These Tea Subscription Boxes Will Give You a Daily Boost

Best Overall: Simple Loose Leaf

Why We Chose It: We chose Simple Loose Leaf for its international blends, nonprofit affiliation, and streamlined tea experience.

What We Like:

• Different plans
• Charitable component
• Tea blends from around the world

What We Don’t Like:

• Tea flavors can be hit or miss

Operated by a family out in Arkansas, Simple Loose Leaf helps to streamline the tea experience. The subscription process is pretty straightforward: Starting at around $15 a month, customers choose from a black, green, herbal tea, or sampler box (which includes a combination of all three) and can opt to have two, three, or four different teas delivered monthly.

Each box includes a variety of high-quality, unique blends from countries across the globe, like Colombia and Kenya, and is hand-packaged by local nonprofit Bost which provides work and life skills training to people with developmental disabilities.

If you’re not a fan of the mess loose leaf tea can create, don’t let the name of the company dissuade you. Subscribers also receive reusable linen tea filters with each shipment along with information about the tea’s origins, flavor notes, and suggested brewing methods.

Did you receive a tea that you want to add to your permanent collection? You can purchase it from the company’s Tea Shop. Additionally, if you’re interested in expanding your tea knowledge, the brand also has a frequently updated blog where they spill the tea on topics like the best kettles for 2021 and the benefits of ginger.

Best Budget: Dollar Tea Club

Why We Chose It: We love the affordability Dollar Tea Club offers along with its ethical sourcing approach.

What We Like:

• Budget-friendly
• Customizable options
• Sourced ethically

What We Don’t Like:

• Don’t offer as much tea as other subscriptions
• Shipping is expensive compared to the subscription

Dollar Tea Club is for no-fuss tea drinkers on a budget. The most basic plan starts at around $3 a month (plus roughly $4 for shipping), and subscribers receive three new blends to try, which make about two to three cups each. There’s also an option to add on HoneyStix and filters for an extra but still cheap cost.

The next level up is The Sensei plan which offers up one 50g pouch that makes 20 to 25 cups, monthly samples, three HoneyStix and 10 filters, and a free infuser for about $15 per month. The final Sommelier plan has subscribers select how often they drink tea (a couple of cups a week versus three cups a day).

When it comes to the actual tea itself, the company prides itself on its ethical approach. The black, green, oolong, herbal, wellness, fruit, and iced tea that Dollar Tea offers is ETP- (Ethical Tea Partnership) certified which means that the farmers they work with are paid reasonable wages. No artificial flavors are used and the tea is sourced from different locations by season to bring customers the finest cup available.

Best for Personalization: Sips By

Why We Chose It: Instead of delivering the same box to each subscriber, Sips By offers up a personalized tea experience.

What We Like:

• Specialized tea picks
• Variety of brands
• Loose leaf or bag options

What We Don’t Like:

• Price has increased for new subscribers

People prefer certain types of tea for the same reason some coffee lovers prefer cappuccino: personal taste. Maybe you already know matcha is your favorite or maybe you’re still figuring that out; either way, Sips By holds your hand by creating a customized tea experience.

Before inputting any credit card information, the woman-owned brand has prospective subscribers take a quiz to identify their tea preferences in terms of caffeine levels, flavors (which range from berry and nutty to turmeric), loose or bagged, tea types (which range from green and black to oolong), and dietary preferences or restrictions.

The brand then delivers four curated teas based on the results; each box makes more than 16 fresh cups or more than 45 re-steeped cups. The teas are selected from more than 100 different brands from around the world—both big and small—such as Tea Drops, Davidson’s, and Churchill’s.

A subscription comes in at about $16 a month and, along with the tea, includes biodegradable tea filters, steeping guides, tasting notes, and recipes.

Best for Wellness: Respyre

Why We Chose It: Respyre has a unique wellness angle to its variety of teas and is dedicated to helping subscribers unwind and relax.

What We Like:

• The wellness angle
• Different monthly themes
• Natural ingredients

What We Don’t Like:

• Doesn’t offer many tea options

If you drink tea for its ability to calm you down as well as awaken you, then Respyre is the subscription for you. Its mission is to “make wellness and relaxation easy for everyone,” starting with a nice cup of tea.

Subscription options include month-to-month (around $15 per month), three months pre-paid (about $13 per month), or 12 months paid (approximately $12 per month). Each box includes two loose leaf teas—typically an “invigorating daytime tea” like Yerba Mate or white tea and a “soothing herbal infusion” like chamomile or hibiscus that’s great for winding down—made with natural ingredients and selected for its health and wellness benefits. Past boxes have revolved around certain themes like sleep, digestion, improving immunity, and lowering stress.

The teas you receive make approximately 20 to 30 cups and also come with tips to help make the most of each month’s themed collection. It’s proof that self-care doesn’t always have to come in the form of face masks and massages!