BREO BOX is a men's and women's lifestyle subscription box that costs $159 per quarter and has a focus on the latest tech, home goods, and health & fitness items.
This box was voted by our readers as one of the best women's subscription boxes of 2021.
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 Quarterly Lifestyle Box
The Subscription Box: BREO BOX
The Cost: $159 per quarter. Save with a pre-paid annual subscription.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save $15 off your first box!
CODE: MSA
The Products: 5-8 essential home, tech, and fitness products in a giftable box.
Ships to: The continental U.S. for free ($30 to HI, AK, and U.S. territories), Canada for $35 ($90 for remote territories), and worldwide at varying rates.
BREO BOX Review - Summer 2021
This quarter, BREO BOX is back to using the quality, lightweight cardboard box they've used in the past. It came inside a drawstring dust bag. Dudes, this box is gigantic and pretty heavy before it's unloaded of all its stuff! This can be said of every quarter's box, but it's great for storage. I used last quarter's wooden box to store my daughter's paint supplies. This time around since the box is bigger I might use it to store off-season clothes.
My box came packed with a detailed booklet offering detailed information about each item in the box. They also include a brief FAQ on the last page.
Anker HomeVac H11 Pure Eufy — Retail Value $54.99
We are regular hand vac users, and we keep this Black+Decker one in a handy spot and use it daily for kid crumbs and cat hair on the furniture. It has two power settings and an easy-to-empty catch. The Anker one from this box is in no way redundant for our needs—I am so excited to have one to keep in my car now! Since it charges by USB I can even charge it in there. The Anker model is way sleeker and smaller than any handheld vacuum cleaner I've ever seen, which in my eyes is only a win since this type of appliance is no problem to empty regularly. It also has what the BREO booklet calls an "Ozone (O3) purification feature to eradicate odors within its immediate vicinity." There's a little fine print note that says to ensure no people or pets are within the immediate vicinity while using this feature, which is a tricky one for me to accomplish, so I haven't had the chance to play with it yet.
Here you can see I cleaned up some dried flower petals that had fallen from a floral arrangement and dried on the floor. The catch isn't very spacious, but it's plenty roomy for one or two clean-ups.
City Bonfire — Retail Value $33.95 (currently on sale for $21.95)
These City Bonfires have been everywhere lately! I recently spotted them on a number of Father's Day gift guides. At first, I wasn't sure it would be something I'd keep for myself because my backyard with a regular fire pit in it. But I'm starting to warm up to the idea of s'mores night without the effort of a full wood fire in the pit (don't get me wrong, I love the effort, but sometimes with kids on hand you need the easy route to entertainment). Since City Bonfires are made with FDA-approved food-grade soy wax, they're safe to roast on. Heck, we could even plop this City Bonfire right into our fire pit to get the vibe right. They promise 3-5 hours of burn time, which is a reasonable length of time for one sitting. I'm still waiting for the perfect night to whip this out, but even not having tried it yet I can see this making a great gift.
CleverMade Quick Fill Air Chair — Retail Value $44.47
This inflatable chair is the perfect example of something I wouldn't buy but am kind of pumped to have. If you were privy to the Fatboy Lamzac craze that happened a few years ago (disclaimer: it's hard to know if things are actually trends or if my targeted ads are just that convincing), it's the same concept in a different shape. I should also add that I own a Lamzac (from a subscription box) and used it a few times, then promptly forgot about it for a few years, until now. The reason being that the pocket-filling technique is a little tricky, and it can feel like more effort than it's worth if you can't get the hang of it after a few tries. I would say this CleverMade version is an improvement on the Lamzac because it's not as long, so you have some shot at fumbling your way into filling it with enough air to support you. I also like that there's a meshy hammock part stretched between the two air pockets, where your butt goes, so you are less likely to sink into it irretrievably.
Here you can see my husband waving this thing around to fill it up, which apparently is like riding a bike because he got it filled on the first try without much flailing. After capturing some air in the pockets, you close it in by rolling and buckling the closure. This snazzy chair has large pockets—you couldn't squeeze anything too bulky in there, but it's a good place for a phone or tablet or book—plus it comes with two sturdy plastic stakes to secure it down through small loops, and what looks like a bottle opener dangling down. It's tricked out! As you can see, my daughter cozied right up in it and was quite pleased with her situation.
Not pictured: I didn't have as much success with filling the air pockets (I'm also really short, which I insist has something to do with it, but that is an unfounded theory). I just gave its closure a few extra rolls and it worked fine for me.
Grillight Grill Mat — Buy a 2-pack for $19.99
Call it blasphemous but I don't have a grill! I love grilled food, and I love that I can enjoy it from other people's labors. Our neighbors grill all the time—they just told me the other day that unless it's below 20 degrees out, they grill at least once per week. Sounds like the type of neighbors who have a grill mat comin' their way!
THAT! Inventions Airtight Canisters, Set of 3 — Retail Value $65.00
I'm in a phase of life when "storage solutions" is uttered more than I'd like to admit. With excitement, too. But my initial thrill over this set of 3 containers quickly gave way to confusion. First of all, they're made of thin glass. That might not be a problem for some folks out there but speaking for myself, even if I didn't have a toddler constantly underfoot, these are just shattered glass waiting to happen. But also the lids aren't particularly easy to put on or take off—there is a lot of resistance. The cylindrical shape is weird for storing in cupboards, it leads to a lot of wasted space. Speaking of wasted space, the lids push oddly far into each container, with no fill line marking where it will land, so you're just in the dark as you fill these things with snacks or pantry goods. Finally, in my opinion, they're a little industrial-looking for me to want to store them visibly on the countertop. I'm bummed to say I just really don't have anything good to say about these containers. I'll be passing them along.
Voltzy Solar Battery Pack— Retail Value $39.90 (currently on sale for $19.95)
This is my second solar battery pack. My first was sent in my January Cairn box. I'd had one on my wishlist for a long time and never pulled the trigger, so I was super pumped to be sent one in a subscription. Alas, I have not been camping since it came, so I haven't actually put it to the test. Maybe I'll compare the two this summer! Notable features of this solar charger are that its rain- and dirt-proof—you can drop it in a puddle and it'll be fine—you can charge more than one device at the same time, and it has a built-in LED flashlight. I can see myself finding use for two solar charging banks, for example at a music festival when you want to trick out your home base with music and lights and stuff. But if I determine I don't need two, after all, this would make a great gift for a fellow outdoorsy friend.
Verdict: This quarter's BREO BOX had some hits and some misses for me. The items I liked best (the handheld vacuum, air chair, and solar charging bank) are all items I already own but am happy to have a backup or an upgrade. The products that didn't land for me (the grill mat and storage canisters) will make quality gifts for people with different tastes than me. I am always happy to gift a high-quality product or two from a subscription box, understanding that the curation of a subscription is always a crapshoot. That's part of the fun! Value-wise the contents of this box add up to $248.30 (or $216.35 with sale prices considered), which is good for a $159 box, especially if you like all the items.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, your first box will be the Welcome Edition box.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save $15 off your first box!
CODE: MSA
Value Breakdown: At $159 for this box, you're paying roughly $26.50 per item.
Check out all of our BREO BOX reviews and the best subscription boxes for women and men!
Keep track of your subscriptions by adding this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
What do you think of the Summer BREO BOX? Which item are you most excited to receive?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.