The GQ Best Stuff Box is a quarterly men's subscription from GQ magazine that features products the editors have tested and love. Although this box is geared towards men, I personally find most of the items to be delightfully unisex! Each box is promised to be valued at over $200.
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About GQ Best Stuff Box
The Subscription Box: GQ Best Stuff Box
The Cost: $49.99/quarter + free shipping
The Products: “The GQ BEST STUFF BOX is a quarterly subscription box featuring the things we love—rigorously tested and loved by GQ editors. It includes our favorite electronics, grooming products, and accessories—every box valued at over $200 each”
Ships to: The US (including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico)
GQ Best Stuff Box Winter 2019 Review
There's a little fold-out information card/poster.
Cotton Citizen Gift Code - Potential Value $90.00
Ok, let's start with this big-ticket item this round! A $90 gift code to a very high-end site selling loads of extremely expensive cotton clothing. I never imagined owning a $90 tee, but maybe I am peaking here. This site also sells both men's and women's clothing, so I have a quandary. Will loves comfy tops, but isn't ever really interested in high-end brands. I, on the other hand, totally am! Do I use this gift card on myself? Do I do the unselfish thing and use it on a shirt for Will? Do I buy a men's shirt "for Will" and then just steal it to wear for myself? What would you do? After way too much time spent figuring this out, I got us both something:
Presley Long Sleeve in Moss Half & Half - Retail Value $100.00 (currently on sale for $50.00)
Will is going to love this shirt! I love that instead of being solid moss gree, it is hand distressed which makes it a lot more interesting than his normal solids.
Jagger Henley Shirt in Vintage Blush - Retail Value $95.00 (currently on sale for $47.50)
Of course, I snagged myself this blush beauty. Technically it is from the men's section, but a henley is a henley, at least in my book and I found that some of the women's items looked a little cropped.
Wait, items don't have to be full price for this code to work? You bet you can use that code on the sale section!! My total came to $97.50, meaning out of pocket I paid $17.50 (shipping is $10.00) for two shirts with a retail value of $195.00. I will take that ANY day! I am really thankful that this was just a flat amount I could put towards anything because it gave me so much flexibility and choice while shopping.
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S'well Traveler 16 oz - Retail Value $35.00
FYI: Colors may vary.
I have quite a few reusable bottles in my home and my number one issue with them is the small opening. Sometimes you just want to take some soup to work, am I right? This 16 oz S'well bottle is perfect for my fave hot tea, Will's morning coffee, or a right amount of warm soup. I am really happy that I received a white one because I love minimal accessories. These handy bottles are designed to keep contents cold for up to 24 hours or hot for up to 12 hours.
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Tabio High-Standard Pile Crew Socks - Retail Value $25.00
Is it weird that I am always super appreciative when Will gets any sort of dressier sock in a sub? He never, ever seems to have them since he doesn't need them that often, but when he does I always feel like I end up at Target buying more than I need. I might just steal these Japan-made light blue beauties for myself though! The color palette of lavender, white, and light blue is speaking to me and technically, by law, one sock is legally mine anyways.
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Wyze Plug - Buy 2 for $14.99
FYI: If you are a new member, you will receive a Mophie Power Boost Mini Portable Charger instead of this item.
Will recently installed these beautiful lights on the underside of our porch and with the nights getting darker faster these days, I love the idea of pulling up after work to a well-lit house. We are fortunate enough to have a completely dry outlet so I decided to try this gadget on those lights. I can schedule my lights to turn on automatically or even turn them on and off through my phone. These plugs also work with Amazon's Alexa, so if you feel like turning your lights on just by the sound of your voice, you are in luck! We plan to buy a few more of these for inside the house because Will sometimes works nights and he likes the idea of some of them being on a timer when I am home by myself. I also want one for our Christmas tree this year!
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Brickell Restoring Eye Cream, 0.5 oz - Full Size! Retail Value $40.00
If you read any of my reviews that include Will's opinions, you know he isn't really one for skincare. I have been working on this for years and it might finally be starting to pay off. He does regularly enjoy a charcoal spot mask and a non-scented moisturizer when he starts to feel dry. I am hoping this eye cream might be a new addition to his routine because it is seriously simple and easy to use. Just a few dabs of this cream on his under eyes and he did remark that it "felt great." Will is a man of few words, so this is actually a big compliment. He would actually be really terrible at writing reviews for this reason, but I digress... I didn't go into how the peptides, caffeine, and hyaluronic acid were great for his skin in the present and the long term, because I knew I would lose his interest, but I know most of you reading this care about things like that!
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Headspace 3-Month Subscription - Potential Value $40.00
There are typically quite a few code-based items in this sub but they usually are 100% worth the time and effort to claim them. Headspace is an app that promotes modern meditation and healthy sleep for busy people. It has loads of themed exercises and even super short ones for you on the go. Will actually has never had an easy time sleeping and has expressed very casual interest in meditation, so I plan on loading the app and this 3-month subscription onto his phone for him and seeing if it takes.
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Caldera + Lab The Good Facial Serum, 0.16 fl oz - Estimated Value $15.52 (Buy a full-size 1 fl oz for $97.00)
Just like me, this sub seriously wants to make it easy for Will to add a few healthy products to his skincare routine. Will they take long term? Who knows! The man is a mystery to me. I certainly hope this serum takes because I really, really like it. It has 27 different botanical ingredients clinically proven to improve the health of your skin. Some of my favorite ingredients? Sure: Jojoba oil, fireweed, seabuckthorn, and frankincense! It also has a beautiful woodsy/herbal scent. This little vial and dropper make it easy to dispense the perfect amount. I recommended to Will that he rub a few drops between his palms then pat it onto his face for coverage that doesn't feel too heavy. As a side note, this also makes an incredible beard oil.
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Huron Body Wash, 4 fl oz - Full Size! Retail Value $14.00
Bodywash is a product that Will loves and understands. I merely have to put a wash like this in the shower and he automatically uses it like magic! I really like the branding of this product. Something about the chubby white bottle and red and white details makes me smile. The scent is also really fresh and masculine. Huron is dedicated to creating men's basics that are clean and effective, which I can totally get behind. Just because Will isn't super ingredient-conscious doesn't mean I can't help him out by making sure there is good stuff in those shower bottles.
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Dove Men+Care Dandruff Defense 2-in-1 Shampoo and Conditioner, 20.4 fl oz - Retail Value $6.49
Will is definitely a conditioner type of guy, so I wasn't sure how he would respond to a 2 in 1 product. The good news is that he doesn't usually have a dandruff problem, so I might reserve this for the dead of winter when both of us find ourselves a little flakey and dry.
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Complimentary Upgrade to Expedia Rewards Gold + $50 in points - Potential Value $50.00
This might be the only item this month that is kind of wasted on Will (and myself) because we don't do much air travel. We have dogs who generally road-trip with us whenever we go home to see my parents, which puts us in the car a lot more often than in a plane. If you do consider yourself a frequent flyer, you will be happy with this code that upgrades your Expedia account to Rewards Gold and gives you $50 in points.
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Hill City Shop Voucher - Potential Value $50.00
Finally, our last item is a $50 gift code to Gap-owned City Hill. This site features high-end performance basics for the active man. I ended up using it on a cashmere blend beanie since Will wears beanies all winter long, and most of the other items were way more than $50! Here is what I bought:
Merino Cashmere Beanie - Retail Value $48.00
Here is the one I selected for him. I went with the grey because it goes with everything and I know Will likes wearing it. I did still have to pay for shipping, which was $7.00.
Verdict: I really liked this GQ box and so did Will. It was filled with some great items loosely tied in with the winter season and other super useful items most guys (and likely gals too) would enjoy. Will is really excited about the S'well traveler and the Wyze plug, and I am pleased he has more skincare items to experiment with as he figures out what he likes and what type of routine he can commit to. He also liked the body wash and seems curious about the meditation app subscription. I am generally the one that buys most of his clothing (because he would literally wear the same things for years until they fell apart) and I know he will really love the green long-sleeved shirt and cashmere beanie. Because I was so savvy about the items I used my codes on, I feel like walking away with two really expensive shirts and a wool beanie adds even more value to this box. The only two misses for us were the Dove 2 in 1 (though this is not a reflection of the product itself) and the Expedia voucher because we are borderline hermits. Value-wise, we did great this round too! Without any of the vouchers being used, the total comes to around $143.51, which is already good for a $49.99 box. Use your codes and you have a total value of over $370, which is exceptional!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, this box is active right now! The FAQ notes: “The specific box you receive will depend on the date you signed up and how that corresponds with the shipping deadlines of the quarterly boxes. You may contact customer service at: 1-800-999-6536 for the specifics.” I would give them a call to be 100% sure!
Value Breakdown: Each of the 7 PHYSICAL items in the $49.99 box has an average cost of $7.14. Adding in the codes to reach 11 items, and they each have an average cost of $4.54.
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What do you think of the Winter 2019 GQ Best Stuff Box?
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