation looks really thick.

Verdict: I calculated an estimated value of $72.45 for the February Gainz Box. That is about twice the monthly cost of the box, including shipping. That is just about twice the monthly cost of the box, including shipping. The highlight was the lunch bag, I think, as I will get the most use out of that and I find it to be a very practical item overall, whether you cart it to the gym or just take your lunch in it. It was fun trying some products from Europe, as well.

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, order by 3/15 to receive the March box.

Value Breakdown: at $39 for this box ($32 monthly plus $7 shipping), you are paying approximately the following per item:

• Paleo bar $1.88
• Energy aminos $1.35
• Whey protein $1.35
• Beanie $12.92
• Lunch bag $21.51

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 February Gainz Box?