Citrus Lane Review

After I heard so many of my friends raving about Citrus Lane on Facebook, I knew I needed to check it out for a review. Citrus Lane is a monthly subscription service, tailored to your child's age and gender, that sends boxes full of new products and toys to try. The boxes are themed every month, so it's a lot of fun to take that first peek inside, check out the theme, and enjoy the new items.

The subscription boxes start at $25 per month. If you subscribe for 6 months at $125, you get one box free. The full year subscription is $250 and includes two free boxes.

I loved opening up the Citrus Lane box and showing my youngest son what was inside. He's a year old, so the items inside were geared toward the young toddler age. Ours was the August "Back to School" theme box. It was a little different from the August items shown on their website (which are also shown in the photo above), but we loved the substitutions.

Our gift box included a Skip Hop Zoo Lunchies bag. It has a bumblebee on the front and is the perfect size for a couple of sippy cups and a snack when we're on the go. We also received an Innobaby food container with an airtight, leak-proof lid, a squeeze-pouch of Plum Organics Yogurt Mish Mash, some small Eco-Me cleansers, and a really cool board book - Andy Warhol's Colors by Susan Goldman Rubin. Buying all of these items separately would cost around $35, so the price of the subscription box is fair.

More importantly, I liked that this sample box gave me a chance to try out some things that I otherwise might not have purchased. I've looked for baby food storage containers before, but hadn't come across the Innobaby type that Citrus Lane sent. I love the little container. The lid stays on so well, and it can be used for so much more than baby food. Because I received this item from Citrus Lane, I found a great product that works really well in my kitchen. The board book was also a big hit at my house. All of my older kids argue over who will be the next to read it to my youngest. Overall, I felt that Citrus Lane did a great job of selecting products that were high quality and just right for my son's age group.

If you need to send a baby gift or a holiday gift and you're not sure what to choose, Citrus Lane would be a really easy way to shop. You can send gift subscriptions of 2 months, 3 months or 6 months. The shipping is included in the subscription price. If you want to send a one-time gift, there are baby shower gift samplers for boys, girls or gender neutral, and these cost $35. The value of the products inside is over $100, so this is a fantastic bargain. Particularly for non-parents who need to send a gift but aren't up on all of the latest baby gear, these baby shower boxes are a quick way to send a thoughtful and useful baby gift.

For holiday or birthday giving, there are other one-time boxes that range in price from $25 to $65 and include various toys and board books. You can search by age for these gift boxes, too, which is handy for those who don't know or have forgotten what kids at different ages might enjoy.

Actually, there isn't much I didn't like about Citrus Lane! It would be nice to be able to send just one regular month box as a gift. The two-month subscription costs $50, which might be a little much for some gifters. The monthly boxes are a little different than the single-time gift boxes, so it would be nice to have the option to just send the one themed sample box.

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.