When we can’t see our nearest and dearest in person, care packages are the next best thing.
The benefits of sending care packages as gifts are twofold: not only do they make a lovely surprise for your recipient, often the products inside are from small independent businesses who can do with our support right now. In fact, Etsy reports searches for care packages have been up 235 per cent in the last three months when compared with previous years.
But there are hundreds of options on the internet, so we’ve whittled it down to just some of the best options that are still in stock and ready to send. From letterbox gifts that’ll make their day to luxe bundles for special occasions like birthdays, there’s bound to be something they’ll love below.
The best care packages to send now
Don’t Buy Her Flowers
The Book Package, from £25, Don’t Buy Her Flowers
What’s inside? A bestselling novel of your choice, a bag of Montezuma’s Giant Chocolate Buttons, a bag of Brown Bag Crisps, and a refreshment (you can select anything from tea and elderflower bubbly to gin or prosecco).
Tada & Toy
Sparkle Armour Kit, £70, Tada & Toy
What’s inside? A Saltee hand sanitising gel, a Florence Bridge x Tada & Toy face mask, and a pair of Tada & Toy 18ct rose gold plated tiny star studs that alone are worth £40.
Une Pincée de Provence
Cafe Culture Box, £56.50, Une Pincée de Provence
What’s inside? Mirabeau Rosé Wine, Lorgues Coffee Roasters Guatemala Coffee Beans, a choice of Plantes & Parfums scented candle, Puyricard chocolate and a bag of macarons.
Supply Drop
The Hug Box, £23.92, Supply Drop
What’s inside? Your choice of tea, a linen candle, Vitamin C sheet masks, under-eye gel eye patches, chocolate biscuits, sweets, and artwork with a sweet, positive saying (you get to pick!)
Thriving Box Co
Keep Local Thriving Box, £39.95, Thriving Box Co
What’s inside? A selection of products from local businesses across the whole of the UK, which rotates monthly. There’s at least six products in the small box and eight in the large.
Boxd
Positive Vibes Letterbox Gift, £35, Boxd
What’s inside? A Happy Self Journal, 50g Loctoa Guateemala Milk Chocolate Bar and Only Music Can Save Us Pencils.
M&S
The Ivy Treat Selection Gift Bag, £30, Marks & Spencer
What’s inside? Lemon and Lime Jaffa cakes, Seeded Oatcakes, Single Origin Dominican Republic Dark Chocolate with Mint, Parsnip, Sweet Potato and Beetroot Vegetable Crisps, English Breakfast Tea, Spiced Apple and Pear Chutney, Roasted and Salted Pistachios, Mint Selection Box, Single Origin Ecuador Dark Chocolate with Ginger and Lemon and a Juco gift bag.
Lush
Clean & Sweet Hand Care Kit, £22, Lush
What’s inside? Honey I Washed the Kids soap, Milky Bar soap, Helping Hands hand cream and Tiny Hands solid hand serum.
Brown Paper Packages
Mindfulness Gift Box, £34, Brown Paper Packages
What’s inside? A Crossword Puzzle Book, a Posh Easy Crosswords puzzle book, a Distressed Powder Blue Picture Frame, a Lime and Bayleaf scented natural wax candle, a Matt Black Pencil and Rubber, and a postcard of your choice.
Gigi & Olive
The Travel Kit, £55, Gigi & Olive
What’s inside? Marvis mint Toothpaste, Marvis travel Toothbrush, Marvis mint Mouthwash, 24g Candy Kitten vegan & GF sweets, Carry On Cocktail Kit (choose your flavour), a jade face roller, and a set of Grace & Stella cooling Eye Masks.
Pop House
‘You’ve Got This’ Positive Gift Box, £28, notonthehighstreet
What’s inside? A mug, an A5 Notebook, vanilla and salted caramel fudge, pencils, sparklers and a bath bomb.
BoroughBox
Thinking Of You Gift Box, £24.99, BoroughBox
What’s inside? English Breakfast Tea from Nemi, Small Salted Caramel Chocolates 20g and Salted Caramel & Milk Chocolate Biscuits from Artisan du Chocolat, Clotted Cream Fudge Box from Buttermilk, Artisan Brownie Bites Selection from Simply Cake Co, Dark Chocolate & Raspberry Skinny Dipped Almonds from Mighty Fine and Orange Marmalade Gourmet Popcorn from Joe and Seph’s.
Calm Club
Calm Club Big Night In Kit, £39.95, Fenwick
What’s inside? A patchouli soy wax candle, cosy wool socks, a padded sleep mask, ceramic mug and mindfulness puzzle.
Izzy Bee
Sending Hugs Gift Box, £34.95, Izzy Bee
What’s inside? Kacao luxury chocolate, Ace Tea Box Fine Wholeleaf Tea, Bloomtown Botanical Pink Himalayan Salt Soak in Meadow, The Botanical Candle Company Darjeeling Rose soy wax candle, and your choice of card.
WILDWOMAN
Self Care ‘Calm’ Letterbox Gift, £28.95, notonthehighstreet
What’s inside? A copy of ‘The Calm Coach’ – a book designed to help you manage everyday common stress and anxiety, a Tisserand Total De-Stress Rollerball, a WILDWOMAN A5 Print, Bird & Blend Tea and a WILDWOMAN Bookmark.
The Tartan Blanket Co.
Self Care Package, from £32, The Tartan Blanket Co.
What’s inside? A Recycled Wool Knee Blanket, Bath Salts, Bath Essence, a Spacemask, Honduras 60% Milk Chocolate. You also have the option to add a candle, cashmere socks a gift note and shortbread.
Cutter & Squidge
Cake Care Kit, £18.95, Cutter & Squidge
What’s inside? Two cake truffles, a hot chocolate spoon, a mini Dreamcake and a Cutter & Squidge Fine Loose Leaf Tea Tin (dependent on stock available, this could be English breakfast tea, earl grey, blood orange, lychee peach or very berry).
Faace
What’s inside? A Faace mask, socks and hair clips. For every Face Pack sold, Faace donates a pack of period products to someone in need via Hey Girls.
Moi-Même
What’s inside? It’s up to you – choose a ready-made past subscription box, or build your own. Gifts you can put inside are from brands including Rachel Jackson London, Love Cocoa, and Katie Loxton.
Forman & Field
The Ultimate Care Package, £79.95, Forman & Field
What’s inside? H.Forman & Son London Cure Smoked Salmon, Buttermilk Chicken, Smoked Salmon Pate, Salmon Fishfingers, Smoked Haddock & Parsley Fishcakes, Hepburn’s Olde English Sausages, Hand Chopped Prime Beefburger, banana bread and a tea towel.
Bookblock
Create Your Own Gift Box, £varies, Bookblock
What’s inside? Whatever you want! Due to increased demand, Bookblock’s ready-curated boxes are currently all sold out, but its create your own option gives you a choice of more than 400 products; you can even customise the packaging for totally personal care packages tailored to your recipient.
