Culture Carton is a monthly lifestyle box for men. Each month you’ll receive 3-5 curated lifestyle items and a book they think "every man should read," selected to enhance your gentlemanly status. They have three subscription options:
- Standard - Lifestyle items and a book for $45/month + shipping
- Essential - Just the lifestyle items for $35/month + shipping
- Book Club - One book sent monthly for $16/month + shipping
This is a review of the Standard Culture Carton for $45/month + shipping.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About This Men's Lifestyle Subscription
The Subscription Box: Culture Carton
The Cost: $45 a month + shipping. Other options available.
ACTIVE DEAL: Free shipping on all orders over $100
CODE: FREESHIPPING
The Products: A curated selection of 3-5 men’s lifestyle items and a book “that belongs on every man’s bookshelf.”
Ships to: The U.S. for a varied cost.
Culture Carton Review September 2020
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Culture Carton arrived with an info card that lists the items in the box this month. September's items were selected to make sure you are always ready for the next adventure, no matter how big or small.
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Bird Box by Josh Malerman - Retail Value $15.99 (found on sale here for $10)
I think we are in the small bucket of people that never watched the Bird Box series on Netflix. It just never appealed to me even though I love Sandra, and my husband said it looked like one long panic attack so it was a no for him as well. The book, however, has been a huge hit for my husband! He loves Stephen King novels and he instantly said that the writing reminded him of that, which they also note in the Amazon review. He said the writing is just incredible, scary, and easy to visualize without actually having to see people on screen experiencing the story. It is the perfect fall read as we celebrate all things Halloween!
From Amazon:
Written with the narrative tension of The Road and the exquisite terror of classic Stephen King, Bird Box is a propulsive, edge-of-your-seat horror thriller, set in an apocalyptic near-future world—a masterpiece of suspense from the brilliantly imaginative Josh Malerman.
Something is out there . . .
Something terrifying that must not be seen. One glimpse and a person is driven to deadly violence. No one knows what it is or where it came from.
Five years after it began, a handful of scattered survivors remain, including Malorie and her two young children. Living in an abandoned house near the river, she has dreamed of fleeing to a place where they might be safe. Now, that the boy and girl are four, it is time to go. But the journey ahead will be terrifying: twenty miles downriver in a rowboat—blindfolded—with nothing to rely on but her wits and the children’s trained ears. One wrong choice and they will die. And something is following them. But is it man, animal, or monster?
Engulfed in darkness, surrounded by sounds both familiar and frightening, Malorie embarks on a harrowing odyssey—a trip that takes her into an unseen world and back into the past, to the companions who once saved her. Under the guidance of the stalwart Tom, a motely group of strangers banded together against the unseen terror, creating order from the chaos. But when supplies ran low, they were forced to venture outside—and confront the ultimate question: in a world gone mad, who can really be trusted?
Interweaving past and present, Josh Malerman’s breathtaking debut is a horrific and gripping snapshot of a world unraveled that will have you racing to the final page.
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Luxury Tie - Listed Value $25.00
This tie is amazing! Luckily my husband agrees and was really excited to see this item, even though he doesn't have a ton of places to wear a tie at the moment. It has a wool-like feel and appearance to it, which I love for fall and winter. The fabric is thick and sturdy so no risk of wrinkles throughout the day. I love the white specks throughout and the deep blue tone. This would look great with a denim button-down, or with a grey suit and white shirt. I have a navy blue dress that would look amazing next to my husband in this tie and a suit. Like I said before, he doesn't have a ton of places to wear a tie right now, but I know this will get used down the road for a fancy dinner out or a fall/winter wedding. I could not find the website that is listed for the tie at all, it kept taking me to either wedding sites or something completely unrelated, which is unfortunate because I would love to buy more from this brand!
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Lapel Pin - Listed Value $12.00
My husband started getting really into lapel pins back when we got married. We had a lot of weddings and events to go to around that time, and he always made sure he had a new lapel pin to wear to match whatever Jordan's he was wearing to each wedding (yes, he wears Jordan's with tuxedoes and suits). Suffice to say, he was really excited to receive this pin, which matches the tie, this month! The pin itself is long and super easy to slide into whatever jacket you want to wear it on, and it stays in place nicely. The flower is thick and has that really cool wool texture to it. As he always says, a lapel pin pulls an entire look together and makes you look like a gentleman. Well done this month with these two items!
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Tech Kit - Listed Value $20.00
This little tech kit is really sleek! It folds together nicely and has this rugged yet dapper look to it. It slips easily into your desk drawer, work bag, backpack, or computer bag to keep you organized throughout your day. I could see this being great to use when traveling as well! My husband is not the most organized so while he isn't going back and forth to work right now, he does have a super messy home office. I very sweetly got all of his charges put together in this little kit and placed it on his desk for him so he is ready to tackle his day. While it might not get used a ton right now, I know eventually life will resume for him and this is going to be a great item for him to use when that happens!
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Passport Holder - Listed Value $20.00
I really don't want to seem like a downer at all, but when my husband pulled this out of the box he said, "Oh great a passport holder for all of my travels." We have two young kids so we aren't going anywhere right now, let alone traveling. We actually had to cancel our family vacation back in July, so I don't blame him for being a bit salty when it comes to traveling right now. However, like the tech kit, this holder is really nice! It isn't real leather but has that nice buttery feel to it and you can tell it will wear nicely over time. He doesn't have a passport holder, and he is always misplacing things, so I know that this will get used when the time comes. For now, his passport was nicely slipped into this holder and put away until a time when we can dream of flying to London or even taking our kids to Boston like we always say we want to.
The Verdict: Culture Carton brought the gentlemanly fall vibes this month! This month's book is already a huge hit with my husband, who always wanted to watch the Netflix series but just could not bring himself to. He is loving reading this thriller during this spooky time of year, and says that the writing is similar to Stephen King! While he wasn't in love with the passport holder and tech kit, I know that they will be useful to him when life eventually gets back to normal. For now, I am hoping the tech kit will keep his home office desk more organized, and his passport is sitting pretty in the holder waiting to be used one day. The tie and lapel pin were the real winners for him this month! They were a perfectly matching set in the deep blue, wooly material. They are sleek and sturdy, elegant while still being rugged. I know he is going to wear both the next special occasion we have out, and I am already planning on wearing that blue dress to match. I wasn't able to find all of the item's retail values, but the estimated value of this box is around $92.99 which is pretty amazing for the $53.27 cost. With the holidays right around the corner, I am constantly recommending this box to my friends who are looking for gifts for their husbands or dads. This really is a simple box that comes through with quality products and amazing curation month after month!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you'll receive the October box as your first box.
Orders placed before the 15th of the month will be shipped on 15th-17th of the month. All orders placed after the 15th will ship the following month.
ACTIVE DEAL: Free shipping on all orders over $100
CODE: FREESHIPPING
Value Breakdown: The box costs $53.27 ($45.00 + $8.27 shipping to Pittsburgh), which means that each of the 5 items in the box has an average cost of $10.65.
Check out all of our Culture Carton reviews and see what the best men's subscription boxes of 2020 are, as voted on by our readers!
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