LootCrate

Loot Crate is a monthly box full of geeky awesomeness. As well as their classic original Loot Crate they have several other box types, including a box for your pets, gaming, and wearables!

I’m reviewing their original box, the LootCrate, which contains 4 – 5 items each month, including exclusive and licensed items, with a value of at least $45.

They have four subscription levels:

1 month – £24 p/m
3 months – £22 p/m
6 months – £21 p/m
12 months – £21 p/m plus a bonus t-shirt
All crates include a t-shirt; you select your size when you order your subscription.

This month’s theme is KINGDOM.

Their shipping crate is pleasingly sturdy, and can usually be converted into something related to the monthly theme. More on that later.

I can see Lord of the Rings and Adventure time. They fit in perfectly with this month’s theme!

First of all, the monthly t-shirt.

This is a cool and exclusive design: Link with elements of the original 8-bit map.

I’m happy to say it’s also 100% cotton!

The next item is from Adventure Time.

This shows the Ice King as the Nice King! Here is is with his penguin guards enjoying a rare moment of happiness.

It’s a lovely figurine; I really like the expression on his face.

Anything kingdom-related simply has to include Lord of the Rings.

This is a colour change glass, but more unusually the colour changes when the liquid is cold.

Empty, the glass has white writing, and when full it turns red.

Yes, the writing is Elvish, but alas, I cannot translate.

It looks good though.

This is an 10 x 8 print of Merry and Pippin riding on top of Treebeard towards Isengard.

This exclusive Loot Crate item has been created by artist Matt Fergusen.

Finally, the Loot Pin. This exclusive pin shows the Loot Crate coat of arms!

In the bottom of the box is the menu.

As you might expect it contains details about this month’s items, as well as instructions for the online extras.

This month’s crate transformation is pretty simple, so no need to include instructions in the menu!

Conclusions

LootCrate claims that each box contains at least $45 (about £35) worth of goodies. Every item is a LootCrate exclusive, so it’s difficult to assign a commercial value. However I can sort of find equivalents and guesstimate, though I don’t use eBay as I find their prices are not a useful guide to value. I’ll also add my thoughts as I go along.

T-shirt – geeky t-shirts usually retail around £10.

Adventure Time figure: this is a Loot Crate exclusive, so I’ll put it at £12. It’s of a pretty good size, so I think that’s a fair value.

LotR Glass: Again, an exclusive, but looking at colour change glasses online I reckon this would go around £9.

LotR Print: Exclusive, so say £5.

Pin – again, total exclusive, but comic pins are around £5.

Total: £41

So even for your 1-month subscription price you’ve got plenty of bang for your buck.

Here are my thoughts:

I really like the t-shirt (cotton, yay!), especially as Zelda is a pretty big thing in our house.

The glass is great. It’s very attractive and totally suitable for everyday use. It almost makes me want to learn to read Elvish so I can figure out what it says!

I’m not a big Adventure Time fan. I’m aware that even though it’s a children’s show it has a big adult following. But it’s never really done it for me. But despite that, this is a very nice figurine.

As for the print, it’s nice. The quality isn’t amazing, but I do like the style. It’s pleasingly spooky, and I love illustration-style art. I’m not sure if it will necessarily go on our wall, but it’s a nice thing to have.

The pin is fun, but ultimately I prefer their more brightly-coloured pins.

All in all I think Loot Crate has done a pretty good job with this. ‘Kingdom’ has such a huge scope that it’s pretty tricky to please everyone with every item. I also think this is a very family-friendly box, as all the franchises are suitable for children.The t-shirt and glass I absolutely love, and the rest are great items even if they’re not personal favourites.