Amazon has become much more than an online marketplace, and while you’ve probably heard of popular Amazon services such as Amazon Prime Video for TV shows and Amazon Fresh for food, you might not know Amazon also has dozens of other subscription-based plans.
These subscription packages come in a variety of digital forms, including Amazon Prime Video, and physical formats, much like such product-of-the-month clubs as Dollar Shave Club or Birchbox. Many digital options are updated weekly with new classes, options, and more, and most monthly subscription packages come with a free trial and also allow you to cancel before any payment is made. We’ve sorted through all the subscriptions and rounded up the most tempting ones. Read on to discover our favorite Amazon subscriptions you may never have heard of.
STEM Club
Add to your child’s development with this smart toy delivery service. Launched in January 2017, Amazon’s STEM Club delivers handpicked science, technology, and engineering devices, and math toys to your doorstep each month. As STEM learning continues to become more common, this service meets the needs of parents looking for a way to help their child advance through learning.
A membership for these creative, hands-on toys helps your child develop the building blocks for a bright future in fields such as robotics, computers, and natural sciences. Subscription options are broken down by age, with one for children 3-to-4 years old, another for children 5-to-7 years old, and a third for children 8-to-13 years old. Each option is available for the standard price of $20 per month.
Carnivore Club
Upgrade from your typical grocery store deli meat with a Carnivore Club subscription from the Amazon website. This meat-lovers subscription offers handcrafted cured meats from award-winning artisans, and allows you to discover new meats every month that are spotlighted through traditional recipes. You’ll be treated to different styles of meat and preparation, including French charcuterie, Italian salumi, Spanish chorizo, and even South African biltong.
Each box comes with a Meat-Eater’s Handbook that provides the artisan’s story and explains the selected products. The Standard Box subscription offers four-to-six (23 to 32-ounce) handcrafted cured meats per month, while the Snack Box option features snack-sized samples of meat. There’s also a premium Wooden Crate option that gives you all the goodies of a Standard box in a fancy wooden crate. Pick up a Snack Box subscription for $39 a month, a Classic Box subscription for $55 per month, or a Wooden Crate subscription for $85 per month.
Amazon Rapids
Encourage your child to get his or her thinking cap on with an Amazon Rapids subscription. The educational app is ideal for children ages five to 12 and offers a fun and engaging approach to storytelling. Available on Amazon, the Google Play Store, and iTunes Store, children can explore an ever-expanding library of hundreds of illustrated short stories delivered in a playful and unique format to their favorite mobile devices.
Amazon Rapids is packed with hundreds of original stories, along with what Amazon calls “Signature Stores,” which feature all-star voices including Aidy Bryant from Saturday Night Live and Tom Kenny from SpongeBob SquarePants. The built-in read-along mode allows the platform to reads stories out loud to kids while they follow along with the text. As children grow more confident in their reading abilities, they can read on their own and receive support for difficult words by using the tap function to hear certain words spoken out loud.
Finally, there’s a built-in glossary so kids can easily look up the definition and pronunciation of words to help build their reading confidence. Amazon Rapids is available at an annual price of $30 per year, or $3 per month. You can try it out with a special two-week free trial, available with either subscription option.
Allure Beauty Box
Get beauty samples delivered right to your door with an Allure Beauty Box subscription. Each month, you’ll get top-trending makeup and beauty picks with a $50 to $90 value, allowing you to try the latest beauty products before you buy them.
There are many beauty boxes out there, but this Amazon subscription provides editor-tested-and-approved picks, so you know you’re getting top-of-the-line products. Each box features full- and mini-sized versions of products that made the cut. Monthly boxes include a mini-mag with how-to’s and shortcuts so you get the inside scoop on how to best use each product. A subscription costs just $15 a month, includes free shipping, and allows you to cancel at any time.
Creativebug
Get your creative juices flowing when you join Creativebug, an online learning community of makers that includes unlimited access to an entire library of award-winning arts and crafts video classes. Choose from more than 1,000 HD video classes taught by world-renowned artists. Members can comment on classes and get prompt replies from instructors and staff experts, post project photos, and engage with other members.
Classes are easy to follow and come with detailed supplies lists to make shopping easy. If you opt for a sewing, quilting, knitting, crocheting, baking, or paper craft class, you’ll get free downloadable patterns and recipes. With your subscription, you get to choose one class a month to keep in your library forever (up to a $25 value). Subscription options include a 1-month subscription option that gives you 14 days for free and then automatically renews for $5 a month after that or a 12-month subscription that gives you 12 months unlimited access for $53 per year.
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