Table of Contents
About UrthBox
UrthBox is a health food subscription dedicated to clean eaters, delivering nutritious non-GMO snacks, beverages, and other goodies on a monthly basis. UrthBox gained the attention of media big shots like TechCrunch and Forbes, and naturally, you’re wondering if the service is worth signing up for.
This UrthBox review will provide an in-depth look at the brand, subscription, customer ratings, and more, to help you decide for yourself whether or not UrthBox is worth the money.
Overview of UrthBox
The San Francisco-based UrthBox brand grew out of the clean eating movement. The makers of UrthBox embrace the fact that our health is largely determined by what we eat. In particular, obesity among children and adults is influenced by the types of food consumed, especially while snacking.
In the whirlwind that is our daily lives, it can be time-consuming to prioritize healthy eating. Between our careers, social lives, family, and fitness, it’s easy to forget that we should pay attention to the food going into our bodies. The UrthBox subscription gives you convenient and health-conscious food options for home, office, or on-the-go.
UrthBox specifically provides snacks that are organic, all natural, and non-GMO. If you’ve ever browsed the section of the grocery store where these foods live, you’ll know that these options tend to be real expensive. I always mean to buy healthy snacks, see their price tags, then revert to boring old fruits and vegetables. It’s been a pretty senseless cycle.
UrthBox delivers these goodies to your home or office monthly, with options to continue for 3 months, 6 months, or 12 months. Whether you’re eating while watching a movie, stress-eating as you study for exams, or in the daily grind at work, you don’t have to feel ashamed for pigging out on these items. It’s perfectly fine to snack regularly during the day. It’s not fine to eat an entire box of cookies just because.
We’ll get into subscription options and how much they cost, but first, a sum up of this UrthBox review:
Pros
- Organic, all natural, non-GMO snacks and beverages delivered every month
- Four subscription options and sizes, including choices for vegan gluten-free eaters
- Can choose between monthly, quarterly, bi-yearly, or yearly subscription plans
- Cancellation is available any time
- Multiple discounts and savings offered to all customers
- Free shipping within the US
Cons
- Potential low value if you are a big snacker
- No box customization
How UrthBox Works
UrthBoxes are well thought out, with each subscription featuring full-size products that must pass ingredient, sourcing, calorie, nutrition, and manufacturing standards. The full-size products part gets me excited—it’s maddening when you buy little snack packs that come with three cookies or chips each.
When you sign up for UrthBox, the subscription experience involves these steps:
- Select your box size: mini, small, medium, large
- Choose your plan length: monthly, quarterly, bi-yearly, or yearly
- Select your subscription type: Classic, Gluten-Free, Vegan, or Diet box.
- Discover healthy products: munch on as many as 30 full-sized products every month at up to $100 in retail value.
- Earn points: purchase extra products at member discounts, earn loyalty points for every purchase, and redeem them at the UrthBox Shop.
You’re not taking much of a risk by signing up for UrthBox, since you can cancel for free any time. It’s important to note also, that unless you specify otherwise, subscriptions automatically renew on the first of the month.
What Comes in an UrthBox?
Now we get to the good stuff. UrthBox naturally comes with no-brainer health foods including granola, nuts and seeds, trail mixes, superfoods, plus dried fruits and vegetables. You can finally be one of those people who rolls into the office with snacks like they’re going hiking, with absolutely no effort.
They also, quite gloriously, offer typical junk food favorites made nutritious, like cookies, snack bars, chips, sweets and chocolates. Wholesome and guilt-free. I’m just going to leave this picture of heavenly, mouthwatering sea salt chocolate caramel squares here.
UrthBox drinks look pretty tasty as well. Juices and cleanses, shakes, and smoothies also come in the subscription. These tend to be even more expensive than organic snacks—who else gets something at a smoothie store every once in a while and immediately regrets having spent money for something you could have made at home?
Purchasing additional snacks and drinks, including gourmet options, is where the points come in. You can also buy extras like supplements, personal hygiene, hair and skincare, to rack up savings. It’s clear that UrthBox wants to encourage a healthy lifestyle, not just healthy eating. Well, points to you, UrthBox.
UrthBox Subscription Pricing
Everything seems promising so far in this UrthBox review, and now we’ll get down to the costs of each subscription. Classic, Gluten-Free, Vegan, and Diet boxes are available in four sizes:
- Mini: 7+ snacks for $14.99/month
- Small: 14+ snacks for $24.99/month (save 20%)
- Medium: 20+ snacks for $34.99/month (save 30%)
- Large: 27+ snacks for $44.99/month (save 40%)
Remember that these are full-sized snacks, so for the most part, you won’t be eating them in one sitting. Honestly, for me, it would depend on how many chocolates or popped rice chips come in one bag. These are meant to supplement your meals, so if you’re getting groceries regularly, a mini or small Urthbox would be suitable for one person. I won’t tell you how to live your life though.
UrthBox Reviews: What Do Customers Think?
Customers can’t leave an UrthBox review on the website, but the company does feature quotes from notable media outlets. Most of them only describe the subscription, though Refinery29 praises it: “Smart snacks can be a good way to keep from overindulging at your main meals… Enter UrthBox, the snack company of our dreams.” This isn’t particularly helpful, so I searched the internet for feedback from real customers.
Urbanvegan.net enjoyed the subscription box, loving the experience of surprise treats, which the reviewer enjoyed for the most part. On the downside, she received a whey-based protein shake in her vegan box that was not vegan, plus it was months past the expiration date. Urthbox customer service responded to her email, apologized for the error, and offered her a free box for the following month. Though she liked the experience overall, the reviewer felt that some of the full-sized products were quite small.
UrthBox has a 4.2/5 star rating on Trust Pilot out of 715 reviews, which is impressive. Happy customers praised the box for its variety and delicious snacks, while dissatisfied ones cited delayed shipments and inaccessible customer service, particularly when it came to cancelling the subscription. UrthBox did address each of the complaints, at least.
The subscription has a 3/5 star rating on My Subscription Addiction, and UrthBox reviews on Sitejabber are much worse, with an average rating of 1.1/5. Users cited similar customer service complaints and damaged products. There were issues with UrthBox Groupons and instances of customers being charged when they did not want to continue with the subscription.
Overall, unfavorable reviews make up a small portion of total UrthBox reviews (approximately 15-20%).
Our Verdict on UrthBox
It’s obvious in this UrthBox review that the company has good intentions. UrthBox cares about the health of its customers and responds to their complaints. While some of the reviews were no doubt troubling, they were many more positive reviews than negative. No brand is perfect and it’s normal for there to be mishaps here and there.
The one thing that seems hit or miss is the size of the products. Some full-size items look like they would last days or weeks, while others appear to be easily consumed in one sitting. If you’re a huge snacker, you might find yourself blowing through the products before the month is up. As I mentioned before though, these treats are supposed to pair with your full meals—they’re not meant for binge-eating sessions because you forgot to pack your lunch.
All this taken into consideration, we give UrthBox a thumbs up, especially since you can cancel the subscription whenever you want. Just make sure you contact them at least a week in advance, so that there aren’t any issues with cancellation (which may leave you locked in for another month).
UrthBox Promotions & Discounts
All customers get a free UrthBox with any multi-month order. You also get savings by subscribing for at least 3 months:
- 3 month subscription: save $15
- 6 month subscription: save $48
- 12 month subscription: save $120
UrthBox also gives subscribers discounts and gift cards that can be used on their site or at local stores. You can gift UrthBox to family and friends, getting your own free box in the process. These gifts are available for 3, 6, and 12-month periods.
Sign Up for UrthBox
To register for UrthBox, visit urthbox.com. After you choose your box size, plan length, and subscription type, enter your name, address and payment details. Then you’re good to go!
UrthBox FAQ
Cancel UrthBox
Unless specified otherwise, all subscriptions automatically renew on the first of the month, quarterly, bi-yearly, or yearly depending on your subscription plan. UrthBox subscriptions can be cancelled anytime by sending an email to [email protected].
An UrthBox cancel request must be made before the next renewal billing charge, before the first of the month. All first time orders placed by new customers have a 24 hour cancellation window; after this time, there are no refunds for initial order requests.
How to Use UrthBox Points
To use UrthBox points, you have to visit their partner store urthmarket.com and create a store account. Once this UrthBox login is created, send an email to [email protected] with your UrthMarket account information, and a customer service agent will transfer your points for use toward your subscription.
Gluten-Free and Vegan Products
UrthBox cannot guarantee that all products in these boxes are free from trace elements of gluten or animal products, due to the facilities used by manufacturers. According to an UrthBox review, the company may send you non-vegan products or those containing gluten by mistake. UrthBox recommends that customers always read labels and packaging before consuming a product.
Shipping Policy
UrthBox ships free within the US and shipments to Canada cost $6.95 per order. Orders are shipped mid-month, with new orders shipped within the following calendar month. Tracking is available for shipments by emailing [email protected].
Return Policy
UrthBox does not accept any returned boxes, and there are no refunds for requests that are received on or after the renewal date. If your UrthBox is delivered with damaged or unusable products, take a picture of the defective items and email [email protected].
Contact UrthBox
If you have questions not answered in this UrthBox review, you can contact UrthBox customer service by emailing [email protected]. A customer service representative will generally respond within 24 hours.
You’ve got more tasty snack options: read all about NatureBox.
Check out the Butcherbox subscription, offering healthy and humanely raised meet delivered to your door.
Learn all about the health benefits of Ritual Vitamins and Pique Tea.
Urthbox charges the entire amount when ordering, even when they list the monthly costs next to everything. You can’t cancel your order after the first 24 hours. I have yet to receive my first box, 6 weeks after placing my order. Customer Service doesn’t let you know when your box is on the way. Please save yourself the headache and money and don’t go with this company.