Teabox Review
About Teabox
Thinking of buying tea but don’t know where to begin? Grocery stores have shelves full of the hot leafy beverage, but you’re not sure about the quality nor the freshness. Sometimes having an expert opinion can make all the difference.
Presenting Teabox, an online service providing hundreds of different teas from India and Nepal right to your door. Not only do they sell a large variety of teas, but they also have beautiful teaware and gift sets.
They also have a very responsive customer support service that is praised by many a Teabox review. You can share your taste preferences and they will readily provide you with a personalized list.
With 21.9k followers on Instagram, 171k likes on Facebook, and features major publications including Vogue India and Forbes, Teabox is definitely a known brand with a dedicated fanbase.
Whether you’re a beginner tea-drinker or a tea-fanatic, check out this Teabox review to see if the brand can take you to tea Shangri-La.
Overview of Teabox
Co-founded in 2012 by Kausshal Dugarr and Prachi Jain, Teabox grew out of the frustration with long supply chains. Dugarr and Jain wanted to better connect the producer and the consumer without all the hassle in the middle.
On their website, Teabox wrote that the traditional tea route typically takes between 6 to 6 months because of the multiple middlemen, but Dugar decided to reduce this system from 5 stages to 2.
Instead of passing from the tea garden, auction, local exporter, overseas importer, wholesaler, retailer, and then to the consumer, Teabox brings tea from the garden straight to the consumer in one week.
Teabox sources their teas from Darjeeling, Assam, Kangra, the Nilgiris, and Nepa, with their head offices in Siliguri and Bangalore. Now, they sell their products all across the world. So far, they have shipped to more than 110 countries and they’re only continuing to expand.
You can also choose to buy teas individually or as packs without locking into any committed subscriptions. But if you want to receive teas every month, you can sign up to receive monthly tea subscriptions.
Teabox works with their sources, promising that their hand-picked and packed products are of the best quality.
Before we really dive into all the details about the brand and their best-selling products, this Teabox review will quickly take you through their pros and cons:
Pros
- The brand offers a wide range of tea types and product options. Just to name a few, you can give gifts, buy loose leaf tea for yourself, or sign up for a repeated monthly tea subscription
- Responsive customer support in under a minute to help you find the best teas
- High-quality teas sourced directly from the tea farms
- Free shipping for subscriptions and orders above $50
- Worldwide shipping available
Cons
- Higher prices than typical tea vendors
- Customers complain about a lack of transparency
Teabox Review
Teabox includes a large variety of items. From teas to teaware, there are many high-quality items for you to choose from. Just in teas alone, there are Teabox green tea leaves, black teas, oolong teas, white teas, Darjeeling, chai, and so much more.
Along with each product profile is an outline of the Freshness Journey, Teabox’s procurement process, detailing when each step was completed:
- The tea is manufactured and blended
- Sorted and cleaned
- Vacuum packed and stored at 23°F
- Ready for shipment
This way, Teabox ensures transparency with their customers so you can be sure of the tea’s freshness.
In this Teabox review, we’ll highlight 5 of the brand’s customer favorites so you can see what all the fuss is about.
Teabox Darjeeling Spring Chinary Black Review
For a full tea experience that will leave you oh so satisfied, try out the Teabox Darjeeling Spring Chinary Black. These tea leaves are handcrafted and handpicked from chinary first flush teas in the Darjeeling region.
This tea is a beautiful golden color and is medium-bodied with a tang of mangosteen and dried figs. Teabox recommends pairing this tea with fritters, cheese-based salads, tropical fruits, and crepes for a delectable combination.
Teabox also provides steeping notes and recommended condiments. For this tea, you should steep it for 5 minutes in 185°F -194°F water. You can add lemon, sugar, or honey, but the beverage also tastes great by itself.
Despite the medium caffeine concentration, it is best consumed hot in the evening.
A one-time purchase for 50 cups (3.5 oz) costs $16, but you can also purchase 250 cups (17.63 oz) for $64.
Teabox Be CLEANSED – Detox Tea Review
Picture this: it’s early in the morning and you’ve just finished your hour of yoga as the sun rises, so you decide to complete your inner calm with a nice cup of tea. Waking up early and yoga aren’t for everyone, but you can still do your body a favor with the Be CLEANSED – Detox Tea.
This tea is an herbal infusion without caffeine, making it safe for children to drink. Using milk thistle and dandelion to help remove toxins from your body, the Be CLEANSED – Detox Tea is formulated with your wellness in mind.
Ginger, licorice, star anise, and holy basil are also added to help with digestion. Teabox recommends drinking a cup at the start of your day and after dinner for the best detoxifying effect.
This tea is available as a tea pack or loose leaf. It is best consumed hot after steeping for 7 minutes in 194°F -203°F water. If you want a sweeter taste, you can add lemon and honey. Otherwise, it is perfectly fine to drink plain.
As a Wellness Tea, this is currently on sale for 15% less than the usual price. You can buy 32 teabags for $31 instead of $36. 3.5 oz of loose leaf tea is also available to make 40 cups for $17 instead of the usual $20.
Teabox Nilgiri Jasmine Green Review
Capture true inner peace with the Teabox Nilgiri Jasmine Green. As a blend of green tea, cornflower, marigold, and Indian jasmine, this Teabox review recommends this product for those who love floral teas.
With a soft light yellow color and a heady jasmine taste undercut by a crisp base from the green tea, Teabox Nilgiris tea will not disappoint. Teabox suggests pairing this tea with steamed rice, sticky rice pudding, or vanilla panna cotta.
You should drink this tea hot and plain, steeping 1.5 tsp of leaves in 176°F -185°F for 4 minutes. This product has a low caffeine concentration, so you don’t need to worry about it affecting how you sleep. For best results, drink a cup in the morning to start your day off feeling refreshed.
The Nilgiri Jasmine Green comes in 3 different purchasing options. You can buy 3.5 oz of loose leaf for $13, 18 tea bags for $14, or a 1.76 oz tin for $9. The tin has a lovely turquoise, orange, and rose pink tile-like pattern, making it perfect as a gift.
Teabox Classic Assam Black Review
The Teabox Assam Teas are also very popular, but the Classic Assam Black stands out. Made with hints of yellow raisins and date palms, this dark amber tea is subtly sweet and delicious.
This tea is a perfect companion to a robust breakfast of toast, bacon, eggs, and fresh fruit. You can add various condiments to this versatile tea, including lemon, sugar, honey, or milk. It also tastes great by itself, just remember to take it hot and steep at 185°F -194°F for 5 minutes.
The Classic Assam Black is a Teabox Breakfast Tea with a high caffeine content, perfect for delivering a much-needed kick in the morning.
You can purchase 40 cups (3.5 oz) of loose leaf tea for $9 or 200 cups (17.63 oz) for $32.
Teabox Rajasik Ayurvedic Chai Review
Last but not least, this Teabox review will look at the ever feisty and delicious Rajasik Ayurvedic Chai.
This Teabox Chai Tea is a blend of black tea, black pepper, ginger, holy basil, cardamom, clove, and licorice to give you an immune system boost along with a caffeine rush. This chai is not just a wake-me-up but also a pick-me-up to keep you refreshed and alert for the whole day.
Teabox recommends drinking this tea hot in the mornings by itself, but you can choose to add lemon, sugar, honey, or milk.
It does not have as high of a caffeine concentration as the breakfast tea, but it does still contain a fair amount of caffeine that is not suitable for children.
The Rajasik Ayurvedic Chai is part of the brand’s Wellness line, so it’s currently on sale. This chai tea comes in bigger quantities, with 120 cups (10.58 oz) available for $25 right now instead of the usual $29. You can also buy a 3.5 oz tin for $12 instead of the usual $14.
How long does Teabox stay fresh?
If you store your Teabox tea in a sealed container in a cool, dark place, you can typically keep your tea for 1-2 years past the expiration date. They will be drier and lose flavor, but the product should not go bad unless the tea bags were damaged by moisture or bugs.
You can also tell if the tea has gone bad by its smell. Does it smell strange, musty, or sour? Do you see any mold or mildew? These are all signs that the tea has gone bad. While you can drink expired tea, you should not drink any compromised tea.
Here are a few tips to keep your tea fresh:
- Keep your tea away from sunlight, especially if you put the leaves in transparent containers.
- Store your tea in a cool, dark, and dry location.
- Store your tea in an airtight container to prevent moisture and impurities.
Who is Teabox for?
Teabox suits anyone who can drink tea and is looking for quality tea. Since teas typically contain caffeine, individuals who cannot consume caffeine, such as children, should not purchase from Teabox.
Some health experts do say that children can drink herbal tea, and this Teabox review found that the brand does carry a range of herbal teas, including Mountain Rose, Hibiscus Lemongrass Tisane, and Pure Chamomile.
At the end of the day, while Teabox is generally suited for anyone, it is important to check the ingredient list to ensure there will be no conflict with any dietary restrictions.
Comparison: Teabox vs.Tea Drops
Tea Drops focuses on providing single-serve, organic, and bagless tea as a fair-trade and eco-friendly brand, but Teabox’s business practice is about providing you high-quality teas directly from the tea farms, so their missions are vastly different.
Tea Drops do have a variety of teas and flavors, but their products are more designed for fun, most notably in their pre-formed shapes.
With flavors like strawberry shortcake or earl grey, Tea Drops is distinct from Teabox’s use of authentic ingredients from India and Nepal’s tea farms.
Teabox also appears to be more affordable than Tea Drops since the latter’s teas are made into various shapes, while you can purchase the former’s products as loose-leaf teas. Ultimately, both brands are unique tea brands catering to different audiences.
Teabox Reviews: What Do Customers Think?
Teabox is well-received by their customers for the most part. We’ll take a look at reviews from the brand’s website, Amazon, and TrustPilot to see what people are saying about their quality, speed, and accessibility.
Starting on a positive note, quite a few comments on the brand’s website read like this: “Amazing quality, product choice, and customer service. Tracking the order is also a great convenience.”
While we would like to see a larger number of ratings, Teabox’s products have great scores on teabox.com. For example, the Giddapahar Spring Chinary Black has a score of 4.6/5 stars out of 14 ratings.
One buyer absolutely gushes about this type of tea, writing, “Exquisite – a wonderfully strong and sweet aroma, many-layered flavours ranging from sweet vegetal to citrus-fruity, and priced very reasonably. A real winner!”
On our mission to find more customer reviews, we took to Amazon to see what a larger variety of people had to say about the brand. The results generally reflect favorably on Teabox:
- Morning Dew Green Tea: 4.1/5 stars out of over 500 ratings
- Fresh Darjeeling Oolong Tea: 4.1/5 stars out of nearly 220 ratings
- Fresh Kashmiri Kahwa Green Tea: 4.1/5 stars out of 500+ ratings
- Teabox Nilgiri White Tea: 4.1/5 stars out of close to 280 ratings
On the other hand, there are a few concerning comments left on Trustpilot. Customers complained about poor business practices, opaque policies, and struggles with customer service.
One buyer wrote that “They put my order on hold but still charged my credit card as I found out later when the statement came in, and this even after I canceled the order. How shady is this?”
They go on to say, “If you dig in a bit deeper into their website you’ll also find that their claim of freshness and advantage of direct shipping to customers doesn’t hold water. They list the production date, and for all Assam teas I was looking at the date was in summer last year.”
Another customer complained that Teabox charged differently for customers in different countries and that they deleted bad reviews: “They need transparency, they need honesty, they need non racism, they need to actually support the tea workers.”
We have to keep in mind that there are only 5 reviews on TrustPilot, so this type of sentiment is in the minority. Overall, buyers are very satisfied with the brand’s products, but perhaps there is still some room for improvement when it comes to their customer service.
Is Teabox Worth It?
Despite the few concerning customer reviews, there is definitely a bulk of positive responses. This Teabox review also found customer service to be responsive if you contact them during their available hours.
Considering the bulk of followers on social media and reviews across various platforms, Teabox does have a veritable fanbase.
The exorbitant costs at specialty stores for high-quality tea and the difficulty in finding them at supermarkets are frustrating if you want to buy good tea. With all this in mind, Teabox does offer a good deal.
The short time spent from the tea farm to your tea mug is especially appealing. Ultimately, this Teabox review finds that if you are feeling adventurous and looking to expand your tea palette, the brand is a great place to start.
Teabox Promotions & Discounts
Teabox currently offers 15% off Wellness Teas for International Yoga Day.
They are also holding a Second Flush Offer with up to 40% off their 2020 Second Flush Teas.
While there are no Teabox coupons, they do offer an additional 15% off your first purchase if you subscribe to their newsletter.
Where to Buy Teabox
Since Teabox aspires to bring tea to your doorstep without any middlemen, you can buy their products directly from their brand website, teabox.com, as well as a few select retailers such as Amazon. This way, the company ensures the quality and validity of your product.
Sign Up for Teabox
You can choose to sign up for a Teabox subscription for individual tea items. When you choose a product, there are 2 buying options: one-time purchase or subscribe and save.
Then, you can choose from 40 cups or 200 cups. Tea subscriptions typically cost around 10% less than a one-time purchase, but you will be receiving the same tea monthly.
FAQ
Who owns Teabox?
Teabox is currently owned by Asian TeaXpress Pte. ltd, but it was founded by Kausshal Dugarr, now the current Chief Experience Officer, and Prachi Jain, the Creative Head.
Where is Teabox made?
This Teabox review found that the brand works with planters from various tea-producing regions in India, primarily,
- The Halmari Tea Estate in Assam
- The Bermiok Tea Estate in Sikkim
- The Havukal Tea Estates in Nilgiri Hills
- The Lakyrsiew Tea Estates in Meghalaya
What is Teabox’s Shipping Policy?
Teabox ships worldwide and works with multiple delivery partners to cover a wide range of countries. Shipping options and timing varies depending on the order value and location, so be sure to check their website to get the details for your location.
There is no standard cost for delivery because it depends on the delivery partner, order value, and if the countries have additional customs fees. Fortunately, Teabox offers free shipping for US orders above $50 and tracking is also available on all orders.
What is Teabox’s Return Policy?
Contact help@teabox.com within 30 days of the purchase if you have issues with your Teabox tea accessories and gifts, and remember to send an image of your defective item too.
If your order is damaged, you can contact the brand for assistance within 10 days of receiving your order.
Once Teabox acknowledges that your item is damaged or defective, the refund/replacement process will begin. You can choose to receive your refund as a store credit or a return to your account.
If you want to cancel your tea order, you must do so before the tea is dispatched from the fulfillment centers. Teabox does not accept returns outside of India, but you can contact their customer service to fix any issues.
How to Contact Teabox
You can reach Teabox in many different ways, as they pride themselves on responsive customer service:
- Email: help@teabox.com
- Fill out their online email form
- Call: +91-9733061444
Their line is open from Monday to Saturday between 10:00 am to 7:00 pm IST. Don’t worry if you miss this calling window: the online customer support service is open from Monday to Saturday between 7:00 am to 1:00 AM IST and Sundays from 4:00 pm to 1:00 am IST.
Like what Teabox has to offer? Check out Tea Drops an alternative to traditional tea bags. Still looking for options, look into these trusted brands below:
