Five Four Club is a men’s clothing subscription club – sign up, pick a style profile and your sizes, and get clothes every month. My style profile is a “mix.” This subscription ships at the end of the month, and nearly always arrives in the first few days of the next month. This is technically the January box, but arrived February 3.

Skyline Heather Black Joggers ($60) This pair of sweatpants has a few great details, including a blue contrast zipper,

And non-bunching elastic at the bottom of the pants. They look like wool pants from a distance but wear like a sweatpant.

Sherlock Heather Gray Sweatshirt ($60) This has a unique weaving detail with the french terry loops on the outside of the sweater. Actually it’s a sweatshirt material but looks top notch. Both of these are definitely hybrid pieces that let you look not slobby while being super comfortable. Great for these frigid indoor months.

I’ve been very pleased with the last several months of this subscription, and especially with my choice to move to the “mixed” style profile.

Currently save $15 off your first month with coupon code AFMOMMY15.  You can see all my Five Four Club Reviews here or sign up for Five Four Club. Also, new – see my guide to Five Four Club Jeans and Pants Sizing.

The Subscription: Five Four Club
The Description: Five Four Club provides a subscription box for men with stylish, on-trend clothes. Upgrade and progress your wardrobe. Create a style profile in about 60 seconds and get monthly packages of clothing and accessories up to 75% off retail. Boxes are allotted by a points system. Each monthly membership fee gets you 10 points.
The Price: $60 per month.
The Deal: Get $15 off your first box with Five Four coupon code AFMOMMY15

Bombfell is a men’s clothing and personal styling subscription service. With Bombfell, you get sent the clothing, can try it on at home, and then figure out what you love and want to purchase. It’s an excellent service for a busy guy. For this delivery I opted for 4 surprise items “For the Weekend.”

The Subscription: Bombfell
The Description: Bombfell is a monthly clothing subscription designed entirely for men. Get clothes picked just for you by a stylist, so you can spend your time doing awesome guy stuff.
The Price: Depending on your budget, spend $69-199 per month.
The Coupon: Save $10 on your first order, just by using my link to sign up.

February 2015 Bombfell

How Bombfell Works: When you sign up for Bombfell you fill out a style profile including all your measurements. You can also select the frequency (sometimes I set my Bombfell to come bi-monthly) and what you’d like to receive. You can pick out what you want clothes for (office, dates, weekend, basics, etc.) as well as the precise type of item you want (e.g., sport coat, jeans, t-shirt), as well as your budget. You can also select to be surprised.

Big Star Union Brushed Straight Twill Pants ($99) These were not really my style, and there was a warning about bleeding fabric (which I appreciated, but doesn’t work for a dude who washes 2 adults’ and 3 kids’ clothes).

I sent these ones back and am hoping for a different style next time (I loved the Penguin wool pants I received in my last shipment).

French Connection Waffle Henley ($56) Loved the style of this so I kept it.  It looks great and is an excellent layer.

Johnnie-O Gingham Buttondown ($69) Easily my favorite shirt – loved the style, construction, the pre-washed fabric, and the “Tweener.”

You can tell my wife loved it too because she took a picture of it. This is perfect for me.

Descendant of Thieves Script Utility Vest ($79) I expected to hate this, and I totally didn’t. It’s some sort of limited edition in this style, I’m not sure of the details, but it was actually a great vest – but this brand runs small and it was snug on my midsection.

This was definitely unexpected but appreciated selection.

Plus you can store your piece in it. (My wife had way too much fun with photos this month.)

Bombfell usually includes some sort of silly doo-dad. These are great to give to your kids to keep their hands off the clothes.

February was a great month for Bombfell. I kept 2 items and returned the other two (free shipping). I selected four more surprise me items for the weekend for later this month. I prefer that good in-between style since I currently don’t need any strict office-wear. What have you been selecting?

Visit Bombfell to find out more or to set up your first order.  You can save $10 on your first order, just by using my link to sign up. You can also check out all the Bombfell Reviews.

February’s Birchbox Man theme is “Optimized.” Riffing off February’s anagram (BURY FEAR),  you are supposed to buckle down and make all the every day stuff speedier, stronger, and more efficient.  Right now there are 2 coupons for Birchbox Man – you can get a Naadam Cashmere Speer Beanie with your $75+ Birchbox Men Shop purchase! Use code: NAADAMBEANIE.  Or get 50 Birchbox Points when you subscribe to Birchbox Man! Use code SUBSCRIBENOW50. You can also get Driven: From Homeless to Hero, My Journeys On and Off Lambeau Field by Donald Driver free with any $50 Shop purchase (use code DRIVEN). These are just the newest bonus shop codes, you can always check here for new ones.

From the wife: If you’d like to get your lady a Birchbox for V-day, check here for updated offers. I don’t know if we’ve done this before, but I am writing this review (you’ll see why). If you want ladies’ box ideas, feel free to leave me a comment on this post, and I’ll try to get a Valentine’s post up here (Tom does all the reviews but I generally post the deals).

The Subscription: Birchbox Man
The Description: Birchbox Man is designed to introduce you to the best lifestyle and grooming products. Get monthly boxes of deluxe and travel-size samples of grooming products and lifestyle accessories. Grooming products include shaving, skincare, hair, and sweat control. Lifestyle accessories range from grill aprons, dress socks, and cufflinks, to folding sunglasses and bottle openers.
The Price: $20 per month.

February 2015 Birchbox Man

(review this time from Brandy)

Birchbox subscribers have an option of selecting an item in their box. This month box selection consisted of:

Twenty minutes after I got the email the Quick-Connect Duo was sold out. Usually I ask Tom what he wants, but he received the Quirky trio in a recent box, and one of those leather headphone wraps in I think a Bespoke Post. I emailed Birchbox CS and they were able to get me on the list (they have the BEST customer service in the business – hands down).   They would have all been great choices, but of course we love new things!

The Quirky Contort ($14.99) and the Plug Power ($4.99) are just the thing we need. I work off a macbook air and there are never enough usb ports – and my lightning cable is always getting stuck in a drawer (in fact while it is charging my phone my itunes isn’t recognizing my phone – so this gadget will save me from replacing my cord all the time. The plug adapter we’ll use for our mini fridge in the office!

Tom received this in a prior Birchbox Man box, and it explains the email I got mysteriously granting me 100 extra points (that’s $10 in the shop) for a duplicate item. Here’s his original description

Histoire de Parfums 1899 This fragrance boast of Bergamot, Juniper berry, black pepper, orange flowers, iris, cinnamon, vanilla, vetiver and amber. When I first sprayed this onto my wrist it reminded me of that certain Avon product that doubles as bug spray. Within a second however the alcohol had evaporated and I found the fragrance to be complex, warm, inviting and both flowery and masculine. The citrus and pepper notes are pronounced with upon first sniff but it is the vetiver and vanilla that hold the day.

We never originally calculated it, but the value of that sample is $4.17.

Dear Clark Resurrecting Wash & Rinse ($5.65) I’ve received these in one of my Birchboxes before (not sure what account, I get two), and have used them, so I can already tell you that I really love this set and it was actually very moisturizing for my hair. Tom has dry hair and I suppose I’ll let him use this set too. It makes actually more sense for them to be in this box because they have a very masculine scent.

HOWEVER, the bottles are super stiff and I recommend that you purchase The Spatty (seen on shark tank!). I picked this up a few months ago and we both use it all the time. I needed it to get the product out of these, although to be honest, a man may not have as much trouble as I did. I have super small hands and they aren’t in the best of shape (they’re weak girly pre-arthritic hands). Yes, the Spatty you get might be pink, but you’ll get over it when you can remove just about anything from any jar including $15 a cup sauces.

Our February 2015 Birchbox Man had $29.80 in value, plus we get $5 in points for reviewing the items and $2 for purchasing the box (on an annual subscription). I wasn’t particularly impressed with the value this month – it’s likely the lowest value Birchbox Man we’ve ever received. The extra $10 in points was a nice bonus, but for a subscriber just getting this box without having been sent the 1899 fragrance before, it was too low. Given that besides the electronics Tom had already tested the cologne out and I’ve used the hair stuff, we didn’t see any reason to wait for my poky husband to review this box. 🙂

Visit Birchbox Man to subscribe or find out more, or check out all my Birchbox Man Reviews. You can also check out the Birchbox Man Beard & Shave store.

Gentleman’s Box is a new subscription box for men – including the required essentials for the savvy man. Every box includes the latest issue of GQ and selected items ranging from style to grooming. The theme for January honored “Our Favorite Fresh Prince.”

The Subscription: Gentleman’s Box
The Description: Gentleman’s Box is a subscription box for men providing the essential elements suited for today’s gentlemen.Items from grooming supplies to wardrobe accessories – each selected to complement your lifestyle and align with a monthly theme. Four to five hand-selected products for men, accompanied by the latest issue of GQ Magazine, are delivered right to your doorstep – with the content’s value always exceeding your monthly cost.
The Price: $25 per month.

Gentleman’s Box January 2015

This is a great looking presentation. The GQ gets rolled up into a wristband.

The back of the card details each item in your box.

January’s GQ Magazine.

My wife obviously took the photos. I’m pretty sure I would have chosen a different feature to take a snap of.

Ties.com Sherman Tie Clip ($25)  I can’t say that I would have selected this tie bar myself, the color is a bit bold, but in the context of an entire suit it might provide a great pop of color. I liked the brushed metal look.

January’s Birchbox Man is designed to help kick off 2015 with some concrete goals with the theme “Let’s Do This Thing.” We had two Birchbox Man accounts open – you can see the other January 2015 Birchbox Man we received here. For the next few days  use code BBFRESH at checkout to receive 2 additional men’s samples with the purchase of a men’s monthly or yearly refillable subscription. Exp 1/16.

The Subscription: Birchbox Man
The Description: Birchbox Man is designed to introduce you to the best lifestyle and grooming products. Get monthly boxes of deluxe and travel-size samples of grooming products and lifestyle accessories. Grooming products include shaving, skincare, hair, and sweat control. Lifestyle accessories range from grill aprons, dress socks, and cufflinks, to folding sunglasses and bottle openers.
The Price: $20 per month.

January 2015 Birchbox Man

Jason Markk Travel Set ($11.17) This includes the shoe cleaner, a travel brush, and a quick wipe and is a more than excellent thing to receive in this box.

Jason Markk Premium Microfiber Towel ($10) I have a mild microfiber towel addiction and I can’t say that I’d use a brand new one on my shoes, but I’ll definitely use this (and take an older one for shoe usage).

CLEAN Classic Eau de Toilette for Men ($5.18)

Billy Jealousy Hydroplane Super Slick Shave Cream ($2.50) Tried this one last month (it came on the other account – not a duplicate) and was happy to see it again.

Mt. Sapola Charcoal Soap ($2)

DTRT Face Scrub First Thing First ($2.50) Korean brand face scrub with apricot seed and Moroccan clay.

My January 2015 Birchbox Man had over $33 in value, plus I get $5 in points for reviewing my items and $2 for purchasing the box (on an annual subscription). Valuewise this was a decent box and as for the items I thought they were all very useful and better than getting a “high value” card wallet or something.

Visit Birchbox Man to subscribe or find out more, or check out all my Birchbox Man Reviews. You can also check out the Birchbox Man Beard & Shave store.

Five Four Club is a men’s clothing subscription club – sign up, pick a style profile and your sizes, and get clothes every month. My style profile is a “mix.” This box shipped mid December and we received it last week – we were on vacation. It came with a square of Ghiradelli sea salt dark chocolate.

Ladner and Jupiter Socks ($24) I like the fun but not too crazy patterns on the Five Four Club socks.

Burton Pullover ($68) I love this upgrade to the classic hoodie. Having a styled sweatshirt and still be able to keep warm and wear what I want is perfect for this winter.

Jalon Fashion Tee ($44) This is the short sleeve (and charcoal) version of the shirt we received last month. I wish the style had been different, but the softness is fantastic. Five Four has the softest shirts.

I love the hoodie in this box so I’m very happy with it, but I wish the shirt was a little different, just for some variety. Hoping for some new accessories over the next couple months for the spring.

Currently save $15 off your first month with coupon code AFMOMMY15.  You can see all my Five Four Club Reviews here or sign up for Five Four Club. Also, new – see my guide to Five Four Club Jeans and Pants Sizing.

The Subscription: Five Four Club
The Description: Five Four Club provides a subscription box for men with stylish, on-trend clothes. Upgrade and progress your wardrobe. Create a style profile in about 60 seconds and get monthly packages of clothing and accessories up to 75% off retail. Boxes are allotted by a points system. Each monthly membership fee gets you 10 points.
The Price: $60 per month.
The Deal: Get $15 off your first box with Five Four coupon code AFMOMMY15

My wife picked up two Birchbox Man boxes for December. You can see the first review (of the December Birchbox Man Nick Wooster box) here. Neither of us were very impressed with it and I’d told her I wanted the flask, but wasn’t quick enough. We were both happy to see a holiday coupon making it worthwhile to subscribe on a second account for the flask.

The Subscription: Birchbox Man
The Description: Birchbox Man is designed to introduce you to the best lifestyle and grooming products. Get monthly boxes of deluxe and travel-size samples of grooming products and lifestyle accessories. Grooming products include shaving, skincare, hair, and sweat control. Lifestyle accessories range from grill aprons, dress socks, and cufflinks, to folding sunglasses and bottle openers.
The Price: $20 per month.

December 2014 Birchbox Man

Every Birchbox Man will come with a lifestyle item, and they have all been useful, interesting, and unique. I believe that I have subscribed for two years now.

• Recipe for Men Under Eye Patches – Perfect for post holiday de-puffing. These made me at least look less tired.
• Ernest Supplies Awake & Exfoliate Body Bar – Uses lava rock and ground coconut shells to provide the exfoliant. Super lathering and get the job done.
• Acure Organics Sensitive Facial Cleanser Argan Oil + Probiotic – Good cleanser. Organic but nothing special in my book. Nice to try.
• Billy Jealousy Hydroplane Super Slick Shave Cream – My facial hair grows extremely fast so anything that helps me shave is always a bonus. This uses silicone microbeads to help the razor glide. Will purchase.

Izola Flask ($23) I thought the engraving was amusing and I love the size of this flask – reasonable and pocketable.

This was a fantastic box. The value always greatly exceeds the purchase price with the lifestyle item included, plus I get $5 in points for reviewing my items and $2 for purchasing the box (on an annual subscription).

Visit Birchbox Man to subscribe or find out more, or check out all my Birchbox Man Reviews. You can also check out the Birchbox Man Beard & Shave store.

Mantry is a very cool subscription box that features strictly American-made gourmet foods in a monthly theme shipped in a very awesome crate.  It’s like what you would get at the fancy grocery store when your wife is out of town. My December Mantry – themed “Thai Game” was actually the box from April. When you order from a voucher apparently they send older boxes, just FYI.  I wasn’t too upset – this is the best Mantry ever.

The Subscription: Mantry
The Description: Mantry is the food of the month club for the modern man. Discover artisinal American food and figure out what to do with it with Mantry. Take the hassle of finding new gourmet tastes.
The Price: $75 per month.

Far East Flavors for Game Day.

Full color information card.

Lord Nut Levington Thai Dyed Thai Curry & Lemongrass Peanuts ($5.49) These were delicious – like Thai takeout without actually eating a meal.

Apinya Thai Chili Sauce ($6) A new original, premium quality, world-inspired hot sauce made in small batches with real fruits and vegetables. This is something I can really get behind and we’ll be ordering more flavors of this sauce to try for sure.

Pok Pok Thai Basil Som ($15) My wife is a drinking vinegar freak. We both got a great laugh out of the information card’s suggestion to make an “inauthentic Thai Basil Margarita” with it. Sounds great to us.

Gordy’s Pickle Jar Thai Basil Jalapeños ($10) These + Nachos = Greatness. Don’t forget you can use the juice, here’s a recipe.

Dang Toasted Coconut Chips ($4.49) I don’t remember when, but I ate all of them in one sitting. My wife forgives me only because this was my box and not hers.

Dried & True Sriracha Lime Jerky ($7.99) All natural no preservatives jerky. This jerky was pretty good – and the idea to combine lime and sriracha (or sriracha and anything) is always excellent.

Despite its price and low relative value (this box had around $50 in products) it’s still one of my favorite boxes because of the unique food items.

Visit Mantry to find out more about this monthly gourmet subscription. You can also see all my Mantry reviews.