A worthwhile subscription box should feel like a good value. Not all subscription boxes are created equally, though, and some boxes provide more value than others. We examined more than two dozen subscription boxes to narrow down the best options for anime fans. Read on to check out our picks for the best anime subscription boxes, starting with Lootcrate’s Loot Anime Box (view on Lootcrate), which has swag for both classic and new anime fans. We also included our picks for the best boxes in other categories, like the best budget anime subscription box and the best box for collectibles. Inside of a Loot Anime crate, you get an assortment of items themed around manga and anime, like T-shirts, figurines, and collectibles. Each month, the crate has a theme (or episode) that it centers around. Because Loot Anime celebrates both classic and new anime series, you could end up with swag from a newer series like The Promised Neverland, or from a classic series like Dragon Ball Z. The toys in the box feel high quality, as do the dishes and household objects. A typical box may contain a traditional item like a bowl or a utensil in addition to anime-themed items like T-shirts, plush toys, keychains, and figurines. You also get a food item to try in the Nihon box, so you can snack on a treat, decorate your house, and collect anime and manga merch. In addition to its Anime Box, Bam has a few different subscription box options, including a gamer box, horror box, and geek box. The Bam Anime Box costs $35 per month plus shipping and handling, and the subscription automatically renews unless you cancel. The Crunchyroll Crate provides collectibles, figurines, T-shirts, toys, and other merchandise. When you sign up, you indicate your T-shirt size and the number of months you want to include in your subscription at a time. Keep in mind that your subscription will automatically renew unless you cancel, regardless of how many months you pay for at once. Also, because this is a newer subscription box, we haven’t had much opportunity to see what each box includes and the quality of the items. This box comes quarterly instead of monthly, so it’s a great option for a fan of the show who only wants a box every so often. Anime Box Club allows you to choose up to three possible genres for your box, and then you receive unique items themed around anime within those genres. In every box, you get a volume one manga, statue, and other anime merch like plushies, jewelry, wall scrolls, or figurines. The box costs between $45 and $60, depending on how many items you want to receive and for how long you want to subscribe. If you’re more into toys, they also offer a $23 subscription box where you get a mystery Funko Pop and a mystery Funko Dorbz. However, these may or may not be anime-themed, so you could end up with a Marvel character.
What Kinds of Anime Subscription Boxes Are There?
The most popular type of box is the geek variety box (only, it’s anime themed). It almost always contains a T-shirt and some sort of figurine. Other items can include a poster or card with a picture of a character from a series, a mug, hat, pen, manga, and other swag. Other anime boxes are more niche—they may revolve around a certain series, like the My Hero Academia Box. Some boxes focus on snacks, some focus on autographs, and others focus on manga. You can find a box for just about anything. It might not provide the perfect items centered around the exact shows you watch in every box, but you can certainly find an anime box that has the right vibe.
How Much Do Anime Subscription Boxes Cost?
Most boxes cost around $30 a month, or about $35 to $37 once you include shipping and tax. However, you can find boxes as cheap as $23 a month (that’s the cheapest box we found that was any good), and some boxes cost more. About our Trusted Experts: Erika Rawes has more than a decade of writing experience. She currently writes for Lifewire and Digital Trends where she’s tested roughly 130 products for various reviews and guides.
How We Chose the Best Anime Subscription Boxes
To choose the best anime subscription boxes, we considered a number of factors. Of course, we looked at what comes in the box. Are the items anime-themed? Can you get these items anywhere, or is there some level of exclusivity? Is the quality of the item? In addition to the box’s contents, we also looked at things like affordability, customization options, ease of cancellation, shipping cost speed, and packaging quality.
