Nonabox - September

A couple of weeks ago I wrote this post here on the new Baby Box craze that had hit the UK. 

I was recently fortunate enough to receive a Nonabox to review and was really very excited. A few other parent bloggers that I follow had posted reviews on their blogs and I had been very careful not to ruin the surprise for myself.

My first impression was that it was beautifully packaged in it's trademark purple and silver box with silver ribbon. I'm a sucker for a good bit of packaging! Inside the contents were wrapped with a single sheet of tissue paper, hoorah! No excess wastage!

Initially I was quite impressed with the contents, and for a lower price I'd of been more impressed, however, compared to the press release I was given for my previous post, it was a little disappointing. The blurb stated that each Nonabox contained 7-10 products, however mine only contained 6, one of which being a sample and not a full-sized product and even at the most premium price that I could find, the items didn't add up to the promised £70, which, if I had purchased this myself I would've been quite unhappy about. I've since discovered that there was an error in both the press-release and the box, with the worth of the box estimated at between £40-70 (depending on which box you have, there is a variance of twenty-three different kinds of box you could receive dependnt on your baby's age) and that unfortunately my box was one of a small amount sent in error containing only six products. 

Here's what was inside...

Cloud B Aroma Sleep Sheep Pillow £34

A cute and cuddly sleeping-ad pillow that's lavender scented. My toddler really liked this and nabbed it before I was given the chance to ask if she would like it as obviously with a newborn, I am limited to what I put in his crib due to the SIDS risk. It's not an unpleasant smell and the option to remove the scent is there so it's quite a nice little product for an older baby or toddler.

MAM Self-sterilising, anti-colic bottle £6.99

Not really sure what to make of this proud, it's a good idea in theory and I'll definitely try it when Bear's a little bit older but as we're great-feeding and he's still so young, it will have to be something we return to look at in a Opel of months.

Bibetta Reversable Bib £5.50

Was unfortunately sent a girl's bib but am a fan of Bibetta and their products so will most likely use it regardless when we reach weaning in a few months. It's a good, sturdy bib with an innovative design.

Water Wipes 60p plus additional £1 off voucher

These are a great product that I have found to be really handy when Moo has an 'accident', they are great quality that you can feel a difference to normal wipes, it's just a game it's only a sample pack.

Nuerer's Organic Nursing Tea £4.95

I'm a sucker for herbal teas and infusions, being of a barista background through work I have tried many different kinds so I'm looking forward to trying this.

Gumigem Teething Bangle £8.95

I have really, really wanted to try one of these for ages and so this is the product I am most excited about! Can't wait to wear it!

So here's my pros and cons...

Pros.

- A great way to try new, trusted products.

- Lovely customer service, everyone at Nonabox is very nice, open and positive.

- The majority of other boxes I have seen online for older babies have been really impressive with a variety of products.

- Great presentation.

Cons.

- I believe I have a newborn box so products are going to be somewhat limited at this age.

- Although it's stated the boxes are targeted to you and your child, I received what i consider to be a girl's bib when I have a boy.

I think that perhaps this is something that parents of older babies would get more out of as obviously as children grow they can experience more, whereas newborns are restricted to what they can have due to strict safety instructions.

Did you subscribe? What did you get?

Clare

Please note, I recieved my Nonabox box for the purposes of review. All opinions and thoughts are 100% my own.

The Baby Box Buzz

Somewhere around late 2010, early 2011 a new phenomena hit the UK; beauty boxes.

Based on a French idea, they're monthly subscription boxes costing around £10 a month that give you a chance to sample brands (not always luxury, some more affordable) that you might not necessarily discover otherwise. The front runner of this was Glossybox which I subscribed to for awhile, but I found their customer service to be somewhat lacking (and I am very much focused on service when it comes to value for money), I also subscribed to Jolie Box which was my favourite of the two. I subscribe to neither now as the novelty wore off somewhat as I was only interested in make-up. Glossybox are still prominent in the beauty world, though every beauty blogger and then some seems to have them and approximately once monthly my Bloglovin' is filled with 'unboxings'.

All that said, it's old news and old hat and to those of us who are getting just plain 'old', it's done and there's something new on the scene; the baby box.

Once again, an idea that started in Europe and has made it's way to our humble, little island; this time offering a monthly subscription box of 'baby essentials'. As a mum, this now excites me more than a box aimed just at myself, and I think that the majority of parents will agree. Being a mum is a huge sacrifice and you do tend to stop focussing so much on yourself, it's nice to have treats, yes, but I'd much rather spend my disposable income on my children than myself because their happiness is my everything. That said, the new boxes on the scene do promise to include treats for Mum and Dad too so hooray for that! I love a treat!

The obvious advantage to a monthly subscription service is that as a busy mum to one or more, the best products on the baby market suitable for your child are being delivered strait to you, negating the need to shop, price-compare and stress! I need that in my life! Need. Do you hear me? Need!

There are two big names on the block and here's a quick round up of what they each have to offer!

Nonabox.

Originally a European brand (Spain, Italy, Germany and Austria), they've hit the United Kingdom, launching last week with their boxes from new baby up to two years of age, saying they target the contents to your 'stage of motherhood'. They promise to provide a variety of luxury products from the United Kingdom for you and your baby at a cost of £25 per month (including delivery) with the contents averaging a retail value of around £70 with 7-10 items per box. They also plan to have themed seasonal boxes throughout the year.

Nonabox are currently offering 20% off when you sign up online as well as a free Cloud B Sheep Aroma pillow worth £16 to the first 1000 subscribers.

Image curtesy of Nonabox.

Sassy Bloom.

Sassy Bloom is a British brand (whose first customers were Wills and Kate) who also intend to launch this month. With prices starting from £22.15 per month (with free postage), Sassy Bloom promise to deliver a specially tailored 'sassy box' monthly to you with contents aimed specifically at your child's age across a range of luxury brands in development, nibbles and practicality from around the globe as tried by their panel of mothers and babies! It's not just branded baby goods either, there'll be treats for parents too as well as personalised gifts. The brand vows to bring to you the 'latest and greatest', in tried and tested products of the baby world elite! Each box guarantees a retail value of upwards of £30 in retail value with 5-6 items per box.

Sassy Bloom are running a competition on their website at the moment to give away a generous twelve month subscription to one person! They're also giving away five monthly boxes and promise a complimentary box with every twelve-monthly subscription.

Image curtesy of Sassy Bloom.

I'm not here to tell you which box to subscribe to because to be honest, both excite me in a way that handbags and blushers once did!

Unlike beauty boxes, it is a much quicker moving market. Children grow quickly, but there are constantly more being born to replace those who have grown up and new products with modern designs being released constantly whereas there's only so many sample lipsticks and hand creams one person can own (seriously, I had such a stash of it all from beauty boxes, I was giving it to my friends)! Because of this, I'm confident that the baby box will be huge and will be staying!

If you're really not sure but would like to try, you could buy one as a gift for an expectant friend as they would make a wonderful present for a new-mum or mummy-to-be! Look out for reviews coming soon...

If you've got your mitts on one of these boxes then lucky you, what did you think? Please let me know!

Clare

Please note this is not a sponsored post from either company, nor a comparison, it is an informative piece about baby box subscriptions within the UK. All information is accurate on date of publishing and all opinions are my own.