Sips by is a tea subscription box. In fact it is the first one I ever tried and is what started me down the path of trying as many tea subscription boxes as possible. Sips by was a great introduction box, but I’ve since found others I prefer. Since it can be a great introduction, I consider it a great box for casual tea drinkers who just want to try something new or find new kinds of teas they like. This is especially true if you haven’t tried many teas before and don’t know where to start. If you want to try Sips by, you can use my refer-a-friend referral code here to save $5 on your first box.
So how does this box work? You get four teas a month for less than $20 a month. You get about 4 cups per sample, or 16 cups a box. The teas are from various brands including ones you can find in your grocery store aisles as well as smaller brands you may never have heard of. Check out my photos for some examples of the brands ad flavors I received. This makes it a great box if you want to try a variety of new brands. The box comes with a guide to your teas including coupons in case you want to order more of a tea you liked through the Sips by store. I usually got two sachet flavors to try and two loose leaf flavors in my monthly box.
One thing this subscription box has going for it is that Sips by has the most in-depth customization options of any box I’ve tried. When you sign up you take a personality quiz that helps them personalize your teas. If you hate a specific flavor or tea type or prefer loose tea over bags you can say so. You also get to list any allergies or other dietary restrictions. You also get to rate each tea to help with future personalizations. This is a great box to choose if you want to be surprised. Once your box ships, the teas you are getting can be seen in your account for those who can’t wait. Personally I never look because this box was all about the surprise for me.
The quality of the tea varies because the quality is dependent on what brand you receive. This means the tea packaging varies from box to box since it comes in the brand’s packaging instead of being repackaged for the box. However the varied quality was the reason I decided to move onto other subscriptions. I also didn’t like getting popular brands like Stash and The Republic of Tea when I wanted to try small brands I’d never heard of before, which meant I simply outgrew the subscription since it was no longer what I was looking for. This however could be a plus for those who want to sample more of the big brands to dip their toes into some of the variety out there that they can easily buy in their local stores. I did find few small brands I’d never heard of before (like Tea Kitten).
Overall this is a great introduction box to help you find new brands of teas you might like. Which box is best for you really depends on what you are looking to get out of a tea box. I rotate between boxes depending on what I’m looking for in any given month. Sips by is more of a box that is great for sampling different brands rather than getting a month’s worth of tea like other boxes give you (like Tea Runners). To be fair, that is also why Sips by is at a more affordable price point. I also specifically did a Sips by versus Tea Runners showdown when I subscribed to both of them and you can read more about that here. I also have reviews of other great boxes if you are looking for more options to fit whatever it is you are looking for in a box.