Men's Subscription Boxes - Bespoke Post: Weekender Review
Bespoke Post is a subscription box for men that costs $45 a month. You can preview the box and choose to opt out of any box within five days; new boxes are available to preview on the first of the month. Every single box to date has had a value much higher than $45. You can also choose to purchase a box without subscribing for $55. A majority of the items included in the boxes are gender neutral, and since you're able to preview and opt out of the box, it's also a good subscription for women as well. Click the link if you'd like to sign up or are just curious: Bespoke Post (contains referral).
I recently signed up for Bespoke Post after delaying it for some time, and in order to catch up, purchased a multitude of their "Boxes of Awesome". Instead of simply unboxing them and then writing a review, I will be waiting until I have used each item enough to the point where I feel like I can fairly commentate on that item's quality, aesthetics, and how well it functions. I will also be writing about customer service, offerings Bespoke Post has, and any coupon codes/promotional deals they may have. I haven't seen any reviews online for a few of the boxes I got, so hopefully the reviews I write will help the people looking for reviews for those particular boxes and for people concerned about the quality and function of certain items. Now, on to the review!
I decided to review Weekender first, even though it's the second box I received, because it is the one box I've had the opportunity to use the most so far. I will highlight the positive and negative aspects of the box in the following review and will then ultimately determine on whether or not I think this box is a good buy for the item(s) received.
Aesthetically, the mason bag included in Weekender is very handsome. There is absolutely no denying that it is a smart-looking bag. I've already received compliments on it from a few people and I've only used it a couple times. Of course I also think it is a very aesthetically pleasing bag or I wouldn't have purchased it. I was actually hoping they would offer this box again when I saw I had missed it because I have been in need of a good bag for a while. The leather accents complement the natural colored canvas perfectly; it is the perfect shade of brown. The silver rivets along the top and that attach the leather to the bag only add to the styling of the bag. The silver studs on the bottom also complement the overall look of the bag very well. The Bespoke Post logo embossed in leather on the bag looks very good; it's a sophisticated logo and doesn't detract from the bag's look at all; rather, it adds to it.
The canvas of the bag is extremely thick and is definitely very durable. The stitching is very well done and won't fall apart any time soon. The frame is extremely sturdy and functions very well; the rivets are well done too. The bottom of the inside of the bag has MDF sewn in and the bottom of the outside of the bag has studs attached, in order to give the bag some structure and to protect the bottom of the bag, respectively. The interior pocket is a nice touch and I have used it to store things I need to grab quickly and also to separate underwear and socks from the rest of my clothes. The leather used for the bag is buttery soft and the handles feel great in the hand. I would have liked the leather straps used to buckle the top closed to be a bit thicker and have some more rigidity. They feel a bit flimsy when being used to buckle a fully-loaded bag closed, but leather is a very durable material and can handle a lot of stress; it stretches rather than tearing. Still, I would have liked it to feel more sturdy; it would have been nice if they could have used Horween leather on the bag. Horween leather has been used recently in both "Shelter" and "Maker", so it would have been nice to see the Weekender bag incorporate that. Perhaps in the future they will do an iteration where Horween leather is used. I would definitely purchase another one if that ever turns out to be the case. This bag is going to last for a long time though, so it would not be a necessary purchase.
In terms of capacity, the Weekender bag truly is a weekend bag. You couldn't go on a week long trip with just this bag and have enough room. It truly is for weekend trips. I could see using it for three or four day trips if you pack minimally and intelligently, but this isn't the type of bag you can just load up with half your wardrobe and be on your way. That's not its intended purpose. Pack a few pairs of socks and underwear; a few t-shirts; a pair of jeans and pants; a dopp kitt; a button down; and a hoodie, sweatshirt, or sweater, and you're all set.
Weekender also comes with a little bag inside the Weekender bag filled with a few goodies. I received two small (.75 oz) bags of Sahale Crunchers, Carmex lip balm, Freshends luxuorious towelettes (3), a small sample container of Byrd pomade, and a small two pack of Brode hydration vitamins. I haven't used everything from this little sample pack so far, but everything is pretty much self-explanatory. I was fairly happy with the goods in the little pack. I would have obviously preferred one or two full-sized items in comparison, as the sample pack probably has a value of less than $5 total, but to Bespoke Post's credit, everything is useful to the general male population. I would have liked to see more in the sample bag, since they were just samples. A leather luggage tag would have been a nice addition as well.
Overall, the Weekender bag is well worth the $45 Bespoke Post charges for it. The closest bag I've seen online to this one is $119, made using Heritage leather. The bottom of that bag is also wrapped in leather for increased durability. Other than the leather-wrapped bottom, the bags are constructed in the same exact way and in the same exact style. This bag would retail for more than $45. While I wasn't excited about the sample bag at all, it was only ever meant to be an add-on of little useful things, not something to get excited about itself. I would absolutely purchase this bag again if I ended up losing mine or it got ruined some how. Or, if Bespoke Post releases an iteration using Horween leather. I am extremely happy with this bag, aesthetically and construction-wise, and urge everyone who is in the market for a well-made, handsome weekend bag to take a look and give it a try.
-Ben
I recently signed up for Bespoke Post after delaying it for some time, and in order to catch up, purchased a multitude of their "Boxes of Awesome". Instead of simply unboxing them and then writing a review, I will be waiting until I have used each item enough to the point where I feel like I can fairly commentate on that item's quality, aesthetics, and how well it functions. I will also be writing about customer service, offerings Bespoke Post has, and any coupon codes/promotional deals they may have. I haven't seen any reviews online for a few of the boxes I got, so hopefully the reviews I write will help the people looking for reviews for those particular boxes and for people concerned about the quality and function of certain items. Now, on to the review!
I decided to review Weekender first, even though it's the second box I received, because it is the one box I've had the opportunity to use the most so far. I will highlight the positive and negative aspects of the box in the following review and will then ultimately determine on whether or not I think this box is a good buy for the item(s) received.
Aesthetically, the mason bag included in Weekender is very handsome. There is absolutely no denying that it is a smart-looking bag. I've already received compliments on it from a few people and I've only used it a couple times. Of course I also think it is a very aesthetically pleasing bag or I wouldn't have purchased it. I was actually hoping they would offer this box again when I saw I had missed it because I have been in need of a good bag for a while. The leather accents complement the natural colored canvas perfectly; it is the perfect shade of brown. The silver rivets along the top and that attach the leather to the bag only add to the styling of the bag. The silver studs on the bottom also complement the overall look of the bag very well. The Bespoke Post logo embossed in leather on the bag looks very good; it's a sophisticated logo and doesn't detract from the bag's look at all; rather, it adds to it.
The canvas of the bag is extremely thick and is definitely very durable. The stitching is very well done and won't fall apart any time soon. The frame is extremely sturdy and functions very well; the rivets are well done too. The bottom of the inside of the bag has MDF sewn in and the bottom of the outside of the bag has studs attached, in order to give the bag some structure and to protect the bottom of the bag, respectively. The interior pocket is a nice touch and I have used it to store things I need to grab quickly and also to separate underwear and socks from the rest of my clothes. The leather used for the bag is buttery soft and the handles feel great in the hand. I would have liked the leather straps used to buckle the top closed to be a bit thicker and have some more rigidity. They feel a bit flimsy when being used to buckle a fully-loaded bag closed, but leather is a very durable material and can handle a lot of stress; it stretches rather than tearing. Still, I would have liked it to feel more sturdy; it would have been nice if they could have used Horween leather on the bag. Horween leather has been used recently in both "Shelter" and "Maker", so it would have been nice to see the Weekender bag incorporate that. Perhaps in the future they will do an iteration where Horween leather is used. I would definitely purchase another one if that ever turns out to be the case. This bag is going to last for a long time though, so it would not be a necessary purchase.
In terms of capacity, the Weekender bag truly is a weekend bag. You couldn't go on a week long trip with just this bag and have enough room. It truly is for weekend trips. I could see using it for three or four day trips if you pack minimally and intelligently, but this isn't the type of bag you can just load up with half your wardrobe and be on your way. That's not its intended purpose. Pack a few pairs of socks and underwear; a few t-shirts; a pair of jeans and pants; a dopp kitt; a button down; and a hoodie, sweatshirt, or sweater, and you're all set.
Weekender also comes with a little bag inside the Weekender bag filled with a few goodies. I received two small (.75 oz) bags of Sahale Crunchers, Carmex lip balm, Freshends luxuorious towelettes (3), a small sample container of Byrd pomade, and a small two pack of Brode hydration vitamins. I haven't used everything from this little sample pack so far, but everything is pretty much self-explanatory. I was fairly happy with the goods in the little pack. I would have obviously preferred one or two full-sized items in comparison, as the sample pack probably has a value of less than $5 total, but to Bespoke Post's credit, everything is useful to the general male population. I would have liked to see more in the sample bag, since they were just samples. A leather luggage tag would have been a nice addition as well.
Overall, the Weekender bag is well worth the $45 Bespoke Post charges for it. The closest bag I've seen online to this one is $119, made using Heritage leather. The bottom of that bag is also wrapped in leather for increased durability. Other than the leather-wrapped bottom, the bags are constructed in the same exact way and in the same exact style. This bag would retail for more than $45. While I wasn't excited about the sample bag at all, it was only ever meant to be an add-on of little useful things, not something to get excited about itself. I would absolutely purchase this bag again if I ended up losing mine or it got ruined some how. Or, if Bespoke Post releases an iteration using Horween leather. I am extremely happy with this bag, aesthetically and construction-wise, and urge everyone who is in the market for a well-made, handsome weekend bag to take a look and give it a try.
-Ben
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